Slovenia, 1990-ongoing
The Slovenian Children’s Parliament has been running yearly since 1990. It comprises more than 200 primary schools from all over the country. Each year, a chosen topic is introduced to the pupils, and then discussed at the National Assembly Chamber of the Republic of Slovenia by over 100 representatives that each school elects. This enables the involvement of children in decision-making from local to national level.
The Children’s Parliament enables children to speak publicly, presenting opinions and proposals about issues involving their living environment, while developing their own sense of democratic responsibility. For example, in 1992 the parliament focused on tangible suggestions for the creation of child friendly schools. Politicians were willing to consider the ideas and issues raised by the children and act to address them.