For the first time in its history, the Karelian Committee on Reforming the Housing and Public Utilities Sector has invited a school-aged girl to join its ranks. On April 8, the Committee officially welcomed sixteen-year-old Alexandra Kandybina, deputy chairman of the Children’s Legal Chamber in Karelia, who will represent young people and the Chamber during Committee hearings to make sure their opinions are heard. Kandybina’s membership on the committee follows from the agreement on further cooperation that the Chamber and the Committee signed in February 2010.
The Children’s Legal Chamber was established in 2008 under the Youth Development Competencies Program, and is a platform for youth in the Republic of Karelia to lobby for and educate young people about their rights.