Consulting the voices of the next generation 

Children's Week is a national celebration that recognises the talents, skills, achievements, and rights of children.   

This year, Children’s Week runs from 23 to 31 October. 

The theme for this year’s Children's Week is “Children have the right to choose their friends and safely connect with others”, drawn from Article 15 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

As part of Children’s Week, we will be consulting with local children, who this year will be asked questions around a friendship theme via the City of Ballarat’s MySay page, with the consultation open from 11-31 October. 

These questions will be: 

• How do you connect with friends? 
• What does it mean to live a good life? 
• What does it mean to be healthy? 

Oral historians Way Back When will also interview children about the above themes for a video to launch as part of Universal Children’s Day on Saturday 20 November. 

However, to promote the consultation, along with the 2020 Children’s Consultation report, four children asked questions on video of City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Daniel Moloney including “how do you become mayor?”, “can you build the world’s biggest playground?” and “how will you listen to us when our parents don’t?”. 

Cr Moloney said he thoroughly enjoyed the children’s questions, getting particularly on board with the idea of a flying fox from Buninyong to the Ballarat CBD. 

“I loved doing this video with the kids and I look forward to the results of the consultation carried out by Way Back When,” Cr Moloney said. 

“We need to make sure we get a range of views from all demographics in Ballarat and that includes our younger generation who always have great, innovative ideas.” 

The Children’s Consultation MySay page can be found here. 

Further information about Children’s Week activities will be announced shortly.