September 29, 2026 | University of Victoria

The opening seminar of Child in the Centre, initiated by the Janusz Korczak Association of Canada, brought together participants in person and online to explore a fundamental question: What does it mean to recognize children as full citizens of their communities, entitled to protection while possessing the capacity to participate, contribute and lead?

Dean Freya Kodar of the University of Victoria Faculty of Law welcomed participants, highlighting the Faculty’s pioneering work in revitalizing Indigenous legal traditions and the particular significance of launching the series during Truth and Reconciliation Week. Jerry Nussbaum, President of the Janusz Korczak Association of Canada, introduced the Association’s mission and the vision behind the seminar series. He emphasized Korczak’s understanding of children’s inherent dignity and rights, and the importance of bringing education, law, social work and health into dialogue to advance a holistic approach to children’s wellbeing.

Distinguished legal scholars Professor Val Napoleon (University of Victoria) and Professor Hadley Friedland (University of Alberta) offered an engaging exploration of this question through Indigenous legal traditions, drawing on stories from Dane-zaa and Cree communities.

Through stories such as The Giant Beaver, Otterman, The Moose Frozen in the Lake and Buffalo Child, the speakers demonstrated how Indigenous legal narratives provide resources for examining contemporary questions of children’s rights, belonging, care and responsibility. A central insight emerged: children’s vulnerability and their legal agency are not mutually exclusive. Children may need protection while remaining capable of making choices, exercising judgment and contributing meaningfully to their communities.

The discussion also emphasized that children’s wellbeing cannot be separated from their relationships with families and communities. How children are treated can have consequences extending across generations, while their inherent dignity and value must be recognized independently of what they contribute to others.

An especially meaningful part of the concluding discussion connected these principles to professional practice. Drawing on her experience working with vulnerable youth, Professor Friedland reflected on the importance of expanding the choices available to young people rather than simply directing them toward decisions adults consider appropriate. Participants also explored how Indigenous legal principles can inform contemporary child welfare practice and strengthen recognition of children’s voices.

Held on the eve of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the seminar provided a particularly meaningful beginning to the series.

The discussion resonated with Janusz Korczak’s conviction that children are persons in the present, deserving of dignity, respect and meaningful participation in decisions affecting their lives.

By connecting Indigenous legal knowledge with contemporary questions of children’s rights and wellbeing, the opening seminar demonstrated the value of the holistic, interdisciplinary dialogue at the heart of Child in the Centre—a dialogue intended to bridge professional and institutional boundaries and help create environments in which children can thrive.

To register for the next seminar, please visit childinthecentre.ca