The age and maturity of children are sometimes at a much higher level than that of adults, said the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro Siniša Bjeković during the conference "The contribution of the Ombudsman's Golden Advisors in improving children's participation in Montenegro".
"The right to freedom of expression where more and better we can seek its realization. The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion - children do not calculate. The right to education and privacy.., these are all rights that go beyond the concept of the right to free decision. When we talk about participation, we are talking about children's participation. It implies cooperation with children and adults. "Participation implies a partnership between children and adults..." said Bjeković.
He said that the conditions of children's development are changing rapidly in today's age. He explained that Golden Counselors are not only focused on children, but also on good cooperation with adults.
".. although children and adults have different interests, participation can enable and contribute to better understanding", said Bjeković.
He emphasized that children are not passive students and added that children must be active and responsible citizens.
"Participation is not a goal in itself, but a process and a way of communicating with children...", he said.
He pointed out that without trust, careful listening and friendly relations "we will be poorer for an adult who needs to think that way".
The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation (MPNI) Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović congratulated the Golden Advisors on their important jubilee.
She explained that the affirmation of children's opinions should be one of the key aspects of the education system.
"Children remind us that their opinion is not only right, but a reminder to us adults to listen to it... Children's participation should improve and expand, so that we can all build a society in which children will be equal actors," she said, adding that joint efforts can build "a better society for all of us".
Adviser to the Protector, Duška Šljivančanin, said that the establishment of the network was a logical step to "deal with children's rights in an honest way".
"About a hundred children passed through our network, and they spread the idea and propagated the protection of human rights in a chain, in their circles... Children can adopt some things through fun activities, and children's rights are great. We learned great things through the game," she said.
Šljivančanin points out that children are taught solidarity and "to put on other people's shoes".
Golden Adviser of the Ombudsman Miljan Lončar said that he was not aware of the importance of what they were learning about.
“Now I'm congratulating my little self on that. It was a big deal. We have implemented a large number of camps on the topic of children's rights... I know that four years is not a long period of time, but I am sure that we have made great strides in respecting children's rights", said Lončar.
He pointed out that the Golden Counselors seriously approached the topic of violence against children.
Golden Advisor Lana Jovanović said that the Golden Advisors are a generation of young people whose ideas have gone beyond the borders of "our homes and our country".
"The institution of the protector was the one that opened the door to the world for all of us. Now when I look at what we were dealing with when I was 13, I can stop and say 'well done'. "Don't underestimate children, make a little effort to hear them," she said.
Jovanović emphasized that she is particularly pleased that the enthusiasm of the Ombudsman's new Golden Counselors is not waning.
During the conference, a short film about the successes and achievements of previous generations of Golden Advisors was shown. They talked about their experiences, how important it was for them to be networked and to use joint forces to spread awareness about the importance of preventing violence against children, as well as advocating for the basic rights of children.
Bonus video:
