Children in Cross-Border Family Conflicts - The ISS Asia-Pacific Regional Training Seminar
ISS Australia had the privilege of hosting the ISS Asia-Pacific regional training seminar, Children in Cross-Border Family Conflicts. Funded by the Australian Attorney-General’s Department, this 3-day training event took place in Sydney in June 2007 and focused on building knowledge and skills in the child-centred, mediation-based approach of ISS to cross-border family work.
Forty-two participants attended the training seminar, with representatives from 16 Asia-Pacific countries: Australia, China, Fiji, Hong-Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Vietnam. Delegates included veteran ISS workers as well as those who joined the ISS global network during the training, such as Papua New Guinea.
Our international training team included William Duncan and Jenny Degeling from The Hague, Jane Selwood from the Australian Central Authority, Dr Lawrie Moloney from La Trobe University, Stephan Auerbach from ISS Switzerland, Yuk-ching Cheung from ISS Hong Kong, as well as Maria Brett and Sandra De Silva from ISS Australia. Andrew Johnson, the Executive Director from ACOSS gave our keynote address.
The 3-day training event gave everyone the valuable opportunity to learn first-hand what is happening in the Asia-Pacific region around international child rights and child protection issues. During the first half of the seminar, participants were introduced to the international conventions that govern the rights-based work of ISS, as well as the ISS casework methodology and were challenged to put their learning into practice. During the latter half, participants explored the skills needed for cross-cultural family work and the ISS mediation-based approach to working with cross-border family conflict.
Sandra De Silva, ISS Australia’s Training Coordinator, co-ordinated the training event very ably, bringing together the experience and expertise, not only of our international training team, but also of members of the ISS network within the region. The training seminar was a rare chance for participants to meet the individuals who, as a network, uphold the rights and protection of children across borders in their everyday work.
All the participants and the trainers put in a great effort. Thank you to everyone. Below are a few photos from the seminar.
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