Implementing the convention on the rights of the child for 'youth': who and how?

From various perspectives, an ambiguous relationship between the Convention on the Rights of the Child and young persons emerges. Given the overlap between the target groups of children’s rights policies and youth policies, the current and potential connections between these two policies are explored, in order to assess whether (further) linking these policies could increase the realization of the rights of young persons. The inquiry is carried out at the international and European level (United Nations, Council of Europe and European Union), on the one hand, and within Flanders (Belgium), on the other. Contrasting results appear, calling for a middle ground in the degree of interconnection between children’s rights policies and youth policies

European and international policy agendas on children, youth and children's rights: a Belgian EU presidency-youth note

This Presidency document describes the state of play of the European and international policy agendas on children, youth and children’s right

Inspiration for children’s human rights from indigenous peoples’ rights

Although there are many and obvious differences between children and indigenous peoples, there are also quite some similarities, especially in how international human rights law and academic research have addressed the claims of these groups. This chapter focuses on three domains in which children’s rights and indigenous peoples’ rights share certain challenges, in order to explore whether and how both branches of human rights law could inspire each other: (i) the demarcation of the personal scope of rights, and the divisions and dichotomies generated by the establishment of categorical human rights; (ii) the way in which indigenous peoples and children have been constructed, especially from a Western perspective, and the consequences thereof; and (iii) participation and consent. I will argue that children’s rights law could draw inspiration from indigenous peoples’ rights law in defining its rights holders, in developing the collective dimension of the right to be heard and in conceptualising the right of children to give consent. On the other hand, an area in which research and practice on both indigenous peoples’ rights and children’s rights should increase efforts, concerns addressing the adverse consequences of idealised constructions

Lacan’s discourse theory in the age of evidence-based practice

Deze lezing vergelijkt de hedendaagse empirisch-kwantitatieve benadering omtrent effectiviteit van psychotherapieën met een bestudering van de effecten van psychotherapie aan de hand van de Lacaniaanse discourstheorie. Eerst preciseren we een aantal vooronderstellingen van hedendaagse effectenstudies, daarna gaan we dieper in op een aantal limiteringen van kwantificatie in de klinische psychologie, vervolgens gaan we dieper in op Lacans discourstheorie als een theorie die effecten van psychotherapie formaliseert, vertrekkende vanuit de interne dynamiek van verschillende vormen waarop mensen een talige dialoog met een ander kunnen aangaan

A research project on interpersonal characteristics and neurotic symptoms: science or magic?

Deze lezing presenteert een aantal bevindingen van mijn doctoraatsonderzoek naar het verband tussen interpersoonlijke karakteristieken en neurotische symptomen. De bevindingen zijn op het eerste gezicht spectaculair maar grondiger analyse toont dat ze voor een substantieel deel tot artefacten herleid kunnen worden. De meest voorkomende artefacten zijn te wijten aan content overlap tussen de operationalisaties van variabelen waartussen associaties onderzocht worden en artificiële inflatie van associaties door het opstapelen van foutvariantie als twee variabelen met dezelfde methode opgemeten worden. We beargumenteren dat het niet onderkennen van artefacten in kwantitatief onderzoek wetenschap tot magie herleidt

A simple dynamic model of uneven development and overtaking.

This paper extends the Brezis, Krugman and Tsiddon (1993) Ricardian leapfrogging model, allowing for a wider variety of development patterns. In a two-region two-sector economy localized leaming-by-doing causes specialization and uneven development. Technological change reverses the existing development pattern if the new technology locates in the lowwage region. However, in contrast to Brezis et al., the development pattern may also get reinforced if spillovers between the old and the new technology make the leading region a more attractive location. The results are not affected by including capital and extending the model to a two-factor Heckscher-Ohlin framework.Trade and growth; Regional growth; Uneven development; Localized externalities; Structural change;