Francesco Tonucci and his City of Children

The Francesco Tonucci International Association aims to promote Tonucci’s work through the pursuit of several of the following objectives:

• The dissemination of the philosophy, educational vision, art and proposals for transforming society that encapsulates the “Tonucci thought.”
• Respect and understanding of the 1989 International Convention on the Rights of the Child as a framework for action for proposals and policies for children.
• The development of the international project “The City of Boys and Girls“ in collaboration with theISTC-CNR Rome.
• Collaborative work between international institutions and governments to promote integration from the perspective of children in city government.

The “City of Children” project, the main project born from Francis’ ideas, is present in more than 200 cities around the world.

The project promotes children’s participation, autonomy and play, and in particular:

• Promotes children’s participation and opinion on every issue that affects them.
• Ensures its autonomy: The reappropriation of an autonomous relationship with the urban context guarantees the exercise of children’s rights.
• Defends the right to play: Boys and girls have the right to leisure and rest, to engage in play and recreation, and to participate freely in cultural and artistic life.
• Promotes the growth of the international network as a space for meeting, exchanging experiences and building common strategies to strengthen the project in a child-friendly urban context.

The Association understands Francesco Tonucci’s philosophy and proposal as a detonator of social change. As such, it aims to promote development and innovation projects that embrace Tonucci’s vision in the various themes that his work encompasses.
Specifically, the association seeks to:

• Participate in the design, management and execution of national and international projects related to the association’s areas of interest.
• Promote dialogue and collaboration with international institutions and governments in the analysis of problems related to city development from the perspective of children.
• Influence the decision-making process of international institutions and governments on issues related to the association’s areas of interest.
• Promote national and international academic exchanges with training institutions and/or related entities.

The Association is betting on training as an effective means of developing the know-how and skills needed to generate change.
Training is conducted at different levels according to the needs of the beneficiaries:

• Outreach, through talks, lectures, presentations, etc.
• Basic training and consulting through structured work sessions based on existing projects.
• Training – Deepening through practical-theoretical training that includes philosophical and methodological aspects.
• Updating specific knowledge.

The Association promotes research in the field of innovation and projects within the philosophy of Francesco Tonucci.

• It seeks to systematize the concrete experiences and processes occurring in the different realities in which the proposals and projects developed under the Tonucci philosophy are implemented.
• The Association intends to maintain a connection with universities interested in establish interdisciplinary chairs or projects in the sphere of the Association’s thematic interests, such as teacher education, the city and childhood, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, etc.
• Carry out impact evaluations of projects and disseminate research results.