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International Course on Children’s Rights	back

Place:   Ghent-Antwerp, Belgium Date:   08 to 19 September 2008 Children’s Rights in a Globalized World: From Principles to Practice In 1989, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Today, nearly all states of the world have ratified the Convention expressing their willingness to implement the principles of the CRC. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an important tool for improving the situation of all children in the world. More than 18 years after the adoption of the CRC and 60 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is time to take stock of the achievements and challenges. In particular, as globalisation expands and deepens, challenges of poverty, environmental degradation, child labour and migration take on a new dimension. Globalisation and the dispersion of power also means that states are only one among many actors. These developments challenge the concept of children’s rights and asks for critical reflection on children’s rights as a leverage for societal change. The reality of children’s rights is much richer than a legal instrument and its implementation. In order to turn principles into practice, a multidisciplinary approach, which allows for multiple interpretations of children’s rights, is needed. A critical reflection therefore strengthens rather than weakens children’s rights. The International Interdisciplinary Course Children’s Rights in a Globalized World: From Principles to Practice wants to make an active contribution to the proliferation and promotion of the CRC and its underlying values and aims at critical refection on children’s rights. After a multidisciplinary introduction to children’s rights, with a particular focus on the CRC, implementation strategies and methodologies will be explored. Six broad themes will be addressed from a children’s rights perspective: education, health, child protection, poverty, child labour and migration. Participants are expected to actively engage in discussions. A collective and individual assignment are to be completed and presented during the course. Widely recognized experts from all over the world will facilitate the lectures and workshops. A maximum of 40 high-quality participants will be selected. Contact: Kathleen.Vlieghe@UGent.be  http://www.iccr.be