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Children's right to freedom of association, protest and participation in the digital environment

Dr Gabriela Martinez Sainz joined the Centre this morning to present on children's right to freedom of association, protest and participation in the digital environment. Whilst there is a broad literature on human rights defenders in the digital environment, Gabriela highlighted that this literature has not been extended to children human rights defenders. As COP26 draws to a close, and adult treatment of youth activists at the event raises questions about adults' comfort at children exercising the right to protest, children's unique mobilisation of climate strikes in the digital environment during Covid-19 has transformed how young people exercise and realise their rights. Of course, this comes with opportunities and challenges: opportunities to reach a wider audience and to influence others on social media platforms; and challenges for children's human rights education to respond to children's protest in online spaces by teaching them tools that are more suitable to young people's lived experiences of rights. Thank you to Gaby for joining us this morning and for her provocation on children as human rights defenders in the digital environment.

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