International Play Association: Promoting the Child’s Right to Play 2013: August

Play Notes The Organisational Newsletter

for the IPA World Council

31 August 2013

Postcard from the President

Once again we are extremely busy in IPA, particularly with planning the Geneva launch of the UN General Comment in September. I really hope that as many IPA branches and groups as possible will be represented. Although places are limited, please do get in touch if you would like to attend. We’re grateful for the continued support of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, an organisation that is an enormously appreciated friend to IPA. In September, IPA will also be in Brussels for the annual meeting of the European Network of Ombudsmen for Children (ENOC) and I look forward to reporting back to you on that. If I don’t see you before, I look forward to seeing you in Istanbul in May 2013 – it’s time again to submit proposals and arrange your registration and travel for what I expect to be a truly memorable conference. Yours playfully, Theresa (Theresa Casey, IPA President)

What Is Ahead? 30 September 2013

30 November 2013

General Comment Launch, Geneva Close of applications for 2017 conference

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Please contact Cynthia Gentry at Communications@IPAWorld.org

18 May 2014 IPA Board Meeting, Istanbul

Special Members’ Edition

19 May 2014 IPA Council of Representatives Meeting, Istanbul

20-23 May 2014 IPA Triennial Conference, Istanbul

21 May 2014 IPA General Meeting, Istanbul

23 May 2014 IPA Council of Representatives Meeting, Istanbul 24 May 2014 IPA Board Meeting, Istanbul

www.IPAworld.org

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issue, date IPA: Play Notes 2013: August

Your Invitation to Attend Launch of the UN General Comment on article 31, Geneva, 30th September 2013

IPA world would like to extend an invitation to you, as an IPA member, to attend the international launch of the UN General Comment on article 31. This landmark event is being organised by IPA (supported by the Bernard van Leer Foundation) on 30th September 2013. The launch will take place between 9am and 3.15pm, in central Geneva. The first part of the day will be a Symposium, followed by lunch. The General Comment will be launched in the afternoon with an address from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Key topics to be explored in the day are: ! Maintaining and raising awareness of article 31 within the UN Committee including new Committee

members ! Building use of the GC as a reference point in NGO and Government reports to the UN ! Persuading policy makers and planners to use the GC as a reference point/guide in making decisions ! Supporting those working for, or with, children to use the GC as a tool in their advocacy for children Please reply to Susan McIntyre at ipaprojects88@gmail.com if you are able to attend. We will send further information about the programme and location in due course. Please do try to join us to celebrate the importance of play!

** Welsh artist Les Evans created this wonderful logo (above) for IPA’s General Comment campaign. The image clearly represents the permanent link between IPA and article 31! It will be available for download (along with other article 31 materials) soon on www.IPAworld.org.

IPA Celebrates 31!

Hopefully by now you have heard the great news that on February 1, 2013 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child adopted General Comment #17 on article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This article covers the rights of all children to participate in play and recreation activities, have time for rest and leisure, and to participate in arts and culture. The General Comment (GC) explains in depth the provisions of the article with a goal of enhancing the States parties’ understanding of and adherence to their responsibilities as contained in the article. Since 2008 IPA has led an international group of cosignatories to the request for a GC and has been closely involved in its development. IPA is extremely proud to have been a part of this effort.

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Renew Your IPA Membership ONLINE Everyone can now join or renew their membership in IPA online at www.IPAworld.org/join

Become an IPA member to be a part of the worldwide campaign to promote play and the General Comment (GC) on article 31 of the CRC and to get your special GC issue of PlayRights Magazine.

(Note that the site is in British Pounds. The currency is converted for you through the website.)

2014 IPA World Conference News Just Announced ~ Special early bird rate for IPA 2014 Conference

We are delighted to report that the Early Bird Rate for the IPA 2014 Conference, 20-23 May in Istanbul has been dropped to 400 Euros for the four-day conference (450 Euros for non-members). This is a significant saving on the normal rate, and includes break time refreshments and lunch. This conference is IPA's flagship event and it is important that as many members as possible attend, so

please promote the confer-ence and the special Early Bird rate to as many people in your networks as soon as possible. Registrations are open now, but the early bird rate is only available until 21st October. Please visit the conference website at www.ipa2014.org and encourage your colleagues to do so as well.

Call for Abstracts - DEADLINE EXTENDED!

The first call for abstracts has already been circulated, and the conference website at www.ipa2014.org is now open. Please note that the deadline for the submission of abstracts has been extended to 20 October 2013, so start developing your presentation or workshop now!

TURKEY

IPA: Play Notes 2013: August

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Article 31

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. 2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.

A Very Special PlayRights Magazine

In October all members will receive the new PlayRights Magazine special edition focusing on the General Comment on article 31 of the CRC. We are proud to report that not only will the magazine be filled with fascinating articles, but also that it should be visually stunning. The issue will contain photographs by Steve McCurry, the renowned photographer responsible for the famous National Geographic cover of a then-young girl from Afghanistan. Because of the importance of this topic, some members have indicated an interest in purchasing extra copies to distribute to friends of their IPA branch. It is an excellent way to educate people about Article 31 and IPA. Please contact Cynthia Gentry, IPA Communications Officer at communications@IPAworld.org with any inquiries.

IPA: Play Notes 2013: August

Every Day With IPA

Be sure to join the IPA World communities on Facebook and Twitter. We will be posting live online from the Geneva launch! Also, coming soon is a new website with many resources on article 31 available for download.

