Beyond Borders
As a 2008 Donner Civic Leadership Fellow, I have had the pleasure of working with Beyond Borders, a non-governmental organization that promotes children's right to be free from abuse and exploitation. Beyond Borders' mandate includes a variety of operations involving referrals, advocacy, research, education and assistance with child protection issues stemming from sexual exploitation. As the Canadian affiliate of End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), their goal is to eliminate all forms of sexual exploitation of children and bring justice to children on a global scale.
My research project, entitled "Child protection and the regulation of wireless technology and information: International approaches and implications for Canadian legislation and other advocacy strategies", is based around one of the organization's more recent areas of interest in child protection from online materials made available by wireless technologies. I have been reviewing different countries' approaches to regulating technologies that facilitate the distribution of information online, with specific attention paid to materials that are legal but may be deemed inappropriate for children. I will use this review to analyze whether they may be appropriate for potential Canadian regulatory avenues. This report will be added to the vast resource materials provided by the organization in an area that they have not explored in depth. In addition, this paper will be used to make recommendations on how Beyond Borders and ECPAT should approach dealing with children's exposure to such materials both nationally and internationally.
The most rewarding part of this Fellowship has been working with individuals who share my enthusiasm for children's rights and the confidence they have placed in me to see this project through to the end. To work with a group of such dedicated individuals who are willing to share their vast knowledge and who are actively looking for avenues for this project to flourish has been an incredible experience. I am grateful to Beyond Borders for giving me the opportunity to learn, work and contribute to an area of law that I am truly passionate about.
