# Special Section: Tributes to the Hon. Landon Pearson

## Relational Community

### Tribute to the Honourable Landon Pearson

Brenda Morrison, Associate Professor, Simon Fraser University

The Honourable Landon Pearson touched my life and work in so many ways, beginning with a meeting in British Columbia (BC), when she was interested in expanding Shaking the Movers (STM) beyond Ottawa. Shortly thereafter, I learnt more about STM, over a cuppa tea in Ottawa. Her words that continue to echo in my work in many ways were: "Your job is to create a safe and welcoming space and get out of the way". For Landon this meant a space for children's voices to be heard, and their ideas brought forward to the those who could act on them. I now apply this ethos to much of my work, particularly in the context of voices that are often lost or marginalized – Indigenous, Black, Brown, those living with neurodiversity and more.

Our first STM in BC deeply impacted many people – the undergraduate facilitators, the young people who participated, other adults, and myself. The STM theme that year was sexual exploitation. The facilitators created such a safe and empowering space that as the workshop progressed through the weekend, more young people came to be heard. We held these workshops at Simon Fraser University's Surrey Campus. One young participant, who had never been to SFU, proclaimed: "Today I belong here". These four words are a tribute to the Honourable Landon Pearson. A sense of belonging, dignity and worth is what she wanted for each and every child. As a further testimony to that inaugural STM BC workshop, the following year in preparation for Stop the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth Awareness Week in March, that same young woman phoned me and said that they had more to say. We got organizing straight away. Landon's simple yet powerful model of youth participation and voice has left an imprint in the life and work of many here in BC, child and adult. We are forever grateful and inspired.

### CRAN Remembrance: Landon Pearson

Lisa Wolff, Director of Policy and Research, UNICEF Canada

My journey to advance children's rights in Canada began close to three decades ago, when I joined UNICEF Canada to lead its Canadian programs for and with children and teens. I first met Senator Landon Pearson when she came to a lunch meeting with UNICEF Canada's Executive
Director, Harry Black, and I. I can't remember the purpose of the meeting, but what I do vividly recall is how Landon (as I was later to call her) focused her engagement on the very young woman at the table. I was expecting to be merely an observer of these two redoubtable leaders, but what I know now is that Landon's interest in cultivating young people was to be expected. Since that lunch, I have drawn inspiration, knowledge and support from Landon over close to thirty privileged years of knowing her. Landon regularly invited UNICEF Canada into many collaborations; I called on her for advice when dealing with challenging situations; and I simply enjoyed informal times to share a meal and talk about not just children's rights but also personal developments. In every case, Landon's wisdom was a marvel and a gift. Among my most treasured times with Landon was our trip to Arviat, Nunavut. Listening to Inuit Elders talk about Inuit child-raising traditions and going into the community and onto the land was a joyous experience. I will conclude by reflecting on one of our best collaborations: UNICEF Canada, advised by Landon, developed an event to mark the *World Fit For Children* five years after the United Nations Special Session on Children, hallmarked by a series of lectures delivered by researchers, civil society leaders and youth in academic institutions across the country. This was the inspiration for the establishment of the Child Rights Academic Network (CRAN).

## Lessons in Language and Advocacy from Landon Jean-Frédéric Hübsch, PhD Candidate, Bishop's University

I never met Landon Pearson. I first became acquainted with her writing and her advocacy in early 2021, when I read her essay *The UN and the Universal Language of Children's Rights* (Pearson, 2020) in a graduate course.

In her essay, Landon argues for children's rights as a universal language across societies, across generations, and across disciplines. She first recounts the early days of international children's rights up to the negotiation of the *Convention on the Rights of the Child*. Then, on the second page, she places the adoption of the Convention alongside the fall of the Berlin Wall, a geopolitical event that shaped my own childhood: “The Wall fell and eleven days later, on November 20, 1989, it was unanimously adopted” (Pearson, 2020). Her efforts to historicize the heartfelt embrace of the Convention by Canada at the time, and the various efforts to bring children's rights discourse into government policymaking since, helped me to better understand the context of my advocacy today.
Landon goes on to talk about “language changing events” in the development of the common language of children’s rights. She reminds us that words matter because words shape our relationships to each other and to the world around us.

