PBSC 2006: Judith Rae

June Callwood Fellowship in Aboriginal Law
First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada

Judith's summer centred around collaborating with a team to prepare a 100-page report on Indigenous Children and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.  In addition to researching and then writing this report, Judith conducted research surrounding a Charter challenge to the under-funding of First Nations Child and Family Services in Canada, worked on a paper about the rights of First Nations children in care, helped develop a draft of the various criteria for membership in the ISG (the Sub-Group on Indigenous Children and Young People) and worked on ISG website content and Public Legal Education.

Judith writes:  "My most rewarding experience of the summer was being able to produce a written report on Indigenous children's rights around the world, and to know that this report is being used right now by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child as they draft a General Comment on Indigenous children.  It's very satisfying to produce something concrete, and to see it get used right away."