Malta, 21-23rd November, 2007

Preventing social exclusion of children and young people in Europe: Participation & early intervention

Argument
On the occasion of its third annual conference, Eurochild will focus attention on three core themes that are considered crucial to preventing social exclusion and poverty among children and young people in Europe:-1. Child & youth participation 2.Family & parenting support 3.Early years education & care.Each of these themes will be explored through in depth workshops running over the two days of the conference. The principles of participation and early intervention underpin each of these themes. It is anticipated that these workshops will lead to on-going collaboration between Eurochild members.

Draft programme and registration:http://malta2007.ifco.info

EUROCHILD AISBL
1-2 Avenue des Arts B-1210 Brussels (St Josse ten Noode)
Tel: +32 2 511 70 83 Fax: +32 2 511 72 98
e-mail: contact@eurochild.org
Web site: http://www.eurochild.org/

Brussels, 9 October, 2007

Mainstreaming Children's Rights in EU Policy. JOINT Eurochild - EURONET event
European Parliament, Brussels, Altiero Spinelli Building, Rue Wiertz, 60

On October 9 from 15.00 - 18.30, the European Children's Network and Eurochild will be holding a meeting on "Mainstreaming Children's Rights in EU Policy." Contributions will be made on what already exists and what is missing at EU level by representatives of the European Commission, the Fundamental Rights Agency and the Council of Europe. Examples of good practice will be given by the Scottish Commissioner on Children's Rights, EURONET and Eurochild members, and the Women's Lobby will discuss their experience of gender mainstreaming

The European Children's Network
European Parliament, Brussels, Altiero Spinelli Building, Rue Wiertz, 60

Barcelona (Spain), 19-21st September 2007

European Network of Ombudspersons for Children

ENOC Annual Meeting
Argument
The European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC) holds one major members’ meeting each year (and occasional special meetings). These are hosted by a member institution. They include sharing information on members’ activities and strategies, discussion of particular themes and adoption of position statements, as well as network business. ENOC invites independent children’s rights organisations from outside Europe to attend as observers as well as a representative of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and of European inter-governmental organisations. Other observers are invited at the discretion of ENOC’s Bureau

http://www.ombudsnet.org/enoc/members/index.asp
e-mail: Xavier Bonal (xavier.bonal@sindic.cat),
Deputy Ombudsman for children's Rights at the Catalan Ombudsman Web site: http://www.ombudsnet.org/enoc/

Oslo (Norway), 17 - 19 September 2007

Argument
Childwatch International Research Network and Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP) are organizing a joint research workshop and an open seminar on the challenges of child poverty. The workshop and seminar focus on policy making to eradicate child poverty as well as studying the effects of child poverty on children, their families, communities and the societies they live in. The opening sessions are held on Monday 17 September, from 0900 to 1100 hours, and on Wednesday 19 September from 0900 to 1700. The research workshop is organized in two working groups on Monday afternoon and Tuesday. Download documents for the open seminar and workshop

CHILDWATCH INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK
Web site: http://www.childwatch.uio.no/
Invitation to open seminar (in Norwegian)
Program for open seminar, 17 and 19 September
Program for the research workshop working groups
Abstracts of the papers presented in the working groups

Belfast (Northern Ireland), 4 December 2007

Closing the Loop: Connecting Child Care Research Policy and Practice

Argument
The Institute of Child Care Research are inviting interested researchers and practitioners to a conference that focus on the connection between research, research results and the use of these results in child care practice.

Key Note addresses will be made by Prof. Rob Chaskin from the Chapin Hall Program for Children's Policy Research at the University of Chicago and Celia Atherton OBE, Director at Research in Practice. Deadline for registration is 31 October 2007.
For more information see www.qub.ac.uk/iccr

Hong Kong (China), 7-10 September 2008

Towards a Caring and Non-Violent Community: A Child's Perspective.

Argument
ISPCAN Congresses provide a unique opportunity for professionals all over the world to meet, discuss their concerns, learn from each other and support each other. The scientific program of the Congress will cater to colleagues ranging from those who just recently joined the field to those looking for refinements in professional practices. The many concurrent sessions will offer participants new advances and opportunities to present innovative approaches to the subject and share well-tried evidence-based best practices. The field is moving fast with increasing international collaboration. Invited experts will be highlighting latest developments and directions, be they practice or policy related.

Programme (file .pdf, 362kb)

Contact:

Kristen Sutherland
Events Assistant
International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN)
245 W. Roosevelt Rd., Building 6, Suite 39, West Chicago, IL 60185
Tel: (630)876-6913
Fax: (630)876-6917
email: eventassist@ispcan.org
Web : www.ispcan.org

Sion (France), 16 au 20 octobre 2007

Enfants en situations de rue. Prévention, intervention, respect des droits.

