1989年,联合国《儿童权利公约》诞生,中国和世界上几乎所有国家都成为缔约国。18岁以下儿童的“参与”被提高到“儿童之权利”的层面。作为缔约国的中国从立法到实践都在倡导、弘扬这一理念:2003年7月,民政部社会福利和社会事务司与英国救助儿童会中国项目组织了来自北京市儿童福利院、大同市社会福利院、合肥市儿童福利院、天津市儿童福利院和武汉市儿童福利院的10名儿童进行“儿童参与”调研。他们为了一个共同的话题——青少年参与“家庭寄养管理办法调研”,亲自确定调查项目,设计调查问卷,选择他们最为看重的亲情、健康、收养家庭或机构等,进行实地采访。他们的调查视角独特,他们的调查深入而敏锐,其调查结果大大出乎许多成年人的意料,显示出儿童所具有的颇具价值的参与能力。为此本刊特此编发由4名儿童代表合写的调查结果,以飨读者。 In 1989, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was born. China and almost all other countries in the world became parties. The “participation” of children under the age of 18 is raised to the level of “children’s rights.” China, as a contracting state, advocated this idea from legislation to practice. In July 2003, the Department of Social Welfare and Social Affairs of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the British Save the Children Association China Project organized social welfare programs from Beijing Children’s Welfare Institution and Datong City Hospital, Hefei Children’s Welfare Institution, Tianjin Children’s Welfare Institution and Wuhan Children’s Welfare Institution. They conducted a field interview for a common topic - adolescents participated in the “Family Foster Management Survey”, personally surveyed, designed questionnaires, selected their most valued family ties, health, adoptive families or agencies. Their unique investigative perspective, their in-depth and sensitive investigations, and their findings far outweigh the expectations of many adults, revealing the valuable ability of children to participate. To this end, we hereby compile a survey co-authored by four child representatives to readers.