European guidelines for youth AIDS peer education - University of ...

What European policy says about the matterIn Decision No. 647/96/EC of the European Parliament and the Council, AIDS is considered a ‘major scourge’and the decision provides that it is important to ‘promote the utilisation and proper use of condoms as ameans of preventing the HIV virus and other STD’ 2 . The decision further states that ‘the provision of informationto children and young people must begin at an early age in the general context of information on hygiene andsexuality and health education.’ These decisions are not an ‘ideal’ but reflect the reality that a majority ofEuropean young people have already experienced sexual intercourse by the age of 17.The global viewThe United Nations became involved in the issue in 1989, when the General Assembly adopted theConvention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This document is perhaps more idealistic, but is specific tochildren and young people and deals directly with their participation in the issues that affect them in theform of ‘rights’. Article 12 of the CRC gives children the right to express their opinion and to have thatopinion taken into account in issues that affect them. Article 13 gives children the right to obtain and makeknown information as well as to express their opinions, except when this violates the right of others.Articles 14 through 17 give children the freedom of thought and religion (Art. 14), the freedom ofassociation (Art. 15), the right to privacy (Art.16), and the right of access to appropriate information (Art. 17).Culture change and tokenismThe documents and agreements mentioned above reveal that we are in the challenging process oftransferring the control of health promotion and education to local communities and their citizens,including young people. Adults will need to let go of some of the direct control they have over young peopleand endeavour to involve them in policy-making and prevention programmes. The end product ofparticipation is not revolution or revolt, but a partnership between different age groups. This is a new role foryoung people and they will need to be guided into this new responsibility by adults.However, we must be careful to avoid the dangers of what Hart has called ‘manipulation’ and ‘tokenism’,where young people become mere ornaments in a political process 3 . The aim of participation is not simplyto give young people a voice, but to enable them to take responsibility for their own health. Peer educationfocuses directly on increasing youth participation and empowerment; to accomplish this task young p e o p l eneed support and guidance from adults.We need to seriously consider the benefits of young people participating in health promotion programmesand in the decisions that affect them. This is important because young people are an essential asset tosociety – making a commitment to them is a commitment to the future 4 .European guidelines for youth AIDS peer education 15