Some of
the world’s authorities on child poverty, development and wellbeing will
gather in Cape Town next week, 2-4 September, for a conference that will
reveal new directions and approaches to research that can improve social
policy and services for children.
This is
the first time the biennial conference of the International Society for Child
Indicators will be held in Africa, and it provides an important opportunity
to shift the focus of discussions to the global south.
The
conference will include papers, panel sessions and discussions on a range of
issues affecting children, including the following:
· Youth
transitions to adulthood
· Early
childhood development
· Child-focused
indicators of social change
· Measurement
of child poverty and inequality
· Child
protection and violence against children
Over 200
researchers, policy-makers and practitioners will attend from more than 40
countries. These experts are concerned with the measurement of children’s
deprivation and development – and the translation of evidence into policy and
practice. They are brought together by a common vision of a world in which
children have equal opportunities and the potential to thrive and develop.
The conference is about providing evidence that points the way forward to
address inequality and improve children’s life chances, whether children grow
up in Germany, Chile, South Africa or Indonesia.
Previously
held in Chicago, Sydney, York and Seoul, this year’s conference will be
hosted by the Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town (UCT), in
partnership with UNICEF, the African Child Policy Forum, and the Poverty
& Inequality Initiative of UCT.
Venue:
Kramer Law Building, Middle
Campus, UCT.
Dates:
UCT, from 2-4 September.
For more
information, profiles of the keynote speakers and a detailed programme go to www.isci2015.org
or Facebook at ISCI 2015.
We will
have brief outlines of a few key sessions available for distribution on
Monday 31 August.
Please
contact aislinn.delany@uct.ac.za
if you would like to receive these.
Please
refer to the contact person on each theme for further information or to
arrange interviews, or contact aislinn.delany@uct.ac.za with general queries
about the conference.
Early
childhood development: Laying the foundations for life
A child’s development starts from
the very first days of life, making early childhood a critical time for
building a firm foundation for healthy development and learning.
Traditionally the focus has been on a child’s health, but child development
and early learning covers a range of aspects including language and literacy,
mathematical ability, physical development, fine motor skills, and nutrition.
·
And
how can we draw on research to make recommendations about state investments
and approaches to early childhood interventions?
Much of the work around the
measurement of early childhood development (ECD) has been conducted in
developed countries, and many of the tools used to measure aspects of child
development and learning are Western in origin. This panel brings together
researchers who have been working in the Global South to discuss both
challenges in and solutions to the measurement of psychosocial development in
early childhood in diverse cultural settings.
Speakers will share their insights
from their work in the field, in countries such as Kenya, Zambia, Tonga,
South Africa, Peru, India, Ethiopia and Vietnam.
Times and venues:
For more information on the detailed programme, go to www.isci2015.org
or Facebook at ISCI 2015.
Contact person for further information or to arrange interviews:
Andy
Dawes
Department
of Psychology, University of Cape Town
082 422 9940
Youth transitions to adulthood
The time of transition from
childhood to young adulthood is a sensitive period. Young people are expected
to move from school into the world of further study or work, or to leave home
and start their own families. However, in contexts of poverty and unemployment,
these markers of young adulthood do not necessarily materialise, and young
people can be left particularly vulnerable.
Speakers on these issues come from
a wide range of countries, including Australia, Germany, India, Israel,
Norway, South Africa, Spain, Uganda, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.
Venue:
Kramer Law Building, Middle
Campus, University of Cape Town
Sessions and times:
For more information on the detailed programme, go to www.isci2015.org
or Facebook at ISCI 2015.
Contact person for further information or to arrange interviews:
Ariane
De Lannoy
Poverty
and Inequality Initiative, University of Cape Town
072 947
7285
From MDGs to SDGs: Unpacking the
2030 Development Agenda
The year 2015 marks the
deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are
a set of human development goals and targets developed in 2001 to track
progress in implementing the commitments that representatives from 191
countries agreed on at the UN Millennium Summit in New York in 2000.
The MDGs helped to
galvanize action at global, regional and country level, influencing policy
decisions and resource allocations towards the pursuit of human development
outcomes. As the MDGs draw to a close, a new development agenda has been
formulated through an extensive consultation process spanning more than two
years. The outcome document, “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development”, will be formally adopted by the United Nations
General Assembly when it meets in September 2015.
The 2030 Agenda lays
out a vision for “a world free of poverty, hunger, disease and want, where no
one will be left behind.” The Agenda contains a new set of 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), with 169 associated targets. The new SDGs will come
into effect on 1 January 2016.
A panel has been
convened to take stock of the key lessons learned in tracking the situation
of children during the MDG period. It will also outline the scope of the new
SDGs, and their implications for child indicator work going forward.
The panel will consist of:
·
Andy
Dawes, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town
Venue:
Kramer Law Building (LT1), Middle
Campus, University of Cape Town
Dates:
Friday 4 September 2015
Time:
16.00 – 17.30 (closing plenary session)
For more information on the detailed programme, go to www.isci2015.org
or Facebook at ISCI 2015.
Contact person for further information or to arrange interviews:
Alejandro
Grinspun
Chief
of Social Policy, UNICEF South Africa
082 561
3973
Children’s worlds: How do
children view their own well-being?
·
What
is child well-being, and how can we measure it across diverse settings and
countries?
·
How
do factors such as family life, safety at school, communities and economic
circumstances impact on children’s satisfaction with their lives?
·
How
can understanding children’s views of their own well-being be used to improve
their lives?
An important factor in
children being able to reach their full potential is how happy they feel
about their lives and situations. Understanding how they feel is best
achieved by asking children directly and allowing them to give their own
assessments.
‘Children’s Worlds’ is
a worldwide research survey on children’s subjective well-being. The study
collects representative data on children’s lives and daily activities, their
time use and their own perceptions and assessments of their well-being.
The latest wave of data
collection, which took place in 2013-2014, included 45 000 children aged
8-12 from 15 different countries. A further five countries will be joining in
2015.
Findings from this and
other studies on children’s understanding of well-being will be presented.
These national and international perspectives provide new information about
how children live their lives in a range of cultural contexts, and can be
used to inform local, national and international policy.
Times and venues:
For more information on the
detailed programme, go to www.isci2015.org or Facebook at ISCI 2015.
Contact person for further information or to
arrange interviews:
Shazly
Savahl
Department
of Psychology, University of the Western Cape
082 574
7195
Multidimensional child poverty in
developing countries
Children across the world, and in
developing countries in particular, are disproportionately affected by
poverty. It is generally recognised that poverty is more than just a lack of
income. It is made up of several factors such as poor health, inadequate living
conditions and lack of good education, among others.
Children are particularly
vulnerable to the effects of poverty. For example, good nutrition and access
to health and education is vital in the early years for ensuring that
children can learn and grow and realise their potential. Since the effects of
poverty on child development can have long-term implications, there is an
urgent need to understand the nature and extent of child poverty.
A panel will be convened to bring
together the most recent evidence on the prevalence and nature of
multi-dimensional child poverty in developing countries. This panel and other
presentations will highlight the challenges of designing and implementing
multi-dimensional child poverty measures, as well as how the data generated
can be used to better monitor children’s living conditions and inform policy
decisions.
Times
and venues:
For more information on the detailed programme, go to www.isci2015.org
or Facebook at ISCI 2015.
Contact person for further information or to arrange interviews:
Katharine
Hall
Children’s
Institute, University of Cape Town
082 678
5747
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Wednesday, September 2, 2015
International conference to discuss child welfare and obstacles
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