The Right to Be Heard: Young People’s Participation in Policy Making and the Power of Storytelling

Abstract

This article explores the role of storytelling in increasing young people’s participation in policy making. The relevance of Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is discussed, followed by the history of young people’s active participation in human rights movements. The theoretical frameworks around political participation and the power of storytelling are reviewed. Six case studies are presented, including two from Canada, one from Indonesia, and three from the United States. Finally, findings suggest that storytelling has the potential to bring young people’s voices to the forefront of the human rights issues affecting their lives and to empower them to recognize their individual and collective agency.