International Conference: Right to a Future, Rights of a Child
The Institute of Social Ethics ISE and the Center for Comparative Constitutional Law and Religion of the University of Lucerne are organizing in collaboration with the Loyola University Chicago a 2-day international conference on the topic of rights of the child.
Datum: | 12. – 13. März 2024 |
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Ort: | Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern, Schweizerhofquai 3a, 6002 Lucerne |
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2024. Due to the ratification of the Convention by almost all UN member states, children today are better off than ever before. On the other hand, there are still numerous problems with the implementation of rights of the child.
In 2021, an estimated 5 million children under the age of five died. Most of them, according to UNICEF, for reasons that could be avoided nowadays. Many children suffer from malnutrition, have no access to electricity, running water or education. Even in countries with well-developed social systems such as Switzerland and Germany, serious violations of rights of the child occur on a daily basis. In 2021, 145 children were killed by violence in Germany and five children in Switzerland. In the same year, 4’465 cases of physical abuse were registered in Germany and 1’656 in Switzerland. The number of unreported cases is high.
Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives on Rights of the Child
This two-day conference is dedicated to explore the current state of rights of the child and prospects for the future. The international conference examines this issue from the perspective of various disciplines and aims to bring together international scholars and professionals of disparate fields.
Experts from the fields of ethics, law, medicine, philosophy and theology will contribute to the dialogue. Topics such as the ethics of rights of the child, rights of the child and (sexual) violence, rights of the child and digital transformation, and rights of the child and the climate destruction will be discussed. This plurality of approaches is expected to result in a differentiated and in-depth analysis of the situation of rights of the child.
In addition, a panel discussion is also aimed at the general public. In an open discussion round, the public will be given the opportunity to discuss this socially highly relevant topic with globally leading experts.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (20 November 1989)
Guiding Questions & Speakers
- How is the status quo of the realization of rights of the child worldwide?
- Who is responsible to respect, protect, implement, and realize rights of the child?
- What can rights of the child contribute to a sustainable future?
Confirmed keynote speakers include Professors Philipp Jaffé, Mary Patricia McAleese, Cristina Traina, Susan Linn, Emily Buss, Katherine Kaufka Walts, and Mary Anne Case.
Program
8.30h | Registration & Coffee |
9.00h | Door opening |
9.15h | Opening Ceremony Moderation: |
9.50h | Opening Keynote: The Status Quo of the Realization of the Rights of the Child Prof. Dr. Philipp Jaffé, Member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child |
10.10h | Discussion |
10.30h | Keynote: A Right to a Future Prof. Dr. Hille Haker, Richard McCormick S.J. Endowed Chair of Catholic Moral Theology at Loyola University Chicago |
10.50h | Discussion (Q&A) |
11.10h | Break |
11.40h | Keynote: Ethics of Rights of the Child Prof. Dr. Peter G. Kirchschlaeger, Director of the Institute of Social Ethics ISE, University of Lucerne |
12.00h | Discussion |
12.20h | Organizational Information |
12.30h | Lunch Break |
14.00h | Keynote: Religious Communities and a Child’s Right to Education Prof. Dr. Zalman Rothschild, Center for Comparative Constitutional Law and Religion, University of Lucerne |
14.20h | Discussion |
14.40h | Organizational Information |
14.50h | Parallel Sessions: Session I: Climate and Rights of the Child Session III: The Child’s Right to an Open Future |
16.20h | Break |
16.50h | Öffentliche Diskussion* (Public Discussion): Sexuelle Gewalt an Kindern
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Adrian Loretan, Director of the Center for Comparative Constitutional Law and Religion, University of Lucerne * The public discussion will be held in German. / Die öffentliche Diskussion wird auf Deutsch geführt. ** Due to the announced strike of the Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Doris Reisinger had to cancel her participation last minute. |
17.45h | Break |
18.00h | Public Lecture (Öffentlicher Vortrag): The Rights of the Child in the Catholic Church Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Mary Patricia McAleese |
18.45h | Discussion (Diskussion) |
19.30h | End |
8.30h | Registration New Arrivals & Coffee |
9.00h | Door opening |
9.15h | Keynote: Rights of the Child as Human Rights Prof. Dr. Katherine Kaufka Walts, Director of the Center for the Human Rights of Children, Loyola University Chicago |
9.35h | Discussion |
9.55h | Keynote: Children and Moral Agency |
10.15h | Discussion |
10.35h | Break |
11.05 | Keynote: Consuming Kids! Digital Transformation and the Rights of the Child Dr. Susan Linn, Harvard Medical School |
11.25h | Discussion |
11.45h | Organizational Information |
12.00h | Lunch Break |
13.30h | Keynote: How Do We Decide What is in the “Best Interest” of the Child? |
13.50h | Discussion |
14.10h | Organizational Information |
14.20h | Parallel Sessions: Session I: Identities and Education Session II: Digital Transformation and Rights of the Child Session III: Family Law, Children’s Rights, and Religion Session IV: Participation Session V: Against Parental Rights: Reconstructing the Constitutional Balance of Powers in Secondary Education |
15.50h | Break |
16.20h | Panel Discussion: The Duty-Bearers of the Rights of the Child
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Hille Haker, Richard McCormick S.J. Endowed Chair of Catholic Moral Theology at Loyola University Chicago* |
17.20h | End
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Registration
The conference is aimed at
- researchers from the fields of ethics, law, medicine, philosophy, and theology
- experts and professionals who are in contact with rights of the child in their daily work
- the general public.
The event is free of charge.
The conference language is English. There is no live stream available.
Registration requested via online form.
Organizers
The conference is organized by the Institute of Social Ethics ISE (Prof. Dr. Peter G. Kirchschlaeger), the inter-faculty Center for Comparative Constitutional Law and Religion (Prof. Dr. Adrian Loretan; Prof. Dr. Zalman Rothschild) of the University of Lucerne and the Richard McCormick Endowed Chair of Ethics at Loyola University Chicago (Hille Haker) Loyola University Chicago (Prof. Dr. Hille Haker).
Contact
University of Lucerne
Institute of Social Ethics ISE
Frohburgstrasse 3
P.O. Box
6002 Luzern
T +41 41 229 52 26
ise @ unilu.ch