GERMANY

Muenchen - Stadt fuer Kinder
Muenchen - Stadt fuer Kinder in German language.

The Municipality of Munich aims to take its young citizens seriously by listening closely to what they have to say. Unfortunately, the city is becoming less attractive for children because its city planning lacks creative and innovative solutions for children. Children and youth are eager to help improve their environment by assisting with the planning, designing and building. The Munich Kinderbüro (Children’s Office) was established to concentrate attention on children and youth, and to develop and promote activities towards a more child-friendly city. Other German cities have initiated similar programmes, but Munich was one of the first to put children’s well-being at the heart of their administrative programme and to listen intently to what they have to say. For a long time now, children’s issues have been an essential part of policies on the family at the local and national level; but it was only recently that the national government started to show concern specifically for children living in urban communities. The Munich city council is the first German metropolis to have undersigned the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and to start the implementation of it through an official policy framework. The main goal of this initiative is to make Munich a Child Friendly City. A city in which the problems faced by children and youth have been addressed and children have been given a voice. This respect from adults is essential because the well-being of children is central to developing communities that offer children a healthy, inspiring and culturally rich environment.
The CFC Secretariat has produced an in-dept documentation on this project (see Good Practices section)

Contact
Kinderbeauftragten der Landeshauptstadt München
Orleansplatz 11
81667 München
Tel: (+49) 089 23321975
Fax: (+49) 089 23326109
E-mail: kinderbeauftragte.soz@muenchen.de

Essen - Großstad fuer Kinder
Essen has developed a city-wide strategy in order to achieve their goal "Essen - Großstad fuer Kinder" (Essen - A City for Children). A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats) analysis provided valuable information as a basis for planning. Measurable aims are in place for playing areas, reducing the number of children involved in traffic accidents, and improving the cultural and educational opportunities for children and families. They regularly participate in evaluating what has been achieved. The Parent Information Service reinforces parental responsibility. Parents are consulted on the quality and priority of municipal services for children and families. Yearly 1,500 children participate in a Children's forum on the UN children's rights and the work of the city administration, including feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of municipal services. Among the different initiatives undertake, there is a campaign entitled "Kinder sind der Rhythmus dieser Welt" (Children are the rhythm of the world). By getting all citizens to participate it is the aim of the project - up to the World Day for Children 2002 - to motivate a whole city to devote more time to children, to undertake more active commitment for children and to conduct more projects for and with children. The project is organized in three areas of actions: 1) A world-wide Poster competition with the motto "Children are the rhythm of the world" and organized by the German Poster Museum of Essen and by the Poster Art Court Ruttenscheid constitute the visual guide of the campaign. 2) A big drumming march will bring this phrase "Children are the rhythm of the world" in the city center of Essen on 21 September 2002. 3) Fund-raising.
Essen actively participating in the network City of tomorrow.
For more information check Essen - A City for children in English
The CFC Secretariat has produced an in-dept documentation on this project (see Good Practices section)

Contact
Stadt Essen -Kinderbuero
Rathaus, Porscheplatz
45121 Essen
Tel: (+49) 0201 8888522
Fax: (+49) 0201 8888566
E-mail: kinderbuero@essen.de

Among the best performing Child Friendly cities the following are quoted for being noteworthy: Aachen, Freiburg, Wuezburg and Erfurt. These have launched a number of activities aiming to children with a special emphasis on adventure playgrounds and youth centres.

For the city of Aachen, specific project guidelines have been drafted in the Praedikat Kinderfreundlich 2002 in German language.

Wuezburg has taken advantage of the CFC prize won in 1997 to develop new policies for children in the areas of playgrounds, safety and traffic control, increasing the Municipal financial base for child-oriented activities. See Wuezburg 2002 - Stadt fuer Kinder in German language.

Freiburg stresses the linkages between CFC and environmental policies. See Agenda 21 Freiburg in German language.

Erfurt has focused on child participation in the context of its commitments to Agenda 21 Erfurt in German language.