Using the common language of children’s rights is at the core of the Child Rights Academic Network (CRAN), an academic community hosted by the Landon Pearson Centre. Through CRAN, I have learned to reflect on the impact of Landon’s words in my own advocacy. One such reflection is a poem I wrote during in response to a prompt to write a ‘tweet’ about what participants could do “to foster reconciliation, belonging and promoting culturally based equity” at CRAN 2024:

'The law is not for children.'
So some say. And yet.
The law protects children.
The law provides for children.
The law promotes children's participation.
Or at least it tries to. Sometimes.

I want to make the law see children.
In schools.
Every day.
As people in a community.
As citizens in a society.
As humans who belong.
Not only to be taught. But to learn together.

After all, it's only fair.

I am glad to be learning with the community that Landon built, to continue the work of honouring Landon's legacy of promoting the universal language of children's rights.
# Supportive Mentorship

## *Tribute to the Honourable Landon Pearson*
*Katherine Covell, Professor, Cape Breton University*

It was February 1997, and I had just arrived in San Diego. I was there to participate in a conference on child labor in North America. I was fairly new to the field of children's rights, but I knew of Senator Landon Pearson and her incredible work in the area. Coming from a university in eastern Canada (Cape Breton), and with little experience with NGO work, I was feeling rather intimidated and unsure of myself. I recall sitting at a round table during an introductory session wondering whether I could ever fit in with such an auspicious crowd, when Senator Pearson rose to speak. Imagine my surprise when during her speech, Senator Pearson mentioned my name and acknowledged my work in children's rights education. It was a truly inspiring moment: one which reinforced my determination to promote such education in schools. Over the following years, I attended many conferences and meetings at which Senator Pearson was present. She was unwavering in her sensitivity to and support for me. One incident stands out and reflects what an amazingly caring woman she was. We were at a meeting in New York, sitting beside each other during a speech on child abuse. Something that was said triggered a memory and emotion and my eyes filled with tears. She noticed immediately, took my hand and asked if I was alright. Perhaps a simple gesture, but one, like Senator Pearson, I will never forget.

## *The Landon Pearson Effect: Reflecting on the Power and Impact of Meaningful Mentorship*
*Daniella Bendo, Associate Professor, King's University College at Western*

*This is not a journey that I could have possibly made alone... I can see how many people have been there for me; family and friends, colleagues, mentors and mentees, officials and even government leaders whose unfailing support has made my journey here possible.*

The Hon. Landon Pearson in a speech delivered at Carleton
University, November 16, 2020

For Landon, relationships, mentorship, and support enabled her to be an effective and impactful children's rights advocate. In the same way these ingredients have been central to Landon's journey, so too has her mentorship and support been foundational to my journey, practice, and work in the field of children's rights and advocacy.
I'll never forget the first day I met Landon Pearson in the Fall of 2016 in her centre at Carleton University. We sat in her office, surrounded by documents organized according to articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. During that first encounter, Landon and I spoke about our mutual interests in children's rights and advocacy. Right before I left, we spoke about the complexities that many children and youth face and Landon said to me, "you know, sometimes all it takes is one person to make a difference." It turns out, Landon was the person that made a big difference in my life.

From 2016-2020 Landon hired me as Coordinator of the Child Rights Academic Network Conference; with this role came incredible networking opportunities and experience. She also hired me as the National Coordinator for her child and youth led initiative, known as ‘Shaking the Movers’ where I worked directly with young people from various social locations across Canada. She took me to the Senate with her to present on issues impacting young people, she introduced me to government officials, she travelled with me across the country to present on children’s rights and advocacy; she also invited me into classrooms across Ontario to discuss children’s rights. She met with me 2-3 times a week in her centre (every week), while I completed my PhD to exchange ideas. These are exceptional academic and professional experiences for someone pursuing an academic career in children’s rights; especially someone at the start of their career. I highlight these opportunities to outline the unwavering support, effort, and time that Landon so generously offered to provide educational, relevant and meaningful opportunities for the foundation of my career.

