News 2010
CRC visits College of the Bahamas
During a visit to the College of the Bahamas (COB) in 2010, Centre Director, Professor Wallace, and Researcher, Karen Wylie, took part in a roundtable discussion relating to restorative practices. Led by Michael Stevenson, the Head of the Law Department at COB, this session shared the Scottish and Caribbean experiences of restorative practice with the aim of further developing a collaborative research project. The COB is currently focussing its research on the topic of violence and looking to develop the theme of restorative justice both internally within the College and externally throughout Bahamian society. One element of this involves a profiling study of the inmates of Foxhill Prison in the Bahamas and their willingness to engage in restorative practices.
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| Centre staff in discussions with College of Bahamas staff, 2010 |
Knowledge Transfer Partnership
The Centre secured Perth College’s first Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) in October 2010. The partnership between the Centre and Mindstretchers, a local educational resource company, will involve research into and the development of tools for aiding the regulation of stress in children. Find out more here.
Scoping study on child trafficking into and within Scotland
Professor Wallace and a team, including other members of the Centre for Rural Childhood, and colleagues from the Universities of Cumbria and Stirling, have been asked by Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People to conduct a scoping study into the extent and nature of child trafficking into and within Scotland. The findings will be published in 2011.
News 2009
Launch of Centre for Rural Childhood
The Centre for Rural Childhood welcomed national and international guests to its launch ceremony on 8 September 2009.
The launch programme was designed to provide a snapshot of the work currently undertaken by the Centre and to engage with current and future stakeholders by initiating discussions on issues that the Centre may work on in the future.
Children took part in the launch including some from the Children’s Parliament who spoke of what their involvement in that organisation meant to them, while others put on a musical performance.
Those present also experienced a dramatisation of child trafficking with extracts performed from Roadkill, the award-winning play at Edinburgh Festival 2010 written and directed by Cora Bissett.
The keynote speech was given by Justice Renate Winter who recalled several of the children who have appeared before her, and the effect armed conflict has had on their lives.
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| From left, Justice Renate Winter and Professor Rebecca Wallace |
The Director of the Centre for Rural Childhood, Professor Rebecca M. M. Wallace explained: “The launch allowed us to raise the profile of the Centre and its work, to tell the story of where the Centre has come from and where it is going. We also wanted to communicate that we’re realising the vision of Professor Stewart Asquith, the driving force behind the Centre’s creation.
“Given the nature of the Centre’s work, it is only natural that children participated in the launch. Positive advances made in recent years allowing children’s voices to be heard about matters that relate to them, particularly in Scotland, were reflected through music, visual displays and oral presentations from children throughout the evening.”
Dr Thomas Moore, Perth College UHI Principal and Chief Executive added: “By founding this Centre, we will be able to play a more direct role in contributing to and enhancing the lives of children in rural areas, through cross-sector collaboration in policy and practice.
“We are very proud of the role of the Centre in being at the forefront of these developments internationally and are confident its world class research will have positive benefits for children in rural areas.”
Advisory Research Board (RAB) of the College of the Bahamas
Professor Wallace has been appointed as the international member of the Advisory Research Board (RAB) of the College of the Bahamas and in relation to this has assumed a position on the research strategy sub committee.
The University of London is now offering its Postgraduate Laws Programme by distance learning with support from the Centre for Rural Childhood at Perth College UHI for students in Scotland.
Email us or call 01738 877506. You can also find out more at www.london.ac.uk/llmexternal