Could you introduce the institution you represent and your background to our audiences?
Terre des hommes Lausanne is the largest Swiss children’s rights organization; we employ more than 2’000 colleagues worldwide and are currently active in 27 countries. We were founded in 1960 in Lausanne, where we are based until today. Over the years, other independent European organizations with the name Terre des hommes were founded; for instance, Tierra de hombres España, who we collaborated with for the organization of the fifth World Congress on Justice with Children.
Since the 1960s, our mission has remained the same: Advocating, giving voice and empowering children worldwide in their quest for a better future and just life. Today, we support around 5 million children and their families each year in collaboration with our local staff members and partners.
I am the director of Terre des hommes Lausanne since 2020. Although I originally started my professional career in the private sector, I have now spent more than 30 years engaging myself for humanitarian causes. This journey started with UNICEF in Zurich, and most of it – twenty years in total – I spent with the International Committee of the Red Cross, both at HQ in Switzerland as well as in various countries in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
I think my humanitarian journey begun with my Grandma: She had always been very passionate about helping others and working in the humanitarian sector herself, although her path led her in another direction. Her dream and aspirations might have given me this desire to affect others positively and drive change for a better future.
With Terre des hommes, I am thrilled to be back where I started: Working for the benefit of children and advocating for their rights. I am convinced that children are the key to a sustainable and just future, they are our society’s architects of tomorrow.
Your institution was a co-organiser of the World Congress Justice with Children this year with the other partners including the Global Campus of Human Rights. Could you briefly explain why is this large event so relevant and describe the most important take aways?
I am very appreciative that together with partners, we were able to organize already the fifth edition of the World Congress. Considering numerous humanitarian crises worldwide, the issue of justice for children might be more pressing than ever. There are politicians and all sorts of adults who take fundamental decisions often impacting the lives of millions of civilians, yet it is the children who are the first to suffer the consequences of violence, war, and conflict.
I heard many stories of young people who were in conflict with the law or in a position of witness. Mélodie, a member of the Child and Youth Advisory Group, gave a very impressing testimonial during the opening day of the congress. Her experience supporting a peer through a difficult case of sexual assault, and how this experience opened her eyes to the realities of being involved with the justice system is really what it is about. Describing the experience as “(…)embarrassing, intimidating and scary”, we can start to understand how children and young people feel in such difficult situations.
It is stories like hers that demonstrate the importance of amplifying the issue of a child-centered justice and putting it on the map worldwide. The world congress not only allows us to do that, but it also connects numerous experts and decision makers from all over the world. The sharing of experiences and best practices allows us to ensure that all our individual learnings have an impact and foster positive change.
Next to knowledge sharing and connecting people, the collaboration with the Global Campus of Human Rights and our other partners for the world congress of course also allows us to share resources and make sure that our efforts yield the biggest effect possible. In times where the global system of humanitarian aid is being reshaped fundamentally and the respect for human rights is decreasing, I am convinced that closer cooperation, collaboration and resource-pooling – also by involving young people – is the only solution to ensuring the full respect of children’s rights within human rights in general.
For me personally, I am impressed by the magnitude of the congress and the people from all over the world who are engaged in the issue of child-centered justice. Particularly, I am very touched and inspired by the testimonies of the young people, all of them appealing to us adults: Having all the conventions, treaties, resolutions we do – it is time to put them into real action and make sure they do not remain empty promises. It gives me great hope and joy to see that so many capable individuals fight for the issue worldwide. Although change is complex and there is no shortcut to ensuring that each and every child is being treated according to their rights, I am convinced that we are on the right tracks and that progress is possible: Through a strong political will of leaders at all levels, hard work and dedication, and of course with our collective and aligned effort.
That is why the world congress is so important to me: It proves impressively what can happen if actors and decision makers from all over the world come together with a common goal and the desire to drive positive change.
In your opinion what are the challenges in the field addressed at the World Congress and the role you see for the human rights education?
I think the biggest challenges are the complexity and scope of the issue: Justice is a global concept, yet justice systems often follow local laws and regulations. In addition to that, affecting change in justice systems takes time and a lot of effort.
This is exactly why the world congress is so important: It allows us to look at the issue from a global perspective and ensuring that child-centered justice does not remain a local exception but a global, fundamental right. Through the exchange with others, we can learn from their experiences, which then helps fostering change on the local level.
The basis for change is of course education. We need to ensure that not only juridical actors are experts in human rights, but all stakeholder and actors in justice systems, starting with civil society and including children themselves: Only when children and young people are aware of their rights, they can first help design fair justice systems and second make sure that their rights are being acknowledged and respected. This is why the concept of the world congress is so fundamental: Child-centered systems can never be designed without the perspective and inputs of children and young people themselves. The Child and Youth Advisory Group who were actively involved in the congress from its design and concept to the program are invaluable in this regard. It is inspiring to me to see so many young adults so actively engaged and raising their voice.
Could you share a message and a call to action to our students, faculty, experts, staff and partners of the Global Campus of Human Rights?
I would like to encourage everyone who is engaged for human rights to contribute with their means and possibilities to also promote a child-centered justice. It can be hard to see the progress and the challenges and developments might seem unscalable at times. But change takes time and for many issues of our time, there is no simple solution. That is why we cannot stop advocating and fighting for human rights and freedom for all. We need to keep connecting and working together, so that we can do our best. Small changes are precious and encourage others to join. I thank everyone who is engaged in this fight for human rights worldwide, and I would like to encourage everyone to continue their efforts and to never give up on a just future for all.
For more information contact our Communications and Press Offices:
Elisa Aquino – Isotta Esposito – Carlotta Brunetta
pressoffice@gchumanrights.org - communications@gchumanrights.org
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