From July 15th to 17th, 2026
Chambre des Salariés
2-4 rue Pierre Hentges, L-1726 Luxembourg
Programme:
Children’s rights in Luxembourg and worldwide: between findings, challenges and new perspectives
Moderation: Flore Schank
Link to join the online session:
Register and join the Zoom session (Click here)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
From 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm
PART A – Situation of children’s rights in Luxembourg and worldwide
A first session dedicated to the assessment of children's rights in Luxembourg, combining institutional perspectives and youth engagement. Balancing a review of public policies, current challenges, and recommendations, this segment will highlight the progress achieved, persistent challenges, and key levers of action to strengthen the effectiveness of children's rights.
From 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
PART B – Adultism and ordinary educational violence
A second session will be devoted to discovering and understanding adultism, a form of age-based discrimination that is still little known and discussed in Luxembourg. Introduced by Dr. Laelia Benoit, child psychiatrist and researcher, this segment will continue with a screening followed by a discussion with the audience. It will lay the groundwork for reflection on the relationships between children and adults and introduce the themes that will be further explored during the session on July 17th.
14:00 - 14:30 LU
Reception of participants
14:30 - 14:40
Words of Welcome
14:40 - 15:10 LU
Tackling child poverty together: The implementation of the European Child Guarantee National Action Plan
Claudia Monti, Head of Department, Children's Rights Department, Ministry of Education, Children and Youth
15:10 - 15:40 LU
Current human rights challenges
Noémie Sadler, Criminal Defense Lawyer
President of the Consultative Commission on Human Rights
15:40 - 16:10 LU-EN
Let's talk about youth, let's talk about the rights of LGBTIQ+ children and young people
Recommendation on the rights of young LGBTIQ+ people
Okaju Young Advisors
16:10 - 16:30
Coffee Break
16:30 - 17:30 FR
Infantism: When age becomes prejudice or social discrimination
Laelia Benoit , Child psychiatrist and sociologist, associate researcher at the Yale Child Study Center
17:30 - 19:00 FR
Screening of the film
"This violence that escapes us – Let's prepare for tomorrow"
Screening of the film followed by a discussion with the audience
À partir de 19:00
Closing pot
CSL Brewery
Programme:
Child Protection
Moderation: Susanna Greijer
A thematic day dedicated to child protection, featuring theoretical insights, professional practices, and international perspectives to strengthen protection systems. Promising models developed in the United Kingdom will be showcased, highlighting innovative approaches focused on both children's living environments and the concrete planning of their safety. The objective is to provide key insights to evolve practices and reinforce existing frameworks.
From 09:00 am to 12:15 pm
PART A – Child protection: frameworks, practices, and challenges
A morning dedicated to the foundations and evolutions of child protection, structured around reflections on conceptual frameworks, professional practices, and contemporary challenges in prevention and protection. Enriched by contributions from OKAJU, this session will notably welcome Prof. Carlene Firmin (Durham University), a specialist in contextual safeguarding, and Prof. David Shemmings (University of Kent), an expert in safety plans. Their interventions will allow for the intersection of national and international perspectives to inform practices and strengthen protection mechanisms.
Link to join the online session (PART A):
Register and join the Zoom session (Click here)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Until 4:30 pm:
PART B – Implementing and evolving protection systems
An afternoon focused on the theory and practice of child protection concepts (Kinderschutzkonzepte) with Prof. Dr. Mechthild Wolff (Landshut University of Applied Sciences), insights into the developments of the youth protection and child welfare reform, and a European perspective brought by the Council of Europe. The goal is to consolidate practices, improve reporting mechanisms, and evolve systems to best meet the needs of children.
