Building Bridges.  Changing Attitudes.  The Role of the International Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD)

The International Institute for Child Rights and Development is honored to be the convening agency for the YouthScape initiative.

Since 1994 we have worked strategically with children, communities, practitioners, and government systems to develop research, education, and capacity-building tools.  Our goal is to re-instill and recreate dignity, hope, and possibility for children as participating members of the human family.  We apply a “Bottom Up-Top Down” developmental approach that builds on the strengths of children, families and individual communities within their unique socio-cultural contexts, in order to take child rights from legal ratification to reality.

Our role, as YouthScape convener, is to help participating communities achieve sustainable changes, create a culture of learning, and produce a body of knowledge that will help change Canada’s local, provincial and federal government policies and practices.  If we are successful, community members and decision makers in Canada will begin to see young people not as sources of problems but as clusters of assets.  To do this, we focus on building meaningful, respectful partnerships between youth and adults; creating youth development opportunities; advocating for children, youth and their families; and fostering a policy environment that reinforces Canada’s commitment to children and youth.       

www.iicrd.org

For General Information and Inquiries email: ysinfo@uvic.ca

YouthScape Taking IT Global Project Page: www.takingitglobal.org/iicrd