The Citizen Participation Unit of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA), recognised as a leading authority on the practice of participation, partnered with Ireland 2016 and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (DAHG) on an initiative to involve children and young people in contributing their views to inform the Ireland 2016 programme and on the future of Ireland. This is in accordance with Articles 12 and 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: children’s rights to have their voices heard and taken into account on issues affecting their lives, and to freedom of expression.

DCYA, Ireland 2016 and the DAHG embarked on a series of six consultations around Ireland with 215 children aged 8–12, and young people aged 13–18, on the theme ‘Imagining Our Future’. These consultations provided an opportunity for children and young people to share their views about contemporary Ireland, say what they want to bring into the next century, and share how they wish to commemorate and honour the children who died in 1916 at the children’s event for the Centenary Programme.