SPRU, Social Policy Research Unit, What's New, University of York

Conference

Children’s Rights and Participation:
What Preconditions? What Rights? What Outcomes? What Next?

Tuesday 1st July 2008, Alcuin Research Resource Centre, University of York

Leading questions to be answered:

Does participation bring meaningful change, and if so for whom?
How important is child participation? How realistic is it?
Are there limits to participation (evolving participation, evolving capacity) or clashes between child participation and the participation of others?
What are the connections between rights and participation?
Who controls the participation agenda?
What are the perspectives of children themselves on participatory mechanisms and processes?
Has participation run its course and, if so, is there a need for a new approach?

Each speaker is asked to reflect upon the achievements and remaining challenges in the children's and young people’s rights and participation agenda in their field, and ways of taking that agenda forward. Speakers include:

Rob Williams, CEO of 11Million
Children and Young People form the Children's Rights Alliance for England
Prof. Tricia Sloper, SPRU
Vanita Sundaram, Educational Studies, University of York
Bill Badham, National Youth Agency
Speakers from SCF and UNICEF
Kirrily Pells, Insitute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London
Vicky Johnson, Development Focus Trust
Prof. Paul Gready, Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York

Programme

Morning session – UK focus

9.15-9.45am : Registration

9.45-10am : Welcome

Paul Gready, Centre for Applied Human Rights, York

10-10.45am : UK overview: key participation issues

Children and young people from the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, Get ready for change: being a children’s rights champion

Children and young people have been working with the Children’s Rights Alliance for England’s Get ready for Geneva project to campaign for children’s rights in England to be respected and better protected. Through the project, children and young people are being engaged in the United Nations reporting process for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and supported to bring about real and lasting change in their lives, their communities, and in public policy. Get ready for Geneva is led by children and young people, who are fully involved in its design, delivery and evaluation.

10.45-11am : coffee

11-11.45: UK overview: key participation issues (continued)

Rob Williams, Chief Executive Officer of 11MILLION (formerly the Office of the Children`s Commissioner)

11.45-1.15pm : UK case studies

Tricia Sloper (Social Policy Research Unit, York): Having a 'say' in my life: disabled children's rights to participation

Vanita Sundaram (Education, York): Young people's views and experiences of fairness in and outside school

Bill Badham (National Youth Agency)

1.15-2pm : Lunch

Afternoon session – international focus

2-3pm : International overview: key participation issues

Speakers from SCF and UNICEF tbc

3-3.30pm : Tea break

3.30-5pm : International case studies

Jenny Kuper (LSE): Child Participation in situations of armed conflict

Kirrily Pells ( Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London): Child participation in post-conflict situations

Vicky Johnson (Development Focus Trust), Child participation and development

5pm : Summing up

If you would like to register for this conference please complete a registration form and post to Judith Pink, Centre for Applied Human Rights, Sally Baldwin Buildings Block D, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD.

There is a charge of £10 for University of York staff and £50 for all other delegates. Please enclose payment with your registration document or include details for invoicing purposes. We are unable to accept credit card payment.

If you have any queries please contact jkp2@york.ac.uk or telephone 01904 434398