Children & Youth Advancing Children’s Rights
Putting Children First
Republic of Ireland | Northern Ireland | 2004 - 2012
Children have rights. They include the right to education, health, adequate standard of living, protection from abuse and neglect, and equality and non-discrimination. Over 8 years, Atlantic invested $28 million in groups in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland advocating for policies and programs meant to advance the rights of children.
What We Learned From This Work
Children and young people can be real agents of change when they are working on issues of their choice and not those allocated to them as part of an adult agenda.
Government can welcome independent monitoring that helps them meet their obligations to children and young people.
Where we made sustained investment, it helped advocates achieve their immediate policy goals and helped build stronger organizations to continue the work.
Scoring Big
Atlantic grantees achieved several victories through their advocacy work, and each time the real winners were the children and young people.
Enshrining Rights in Constitution
Atlantic grantees, including Barnados, the Children’s Rights Alliance and Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, led the way for the successful passage of a 2012 referendum to change the Irish Constitution to strengthen children’s rights.
Securing Better Entitlements
Voice of Young People in Care and Empowering People in Care showed that involving young people in decisions about their lives can deliver improved standards in the care system.
Setting Legal Precedents
The Children’s Law Centre secured judgments that paved the way for better access to housing and health services for vulnerable young people.
Here’s Who’s Helping Write the Next Chapter in This Continuing Story
Connect to Grantee and Funding Partners
The Topic Is Children
Summaries of Case Studies, Evaluations & Reports
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Advancing Children’s Rights Through Advocacy in Ireland
Source: The Atlantic Philanthropies
Between 2004 and 2012, Atlantic invested $28 million to support the work of groups in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland advocating for policies and programs meant to advance the rights of children. As discussed in this summary, the work had three key objectives:…
Resource type: Research Report
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Capacity Building in the Children and Young People’s Sector in Ireland: A Field-Level Study
Source: Mary Rafferty and Anne Colgan
This case study focuses on Atlantic’s role in helping build the capacity of the children and young people’s sector in the Republic of Ireland between 2004 and 2014. The report found: Building capacity at the field level requires a strategic and systemic approach, which includes…
Resource type: Case Study
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Making a Difference: Capturing the Learning from The Atlantic Philanthropies Human Rights Program in Ireland
Source: Brian Harvey
When Atlantic began its human rights work in Ireland in 2004, it faced strong resistance at the governmental and judicial levels to the idea of setting down such rights in legislation. Still, the foundation saw signs that suggested that the right kinds of investments —…
Resource type: Research Report
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Support, Friendship, Love and Care: A Recipe for Looking After Children and Young People in Northern Ireland
Source: VOYPIC Policy and Research
Children and young people in foster, residential and other types of care in Northern Ireland expressed their feelings about the best and the worst of their experiences in a first-of-its-kind survey conducted by VOYPIC. In 2011, the organisation launched a computer-based survey to collect the…
Resource type: Research Report
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Child Care Law Reporting Project Interim Report
Source: Child Care Law Reporting Project
Children in the Republic of Ireland are most frequently taken into care for neglect, and almost a fifth of children taken into care have special needs, according to this report from the newly created Child Care Law Reporting Project. The report's striking findings also show…
Resource type: Research Report
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Young People Demand: Where Is My Public Servant?
By Dan Jellinek Public Achievement chief executive Paul SmythA Northern Ireland-based project helping young people from tough social backgrounds become online political campaigners is looking to expand its model outside the UK, UKAuthority.com has learned. WIMPS - "Where Is My Public Servant?" - was set…
Resource type: News
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Republic of Ireland
This book tells the story of how The Atlantic Philanthropies’ 30 years of investments had an extraordinary impact on the Republic of Ireland—from helping breathe life into the nation’s university system and its research capabilities, to supporting major advances in human rights, and spurring the…
Resource type: Insight
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Northern Ireland
This book tells the story of Atlantic’s grantmaking in Northern Ireland, where it helped promote peace, reshape education, improve public services, and strengthen organizations to promote and protect people’s rights.
Resource type: Insight
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