Link to join the online session (PART B):
Register and join the Zoom session (Click here)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
08:30 - 09:00
Welcoming participants
09:00 - 09:15
Words of Welcome
09:15 - 09:45 FR
Contextualization: Child protection (reform, safeguarding, safety plans)
OKAJU Annual Report 2025
Bills 7991 & 7992 & 7994
Charel Schmit, Ombudsman fir Kanner in Jugendlecher
09:45 - 10:15 FR
Presentation of the results of the consultations on parental authority: Knowing the positive aspects and understanding the challenges and expectations
Magali De Rocco , AEF Social Lab
10:15 - 10:45
Coffee Break
10:45 - 11:45 EN
Prioritising Protection and Foregrounding Care: The Road to Contextual Safeguarding responses to harm beyond families
Carlene Firmin, Durham University
11:45 - 12:15 EN
Child Protection Plans and Child Protection Safety Plans
Professor David Shemmings, University of Kent
12:15
Closing
12:15 - 13:30
Break – Lunch
The lunches on July 16 and 17, 2026 are at the expense of the participants. There is the possibility of eating in the Brasserie of the Chamber of Employees, a dish of the day and a vegetarian alternative are offered (starter, main course and drink for 13€).
13:00 - 13:30
Welcoming participants
13:30 - 14:30 DE
Schutzkonzepte in Theorie und Praxis
Concepts de protection : théorie et pratiques
Mechthild Wolff, Hochschule Landshut/University of Applied Sciences
14:30 - 15:15 FR, Visioconférence
Strengthening reporting systems for violence against children
Recommendation CM/Rec (2023)
Anne Kayser
Secretary of the Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child
Children's Rights Division - Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity
Council of Europe
15:15 - 15:45
Coffee Break
15:45 - 17:00 FR
Closing debate
Strengthening child protection systems: Perspectives on practices, challenges and future
prospects
Moderation: Susanna Greijer • Stéphanie HERMETTER, National Office for Children (ONE)
• Tanja PFANNER, Psycho-social and School Support Centre (CEPAS)
• Anne STAUDT, DPI Homes & Support and Transition Service, Caritas Youth & Families (CJF)
• Eolia VERSTICHEL, Innocence en Danger Luxembourg
17:00
Closing
Programme:
Infantism and ordinary educational violence
Moderation: Jaqueline Di Ronco, Flore Schank
A thematic day dedicated to the relationships between children and adults, educational attitudes and postures, as well as the value systems transmitted from one generation to the next and their repercussions on the daily lives of children and young people. The concepts of infantism/adultism and ordinary educational violence will be addressed and explored, alongside pathways to question inherited relational and educational patterns and promote practices that are more respectful of children's rights and dignity.
From 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
PART A – Rethinking relationships between adults and children
A morning dedicated to exploring the notions of infantism and adultism through diverse perspectives. Presentations by Anne-Catherine Rasson, Lecturer and Postdoctoral Researcher at UCLouvain Saint-Louis Brussels, focusing on power dynamics between adults and children, and Éric Delemar, Children's Advocate (Défenseur des enfants) in France, will offer complementary insights to better understand the mechanisms at play.
Link to join the online session (PART A):
Register and join the Zoom session (Click here)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
From 1:15 pm to 5:15 pm
PART B – Towards respectful and non-violent educational practices (followed by a closing reception)
An afternoon focused on levers for action, featuring reflections on equal dignity introduced by David Dutarte, head of FamilyLab France, participatory workshops, and a consolidation of findings and recommendations to foster more respectful educational practices between adults and children, identify concrete paths for evolution, and strengthen a culture based on the rights and dignity of children and young people.
Link to join the online session (PART B):
Register and join the Zoom session (Click here)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
08:30 - 09:00
Welcoming participants
09:00 - 09:05 FR
Words of Welcome
09:05 - 09:45 FR
Building a society at the level of children: moving away from infantism and rethinking the relationship between adults and children
E. Delemar
Children's Advocate, France
09:45 - 10:45 FR
Deconstructing Infantism: Legal Issues
Anne-Catherine Rasson, UC Louvain Saint-Louis Brussels
10:45 - 11:15
Coffee Break
11:15 - 11:30 FR
Presentation of the preliminary results of the consultation workshops with children on the theme of adultism
Marzenka Krejcirik
OKAJU
11:30 - 11:50
Jacqueline di Ronco
11:50 - 12:00
Interim conclusions
Flore Schank
Jacqueline di Ronco
12:00 - 13:15
Break – Lunch
The lunches on July 16 and 17, 2026 are at the expense of the participants. There is the possibility of eating in the Brasserie of the Chamber of Employees, a dish of the day and a vegetarian alternative are offered (starter, main course and drink for 13€).
