2nd International Careleavers Convention and Festival

The 1st Global Care Leavers Convention took place in 2020 and was held virtually. It brought together over 500 youth with lived experience of care from over 23 countries, leading to them coming together as the Global Care Leavers Community. These young people virtually convened every month thereafter over our Café sessions to build their own safe platform to learn, share and exchange experiences, knowledge, and challenges. The key agreement from the 1st convention and thereafter has been that we, care leavers, want a “central place at the decision-making table” and "no decisions about us without us”.

Continuing the legacy, GCLC brings to you a unique first-of-its-kind 10-days Care Leavers Festival. The Care Leavers Festival is part of the 2nd International Care Leavers Convention. It will feature the direct voices of Care Leavers and celebrate diversity by bringing together snippets and conversations globally on a common platform. The Festival strives to increase the visibility of the Care Leavers expectations, visions, challenges, and aspirations in multiple formats (presentations, videos, and articulation through artwork, write-ups, engagement on social media, etc.). The 10-day Care Leavers Festival will ensure involvement and build relationships with Care Leaver Networks across the globe to view and share with their peers. The aim is to connect and build understanding with care leaver networks, as well as with individual young adults from across the globe on different domains of social inclusion and independence. The International Care Leavers Festival is an event for care leavers by care leavers only. Interested policymakers and professionals are invited to visit the online platform during the event to check out the different contributions of care leavers' networks and individual care leavers.

The key takeaway and developments from the Care Leavers Festival 2022 will be raised and discussed during a follow-up Online Care Leavers Conven-
tion -  an online event in December 2022 with participation from researchers, academicians, civic bodies, and CSOs. The Care Leavers Convention will highlight the outcomes and way forward for collective advocacy.