Caribbean Child Research Conference from November 4-6

Students and researchers on children’s issues are expected to converge at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, from November 4-6 for the staging of the 10^th annual Caribbean Child Research Conference (CCRC).

The three-day event, under the theme: ‘Beyond 2015: Equality and Equity for All Children’, will be hosted by the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) in partnership with the Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC), UWI, Kingston, Jamaica; Child Development Agency (CDA) of Jamaica, the Jamaica Early Childhood Commission (ECC); Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ); Jamaica’s Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA),  Office of the Children’s Registry; the Jamaica Ministry of Education (MoE) and The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)  Jamaica.

The event will see researchers from across the Caribbean presenting their child-related studies to policymakers and State agencies concerned with the care and development of children.

Secondary-level students, who have completed School-Based Assessments (SBA) on child-relevant themes, will also deliver their work, while those from primary institutions will participate by way of essay presentations.

Chairperson of CCRC and Acting Director of SALISES, Dr. Aldrie Henry Lee, told the JIS News that children play a key role in the staging of the conference.

“We want to promote the Convention on the Rights of the Child and one way to achieve this is to include children in forum like the CCRC, which allows them to voice their opinions and give suggestions, especially on things that affect them,” she said.

Dr. Lee, in noting the importance of the annual conference, said the event  has helped Jamaica to stand out as one of the few countries in the Caribbean where the quality of life for children is given priority and policies are put in place to protect them.

She noted that children have been appointed as child ambassadors, they sit on advisory boards and contribute to decision-making.

Another benefit to Jamaica from the staging of the annual event is that State entities and other agencies have used the research findings presented to implement programmes and policies to remedy issues affecting children.

These include the Child Development Agency (CDA), Office of the Children Advocate (OCA), and the Early Childhood Commission (ECC).

Presenters at this year’s conference include Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Carol Palmer; Senior Director for Children’s Affairs in the Ministry of Youth and Culture, Grace Ann Stewart McFarlane; and Director of Human Development, CARICOM, Myrna Bernard.

Over the three days, discussion will focus on topics such as:  the future for Caribbean children; human trafficking; facilitating equality and equity for all children; early childhood development in Jamaica; securing the safety and protection of children in the early childhood years; and the rights of children with disabilities.

There will be children panel discussions, among other things.