Dear all,
It has been a while since I last updated you on the children’s rights research project, for which I apologize. This is due mostly due to the fact that I have been very busy finishing up the PhD. Last week, I finally sent it to the reading committee. The professors in this committee will over the coming weeks read the thesis and together decide whether or not they think it is good enough to award a PhD degree. If they do, I will have to publicly defend the PhD on 9 May 2019 (provisional date).
If you’re interested, here you can find the PhD’s table of contents, and here you can find the overview of social impact activities of the complete PhD project until 2019.
What else happened? I would say two major events deserve an update. First, intern Ambra Borne went to Geneva to tell the delegations of several countries about our research on the child’s right to nationality in the TRNC. During this visit, Ambra met with many country delegations who she told about the rights of children in the TRNC, hoping that in January they would ask questions about this situation during the review of Cyprus. And during the January UPR session we found out that this had been very effective! Several countries recommended Cyprus to ensure non-discriminatory application of Cypriot nationality law, and some specifically referred to the rights of children.
A second major event is the following: as you may remember, last summer I decided to take some time to write a proposal for NWO funding for a four year research project. Last December we learned that this proposal, about the development rights of children living in conflict situations, has been awarded a grant!! In total, the sum for the project is € 788.666. In terms of theory and methodology, this project will be a follow-up of the PhD research, whereby in order to understand children’s rights violations, an understanding of all norms involved (legal & non-legal) will become part of the picture (see images at the right). Through this framework, children’s development rights will be researched in four different countries, together with several NGO partners and local research.
These changes of course mean that my mission of researching children’s rights will continue, while it will also change shape and form. I am hoping for more people to become involved, so that the project can grow, slowly, and more people will be educated and learn to research children’s rights by looking at law through children’s eyes. I believe there is a lot we can do in the world and it has only just started!
Some practical changes, for example in terms of finances as well as working with partners and other researchers, will have to take shape over the coming months. I promise to update you again soon. But first, I am going to enjoy my upcoming HOLIDAY :-)!
