This live event will offer participants a space to learn how to implement, evaluate, sustain, and grow the most promising upstream prevention tool, No Hit Zones.

Space is very limited. Please save your seat today and use the limited early bird code NOHITS at checkout for a 30% savings ($175)! Regular registration will be $250.

All sessions will be held in Patton Hall (305 E 23rd St, Austin, TX 78712). Conference will run from 8:30am to 5:30pm on Wednesday and run from 8:30am to 3:00pm on Thursday (optional workshops until 5:00 pm).

Faculty includes experienced No Hit Zone researchers and program developers.

Agenda to include workshops on initiating No Hit Zones, overcoming barriers, expanding, sustaining the movement, and more.

Networking, presentation, and sponsorship opportunities available. Limited seating available.

Multiple hotels are within walking distance to the meeting site:

AT&T Hotel and Conference Center have a limited number of spaces for conference attendees at a $189 per night rate. Access the registration information here. The Conference Hotel is 13 minutes walking distance from Patton Hall.

• Hampton Inn and Suites Austin at the University/Capitol (19 min walk to Patton Hall, 6 min drive)

• AC Hotel by Marriott Austin (20 min walk to Patton Hall, 6 min drive)

• Kasa Austin Campus Spaces at UT Austin (16 min walk to Patton Hall, 6 min drive)

• Moxy Austin – University (18 min walk to Patton Hall, 5 min drive)

• Hotel Indigo Austin Downtown – University (29 min walk to Patton Hall, 8 min drive)

For more information, click here!

A panel discussion of expert speakers on end to end encryption and how we can continue to protect children online.

The agenda:

• Introduction - Victoria Green, CEO, MCF & Karl Hopwood, Chair of Trustees

• Reflections and Forward Plan - MCF team

An update on the work of the Marie Collins Foundation, recent achievements, and ongoing work.

• End to End Encryption - a binary debate?

A discussion around end to end encryption including an initial overview of what it is, the context of the debate between privacy and the protection of children, and how we can move forward to find a solution that works for both. The panel discussion will include presentations from:

Vic Baines, Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University where her research interests include online safety policy, the future of cybercrime and security rhetoric. Vic will start the discussion with an explanation of end to end encryption, and an overview of the current issues within the debate.

Mallory Knodel, Chief Technology Officer, Center for Democracy and Technology will speak about the challenges of any changes made to E2EE on a person’s privacy and free expression, and any ‘green shoots’ that may be growing for a solution that can accommodate both sides of the argument.

Hany Farid, Professor at the University of California will talk about some of the current tools employed in the identification of child sexual abuse material online and whether these can be used and still maintain the integrity of E2EE. Hany will also give his perspective on the possibility of consensus in the future.

This will conclude with a question and answer session where participants will be able to pose questions to the panel, stimulate discussion and leave with a better understanding of some of the complex issues around this topic and the relevance of this to child protection today.

Global Citizen Live is a 24-hour global event starting on September 25 to unite the world to defend the planet and defeat poverty. Hailing from 6 continents, the broadcast will feature artists, celebrities and world leaders coming together to create change and impact climate and poverty.

The event will feature performances from all over the world, including: Lagos, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, and Sydney.  Additional locations and event-specific details will be announced in the weeks ahead, in accordance with local health and safety restrictions.  

Global Citizen Live is part of Global Citizen’s 2021 global campaign, a Recovery Plan for the World. The Recovery Plan focuses on five key objectives: ending COVID-19 for all, ending the hunger crisis, resuming learning for all, protecting the planet, and advancing equity for all.

Strategic REGIONAL Discussions with CSOs on HOW to engage in advocacy ahead of the Solutions Summit 2021

Three regional webinars are being organized by the CSO Forum EVAC in collaboration with the End Violence Partnership to disseminate the 6 Together to #ENDviolence Policy Proposals and inform national CSO advocacy actions:

• Regional Webinar 1 (in English) - Africa / Middle East / Europe / North America: 28 July at 8:00 EDT
• Regional Webinar 2 (in Spanish) - Latin America and Caribbean: 29 July at 10:00 EDT
• Regional Webinar 3 (in English) - Asia/Southeast Asia: Thursday 29 July at 22:00 EDT (Friday 30 July)

Register by July 26.

Strategic REGIONAL Discussions with CSOs on HOW to engage in advocacy ahead of the Solutions Summit 2021

Three regional webinars are being organized by the CSO Forum EVAC in collaboration with the End Violence Partnership to disseminate the 6 Together to #ENDviolence Policy Proposals and inform national CSO advocacy actions:

• Regional Webinar 1 (in English) - Africa / Middle East / Europe / North America: 28 July at 8:00 EDT
• Regional Webinar 2 (in Spanish) - Latin America and Caribbean: 29 July at 10:00 EDT
• Regional Webinar 3 (in English) - Asia/Southeast Asia: Thursday 29 July at 22:00 EDT (Friday 30 July)

Register by July 26.

Strategic REGIONAL Discussions with CSOs on HOW to engage in advocacy ahead of the Solutions Summit 2021

Three regional webinars are being organized by the CSO Forum EVAC in collaboration with the End Violence Partnership to disseminate the 6 Together to #ENDviolence Policy Proposals and inform national CSO advocacy actions:

• Regional Webinar 1 (in English) - Africa / Middle East / Europe / North America: 28 July at 8:00 EDT
• Regional Webinar 2 (in Spanish) - Latin America and Caribbean: 29 July at 10:00 EDT
• Regional Webinar 3 (in English) - Asia/Southeast Asia: Thursday 29 July at 22:00 EDT (Friday 30 July)

Register by July 26.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic extreme poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality, and violence are rising. Tragically, the necessary measures taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 have placed many children at greater risk of experiencing child marriage, trafficking, and sexual violence, abuse, and exploitation, especially on-line. As a consequence of COVID 19, children have had unprecedented access to the digital world. This explosion of access has led to a significant increase in online grooming, exploitation, and abuse.

The April 8th World Day initiative’s High- Level Political Forum (HLPF) event seeks to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) and the various ways in which the international community and member states can respond and build a sustainable infrastructure to prevent future abuse and minimize physical and psychological sequelae experienced by survivors. Building upon the April 8th World Day initiative, this HLPF will provide solutions to safeguard children globally both on and offline. The HLPF will also discuss several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG 16.2 which aims to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence and torture against children. Most specifically the HLPF will provide solutions to reduce the proportion of young women and men aged 18-29 years who have experienced sexual violence by age 18 by 2030 within the broader decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.

The scale of violence against children (VAC) in Africa is unacceptable. VAC is on the increase and African children continue to suffer widespread physical, psychological and sexual violence, neglect and child labour. 

At least 60 percent of boys and 51 percent of girls in Africa experience physical abuse. In some regions, more than eight out of ten children in the 1–14 years age group suffer violent discipline every month. Up to 40 percent of adolescent girls in some African countries experience sexual violence before the age of 15.

New research from the African Partnership to End Violence against Children (APEVAC), an initiative of the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF), shows that VAC is prevalent at all levels of African society, and it is made worse by increasing urbanisation, armed conflict, displacement, child trafficking, child labour, humanitarian crises and gender-based violence. Online child sexual abuse and exploitation is another growing area of concern.

Faced with this disturbing evidence, APEVAC, supported by ACPF, is organising a high-level online conference on July 22 to enhance political will and commitment to end violence against children in Africa. The event is part of the Together to #ENDViolence solutions summit series organised by the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children.