The ICCRP: An international research partnership centred on children's rights 

The International Canadian Child Rights Partnership (ICCRP) brings together children and young people with lived experience; researchers; non-governmental organisations (NGOs); human rights institutions; and governments in Canada and in multiple countries across the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.  We are examining how intergenerational relationships contribute to, challenge, and transcend barriers to realising child rights. 

We work intergenerationally, where children and young people are involved in the governance of the partnership and in all phases of research – from design and data collection to analysis and dissemination of results.

The Children’s Institute is involved in four of the ICCRP case studies: 

• The Youth Engagement in Analysis project, in which school-going children were trained to conduct secondary data analysis of an excerpt of the Growing Up on the Streets study data set. Their analysis was incorporated into a conceptual model of intergenerational trust partnerships between stakeholders and street youth.
• In two of the case studies, the Western Cape Children’s Commissioner and the Nelson Mandela Legacy Academy are adopting a participatory action research approach. Researchers work in partnership with children to co-produce research, analyse data and apply the learnings from the research.  
• In partnership with Kings College, Canada: Rx Radio children as change makers. The new study will support the ICCRP’s research stream three: developing relational practices in research and public policy initiatives. Rx Radio is a unique, award-winning radio station that is by and for children, based at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town in the Western Cape province. Rx Radio gives children a platform for expression, information and participation. The goal of this case study is to co-produce research on the meaning of participation for children, Rx Radio staff and the wider community at the hospital, and to explore intergenerational partnerships to improve services for children.