2011 International Congress

“The right to education of children estranged from their families and socially excluded”

In the current context of international migrations and family embrittlement, where more and more children are excluded from the educational system, BICE invited all institutional and field experts to participate in a general reflection upon the right to education for all.

BICE Congress has allowed:

  • To reaffirm this right as an imperative in a world going through profound upheavals where millions of children find themselves out of the education system because of political troubles, international migrations or family uprooting.
  • To define concrete recommendations, addressed to national and international authorities and to civil society organisations as well.

Inaugural Session at “Maison de l’Unesco” in Paris

Approximately 300 participants attended the rich and varied interventions of the inaugural session on May 23, 2011 in the “Maison de l’Unesco” in Paris.

After the general speeches of Mr. TANG (Assistant Director-General for education at UNESCO), Mr. ZIMERAY (Ambassador for human rights of the French Republic), Mr. CONTENT (General Director of the apprentices of Auteuil) and Mr. MARIE-LANOE (President of BICE), the interventions of the following experts allowed to present some innovative and particularly relevant experiences for a better response to the rights of these vulnerable children:

  • Ms. Cristina COGGI, Professor of experimental pedagogy at the University of Turin, referred to the Phoenix project, which uses new technologies as a resilience tool for children in difficult situations;
  • Mr. Lorenzo TEBAR, Psychologist, Doctor in Sciences of Education, drew attention to the urgent need to better train the teachers to avoid situations of failure;
  • Ms. Cristina CASTELLI, Professor of Sciences of Education at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, presented the "Factory of Talent (Fabrique du Talent)", a method which is aimed at young people in situation of trauma and allows them to begin to rebuild themselves;
  • Mr. FERNANDEZ, General Director of the University College Henry Dunant in Geneva, and Mr. SINGH, Special Reporter of the United Nations on the right to education, then pointed out the major prospects for development included in the exercise of the right to education.


The day ended brilliantly with the intervention of Mr. DELEVOYE, President of the economic, social and environmental Council and Mediator of the French Republic, who concluded with a fundamental question at the heart of our Congress.

Read more about 2011 International Congress by downloading the following documents (PDF Files)

  1. Congress final resolution : in French, in English or in Spanish
  2. Our experts groups documents on :

      The right to education of children in street situations : in French

      The right to education of children in an international migration context: in French

      The right to education of children in a fragile family context: in French

  1. The French summaries of the three “best practices” presented in the inaugural session, which rely on tested methods for children in great difficulties.
  2. The French summaries of all “best practices” presented in the Congress workshops of May 24 and 25.
  3. Gabriel Nissim’s report on the Congress
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