12:45 - 13:15
Reception of participants
13:15 - 14:15 FR
Equidignity: the key to breaking out of relationships of domination between adults and children
David Dutarte, FamilyLab France
14:15 - 14:30
Towards respectful and non-violent educational practices:
Presentation of the workshops
Jacqueline di Ronco & Flore Schank, OKAJU
14:30 - 15:30
Workshops on adultism/infantism
Atelier 1 (FR) Le leadership adulte au service de l'épanouissement des enfants David DUTARTE, J. DI RONCO Cet atelier invite les participant·es à réfléchir au rôle des compétences relationnelles dans la construction de relations respectueuses avec les enfants. Pour dépasser l'adultisme, l'éducation par la peur et les violences éducatives ordinaires, il est essentiel de développer une posture professionnelle fondée sur l'authenticité, la confiance et l'empathie.
À travers une approche interactive, les participant·es découvriront les fondements d'un leadership adulte sain et exploreront des pistes concrètes pour créer des environnements favorisant le bien-être, la participation et l'épanouissement de toutes et tous, enfants comme adultes.
Atelier 2 (FR) Focus groupe sur l'adultisme Magali DE ROCCO, Marzenka KREJCIRIK Le focus groupe vise à explorer, avec les participants adultes, comment l'adultisme se manifeste dans les pratiques quotidiennes et institutionnelles envers les enfants. Les échanges permettront de faire émerger des pistes concrètes pour réduire ces attitudes et postures. Les résultats seront ensuite croisés avec la perspective des enfants recueillie lors d'ateliers sur l'adultisme, et intégrés dans le rapport annuel 2026 de l'OKAJU. • Maximum 12 participants
Atelier 3 (LU-FR-DE-EN) Vers une relation d'égal à égal avec les enfants – Dépasser l'adultisme dans les pratiques éducatives Dominik SCHMEIER, ARCUS L'adultisme désigne la tendance, souvent inconsciente, à privilégier le point de vue des adultes et à discriminer les enfants en raison de leur âge. Cet atelier propose d'explorer l'influence des rapports de pouvoir, du langage et des pratiques du quotidien sur la relation avec les enfants. À partir d'exemples concrets, les participants/-es seront invités/-ées à réfléchir à leurs propres postures, à identifier les mécanismes de l'adultisme et à développer des alternatives favorisant le respect, la participation et la reconnaissance des enfants. L'objectif est de renforcer la dignité, les droits et le pouvoir d'agir des enfants, tout en encourageant une posture pédagogique qui favorise la participation, le respect mutuel et un usage conscient et responsable du pouvoir au quotidien.
Atelier 4 (FR) Les droits de l'enfant, un levier contre l'adultisme ? Anne-Catherine Rasson, UC Louvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles, Eric Delemar, Défenseur des Enfants, France En 1989, les Nations unies ont adopté la Convention relative aux droits de l'enfant (CIDE). Celle-ci permet aux enfants de ne plus être perçu·es comme simples objets de protection (ou de violences), mais d'être reconnu·es comme sujets, voire acteur·trices de droits. Pourtant, des voix s'élèvent pour dénoncer l'ineffectivité des droits de l'enfant : incapacité juridique, politique, économique, violences (éducatives, familiales, sexuelles, médicales, …), stigmatisations, discriminations (comme par exemple les trains français no kids), etc.
