Enforcing the Child's Right to Know Her Origins: Contrasting Approaches Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights

The justification of the child's right to know her origins andthe fundamental interests underlying it have attracted a lotof attention in recent years. This article goes one step furtherand assesses that right's enforcement in practice together withits guiding principles. It starts by restating what the rightconsists in and what interests it protects according to differentinternational human rights instruments. It then reveals theconflicts of rights that lie at the heart of the implementationof the right to know and explain its complexity. After consideringthe competing interests present, the article argues that noneof these interests and rights should be regarded as absoluteand suggests ways in which they can be balanced against eachother. The recent evolution in the European Court of Human Rights(ECtHR) case law with its more nuanced balancing of the competingrights is contrasted with the Convention on the Rights of theChild (CRC)'s focus on the child's paramount interest. The articleargues that these different approaches are reflected in nationallegal orders in Europe. By tracing the origins of this divergenceback to those conflicting international legal paradigms andby proposing abstract adjudication principles to guide the concretebalancing of competing rights, the article hopes to contributeto a better understanding and ultimate reconciliation of thechild's multiple identities – social and biological.     

Using sketch drawing to induce inconsistency in liars

Purpose. Consistency as a cue to detecting deception was tested in two experiments using sketch drawing and verbal reports in repeated interviews. Liars were expected to be less consistent than truth‐tellers. Methods. In Expt 1, 80 undergraduate students reported truthfully or deceptively about an alleged lunch date – they sketched the layout of the restaurant and then answered spatial questions about objects in the restaurant. Ratings were given for the consistency between sketches and verbal reports. In Expt 2, 34 undergraduate students reported truthfully or deceptively about completing a series of unrelated tasks – they answered spatial questions about objects in a room and then sketched the layout of the room. Proportions were calculated for the consistency between verbal reports and sketches. Results. Expt 1. Liars were rated as less consistent than truth‐tellers. Up to 80% of truth‐tellers and 70% of liars could be correctly classified. Expt 2. Liars were less consistent than truth‐tellers on consistency proportions. Up to 100% of truth‐tellers and 77% of liars could be correctly classified. Conclusions. Using sketches to induce inconsistency may be a reliable, resource efficient way to help investigators detect deception.     

Raman spectroscopy of blood samples for forensic applications

We investigated Raman scattering from human blood as a function of parameters that are relevant for forensic field analysis, such as substrate, sample dilution, individual from which the sample originates, and age of the sample. Peaks characteristic of blood components and in particular the hemoglobin peaks were routinely detected when blood was deposited on substrates that are not strongly luminescent, such as plastic, metal utensils and dry wall. Raman scattering from blood proved quite sensitive and blood samples with a dilution up to 1:250 could be measured for an excitation power of ～2 mW measured at the sample plane. The sensitivity of Raman scattering to diluted blood allowed measurement using blood reconstituted from fabric substrates, thereby alleviating issues related to luminescence and scattering from the substrate. The dependence of Raman scattering on sample age and individual was also investigated. We found that the relative intensities of scattering peaks depended on sample age and history. For example, the relative intensity of oxyhemoglobin peaks decreases after blood has dried. Fresh blood drawn directly from a donor without intermediate storage exhibits also scattering peaks at 1155 and 1511 cm(-1) which disappear after drying. The origin of these peaks is under investigation. We noticed, however, that they were not found in blood that had been stored for longer than one week in EDTA containers before analysis, thus requiring the use of fresh blood for future studies and validation purposes. The relative intensity of scattering peaks was also found to be somewhat dependent on the donor and, for a same donor, on the day on which blood was drawn.     

Proof of Concept Centers in the United States: an exploratory look

In this paper we identify the population of 32 US university-related Proof of Concept Centers (PoCCs), and we present a model of technology development that identifies the economic role of PoCCs within that model. We examine the broad technology transfer challenges that PoCCs have been established to address. Further, we argue that PoCCs are a growing technology infrastructure in the United States, and they are important as a possible element of our national innovation system.     

Global Connections: ‘A Tool for Active Citizenship’

As a result of globalisation and changing technologies, young people are increasingly required to engage with the broader world beyond their local and national communities. This raises significant questions about the ways and spaces in which young people will need to engage as active citizens, and the new tools and resources that young people will need to equip them for their futures. The Global Connections Program has been developed to address these identified needs. It is a youth-led global learning initiative which aims to provide an opportunity for connection and learning among young people in Australia and Indonesia. This article explores Plan's youth-led approach to global learning, with a focus on the implementation and evaluation findings of the Global Connections Program, as well as the challenges faced thus far.