Children's Rights at a Cross-Roads, November 30 to December 1, 2009 is a forum for reflection and dialogue across professions and disciplines. Policy makers, civil servants, researchers, young people and practitioners are invited to present their experiences and ideas, while analyzing and discussing the role of research in the development of policies and practices. Through this dialogue the aim is to create a more relevant knowledge base for future child rights strategies that safeguard children’s rights.
The main objective of the conference is to explore and promote:
- Research relevant for the realization of the rights of the child;
- Collaboration between policy makers, practitioners and academics that promotes the relevance and use of child research;
- Cooperation between adults and young people in the design and development of research, including participatory research and child-led approaches.
Through presentations and group discussions, representatives from different professions and backgrounds will examine the status of child research and present recommendations to how the three objectives can be reached.
The following three questions will be addressed through a combination of Key Note presentations and round table discussions:
• What is the current context facing child rights policies and child rights relevant research?
• How can research contribute to advancing child rights?
• What are the necessary conditions for optimizing the contribution of research?
People who have been professionally and personally engaged in child rights issues from different professions and backgrounds will be invited to address the conference as key note speakers in plenary sessions. Major studies of the child rights situation will be presented. Case studies of policies, research and collaborative efforts will be highlighted. Models for research-practice collaboration and overall perspectives on academic activities and policy development will be analysed.
Roundtable discussions on specific areas of child rights will be organised. Each roundtable will have a team of people responsible for soliciting presentations, facilitating the discussions and formulation of the agreed recommendations. Young people who have been involved in documentation and analysis of young people’s lives will be invited to present their work in relevant groups and to take part in the discussions.
Each roundtable will be challenged to address the three overall questions of the conference in order to formulate policy relevant recommendations.