Interna onal Ini a ve on the Legal Needs of Street Youth
Prospectus
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INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE ON THE LEGAL NEEDS OF STREET YOUTH
INITIATIVE PROSPECTUS
While the exact number of street kids, thrownaway children and homeless youth is impossible
to quantify, latest estimates are well over 100 million across the globe. Many of these youth
are being slaughtered, trafficked and tortured, yet never before has there been a
comprehensive international discussion about their legal rights. Lawyers have always played a
critical role in advocating for greater protections and services for this highly vulnerable segment
of the homeless population, but much work remains to be done.
Equipped with new research conducted by lawyers in more than one dozen countries, an
international and interdisciplinary team of 25+ legal experts, advocates and providers will
discuss and develop consensus on best practices and model principles that have proven
effective in serving this population at a two‐day summit at the law firm of Baker & McKenzie in
London on June 16‐17, 2015. The invitation‐only summit will gather experts from across the
globe in youth and family law, public policymaking and homeless youth service delivery to
explore a host of issues in which the law specifically impacts street kids, runaway and homeless
youth. At the gathering, the experts will discuss model principles and refine draft language with
the goal of developing a framework for standards that incorporate best practices from around
the world. The summit is intended to be a kick‐off, of sorts, for an ongoing initiative that will
work to share information internationally about laws and policies that affect street youth. More
importantly, this initiative is intended to promote the legal rights street kids have or should
have ‐‐‐ a “Magna Carta” for street kids ‐‐‐ and highlight specific ways the legal community can
work to ensure these protections in their countries and on the international level.
BACKGROUND AND VISION
In 2008, the American Bar Association Commission on Homelessness and Poverty (ABA) and the
National Network for Youth hosted 160 individuals from across the United States in an
unprecedented conference—the first ever National Conference on Homeless Youth and the
Law—to develop model state laws pertaining to homeless and runaway youth.
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Prior to the conference, teams of experts created drafts of model laws in 11 areas. The experts
circulated these drafts, along with an issue brief and a hypothetical (tools to help guide the
discussion) to the attendees. During the conference, the attendees and the experts spent two
days working through the drafts to revise and refine the language as well as to ensure that they
took into account regional best practices. The fact that the conference attendees included
lawyers, service providers, federal and state policymakers, advocates, formerly homeless youth,
and others, certainly assisted in incorporating broad perspectives into the model laws.
In addition to leadership by the American Bar Association and the National Network for Youth,
the conference was supported by philanthropic organizations such as Casey Family Programs,
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Center for Children and Youth Justice, Family and
Youth Services Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Administration for
Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and several law schools
and law firms.
After the conference, the experts revised their model laws based on the sessions. In January,
2009, at NN4Y’s Annual Symposium in Washington D.C., many of the model laws were again
presented. The experts solicited the input of the attendees and revised their models once
again based on that input. The models went through two rounds of edits following the
Symposium and are available online at http://ambar.org/homeless.
The models are unquestionably well‐thought out and have been subject to significant
review. The models reflect the laws that the experts thought would be best implemented in
the states. Since the publication, regional advocates have used the models to work towards
policy change in a number of states, including Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts and
Washington.
The ABA Commission on Homelessness & Poverty and its partners believe that an international
summit that follows a similar format will prove exceedingly useful for advocates who are trying
to make changes across the globe. The Commission is proposing a summit in London on June
16‐17, 2015 that would bring together experts on homeless youth from around the world,
including legal experts, researchers, service providers and policy‐makers. Prior to the gathering,
lawyers and advocates will compile research on pertinent legal issues, effective strategies,
model laws and best practices from dozens of countries representing a broad cross‐section of
the global plight of street kids and homeless youth. At the gathering, the experts would
exchange ideas toward the goal of developing both model laws for homeless youth as well as
model practices for interactions between homeless youth and the law, which would then be
published and packaged with additional resources aimed at fostering greater legal protections
and advocacy efforts related to safeguarding this vulnerable population.
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INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT
Multiple sources would serve as background material for the effort. In addition to the ABA
Publication “Runaway and Homeless Youth and the Law,” the effort will bring together
researchers who can discuss the criminalization of youth homelessness from an international
perspective, focusing on policies and practices that use the system to criminalize homelessness
and limit rights and access to public space on the one hand, and effective programs and
strategies to counter these efforts, on the other. There will also be a focus on international
rights, standards and norms such as those contained in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of
the Child. Ideally, the summit will feature representatives from North and South America,
Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The topics will include those covered in the 2008 conference, as well as others pertaining to
international issues, such as: identification and outreach; housing and supportive services;
access to legal and social services; education; labor/employment; trafficking; immigration;
healthcare; child welfare/foster care; and juvenile justice/status offenses.
Dates and Location
The summit will be held in London on June 16‐17, 2015 on the heels of the 800th anniversary of
the sealing of Magna Carta. Other ABA and UK led festivities will be held during that time, and
the goal is to borrow the human rights framework of Magna Carta to highlight the critical need
for basic human rights laws aimed at protecting street kids and homeless youth. The
international law firm of Baker & McKenzie has generously agreed to provide use of their
London Office meeting rooms and audio‐visual equipment free of charge as well as use of
several of their offices around the globe for virtual summit participation – expanding the
summit’s participation and reach significantly.
