The Reconstructing Children’s Rights Institute is an online institute about dismantling racism, neo-colonialism, and patriarchy in humanitarian and development efforts to protect children and support families.
Practiced incorrectly and without making explicit the underlying dynamics of power and funding, humanitarian and development aid can cause harm and undermine the dignity and autonomy of those it intends to support, who become othered “beneficiaries.” The axes of power differentiation include class, gender, age and race. The recognition of this imbalance of power is nothing new and has deep-rooted historical underpinnings and constructive critique has been taking place for decades in academia and activist communities. If these inequalities and injustices are apparent across wide swaths of humanitarian action and international development, their roots of racism, neo-colonialism, and patriarchy are especially problematic in a field such as child rights and protection, where the roles of children and caregivers in their families and communities will vary from context to context. As a community we must critically examine this power imbalance.
Accordingly, the CPC Learning Network decided to host the Reconstructing Children’s Rights Institute – a multi-part series of conversations and resources for learning, information sharing and actionable next steps. In this series of critical conversations, CPC Learning Network has invited experts to share their insights about racism, colonialism, patriarchy and power as they affect children and families around the world.
The Institute has two overarching goals:
- Demonstrate and engage: Raise awareness and recognition of how racism, patriarchy and power are not just theoretical concepts but very real drivers of inequality, ineffectiveness, and harm in the international child rights and protection sector.
- Sow the seeds and demonstrate action for effective change: Critique the problems inherent in international child protection and child rights but also highlight practical ways to dismantle and reconstruct the existing system.
The Institute is a space in which discussions and resources can tackle hard topics while remaining safe for evolution and growth among those who participate.
A series of pre-recorded online critical conversations will be broadcast between May-July 2021.
Conversation #1: Confronting Colonialism, Racism and Patriarchy in International Relations, Development and the Humanitarian Aid Industry
- Click here to download Conversation #1 Briefing Note, includes Speaker Bios and Reference Guide
- Conversation #1 Recording will be released May 11 at 10am EST.
Conversation #2: Confronting Colonialism, Racism and Patriarchy in Child Welfare and Child Rights Programming
- Conversation #2 Briefing Note, includes Speaker Bios and Reference Guide will be released in May 2021.
- Conversation #2 Recording will be released May 20 at 10am EST
Conversation #3: Confronting Colonialism, Racism and Patriarchy in Funding
- Conversation #3 Briefing Note, includes Speaker Bios and Reference Guide will be released in May 2021.
- Conversation #3 Recording will be released June 1 at 10am EST