A conference to reflect and debate on the state of children's rights in Catalonia and Europe

The right to education, to protection against exploitation at work, to medical care, to food or housing, are some of the rights of children that, despite being recognized, are still being violated . As an example, in Catalonia, one in three children is in a situation of poverty and exclusion . They are girls and boys who do not have basic needs covered . On a European scale, on the other hand, the average rate of poverty and child exclusion is 24%, eight points below.

On the eve of the International Day of Children's Rights, the Third Sector Board , through the Children's Platform of Catalonia (PINCat) , and Diplocat are organizing the debate 'Social Europe': 'A new impetus to action local and European in defense of children's rights' . The event, which will take place on November 16 , from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in the Great Hall of the URL Faculty of Social Education and Social Work Pere Tarrés , at Carrer Santaló 37, in Barcelona , aims to reflect and debate the state of children's rights, both in Catalonia and in Europe.

In addition to addressing this context, both on a local and European scale, the day, in which Eurochild and the same faculty that hosts it also collaborate, will vindicate the potential of the local action of the third sector for the defense and guarantee of children's rights. Proposals will also be generated for a new shared social agenda within the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the 2024 European elections.

Through two round tables , 'Social Europe' will explore initiatives that promote the protection and defense of children's rights from different territories and levels of governance. The first, under the title 'Global and community perspectives of children's rights in the EU' , will have the participation of several key agents in the field of children's rights in Catalonia and Europe, such as government representatives, from European institutions and international organizations.

On the other hand, in the second table, 'Proposals in childhood from local action and the European third sector' , territorial experiences from Malta, Denmark, Austria and Italy will be shared that improve the guarantee of children's rights from of local action and the European third sector. During the event, the update of the PINCat report on children's rights in Catalonia will also be presented and the Chair of Educational Leisure and Sociocultural Action at the Pere Tarrés Faculty of Social Education and Social Work will be announced.

To attend the day, you will need to fill in the registration form .

Program of the new 'Social Europe' debate

'A new impetus to local and European action in defense of children's rights' will open its doors at 9.30 a.m. It will begin at 10 a.m. with the institutional welcome, by Núria Valls, Secretary of Children and Adolescence and Youth, from the Department of Social Rights of the Generalitat; Laura Foraster i Lloret , general secretary of Diplocat; Gisela Riberas , vice dean of Academic Planning of the Social Education and Social Work Campus of the Pere Tarrés Foundation, and José Antonio Ruiz , PINCAT coordinator.

Then, at 10.20 a.m., Judith Calabria , technical manager of the PINCat, will present the update of the report 'Analysis of the current state of the guarantee of rights in Catalonia', prepared by the PINCat, which puts the focus on the collective situation.

At 10.30 am, the first reflection table will begin, moderated by Roger Garcia , responsible for children's policies at UNICEF Catalonia. Jiri Svarc , head of the Social Policy Unit of the General Directorate of Labour, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission, will participate ; Stela Grigoras , UNICEF Europe and Central Asia child protection specialist; Ricardo Ibarra , director of the Children's Platform, and Ester Cabanes , general director of Child Care and Adolescence, of the Department of Social Rights.

Txus Morata , director of the Chair of Educational Leisure and Sociocultural Action Pere Tarrés, Faculty of Social Education and Social Work Pere Tarrés, will announce, at 11.15 a.m., the Chair she directs, which explores the potential of education in leisure for the protection of children in vulnerable situations.

The second panel, at 11.30 am, will be moderated by Ciaran O'Donnell , project manager at Eurochild. Mattia de Bei , member of the board of the CNCA network - National Coordination of Host Communities (Italy); Henrik Nørgaard , networking expert (Denmark); Margaret White , director of Prisms - organization and projects on autism in society (Malta); Bettina Schwarzmayr , educational director of the Child and Adolescent Agency (WIENXTRA) in Vienna (Austria), and Elisenda Xifre , president of the Federation of Child and Adolescent Care Entities (FEDAIA).

Finally, Mieke Schuurman , director of the Child Rights and Training Area of ​​Eurochild, and Francina Alsina , president of the Board of Organizations of the Third Social Sector of Catalonia, will be in charge of closing the act, under the title 'Third sector and European territories standing up for children's rights'. At the end of the day, there will be a networking snack.