CRAN is a broad network of academics, advocates, children’s rights, and legal experts from across Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. who are involved in teaching, researching and advocating for children’s rights. The Landon Pearson  Centre established CRAN in 2008, with support from the Muttart Foundation and the Centre For Initiatives on Children, Youth, and Community. The Muttart Foundation continues its generous funding of this initiative. 

Annual Conference

With the support of the Muttart Family Foundation, CRAN members, who are children’s rights scholars and advocates, meet in Ottawa each year with the express purpose to respond to the concerns and questions raised by young people who attended the previous year’s Shaking the Movers workshops. Young people set the agenda for CRAN meetings each year.  CRAN also develops concrete plans for current and future rights-based activities and pursues collaborative research initiatives with a view to building an active, effective, and lasting network. To view CRAN meeting proceedings, follow the links below. 

CRAN Meeting Dates, Programmes and Related Resources:

CRAN’s inaugural meeting took place in Ottawa on November 22, 2008.   

CRAN 2023 will take place April 28-29, 2023.  This year’s theme:  A World Fit for Children.

CRAN 2022: April 29-30th, 2022. The Landon Pearson Centre hosted a hybrid conference. View Programme

CRAN 2021: While this year’s in-person meeting was canceled, we held two online meetings on February 5th and June 4th to share challenges and successes in our experiences working with children and young people during the pandemic:

CRAN 2020:  February 14-15, 2020. The theme for 2020 was Children’s Rights and Education:  Respecting Children’s Rights at School.

CRAN 2019:  February 8-9, 2019.  The theme for 2019 was Children’s Rights and Discrimination. Special guest: Dr. Assefa Bequele, Founder and Executive Director of the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) to Canada. View Dr. Sue Bennett’s presentation on Discrimination, Health Care, and LGBTQQ2SIA+ Youth.  

CRAN 2018:  February 2 -3, 2018.  Theme:  Children on the Move.  

CRAN 2017:  January 27-28, 2017. Theme: Children’s Rights and Climate Change.

        Resources Related to CRAN 2017 meeting:

1. ERIC (Ethical Research Involving Children).  
2. Ethics and Research with Young People in Challenging Contexts, Bray et al (2014).
3. “Teens Sue Government for Failing to Address Climate Change.” 
4. Dr. Sue Bennett 2017 CRAN presentation.

CRAN Proceedings: Responses to Shaking the Movers Workshops

All reports are available on the CRAN Website

  • CRAN 2020:  Children’s Rights in Schools (pdf)
  • CRAN 2019:  Children’s Rights and Discrimination(pdf)
  • CRAN 2018:  Children On The Move (Toronto, Ottawa, East Coast, Quebec) and STM-BC’s theme -Climate Change and Displacement (pdf)
  • CRAN 2017:  Climate Change (Toronto, East Coast, Quebec) (pdf)
  • CRAN 2016: Responses to STM Exploitation VIII (2014) and Sexual Exploitation IX in 2015 [Ontario and BC reports] (pdf) 
  • CRAN 2015: Response to the Shaking the Movers VII: The Right to Play (pdf)
  • CRAN 2014: Response to the Shaking the Movers VI: Children’s Mental Health workshop (pdf)
  • CRAN 2012: Response to the 2011 Shaking the Movers V workshop: Youth Justice  (pdf)
  • CRAN 2010 Response to the Shaking the Movers IV workshop on Children and the Media (pdf)
  • CRAN 2009 Response to the Shaking the Movers III workshop on Child Rights in Education (pdf)
  • CRAN 2008, Response to the Shaking the Movers II workshop on Identity and Belonging (pdf)