The Coalition and Partner Organizations
The Coalition is reaching out to a number of partners, including those who have already been
involved in the initial planning process, to expand the Coalition and form a steering committee
which will guide the initiative. The Coalition is currently in the process of identifying the key
players providing legal services to street kids and homeless youth as well as the policy experts
advocating on behalf of this population. The following organizations and entities have been or
will be invited to join the Coalition, and other entities will be added to this list as the Coalition is
developed.
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International/European United Nations Committee on the Rights
of the Child Consortium for Street Children FEANTSA, the European Federation of
National Organisations working with the Homeless
ChildHope Child Rights International Network Children’s Legal Centre Global Youth Connect Plan International StreetKids International US AID Argentina Center for Integral Attention of Children
and Adolescents Australia Australian Legal Assistance Forum Australian Bar Association Justice Connect The Law Society of South Australia Streetlaw Centre of Western Australia Bangladesh Dhaka Ahsania Mission Belgium Anglicare Belgium Bar Association FEANTSA Mercy Foundation Brazil Abrinq Action for Brazil’s Children Chance for Childhood Grupo Ruas e Praças National Movement of Street Boys and
Girls
Canada Canadian Bar Association Canadian Homelessness Research
Network Canadian UNICEF Plan Canada StreetKids International University of Guelph University of Montreal University of Ottawa China Children Legal Aid and Research Center Congo Congo Children Trust
Germany University of Frankfurt FEANTSA Guatemala Covenant House/Casa Alianza Hong Kong The Law Society of Hong Kong Honduras Covenant House/Casa Alianza India Calcutta Hope Childhood Enhancement through
Training and Action
Ireland Europe FEANTSA Participation in the Practice of Rights Japan The Japanese Society for the Prevention
of Child Abuse and Neglect
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Kenya Chance for Childhood
Mexico Covenant House/Casa Alianza Nicaragua Covenant House/Casa Alianza Pakistan Azad Foundation Philippines Tiwala Kids and Communities Batang Pinangga Foundation
South Africa Centre for Child Law, University of
Pretoria Socioeconomic Rights Institute Wits University Thailand Human Help Network Mercy Center Anti‐Trafficking and Legal
Aid Centre
Uganda Amazing Children Uganda Chance for Childhood
United Kingdom ChildHope (work in Africa and South
America) Heriot‐Watt University The Law Society Shelter Scotland University of York United States American Bar Association (including the
ABA Commission on Homelessness & Poverty, the Children’s Rights Litigation Committee of the Section of Litigation, the Center on Children and the Law, the Commission on Youth at Risk, the Section of International Law, and the Rule of Law Initiative)
Appleseed Bluhm Legal Clinic, Northwestern
University School of Law Casey Family Programs Chapin Hall Covenant House/Casa Alianza Lawyers Without Borders National Alliance to End Homelessness National Law Center on Homelessness &
Poverty National Network 4 Youth Open Society Foundation Public Counsel True Colors Fund US Department of Housing and Urban
Development US AID
Legal Research
The international law firm Baker & McKenzie is conducting pro bono research for the summit
and will produce 6 research papers of publishable quality on the landscape of street youth in
strategically selected jurisdictions.
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Armed with the research, legal experts and policy advocates will work together on international
and interdisciplinary teams to draft model principles and related reports focused on a specific
area of the law affecting street kids and homeless youth.
Summit Format and Structure
The International Summit on the Legal Needs of Street Youth will begin with a large plenary
session featuring nationally and internationally recognized lawyers and advocates who will be
invited based on their expertise on the legal needs of street kids/homeless youth. The bulk of
the two day convening will be dedicated to 5‐6 break‐out sessions per day on specific topics
where the international and interdisciplinary teams of experts who drafted the model principles
and related reports will facilitate a discussion with summit attendees. The total summit size will
be between 100‐150 attendees. Video‐conferencing will be available for those who wish to
participate but cannot travel to the actual summit. The goal of the summit is to deliver a
product that summarizes model legislation or best practices for programs to address the legal
and social service needs of street kids/homeless youth around the world.
Follow‐Up Convening
After the June 2015 summit, the teams will update their initial drafts to include comments and
feedback received from summit participants. The teams of experts (or representatives from
each team, depending on funding) will gather in the ABA Washington, DC Office in the early fall
2015 to discuss the final drafts and develop the framework for the model standards and report.
Fundraising and Recognition Opportunities
The ABA will seek individual, foundation and corporate contributions for the Initiative.
Prospective donors should be aware that:
Contributions will be applied primarily toward the following summit expenses: scholarships to
subsidize the travel expenses of the experts who are nonprofit homeless youth service
providers, homeless youth advocates, and public interest lawyers who will not otherwise be
able to participate in the summit; catering; summit materials; a publication highlighting the
model standards and best practices; and project staffing.
Contributions will be featured prominently in summit promotional materials, the summit
program book, summit signage, verbal acknowledgement at the summit’s plenary events, and
subsequent reports on the summit—including a web‐based toolkit on the ABA website. The
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Champion Donor will receive year‐long recognition as the primary supporter of the American
Bar Association Commission on Homelessness and Poverty Homeless Youth and the Law
Initiative on the ABA website, print materials, educational resources, and newsletters.
For more information about the Initiative, please contact Amy Horton‐Newell, Director of the
ABA Commission on Homelessness & Poverty, at (202) 662‐1693 or