Shaping Peace Together through a Children's Rights Upfront Approach

HALIFAX, NS, Sept. 18, 2020 /CNW/ - Today marks the International Day of Peace and in the year 2020 we have a unique moment in time to shape a new pathway to peace and positively change the course of humanity.

At this moment in history we are divided by many ideologies, approaches and actions. Our world has been dominated by greed and individualism. Today marks a moment to reflect and think about the world we want to leave for generations to come, to think about the one thing that should unite us in our quest for international peace - children. In its tenth year at Dalhousie University, the newly relaunched Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, calls upon the international community to support a Children's Rights Upfront Approach to achieving global peace and security.

A Children's Rights Upfront approach sees the world through the perspective of children's needs and priorities. It recognizes that children's protection from violence and war must be our priority if we are to break cycles of violence and achieve peace and security. This requires concerted efforts to build collaboration and effective action towards global peace. In these trying times of global pandemics, continued conflict and political unease, it is more important than ever to shift to a new normal, one that requires us to collectively shape a children's, peace and security agenda.

The pursuit of new knowledge, innovative partnerships and action-oriented solutions will form the foundation in this new pathway to peace. The Dallaire Institute is actively contributing to this approach through its Knowledge for Prevention (K4P) International Symposium to be held virtually from September 28 to October 2, 2020. The symposium will bring together a global collective of academics, practitioners and policy makers to foster dialogue around themes critical to the global peace agenda including women, peace and security, early warning and the centrality of preventing the recruitment and use of children as soldiers, to collectively contribute to achieving a children, peace and security agenda.

Following a keynote address from the Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Harjit Singh Sajjan, this year's symposium will feature an opening dialogue moderated by Dr. Shelly Whitman, Executive Director of the Dallaire Institute with: 

• LGen (ret'd) Roméo Dallaire, Founder of the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security
• Virginia Gamba, United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
• Masai Ujiri, Founder of the Giants of Africa and the President of the Toronto Raptors

We call upon the academics, practitioners, policy makers and concerned citizens to join us in these engaging discussions as we thrust forward to shape peace together. Join our conversation today at: https://bit.ly/3maBv2o

Now more than ever, our collective efforts to prioritize the protection of children is essential towards shaping lasting peace globally.

Media

The Dallaire Institute will make Executive Director Dr Whitman available to media on Monday, September 21st (International Day of Peace).

SOURCE Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security