There are more children on the move than ever before – fleeing violence, climate disasters, and poverty – and seeking safety and protection within and across borders. Currently, nearly 40 percent of the 100 million displaced persons worldwide are under the age of 18. However, the global discourse on forced displacement and migration rarely focuses on children’s best interests, rights, and needs.
This workshop provided the opportunity to consider what child-sensitive policies and responses to children on the move would look like within U.S. foreign and domestic policy contexts. Young people who have experienced displacement, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers engaged with each other through a series of interactive panel discussions, and registered attendees were able to share ideas and learn from each other during breakout sessions.
This event was convened by the Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues in partnership with the Human Rights Institute; Institute for the Study of International Migration; Institute for Women, Peace, and Security; and Laboratory on Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University and the InterAction Forced Displacement Working Group, International Rescue Committee, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), Save the Children, and UNICEF USA.
Participants were encouraged to stay for the full day as sessions were interactive and built on one another.
Schedule
Note: This was an in-person event, with no hybrid option available.
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. EDT
Registration and Coffee
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. EDT
Welcome and Introduction
Gillian Huebner, Executive Director, Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EDT
"Lived Experience Is Expertise"
Facilitator:
Sweta Shah, Research Fellow, Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues; Co-founder, ChildArise
Panelists:
Young people who have experienced displacement, migration, and refugee resettlement will share their perspectives.
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. EDT
"How Does the United States Respond to Children on the Move?"
Facilitator:
Leslie Archambeault, Managing Director, Humanitarian Policy, Save the Children
Panelists:
Molly Barlow, Legislative and Policy Analyst, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Leah Chavla, Senior Level Representation Advisor, Child Services Team, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Jon Hoisaeter, Deputy Representative for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Washington, DC
Kelly Loewer, Senior Officer, Protection, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EDT
"How Do Our Local Communities Respond to Children on the Move Arriving in the DC Metro Area?"
Facilitator:
Gillian Huebner, Executive Director, Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues
Panelists:
Amy Fischer, Core organizer, Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network; Director, Refugee and Migrant Rights, Amnesty International USA
Dr. Eunice Humphrey, Principal, International High School at Langley Park, Prince Georges County
Emma Israel, Policy Analyst, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
Tatiana Laborde, Program Manager, DC Mayor’s Office of Migrant Services
BB Otero, Special Assistant to the Montgomery County Executive
Preethi Nampoothiri, Executive Director, International Rescue Committee (IRC) Maryland
Essey Workie, CEO, Multicultural Coaching
3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. EDT
Break
3:45 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. EDT
"Two paths, One destiny": A Child-centered Simulation
Facilitator:
- Ian Manzi, Program Assistant, Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues
4:50 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Closing Remarks
- Rose Worden, Program Manager for Humanitarian Policy, InterAction
Resources
View articles, statements, and other resources for this event.
