Overview

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) turned 30 in 2019 and keeps on growing in importance. 

This course provides a basic introduction to children’s rights and is ideal for any curious mind interested in understanding more about children’s rights and how they can be realised. The course will combine theoretical knowledge with practical exercises and case studies. The course looks at children’s rights as part of international human rights law, focusing on the background and origins of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This course will help you understand how the general principles and the rights in the CRC can be implemented on a national level but also on a more local level, and will give you an overview of the actors involved in the realisation of children’s rights.

In addition, a number of specific issues will be addressed including, among others, violence against children, alternative care for children and the right to participation. The course will conclude on some reflections on the contemporary challenges such as how to protect and defend children’s rights in the digital age, what are the consequences of the environmental challenges on children’s rights and children as human rights defenders.
 

FACILITATOR

Véronique Lerch is an international human rights consultant, specialised in child rights, working for institutions such as UNICEF, the European Commission, Eurochild or Amnesty International. Her areas of expertise are: policy development, child and youth participation, alternative care, advocacy and communication for change, organisational development and capacity-building. She was previously the Head of the Advocacy department of a large child rights organisation, SOS Children’s Villages International. She led an advocacy campaign to improve the rights of young people ageing out of the care system in over 20 countries in Europe and Central Asia and introduced participatory methods in the campaign for children and young people to be change agents. She holds a European Master degree in Human Rights and Democratisation (EMA) from Global Campus of Human Rights and a Master in International Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University).

Target group

Any individual interested in learning more about the human rights of children. It might be of special interest to students, journalists, NGO staff and public servants.

Schedule: 6:30pm-8:30pm

Dates: December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17
Total number of hours: 12

Maximum number of participants: 25
Certificate of attendance: attendance to 10 hours at least.
Registration: €120

Students and former VoteDHr students: €80

Scholarships
Two places in the course are reserved for people passionate about children's rights/or activists interested in learning more about children's rights. Those scholarships are open for people with limited financial means. Send us an e-mail at ceslx@ces.uc.pt with your CV and a paragraph explaining why you are interested in this course and why we should waive the fee for you. 

Deadline for scholarship applications: 18 November 2020
 

VOTEdhr - Elections, Democracy and Human Rights Training, research and support
Coordination: Carla Luís 
 

Certified training | Laboratório Associado - DL n.º 396/2007, de 31/12, DL n.º 63/2019, de 16 de Maio e Estatutos do CES.
Certificate issued (English and/or Portuguese) upon completing the course.