Children are not only the future; they are the present, even if they are not yet adult citizens who can vote.

In this episode, Davide Rambaldi, Eurochild Communications Coordinator, speaks with Eurochild Children’s Council members Georgios Efrem and Rhythm about what it really means to involve children and young people in decisions that affect their lives. They discuss how to move beyond tokenistic participation and photo opportunities and instead create real spaces where their ideas and experiences are heard and taken seriously.

The episode includes examples from Cyprus, Malta and the European level, showing how young people are helping to shape projects and policies. These range from collaborating with local and national governments to share proposals, to participating in staff recruitment at Eurochild, and creating accessible reports.

They also talk about the importance of using clear and accessible language, not just what adults think is “child-friendly”, and why children’s views should be included from the very start, not added at the end superficially.

Georgios Efrem and Rhythm are supported by our Eurochild members, the Pancyprian Coordinating Committee for the Protection and Welfare of Children and the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society.

How can we improve child protection systems? What are the needs of guardians?

Drawing on insights from the ⁠#GUIDEforGuardians project, which supports professionals and guardians of unaccompanied children, from Ukraine and beyond, including those with disabilities and evacuated from institutions, the episode explores key challenges in navigating bureaucracy and accessing services, while presenting practical recommendations and tools.

What would the world be like without civil society and non-governmental organisations? Similar to the funding cuts experienced by USAID, cutbacks are now taking place across Europe. EU resources and political focus are increasingly being redirected towards military spending, border control, and defence innovation. As a result, programmes that support children, families, and other marginalised groups are being targeted. The threat is real and Europe is not immune.

The space for NGOs is shrinking. Across Europe and around the world, attacks on humanitarian workers, activists,journalists, and civil society organisations are on the rise. Populist movements are gaining ground, fuelled by government-led smear campaigns, censorship, funding cuts, and a flood of disinformation. Hate and distrusttoward democratic institutions are spreading. Today, with this episode, Eurochild launches a campaign to fight anti-rights movements.

What is the reality for children in Europe today? Are policies and promises truly making a difference in their lives?

In this episode, we dive into Eurochild’s flagship report, Children's Realities in Europe: Progress & Gaps, exploring the insights gathered from 57 members across 31 European countries. We discuss the key findings on child poverty, social exclusion, mental health, digital safety, and climate change—highlighting the challenges and the good practices making a difference. Join us as we unpack what governments are doing (or not doing) to prioritise children’s rights and well-being.

What will Europe look like after the upcoming EU Elections? We analysed the manifestos of the EU political parties to see how these will affect the lives of children and young people. Far-right parties are expected to have 1/4 of the seats in the parliament. What is the impact of this conservative shift on human rights, the environment, EU funds, initiatives and social rights?

Hačarav means "I understand" in Romani. In this second episode of the Eurochild podcast on children's rights, we talk about International Romani Day, the influence of Roma culture in different countries, the demolition of Roma homes in Bulgaria and the European Parliament Resolution addressing discrimination.

Hačarav means "I understand" in Romani. In this first episode of the Eurochild podcast on children's rights, we talk about the Roma community, child poverty and discrimination.