Social constructions of childhood and migration: what does it mean for child participation in NGO programming in Guatemala?

This MRP uses a children’s rights theoretical perspective to explore the connection between child participation and the surge in unaccompanied child migration to the United States. It argues that children’s rights in the Northern Triangle have been missing from the discourse, with a focus on the lack of participation and empowerment of Guatemalan children and youth, in the creation of policies and programs that directly affect their livelihoods. Therefore, development interventions must include both children and youth in participatory planning processes in order to work towards a future of a more empowered generation that can create sustainable alternatives to migration. This MRP analyzes social constructions of childhood and migration extracted from interviews and observations, as well as YouTube videos on the influx of child migration to the United States, in order to understand how these conceptualizations inform the role that child participation plays in NGO programs in Guatemala.