Child Friendly Justice European Network (CFJ-EN)

💪🏽Child Justice Caravan, Day 1! 🔎Exploring what does justice means and how it should translate in practice... Our Young Justice Transformers from Romania and Bulgaria, before discussing the roles of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and ENOC, answered today that is was about: -needing information -easy to understand language -clarifying definitions and what a "fair" decision is -listening skills of lawyers and judges -understanding that perspectives may differ between children and practitioners -needing a just decision, where sometimes the law needs to be changed.... ❓️Are we...you... really hearing them? What will we... you... concretely do tomorrow and the day after in favour of child-friendly justice? #justicestartswithchildren

Please us for our insightful webinar on the 4th of December! We will discuss the current asylum procedures in the EU, the main features and implications of the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, and give expert insight on policy shifts and procedural impacts.

🌐 Justice that Works Conference: Leveraging Cooperation and Technology for Children, Disability Rights and Gender Equity Join Validity Foundation in Budapest or online on 20-21 November for a two-day conference focused on the rights of children and women with disabilities. Organised in partnership with the Hungarian Child Rights NGO Coalition and ELTE Law School, this hybrid event will cover: • Day 1: Equal citizenship for children with disabilities • Day 2: Combatting gender- and disability-based violence Detailed agenda and registration: https://lnkd.in/eMraT665 Interpretation and live captions will be available for both in-person and online attendees. #JusticeThatWorks #DisabilityRights #GenderEquity

🌍 Join the Identity Rights Working Group, co-chaired by Child Identity Protection (CHIP) and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion, for a webinar series on access to justice and effective remedies for children whose identity rights have been contravened. Kicking off on 14 November, this series explores key challenges when children’s rights under Articles 7 & 8 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child are violated, often leaving them legally invisible and without basic protections. 🌐 More details and speaker bios are available on the event page: https://lnkd.in/gt5nB9g7 #ChildRights #AccessToJustice

Thrilled to kick off the journey with some of the best minds (and hearts!) in child justice for the 5th World Congress on Justice With Children! It's always a privilege to work with this passionate group of friends who share the same mission: amplifying the voices of children who need us the most. Looking forward to what we’ll accomplish together! #JusticeWithChildren #ChildRights

🎬 Flashback to our Ciné-Débat at Cinéma Aventure 📽️ On 9 October, CFJ-EN hosted a screening of the Belgian documentary Planet B followed by a thought-provoking discussion with the director, a UN expert and one of the main protagonists, Bo Vanhoorickx. The film is a coming-of-age story in which director Pieter Van Eecke follows 13-year-olds Bo and Luca in their fight against climate change. They join Extinction Rebellion, but while Luca proposes increasingly radical actions, Bo tries to find her own way. More info on the film here (in French): https://lnkd.in/e72gkzzT This event shed light on the intersecting themes of youth activism, mental health, and the challenges young people face when advocating for climate justice. Key moments included: 🌱 The powerful storytelling of Bo’s journey, navigating activism, arrests, and personal growth. Van Eecke did a great job of portraying both the courage and innocence/vulnerability of the two teenagers. 🤝 Reflections on the importance of creating safe spaces and community support for young activists. ⚖️ Insights from Elisa Morgera, a UN Special Rapporteur, highlighting the urgent need to respect children’s rights, especially their right to protest. A heartfelt thank you to Pieter Van Eecke, Bo Vanhoorickx, Elisa Morgera, and our moderator, Nantina Tsekeri, for making this event so memorable. Also to Simon Blackley for the great photos. Art and film can unite us, build empathy, and change how we view the world and those around us. We left the cinema inspired and reminded of the courage young people show in the face of climate adversity. #PlanetB #YouthActivism #ClimateJustice #ChildRights #ChildParticipation

