Janusz Korczak (Henryk Goldszmit) was one of key child rights activists of the early 20th century. Nicknamed “The Old Doctor” - this Jewish-Polish pedagogue, doctor and author for children and adults promoted a concept of children’s rights that was ahead of the era he lived in. He treated the child as a subject of education, as a person whose rights are equal to those of the educator. In his publications and daily work with his pupils, he attempted to draw the world’s attention to the interdependencies between adults and children.
Janusz Korczak is a key figure both for children and the development of their rights in various parts of the world, and also for adults. Without his engagement and contribution, the codification of children’s rights in a humanistic paradigm in the international context might have taken a completely different turn. He compiled a catalogue of children’s rights, stressing the importance of: the right to respect, the right to ignorance, the right to failure and tears, the right to secrets, the right to joy, the right to express one’s thoughts and emotions, the right to live in the present day and the right to die.
Janusz Korczak's pedagogical ideas are still central to the understanding of children and their right to rights. This is why, during the first conference in Greece devoted to Korczak and his ideas, we would like to discuss the Korczakian pedagogy oriented towards practice, respect for the child, understanding the child, dialogue and co-participation with the child that allows him to enjoy his agency (Bińczycka, 2009) and children’s rights approach connected to key challenges of the contemporary world through social, cultural and political perspectives.

AUDIENCE
This scientific conference is open to all interested participants. We particularly invite researchers, teachers and students, activists and policy-makers, staff members of NGOs and organizations who work on themes related to childhood and children’s rights.
The Conference will be attended by youth and adults and we cordially invite you to take an active part and to propose: presentations, workshops or posters on a relevant subject in accordance with your experience and activities.
If you wish to contribute, please, send your abstract no later than 25th of September 2019 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The detailed program will be announced in the beginning of October 2019.

Registration fees:
Adults: 40
Students: 15

Scientific and Organizing Committee

Nektarios Stellakis
Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences and Early Childhood Education, University of Patras, Greece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Anthi Karangeli
Consultant B΄_ Refugee Education
Cycle A’- Scientific Units for Methodology
Minority, Cross-cultural and Greek Diaspora Education, Prison Schools Unit
Institute of Educational Policy, Athens - Greece ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )

Prof. Dr. phil. Claudia Maier-Höfer
Evangelische Hochschule Darmstadt: University of Applied Sciences, Germany
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Dr. Urszula Markowska-Manista
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Warsaw, Poland
Program Director, MA Childhood Studies and Children's Rights, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam / Fachhochschule Potsdam, Germany
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Dr Ewa Lewandowska
Early Education Department, affiliated researcher UNESCO/ Janusz Korczak Chair / The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, Poland
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