29 Apr 2013

Round table discussion, Brussels 24 April 2013

On Wednesday 24 April 2013 Fondazione L’Albero della Vita, in collaboration with Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti – education partner, Eurochild and Childrenleftbehind.eu, organized a round table debate “ Promoting the rights and well-being of children left-behind in transnational families”.

The event took place in the European Parliament in Brussels and was hosted by MEP Ms. Roberta Angelilli.

The meeting re-affirmed the European dimension and the scope of the issue of children left behind - between 500.000 and 1.000.000 children under 18. The need to raise visibility of the issue and of the existing knowledge at national and European level also emerged, as well as the need to help parents stay in their country or leave with their children thanks to adequate policies.

Further, to improve existing child protection systems and social experimentation nationally and at transnational level was also a key point. Existing European policies and sources of funding were also brought into the discussion and debated.

Participants in the round table:

Ms. Elena Oana Antonescu, MEP Romania, Member of the Libe Committee; Ms. Margaret TuiteCommission Coordinator for the rights of the child, European Commission DG Justice (download Ms. Tuite intervention); Roxana Elena Pintea – Head of Section Social Affairs, Employement, Roma issues, Permanent Representation of Romania in Brussels; Mr. George Pascaru – Sociologist and Project Assistant, Alternative Sociale Association Romania; Ms. Jana Hainsworth – Secretary General Eurochild; Mr. Ivano Abbruzzi- Project and Research Director, Fondazione L’Albero della Vita Onlus (download Mr. Abbruzzi intervention)

Also Caritas Europe and Dynamo International participated in the final discussion.

Consult here the background document of the round table.

Consult here contents from speakers’ contribution and discussion.

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