Symposium 2

Focal point: Sharon Bessell
sharon.bessell@anu.edu.au

To promote better links between research, policy and practice relating to children and childhood in Asia-Pacific.

• Explore the extent to which policy supports or fails children and is evidence driven
• Explore the notion of children as citizens and ideas about duties and responsibilities as well as rights and privileges;
• Critically examine concepts of ‘child-centred', ‘child-focused', and ‘child-friendly' policy, focusing on case studies and examples from around the Asia-Pacific region;
• Document examples of children and young people's involvement/participation in policy-making, with the aim of better understanding how child participation can be advanced in the diverse countries of the Asia-Pacific region;
• Gain a better understanding of the ways in which the Convention on the Rights of the Child and related instruments influence or shape policies for children and young people.

The Asia-Pacific region is marked by incredible diversity in terms of culture, religion, language, levels of human development and systems of government. The region includes the world's most populated nation states, as well as the microstates of the South Pacific. This diversity sometimes militates against the establishment of policy networks and regional co-operation – for example, there is no regional human rights mechanism in the Asia Pacific region, as there is in other regions of the world; there exists no strong consensus on a definition of childhood. This diversity also results in a multiplicity of approaches to policy for children. There is significant – if as yet unfulfilled – potential for sharing of these approaches across the region. The sharing of approaches, ideas and experiences will be important in moving beyond European and American approaches to policy for children, and developing innovative, indigenous and indigenised ways of supporting children and young people. This symposium intends to promote better links between research, policy and practice relating to children and childhood in the Asia-Pacific region, taking into account diversity and the need for differentiation rather than uniformity of approach

A second major focus of this symposium will be notions of citizenship. There has long been recognition that men and women are differentially incorporated as citizens (see for example Carol Pateman, Theorising Patriarchy) – yet relatively little attention has been paid to the different ways in which children are incorporated as citizens or – in some cases – denied citizenship. In the Asia-Pacific region, age-based hierarchies, as well as notions of consultation and consensus, are significant in shaping children's experiences of citizenship and participation in decision-making. This symposium will advance our understanding of the ways in which ideas about children's relationship with the state and citizenship status affects their lives and the services, support and entitlements available to them. It will examine the relationship between the child and the state and children's role in civil society.

This symposium recognizes that the diverse countries of the Asia-Pacific region have cultural, social and historical traditions that have enriched the interaction of ideas, values cultures and philosophies among people. The symposium seeks to contribute to a greater understanding of how these can help to address more effectively the social and developmental needs of children. The symposium will explore the linkages between the obligations of the state, society, community and family towards children and the rights, responsibilities and social and familial obligations of children.

Within each theme, the symposium will aim to explore the linkages between theory policy and practice. Where possible, presentations will include case studies that draw out interesting issues and illustrate linkages between theory, policies and practices in selected countries.

What frameworks can be used to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate policies for children and young people? How are the views and experiences of children and young people included? What do (often confused and confusing) terms such as child-centred, child-focused, children's rights-based, child friendly mean and what can they contribute to policy-making? An attempt will be made to define these terms operationally and arrive at a common understanding.
Does the Convention on the Rights of the Child provide a set of principles that is relevant to the Asia-Pacific region? How can policy build on the positive aspects of culture and attitudes towards children in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region? Are there aspects of culture and attitudes towards children that hinder pro-child policy?

What is policy driven research? How is this done? What has been the experience of countries within the Asia-Pacific region? How can children and young people participate in developing, implementing and evaluating policy? What innovative, indigenous and indigenised approaches to working with children exist? What are the impacts? Can these be shared and adapted across the region?
What has been the impact of international standards and policies on national policies? What, in turn, has been the impact on children's lives?
What tools, techniques and methodologies can be used to assess the impact of interventions on children's lives?
What institutions and mechanisms work for children?
How can ‘children's budget' analysis be used to strengthen policy?
What are the linkages between policy and law? This will include a review of enforcement machinery required for the implementation of laws within countries.

Role and responsibilities of states, communities, families and individuals?
How can the family supported and strengthened to fulfill its role as the basic unit of society, which is critical to social development broadly and to the well-being of children in particular?
What institutions and mechanisms exist?
What is the role of donors and what is their impact on policy and the well-being of children?

What does citizenship mean for and to children?
How does citizenship differ from nationality?
Links between children, community and the state – advocacy

Cross-border issues and rights;
Migrant children's nationality and rights;
Preventing and responding to the trafficking of children.

This symposium will include academics, policy makers and practitioners. Ideally, speakers will have expertise or experience in more than one of the key themes, and the aim will be to foster constructive debate. Themes will be subject rather than country focused, with the aim of promoting a sharing of experience and ideas between countries. We aim to avoid domination by any one country experience, but to reflect the diverse experience of the region. The majority of speakers will be from within the Asia-Pacific region, with participants from other regions contributing as discussants. There will be an emphasis on case studies and experience.

Session chairs will form a panel to draw together the conclusions, which will be presented on the final day of the Conference.

There will be a display area, where practitioners can display material related to policy for children and young people – this material may include pamphlets, posters, and public awareness campaigns.

This symposium aims to promote ongoing exploration of the child as a citizen, who has a dynamic relationship within the state and with his or her culture. It is hoped that this exploration will influence research and eventually shape policy and practice, thus constructively redefining them for children. Such a redefinition would have ramifications beyond the region. The following outputs and outcomes seek to contribute to this aim:

A book exploring interesting and innovative approaches to policy for children in the Asia-Pacific region. The book would be based around ten or so case studies (with contributors to be identified) and would aim to provide practical examples of what is working well and of challenges to be overcome. Sharon Bessell and Adarsh Sharma offer to edit.

Other potential volumes include: a book on children's experiences of citizenship in Asia-Pacific and a book on children's participation in the Asia-Pacific.

A journal focusing on social policy for children in the Asia Pacific region. To date there is no journal of this kind in the region – it would be a combination of theory and practice. It would complement existing international journals on childhood, but would be specific in having a focus on Asia and the Pacific and on policy. The journal would act as a means of sharing ideas and experience and promoting a network across the region. The journal would include a section of articles by children and young people describing the ways in which policies have impacted on their lives (positively and negatively). This would be a valuable and unique part of the journal. It would be anticipated that the journal would appear (initially at least) twice yearly.

Establish a network of policy-makers, practitioners, activists and researchers working on issues relating to children, the state and policy in the Asia-Pacific region. The journal would be one dimension of this network. Another possible dimension would be periodic meetings of members. A potential outcome could be professional exchanges across the region.

Within the Asia-Pacific region, the small island states of the Pacific face quite specific issues and concerns, given their size and particular historical, demographic and political circumstances – and are often marginalised within the broader Asia-Pacific region. Issues relating to children are often a relatively low priority within Pacific countries, or the focus is on juvenile justice and delinquency (usually of teenage boys). Thus, it is suggested that one issue of a journal focusing on the Pacific be dedicated to papers on children, the state, citizenship and policy. Several of these papers will have been presented at the symposium, but additional papers may be sought. One possible journal for the publication of these papers is Pacific Economic Bulletin (published by The Australian National University). This journal would be a practical choice for publication of the papers, for while it is not a ‘children/childhood' focused journal it is widely read by policy makers in the Pacific states – thus the special issue would be one means of helping to place children on the agenda. We would explore the possibility of other journals with specific regional or related topics being approached for the publication of selected papers.