Using funding provided by Maastricht University's Children's Rights Research Fund, researchers from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Maastricht University & Faculty of Spatial Sciences at the University of Groningen and CNME Maastricht have developed the CIRCLEcity project. The goal of this project is to empower children by activating their (urban) citizenship and to better understand their critical role in fighting against climate change.

In 2023 and 2024 we undertook fieldwork to understand, from adolescents, how they relate to and perceive their access to justice. We worked with adolescents who were displaced from their families due to being subject to abuse and/or neglect and who were living in care homes. This blog post shares a video that shows images of the fieldwork experience with adolescents. Later, it shares the insights of the three researchers who participated in the data collection process.

When discussing child well-being, we often rely on expert opinions and theoretical frameworks. However, the most authentic insights come directly from the children themselves. Unfortunately, the voices of children, especially those living in underprivileged conditions, are frequently overlooked in research and policymaking. This neglect can lead to well-intentioned initiatives that fail to address children's actual needs. To bridge this gap, it's essential to directly engage with the children and understand their unique perspectives. 

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the Children's Rights Research Day at Maastricht University! 

Since its recent establishment in September 2023, the Children’s Rights Research group has strengthened interfaculty collaboration and communication amongst colleagues from Maastricht University (UM) working on children’s rights.

This seminar offers a space to reflect amongst scholars and practitioners from different jurisdictions on the right of children to be heard and participate in the legal process. The seminar is held in English and Spanish, bringing together scholars and practitioners from the Americas and the Netherlands.

On the 13^th of May 2024 at Maastricht University, Guleid Jama defended his PhD dissertation titled Do Our Children Have Rights? Children’s Rights in the Unrecognised State of Somaliland.

The report of the International Conference on Realising Children's Development in De Facto State is available in English with translations for various languages.

The Children’s Rights Research Fund is affiliated with Maastricht University and the University Fund Limburg (SWOL). It aims at supporting research and education projects in the field of children’s rights by staff and students from Maastricht University, with an option to cooperate with third parties. The Fund will make grants available once a year.

We had the opportunity of interviewing two sisters residing in Bardala, a village situated in the northern Jordan Valley, in the West Bank. Our conversation delved into their experiences during raids, the fears they grapple with, their dreams, and the stark reality they face. It was an emotionally charged talk, navigating through a spectrum of feelings. However, it is crucial to lend an ear to their narratives and understand their unique perspectives and realities.

In this vlog, we meet Adam, an 11-year-old Palestinian boy residing in Al-Arroub, a Palestinian refugee camp located in the southern West Bank. Our conversation delves into the rights children should have, particularly the right to play, in an area lacking playgrounds and other safe spaces.

The International Conference on Realising Children’s Development Rights in De Facto States took place in-person on January 2024, in Famagusta, Northern Cyprus. The primary objective was to facilitate meaningful conversations among children, academics, activists, and other stakeholders.

In my thesis, I explore the critical intersection between children rights and the threat of climate change. In doing so, my thesis seeks to answer the following research question: 'How can children claim protection against climate change under the Third Optional Protocol to the UNCRC?’

The Children’s Rights Research Fund is connected to Maastricht University and the University Fund Limburg (SWOL). It aims at supporting research and education projects in the field of children’s rights by staff and students from Maastricht University, with an option to cooperate with third parties. The Fund will make grants available twice a year.

The Children’s Rights Research (CRR) Fund in association with Maastricht University (UM), and supported by University Fund Limburg, is offering grants of up to €2.500 for education projects and up to €5.000 for research projects related to children’s rights.

For a long time, children and adolescents have been excluded from justice systems. However, a number of international instruments, specially the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), have played a pivotal role in empowering children to express their thoughts and feelings during legal processes, particularly through Article 12, which recognizes the child's right to be heard.

In this vlog, Marieke drives alongside Palestinian woman Uhoud Mraqtan through the West Bank. The roads, filled with deep significance, become a focal point in understanding the ongoing conflict. In the West Bank, Israel controls entry and exit points, limiting the movement of Palestinians.

In this vlog, we visit Nusreen, an 11 years old Palestinian girl who lives in Huwara. Their family home was recently attacked by Israeli settlers. The video was taken during our research visit in spring 2022. At the time, settler attacks were more rare. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, sources eport daily settler attacks on Palestinians.

On October 28, 2023, the Children’s Rights Research project organised the first stage of the International Conference on Realising Children’s Development Rights in De Facto States.  The event was a child-led conference, which aimed to amplify the voices of children in de facto states.

Since the start of our project in 2019, four de facto states got involved in a war. We argue that this shows that children living in de facto states deserve more attention from the international community (rather than less, as is currently the case).

On 6 February 2023, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Türkiye and Syria. More than  55,000 people were killed and 300,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Among those most affected by the disaster are young people.

There is a powerful, ongoing tension in Australian family law between protecting children from parental conflict and fulfilling their right to participate in decision-making when their parents separate...

The Children’s Rights Research (CRR) Fund in association with Maastricht University (UM), and supported by University Fund Limburg, is offering grants of up to €2.500 for education projects and up to €5.000 for research projects related to children’s rights...

30 May 2023 - Peggy ter Vrugt

In children’s rights research, the aim is always to further the protection of children’s rights and prevent...

19 May 2023 - Tajra Smajic

As a parent, should I stop my children from fighting? As a teacher, should I beat children when they continue to disrupt the class,...

As a researcher work can sometimes be lonely. You become so specialised on a certain topic that there may not be that many others who completely understand...

Despite recent progress in broadening our understanding of ethics in research with children...