Argument
Les enfants pour qui la rue est un milieu de vie ou de survie ont aussi des droits. Cependant, ils restent aujourd’hui encore victimes d’abus de toutes sortes. Les facteurs sociaux, économiques et politiques contribuant à leur marginalisation entretiennent aussi des préjugés qui les stigmatisent comme « enfants de la rue », leur accolant tous les dangers associés à la rue dans l’imaginaire social. Face à cette discrimination et ces violences, il ne suffit pas de sortir un certain nombre d’enfants de la rue. Une approche respectueuse des droits de l’enfant est nécessaire et essentielle. Le problème n’est pas l’enfant vivant dans la rue, mais la situation de rue elle-même lorsque celle-ci contrevient aux droits fondamentaux de l’enfant. Or, les degrés de protection, de participation et de développement des enfants varient selon les situations. Leurs besoins et capacités spécifiques requièrent que l’on développe des outils appropriés pour favoriser l’écoute et la participation. L’intervention doit avant tout favoriser le développement de capacités d’agir pour le respect des droits de ces enfants. En considérant les enfants comme des acteurs sociaux, aux capacités et potentialités variables, on voit alors que la diversité des « situations de rue » émerge au carrefour des stratégies individuelles et des règles institutionnelles. L’intervention doit ainsi relier l’écoute de ces enfants avec l’aménagement des institutions en conformité aux droits fondamentaux contenus dans la CDE. Il faut considérer ces enfants comme témoins de « situations de rue » multiples et diverses, et chercher avec eux des solutions appropriées et personnalisées, qui se situent, tout comme leurs problèmes, dans les interactions avec leur environnement social immédiat. Le 13ème séminaire international de Sion, organisé par l’Institut International des Droits de l’Enfant, vise à identifier des pistes permettant de mieux articuler des interventions basées sur l’écoute individuelle avec des approches globales respectant plus largement les principes de la CDE. Ce séminaire veut ainsi ouvrir des pistes nouvelles pour une Observation Générale du Comité des Droits de l’Enfant, contribuant à un mouvement d’envergure internationale en faveur du respect des droits des « enfants en situations de rue » (ESR).

Contact:

Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch (IUKB)
Case postale 4176, CH-1950 SION 4
Tél. ++41-27-205.73.03 - Fax ++41-27-205.73.02
E-mail : ide@childsrights.org
Web : www.childsrights.org

Lisbon (Portugal), 18 till 21 November 2007

XIth ISPCAN European Regional Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect

This conference will serve to challenge existing research and work in the field of child abuse and neglect prevention, providing a forum for expert-thematic meetings where participants will have the opportunity to share and contribute to the construction of new bridges of research and work.. Three main questions are in the front line of this conference:
Can we stop child abuse and neglect?
What can we learn from survivors and family members?
Are current models of intervention and prevention working?
With this Conference, Portugal will have the opportunity to showcase some of the most prestigious academics and professionals working at the international level for child abuse and neglect prevention.

Contact:

(For inquiries in English)
Attn: 2007 ISPCAN European Conference
245 W. Roosevelt Rd, Building 6, Suite 39
West Chicago, IL 60185 USA
Tel: 1.630.876.6913
Fax: 1.630.876.6917
Email: euroconf2007@ispcan.org

(For inquiries in Portuguese)
Cristina Severiano
Associacão de Mulheres Contra a Violencia
Alameda D. Afonso Henriques, 78 – 1° E
1000-125 Lisbon, Portugal
Tel: 351.213.802.162
Fax: 351.213.802.168
Email: euroconf2007@mail.telepac.pt

Web site: www.ispcan.org/euroconf2007

Vienna (Austria), 28 and 29 September 2007

Mediation goes Europe

Mediation has established itself as a valued approach to dispute resolution in nearly every country in Europe. The diversity of cultures and traditions in Europe thus have generated a range of appearances of "mediation“ in every country, thus encompassing a sense of common values and ethics. The European Mediation Conference, Vienna 2007 (EMC I), has been designed not only as a unique opportunity for mediators and for organisations, public and private institutions as well as for individuals to participate in a dialogue with mediators representing close to all European countries, but also as a starting point for the further formation of the EUROPEAN MEDIATION NETWORK INITIATIVE. The proposed general theme of the Conference „Mediation goes Europe“ aims to express the necessity of discussing and giving thought to the chances for establishing a generally applicable appearance of mediation, buttressed / supported in every country by European values and global ethics – despite the diversity, in itself desirable, in areas and methods of mediation.

