Since the CRECCIDE took control of the Federation of Children’s and Youths’ Town Councils, many these Council’s accompanying adults – both local elected representatives and organisers, teachers, parents – have asked us to compile a work of reference on the subject which they could rely on in their daily work. The first vade-mecum, published in 1997 by the King Baudouin Foundation, restricted itself to making an inventory of the Councils’ situation at a point in time and to observe, without passing judgement, the lack both of management structure and of teaching tools.

We hesitated for a long time before up-dating this vade-mecum and adding the further teaching aids asked for, for several reasons. However, during encounters, training courses and meetings with children, young people and organisers in which we participated and which we organised, we tried to draw together your testimonies, your experiences and your methods to make a “summary” in the form of a methodological teaching guide which respects every-one’s particularities.

This knowledge and advice passed on to you by the CRECCIDE are the result of a joint reflection of the teaching team, of our directors and our partners, both elected representatives and teachers, based on observing working methods, experimenting and enquiries we have carried out while taking care to leave you the possibility of adapting, transforming and enriching them.

You should realise that this study is but a set of suggestions and beacons for the work to be undertaken with children and young people at the local level. It will never contain miracle recipes which will guarantee you success in your work. Nevertheless we hope that it will really help you and enable you to prepare the ground for a sustainable and effective participative structure.

Teachers can also find in it a summary of interesting themes devoted to the management of the class and/or the school.