Preventing and responding to childhood trauma: implications for public policy reform

With international experts Benjamin Perks, Professor Dame Carolyn Hamilton and Awaz Raoof, we’ll discuss the learnings from Benjamin Perk’s visionary new book, Trauma-Proof: Healing, Attachment and the Science of Prevention.

In Trauma-Proof, Benjamin Perks makes the compelling case for reimagining our response to trauma at a national and global level. Drawing upon developmental science, global research and moving human stories, the book reveals how supportive environments and equitable systems can support individual and community healing and break the cycle of inter-generational trauma. In discussion with Benjamin Perks and Professor Dame Carolyn Hamilton, chaired by Awaz Raoof, the panel will explore how we can translate this learning into policy and programming to achieve positive outcomes for children now and for future generations.

Speakers

Benjamin Perks

Benjamin Perks works for the UN in New York, campaigning on human rights and child development. He is a leading global advocate on issues related to child poverty, education, mental health, early childhood development, and prevention of violence against children. He is a Senior Fellow at the Jubilee Centre at the University of Birmingham in the UK and an associate member of the department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford.

Professor Dame Carolyn Hamilton DBE

Professor Dame Carolyn Hamilton DBE, Director of Coram International, is Professor Emeritus of Law at the University of Essex and a Fellow of the Human Rights Centre. An internationally known human rights and child rights lawyer, she was the Senior Legal Adviser to the Children’s Commissioner, served as the Children and Families Commissioner to the Legal Services Commission, and has published widely on issues of children’s rights. Her leadership has earned major awards, including the Sigrid Rausing Prize and being appointed DBE in 2017 for Services to Children’s Rights and Education.

Awaz Raoof is a UK-qualified lawyer, researcher, and technical consultant with over 15 years’ experience in international law, development, and child rights. Awaz has a LLB (Law) and LLM (Public International Law) from the London School of Economics, where she was awarded the Higgins Lauterpacht Prize in Public International Law 2005. Awaz specialises in providing technical and research expertise to Governments, UN agencies and (I)NGOs to develop laws, policies and system-wide reforms in line with international child rights standards.