Social participation pathways on the formulation of public policies: childhood and international migration in São Paulo

Abstract

This article intends to present considerations about the inclusion of childhood in the two Municipal Immigration Policy Conferences held in São Paulo. It is relevant to analyze how the theme was approached in this social participation environment since it is where the migrant population discusses their main demands and it is where the priorities that are listed by them aim to be an input for the performance of the local government. The analysis is made by observing four main points: the guiding axes that organized the debate by themes, the drawn up and approved proposals, the quantity of children present at the conferences and the way how their participation was conceived. The key methodology employed is the documentary analysis by selecting and reviewing the official documents. The research concludes that the theme achieved more relevance from one edition to the other, and that the inclusion of children in a participatory way has a great potential for improving the debate on the formulation of public policies.