Stichting Pelicano’s commitment to fighting child poverty
Founded in 2009, Stichting Pelicano is a recognized and independent organization that regards child poverty as a form of social inequality. Working with care partners, the foundation provides sustainable support aimed at breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and creating future opportunities for children and their families, because every child has the right to equal opportunities.
For this reason, Stichting Pelicano seeks to create good living conditions for children through financial support, enabling them to grow up in a nurturing environment. Today, more than 2,800 children and young people in Belgium receive sustainable support from the foundation.
The ‘Pelicano’ Chair on Child Poverty
On Tuesday, October 4, 2022, the ‘Pelicano’ Chair on Child Poverty was established at Ghent University.
Prof. Dr. Griet Roets was appointed as chairholder. Prof. Roets is affiliated with Ghent University as professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy.
Child poverty is recognized worldwide as a violation of children’s rights and represents a persistent and complex social problem. Children and young people growing up in poverty often have limited access to social resources and essential services such as healthcare, education, housing, a safe and supportive living environment, youth care, socio-cultural and leisure initiatives, childcare, mobility, and public spaces.
Moreover, children and young people in poverty often quickly learn how poverty and social inequality are reproduced. To survive, they frequently resign themselves at a young age -often unnoticed- to the belief that they have no open future prospects and cannot fulfill their dreams.
Despite the urgency of the problem in Belgium, there is still insufficient research into the levers needed to combat child poverty in our country. The Chair offers the opportunity to conduct qualitative research into how social resources can be mobilized for children, young people, and families in order to reverse this dynamic, and to gain deeper insight into how they can develop open future perspectives. The research also examines how professionals and volunteers across different life domains can transform feelings of powerlessness and discouragement into indignation, hope, and aspirations for the future.
About Griet Roets
Griet Roets (1977) holds a PhD in Educational Sciences and is currently Associate Professor of Social Work. Her research interests include social work, social inequalities linked to poverty, disability, gender, age, and place/space, conceptualizations of citizenship, socio-spatial perspectives in social work, and qualitative research.
Program
- 19:00u
Welcome and words of thanks by Prof. Ann Buysse, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University - 19:15u
Words of thanks by Prof. Rik Van de Walle, Rector of Ghent University - 19:25u
Presentation on Pelicano’s commitment by Jean-Luc Cottyn, founder of Stichting Pelicano - 19:35u
The significance of the Chair’s theme for the Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy by Prof. Rudi Roose, Department Chair - 19:45u
Acceptance of the Chair by Prof. Griet Roets, Chairholder - 20:00u
Performance by De Voortmannen - 20:15u
Reception with refreshments
Pictures