🌱 Reflecting on the CFJ-EN Annual Seminar 2024: A Powerful Call to Action for Children’s Rights and Climate Justice 🌱 Last month, we gathered at the 3rd CFJ-EN Annual Seminar in Brussels, co-organised by Child Friendly Justice European Network (CFJ-EN), Terre des hommes foundation, Global Initiative on Justice With Children, CICS.NOVA.UMinho - Centro Interdisciplinar de Ciências Sociais, and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, to confront an urgent truth: as climate change accelerates, so too does its impact on children, the most vulnerable among us. From strategic climate litigation to the right of peaceful assembly, our discussions focused on how justice systems can be transformed to uphold children’s rights amidst the climate crisis. Highlights from the Seminar: 🔍 Plenary Insights: - Elisa Morgera underscored the need for immediate, transformative change in our approach to climate justice. - Aoife Daly shared the pivotal role of the Youth Climate Justice Project, emphasising youth leadership in climate litigation. - Gerry Liston spoke about the strategic importance of the landmark case, Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and 32 Other States, and the challenges in securing evidence and policy alignment. 🗣️ Young Voices: Hearing from young climate activists like Kiss Gábor, Martim and Cláudia Agostinho, and Oskar Bonte was really inspiring! Two huge takeaways were that young people need a voice in framing climate legislation, and that there’s no time to lose. 🎨 Workshop with Schoolchildren: One of the standout moments was the workshop with local schoolchildren, led by young activists. The young people came armed with brilliant questions, and left inspired to make a difference. Key Themes: - The right to participation as a foundation for inclusive policies (highlighted by Marie-Cécile Rouillon and Regina Jensdottir). - The intersection of climate justice and child rights—where policy, advocacy, and community action meet to drive systemic change. - The voices of marginalised children in climate justice, brought forward by Astrid Podsiadlowski, who stressed the importance of targeted support for at-risk groups. - The need for intergenerational platforms to frame policies, as advocated by Sophie Shields, and for alternative and child-centric platforms for action, involving art, play and fun. 🙏 A heartfelt thank you to all our speakers, panellists, workshop leaders and moderators—including child rights champions from the Council of Europe, European Commission, GLAN | Global Legal Action Network, Validity Foundation, Institute for Inspiring Children's Futures and many more. ✨ A special shout-out to our operational team who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this event a reality. 💭 Let’s keep striving for a world where children’s rights are protected, even amid climate adversity. To all who contributed, thank you! #CFJEN2024 #ChildRights #ClimateJustice #ClimateChange #ChildParticipation #ThankYou

🌟 Did you know? 🌟 You can stay informed and inspired by subscribing to our CFJ-EN newsletter! It’s packed with updates on child justice, insights on case law, event highlights, resources, and more. Even better—if you’re new to our community or missed an edition, you can easily download past newsletters from our website. 📝 Subscribe now and explore past editions to stay connected with a network dedicated to advancing children’s rights. 👉 Visit our newsletter page to subscribe and download: https://lnkd.in/ev7UWsdH #ChildJustice #ChildRights #AccessToJustice #Newsletter #StayInformed

We’re pleased to endorse this important publication, Ending Violence Against Children in Detention in the EU. This report highlights key gaps and offers practical recommendations to strengthen protections for children in detention. Aligned with global strategies like the 2030 Agenda, it’s a valuable resource for advancing child-centred justice. Please read and share! #JusticeForChildren #SDG16 #ChildRights #EndingViolence

🌐 Free Webinar: Sibling Violence 🌐 Join us for an important conversation on sibling aggression and abuse at the European Family Justice Center Alliance's free webinar on 5th December 2024, 14:30-16:30 (CEST). Experts Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, PhD, Corinna Tucker, and Eva Van Kelecom will guide the discussion, addressing various types of sibling aggression—physical, psychological, property, and sexual—and their profound impacts. Explore strategies for prevention, screening, and intervention, and learn how these insights can be integrated into professional training and policy development. Register now: https://lnkd.in/eE9vaeMK More info: info@efjca.eu #FamilyJustice #SiblingAbuse #Prevention #ProfessionalTraining #Webinar #ChildProtection #MentalHealth