Contact:
European Institute for Business Mediation – EIBM
Europäisches Institut für Wirschaftsmediation
Seidlgasse 21/3/1 A-1030 Wien
Tel. +43 – 1 – 710 25 72
Fax. +43 – 1- 512 91 30 45
Email: office@europemediation.eu
Website: www.europemediation.eu

Geneva (Switzerland), 17 September till 5 October 2007

46^th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child

The Committee will analyse, among other things, the report on the optional protocol to the CRC on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography of Bulgaria, France and Spain; the report on the optional protocol to the CRC on the involvement of children in armed conflict of Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Spain.

Further information:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/crcs46.htm

Florence (Italy), 25 till 29 August 2007

13^th International Congress of ESCAP “Bridging the Gaps – Integrating perspectives in child and adolescent mental health”

The 13th International Congress of ESCAP will be designed to offer clinicians, researchers, health workers, and others interested in the welfare of children and adolescents with a genuine appreciation of contemporary and appropriate methods of assessment and intervention. The program will be especially sensitive to the fact that the developmental periods of childhood and adolescence represent a crucial time for timely diagnostic evaluation and for the implementation of effective treatments. Our knowledge of the magnitude of the problem and the growing recognition of the early age of onset of most mental disorders should raise for all health workers an awareness, for the urgent need of timely interventions with the genuine hope that these interventions may also change the long-term outcome of mental disorders while also offering extraordinary opportunities for prevention. The themes for this congress will include, among others, developmental neuroscience, assessment instruments, treatments and treatment effectiveness and many other varied issues that will be addressed at a highly scientific, yet clinically relevant level. The event leit motiv will be particular attention to the great number of traumatic situations which afflict children and adolescents worldwide and the daily psychosocial problems, that challenge professionals.
During the course of the Congress, we hope to “bridge” widely disparate knowledge and disciplines by sharing model and developing integrated perspectives. As a discipline and since its inception, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has always been opened to and influenced by allied professions, such as psychology and the social and educational science. In our time the most demanding challenge is to finally bridge the gaps between mind and body, between different approaches and professions to arrive at a common pathway for research and clinical practise.

Contact:
ESCAP (European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
Via Emilia Est 421
41100 Modena
Italy
tel: +39 059 4223052
fax: +39 059 4222275
cecilia.sighinolfi@azzurro.it
www.escap-net.org

Berlin, DZ Bank Building, Pariser Platz, 3. 4 June 2007

European Forum on the rights of the Child. Official Launch

Programme (file .pdf, 122kb)

The Hague (The Netherlands), 21 till 24 May 2007

Children Without Parental Care

The four-day World Conference on Children without Parental Care, which is organised by the World Initiative for Orphans, will host representatives from over 100 countries. Participants will include government officials, NGO representatives and scientists. A wide range of distinguished speakers, children's advocates and experts in various fields will discuss the long needed reforms in child welfare policies.

WHY SPECIFICALLY CHILDREN WITHOUT PARENTAL CARE?
Children who are deprived of the guidance and protection of their primary caregivers are more vulnerable to health risks, violence, exploitation and discrimination and they are often deprived of education. The conference will be an opportunity to exchange ideas and concerns on critical issues pertaining to these children, and thus identify the best approaches to serve this disadvantaged group.

WHAT ARE WIO'S GOALS AND AMBITIONS?
WIO is a registered non-profit organisation based in The Hague, The Netherlands, which strives to safe-guard the fundamental needs of the 150 million orphaned and abandoned children worldwide. By means of this large and international conference, they will create momentum for increased global awareness, renewed dialogue, dissemination of research results and sharing of knowledge on the needs of children without parental care.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?
This conference is meant for high level government representatives and decision makers, NGOs, and researchers in relevant fields. The themes of the conference will include: children’s rights, child soldiers, adoption, reunification, foster care and institutional care.

Contact:
World Initiative for Orphans (WIO)
Prinsessegracht 3, 2514 AN The Hague, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 70 345 9202; Fax: +31 70 345 3134
Email: info@wiorphans.org
Website: http://www.wiorphans.org

Geneva (Switzerland), 21 May till 8 June 2007

45^th Session of Committee on the Rights of the Child

The Committee on the Rights of the Child will examine, among other things, the report on the CRC of the Slovak Republic; the report on the optional protocol to the CRC on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography of Ukraine; the report on the optional protocol to the CRC on the involvement of children in armed conflict of Monaco, Norway and Sweden.

