The Inter American Institute of the Child (IIN) of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Plataforma NNAPES conducted the first pilot training course on Children with Incarcerated Parents for State officials in the Americas.

One of the highlights of the work of Plataforma NNAPEs during 2020 was the launch of the course "Promotion and comprehensive protection of children and youth with incarcerated parents" (CIP from now on). The course was designed based on the contents and  the recommendations of the homonymous publication produced and presented by both institutions in 2019. This, first of its kind course, targeted operators of the children protection systems, as well as professionals working in the justice and penitentiary systems in the different countries.

32 professionals from 11 countries (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Uruguay) finished the 7-weeks pilot online training that is now part of the Institute´s Inter American Training Program.

The objective of the course was to present the specific challenges and needs that usually CIP in the region face and to identify actions that can help to promote and protect their rights.

The course was officially launched with a webinar that counted with the participation of Víctor Giorgi, IIN-OAS´s General Director; Gonzalo Salles, from the Plataforma´s Executive Secretariat; Edith Avendaño, a youth representative from Nicaragua; Ricardo Pérez Manrique, a Judge of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; and Luis Pedernera, President of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The recording of the discussion is available here (only in Spanish).

It is expected that during 2021 two more editions in Spanish will be organized and that the contents will be translated to English so the first edition for anglophone speakers can take place during the last semester of the year.

 

 

Source consulted: IIN-OEA