Virtual Council Meetings on Groupsite

The new IPA constitution requires an annual Council meeting. This need not take place in person (other than on the years of the IPA World Conference), and so the challenge had been to create an engaging and meaningful forum for Council in the ‘virtual world’. The solution has been to create a Council Groupsite online. It is now the main platform IPA uses to support the involvement of the Council in IPA decisions and discussion. Recently we used it to provide updates from the Istanbul Board meeting on a daily basis and regularly post documents on the site to make them available to Council. We would like to see Groupsite used more by Council as a way to talk to each other and engage with issues. If you are unsure about how to use it click on the HELP button in the top right hand corner or for advice contact Robyn Monro-Miller at VicePresident@IPAworld.org. A special thanks to Robyn for setting up Groupsite for IPA! If you have other ideas for virtual council meetings please contact Robyn or Margaret Westwood. At Secretary @IPAworld.org.

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Board Meeting 2013, Istanbul, Turkey The IPA Board met in Istanbul in May 2013 hosted by the Active Living Association, organisers of the IPA Triennial World Conference 2014. Board members spent three days meeting with our conference partners, viewing the conference venue at the historic Istanbul Technical University, and visiting examples of play projects and play parks which will feature at the conference. The Board also participated in a seminar at the Bosphorus University and took the opportunity to meet new members of the proposed IPA Turkey Branch.

IPA Conference, 20-23 May 2014, Faculty of Architecture Ta"kı"la Campus, Istanbul, Turkey

The 2014 conference is the first to make wide use of social networking to promote the event. The conference promises to be a great opportunity to: follow up on the opportunities presented by the UN adoption of the General Comment on article 31; raise the profile of children’s play in Turkey; discuss the importance of access to play, particularly regarding play for for children in natural disaster or conflict situations; forge new IPA relationships and, of course, renew old friendships. Istanbul is a fascinating and vibrant city and we look forward to meeting you there! If you would like to submit an abstract for a presentation or workshop, please visit the conference website at www.ipa2014.org as soon as possible. REMINDER – the Early Bird booking fee has been reduced to only 400 Euros for the four-day conference. This includes coffee breaks and lunches and is an exceptional value. Make good use of this offer now, as the early bird rate is only available until October 21st!

IPA: Play Notes 2013: August

The IPA Board and ALA team in Istanbul.

The site of the 2014 IPA world conference.

Organisational News

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Executive Board Elections In December’s Play Notes we asked people to start thinking ahead to the 2014-17 term. The Council will soon be inviting members to make their nominations for Board officers to be elected at the 2014 General Meeting. The elections of 2014 will be the first wholly under the new constitution and the Board will consist of President, Vice President(s), Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Officer, Membership Officer and Development Officer (Finance and Fundraising). The intention is to maintain some continuity with a number of the current Board remaining, while other posts are newly filled – in this way we will create a ‘rolling’ pattern of Board membership. Being part of the Board is a responsibility and requires the ability to commit time and energy on a regular basis. It also offers a great opportunity to gain insight into children’s play rights worldwide, and to contribute to IPA’s purpose and goals. Descriptions of the roles and responsibilities of all Board positions have been developed and are available for anyone considering putting themselves forward for election, or nominating someone else. For more information please contact the Secretary at Secretary@ipaworld.org.

General Meeting The General Meeting of members of the International Play Association: Promoting the Child's Right to Play will take place on 21 May 2014 at 3.00pm - 5.00pm. The General Meeting will be held in conjunction with the 19th IPA World Conference, 20 - 23 May 2014 at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Faculty of Architecture Ta"kı"la Campus, Istanbul, Turkey.

Council Meeting 2014 The IPA Council is made up of the National Representatives from IPA Branches (countries with 10 members or more). Both the IPA Council of Representatives and the Board have been ‘meeting’ virtually using new technology on Groupsite web-based networks. However, face-to-face meetings are the life-blood of our organisation, and all National Representatives are urged to join the 2014 Council meeting in Istanbul on 19 May 2014. Each IPA Branch is encouraged to make every effort to help support the branch representative to attend. A second Council meeting will be held on 23rd May immediately following the close of the conference.

IPA: Play Notes 2013: August

IPA Board of Directors

Theresa Casey, President President@ipaworld.org Robyn Monro-Miller, Vice President VicePresident @ipaworld.org Margaret Westwood, Secretary Secretary@ipaworld.org David Yearley, Treasurer Treasurer@ipaworld.org Ric McConaghy, Strategic Planning Ric@rmpl.com.au Cynthia Gentry, Communications Officer Communications@ipaworld.org Mike Greenaway, Council Representative Mike@playwales.org.uk Kathy Wong Kin-ho, Council Representative Kathy@playright.org.hk

…more news…

The beautiful Bosphorus divides Istanbul and separates Europe from Asia.

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2017 Triennial IPA World

Conference This is the last call for any IPA Branch, group or member organisation that is considering making an application to become the organiser of the IPA World Conference in 2017. The final deadline is:

30 November 2013: Full applications and any supporting materials must be in the hands of the Secretary no later than 12 noon.

Please note that groups or organisations wishing to apply to host the conference should have the backing of their national IPA Branch, if one exists.

For more information contact Margaret Westwood at Secretary@IPAWorld.org.

IPA: Play Notes 2013: August

To submit information for a future issue of PlayNotes, please contact Cynthia Gentry, IPA Communications Officer at Communications@IPAWorld.org.

See You In Beautiful Istanbul Make your plans now to join in on the amazing conference being planned for Istanbul, Turkey. It is going to be an amazing event! Please visit www.IPA2014.org for more information.

It will be the trip of a lifetime!