Further Information:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/crcs45.htm

Brussels, 27 March 2007, from 9h-17h

Involving children in EU decision-making: making child participation meaningful and valuable for all
 

The EC Communication on the Rights of the Child, commits the EC to involving children in its decision-making process from 2007 onwards. Save the Children welcomes this commitment, since experience shows that meaningful participation improves the relevance and appropriateness of decision-making on issues that affect children. Moreover, it can make policies themselves more successful, with a greater, lasting impact for children. Children’s participation, since it ensures a child’s perspective, also helps to improve the accountability of “adult institutions”, such as the European Commission, while raising the visibility of children’s issues.

All too often, however, children’s participation ends up being more about creating a perception of involving children than actually creating practical opportunities for children to influence decision-making. Knowledge and resources are crucial to ensuring meaningful children’s participation that provides a genuine opportunity to influence decision-making based on honesty and clarity about the extents of, and limits to, that influence.
 

This one-off workshop will:
*      Increase understanding of the concepts and process of children’s participation and what the active and meaningful involvement of children and young people means in practice
*      Explore how meaningful children’s participation can benefit EU policy making
*      Analyse the constraints to meaningful children’s participation and ways in which they can be overcome
*      Identify key opportunities for children’s meaningful involvement in EU policy making and how these opportunities can be used
*      Highlight tools and good practice for meaningful children’s participation
*      Provide resources and knowledge needed to promote and facilitate children’s participation in EU policy-making and action planning.

Contact:
Olivia Lind
Rue Montoyer 39
1000 Bruxelles - Belgium
Téléphone : +32 2 512 78 51
Fax : + 32 2 513 49 03
olivia.lind@savethechildren.be

Budapest (Hungary), 2 and 3 April 2007

Conference on Education Reform to Support Roma Inclusion

The overall objective of the Conference on Education Reform to Support Roma Inclusion is to review the last two years of progress on Roma inclusion in the education systems of the Roma Decade countries. Conference participants will discuss recent changes in education policy, and the impact of these changes on the education of Roma children.

Contact:
Roma Education Fund T
Phone: (36-1)-235-8030
Fax: (36-1)-235-8031
www.romaeducationfund.org

Warsaw (Poland), 20/03/2007 to 21/03/2007

Focus on Children in Migration – From a European Research and Method Perspective.

Programme

This event is organised in collaboration with the European Network of Masters on Children's Rights.

Migration of children in Europe is a multifaceted and complex issue, and includes asylum seeking and refugee children, children forced or voluntarily migrating for work, children being abandoned when their parents migrate, as well as children being trafficked for various exploitative purposes. According to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the departure of children to neighbouring countries is an issue of particular concern, and many children leave their country unaccompanied by their parents. Trafficking of children under 18, especially adolescent girls, for sexual and commercial exploitation occurs in many countries and adequate preventive and protection measures are not fully in place in all parts of Europe.

A large number of separated unaccompanied asylum-seeking children have disappeared from European reception centres and are vulnerable of abuse and exploitation. The issues of slow asylum processing, violent incidents towards internally displaced refugees and the lack of adequate psychosocial services are also of great concern in Europe. There is furthermore a growing number of children without legal documentation, which is, according to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, partly due to stricter asylum procedures.

The absence of relevant statistical data with respect to separated unaccompanied children, as well as children being trafficked or leaving their country to work in neighbouring countries, makes it difficult to assess the situation of children in migration in Europe, and hence also to answer with corresponding preventive and protective actions in the practical support work.

Save the Children Sweden and the European Network of Masters on Children’s Rights are pleased to announce the upcoming European Conference ‘Focus on Children in Migration’ in March 2007, aiming to highlight the issues of concern listed above. The conference is a two-day event and will include both renowned European keynote speakers in plenary sessions and seminars in parallel sessions, as well as panel discussions.

Preliminary keynote speakers from Unicef Innocenti Research Centre in Florence Italy will present an overview of ‘Children on the move in Europe’.

Contact:
Save The Children
SE 10788
Stockholm
Tel: + 46 8 698 9000
Email: info@rb.se
Website: www.rb.se

Strasbourg (France), 14 March 2007

Conférence européenne pour le respect des droits des mineurs étrangers en Europe, contre leur enfermement et leur éloignement.

Contact:
Association THEMIS
36, rue Oberlin F-67000
STRASBOURG
themis67@grainedecitoyen.fr
Fax: +33.388.36.48.75
Tel:+33.88.24.84.00

Kathmandu (Nepal), 11 till 13 March 2007.