Dans cet atelier, il est proposé d'interroger la mise en œuvre de la CIDE depuis ces trente dernières années à la lumière de la critique adultiste. Il est en effet observé que plus que de droits de l'enfant, c'est de l'intérêt supérieur de l'enfant dont il est en général question dans les réflexions et pratiques de l'enfance. Pourtant, son ambivalence est aujourd'hui dénoncée de même que la philosophie adultiste qu'il postule. Plus récemment, un changement de paradigme émerge : au-delà de l'intérêt supérieur de l'enfant, c'est la participation réelle et effective des enfants qui est proposée comme levier d'effectivité des droits. Les participant·es de atelier seront invité·es à échanger sur ces constats et à contribuer à élaborer, à partir des droits de l'enfant, une société enfantiste qui traite les enfants avec respect et dignité, en leur donnant une réelle place et une réelle voix.
15:30 - 16:00
Coffee Break
16:00 - 16:30
Towards Respectful and Non-Violent Educational Practices: Workshops
Summary of the workshops
Various stakeholders
16:30 - 17:00 FR
At a time when the 6-year mandate of the Children's Ombudsman is coming to an end: what the findings, challenges in the defence and promotion of children's rights tell us about the evolution of our democracies
E. Delemar
Children's Advocate, France
17:00 - 17:15
Conclusions
Charel Schmit
Jacqueline di Ronco
Flore Schank
OKAJU
À partir de 17 :15
Closing pot
Training, information and exchange week on the situation of children's rights in Luxembourg and worldwide
The SummerSeminar is organised by the Office of the Ombudsman fir Kanner a Jugendlecher in partnership with and with the support of the Chambre des Salariés.
Objective: To create a space for meetings, (further) training and exchanges between actors, professionals and decision-makers concerned with issues relating to children's rights (including actors from the social and educational sectors as well as civil society and the legal professions) in order to exchange ideas, obtain information, receive training, identify each other, consult, mobilise, develop, question each other, interconnect, open up to current and future challenges... and give each other time to reflect together over the course of a week.
Target audience: The SummerSeminar is aimed at institutional actors and civil society, professionals and decision-makers, in particular those working in the social, educational and socio-judicial sectors, legal professionals (lawyers, magistrates, jurists, mediators), students and future professionals, as well as interested children and young people.
Speakers: Each half-day of the SummerSeminar is led by interdisciplinary speakers working in the field of children's rights (research, teaching, political action, educational and social initiatives, etc.) or by OKAJU staff members.
Languages used during the seminar: presentations and speeches will be given in the usual languages of the country.
The SummerSeminar will take place from 15 to 17 July 2026 in the training room of the Luxembourg Lifelong Learning Centre, Chambre des Salariés in Luxembourg-Bonnevoie, 2-4 rue Pierre Hentges, L-1726 Luxembourg. Participants will be welcomed from 8.30 a.m. Twenty-minute coffee breaks will be provided in the morning and afternoon. Drinks will be available.
Lunch on 16 and 17 July 2026 at the Chambre des Salariés is at the expense of the participants. It is possible to eat in the Brasserie de la Chambre des Salariés, with a dish of the day and a vegetarian alternative (starter, main course and drink for €10).
Registration and certificate of participation
Register for one or more of the 5 thematic half-days. Participants will receive a certificate of participation (in-person or online) upon request. Participation in the OKAJU SummerSeminar 2026 can be validated as continuing education by the Ministry of National Education, Children and Youth (MENJE) as well as by the National Institute for Public Administration (INAP).
Please note that the number of participants is limited to 60 people for the 5 half-days at the Chambre des salariés on a "first come, first served" basis. An email with the webinar link will be sent to those wishing to participate in the training online.
Further information and contact
Ombudsman fir Kanner a Jugendlecher
Mënscherechtshaus - 65, route d’Arlon, L-1140 Luxembourg
Tel.: (+352) 28 37 36 35, Email: contact@okaju.lu
www.summerseminar.lu
SummerSeminar 2025