1^st International Conference on Inter-country Adoption

The idea of holding an international conference on inter-country adoption was first initiated by Child NGO Federation - Nepal (CNFN) a couple of years ago. In this context, CNFN held dialogues with Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW). Besides the Ministry, it also held discussions with concerned government authorities, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), various national and international organizations, child home operators, stakeholders and other concerned people. But due to the non-conducive political situation in the country and frequent changes in the government, none of the governments could make their political commitments and give assurances of their support to hold such conference. However, with the restoration of democracy in the country, the efforts were rejuvenated and finally the final date for holding the conference was approved by the Main Organizing Committee chaired by the State Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare.

Expectations from the Conference:
The conference is expected to identify the flaws of inter-country adoption, right from the initial stages to the effective monitoring of the adopted children living abroad, and address the problems and hassles encountered during the inter-country adoptions process. It is also expected that the Conference will be able to come-up with an easier and better system/mechanism of adoption procedures making the adoption system more friendly. More importantly, the Conference is expected to build a common consensus on the need of Nepal ratifying different International Conventions on Child Rights and child protection (with special reference to adoption) and strictly implementing the provisions made in these Conventions.
It is hoped that the conference, through the sharing of and discussion on experiences and Best Practices of different countries would help us in designing and developing an effective legislation on adoption policy in the context of international adoption. The Conference is also expected to further strengthen the Hague Convention. Lastly, the Conference is expected to help in eliminating the existing rumors and negative attitudes regarding adoption of children by foreigners and will highlight on the need of assessing and evaluating the existing monitoring system, giving new hopes to the adopted children and their adoptive parents. Beside all things, the main focus of the conference will be on the appointment of the adopted Nepalese children as the Goodwill Ambassadors to the respective countries to where their new parents belong to, and will be assigned the duty of playing the key roles in establishing a strong bond between the two countries and as well.

Contact:
ICA Secretariat
P.O. Box:11963
Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu
Nepal
Email: cnfn@himaltech.com, geeshrestha@yahoo.com

Berlin (Germany), 9 March 2007

20^th Meeting of the Task Force to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation in Tourism

The Task Force to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation in Tourism is a Global action platform of tourism-related key players. This meeting will feature a thematic session on CHILD EXPLOITATION THROUGH TRAFFICKING AND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY.

The meeting is open to national tourism administrations, international organizations, tourism industry, NGO and media representatives who wish to exchange information and experiences on ways to prevent SECT, learn about current programmes and actions related to child protection through tourism.

The final decision will be taken during this session concerning both the new mandate of the Task Force (broadening of the scope to cover all forms of child exploitation) and the revised composition of the Executive Committee.

Contact:
Task Force Secretariat
World Tourism Organization (WTO)
Fax: + 34 91 567 8219
Email: ethics@world-tourism.org

Strasbourg (France), 23/01/2007

Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly: Debate on violence against children.

The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly will hold the first part of its 2007 regular session from 22-26 January 2007. On the 23rd it will hold a debate, which will involve children, on violence against children.

Contact:
Nationality and Family Law Unit
Private Law Department
Directorate General I – Legal Affairs
Council of Europe
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel: +33 3 88 41 25 51
Website: www.coe.int

Further information:
http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Sessions/2007/ESession2007_1.htm

Geneva (Switzerland), 15 January till 2 February 2007

44^th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child

The Committee on the Rights of the Child will examine reports from Chile, Honduras, Kenya, Malaysia, Mali, Marshall Islands, Suriname.
OPSC: Costa Rica, Kyrgyzstan
OPAC: Costa Rica, Kyrgyzstan

Further Information:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/crcs44.htm

Florence (Italy), 09/03/2007 to 11/03/2007

Unaccompanied Minors: Protection measures in an enlarged European Union.

The three-day conference will focus inter alia on reception structures, socio-legal protection measures, asylum procedures and future perspectives for unaccompanied minors in Europe. The presentation of the research outcomes of the project will serve as a starting point to discuss recommendations for the improvement of the situation of the unaccompanied minors in the EU. During the different sessions, methods to raise awareness of and to enhance the visibility of this vulnerable group of migrants will be discussed. The conference participants include experienced scholars and experts from the national and European levels, practitioners and other representatives working with unaccompanied minors, from different European countries.

The conference will be a venue for meeting colleagues from a variety of European countries and shall serve as a platform for discussion and exchange.

Contact:
Berlin Institute for Comparative Social Research (BIVS)
Schliemannstraße 23
D-10437
Berlin
Germany
Tel: +49 30 44 65 10 65; Fax: +49 30 444 10 85
Email: info@emz-berlin.de
Website: www.emz-berlin.de

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