What made Landon such a special mentor was how she went above and beyond to always make students feel like they were supported and that they belonged. I remember the day Landon gave me a key to her centre and told me that this was now my space too and I could work in the centre any time. This kind gesture provided me with a space to complete my research, along with a space to exchange experiences and wisdom. When I used to speak to my peers, I would often hear about the isolation they felt as emerging scholars and I must say that I simply could not relate, because I never felt alone on my PhD journey. I remember when I was completing my PhD, I used to tell Landon that I was worried about what I would do next and about what my future would hold and one day she finally just said – “You know, Daniella – your generation seems to be so worried about the future that they forget to live in the present.” That insight fundamentally changed my PhD experience because it enabled me to recognize that it wasn’t the destination that mattered, it was the journey that was important. I am extremely lucky to have had Landon Pearson in my life
as a mentor, as a teacher, and as a friend, because without her mentorship, I'm not sure I'd be
where I am today.

Today I am an Associate Professor at King's University College at Western in the Department of Childhood and Youth Studies. I've now had the opportunity to bring Shaking the Movers to my university so that my students have opportunities to learn about child and youth participation, engagement, advocacy, and rights—a ripple effect of impact that I call “The Landon Pearson Effect.”

Landon taught me that strong mentorship is about providing students with meaningful academic and professional opportunities and experiences. It means cultivating a supportive environment where students feel like they belong, while inspiring students and having influence and impact. It also means listening carefully to what matters to students and young people – and what Landon showed me, is that all of this is achieved by building trusting, supportive relationships. Being an effective mentor means always remembering that “sometimes, all it takes is one person to make a difference” and mentors can make a significant difference, especially when they strive to implement “The Landon Pearson Effect.”

A Tribute to the Hon. Landon Pearson
Samira Mobina Ahmed

It has been a great pleasure to call Landon a mentor and friend - I will always feel so lucky for the time and energy she dedicated to me. I had the unique pleasure of meeting Landon at eighteen, when I was just forming my views and perspectives on children's rights and my career. She sat on an advisory committee for a youth engagement program I was facilitating, and I was fascinated by everything about her. Landon chose to devote time fostering my career growth from then on: by taking me for lunches, inviting me to speak at various conferences, offering me opportunities to volunteer with the Landon Pearson Center and then welcoming me as a CRAN member. I remember sitting with her at Carleton when I started law school because I felt lost as to how my youth engagement career would fit with my legal career. She confidently told me that I could become a leading children's rights lawyer. Her time, attention and approachable demeanor built my confidence, broadened my goals and ultimately set the trajectory for my long-standing career as a lawyer at Justice for Children and Youth. She really felt like a friend, and I was so honored when she came to my wedding. It is my sincere hope that I can carry her legacy forward
both as a fierce advocate for children's rights but also in how she mentored and nurtured all those
around her.

Holding on to Optimism

Reflections on Landon Pearson

Mary Bernstein, Child and Youth Advocate, Prince Edward Island

I recall that my first meeting with Landon was when I was appointed the Children’s Advocate for Saskatchewan and attended a meeting where I was introduced to her by Judy Finlay, the then Ontario Child Advocate. This would have been in 2005. I was surprised to find her so engaging and down-to-earth, with a delightful sense of humour.

Over the years, I had many meetings with Landon, particularly when I worked as Chief Policy Advisor for UNICEF Canada from 2010 to 2017. I would often travel to Ottawa to meet with Senators and Members of Parliament, and I would also make a point of meeting with Landon either at her home or at the Chateau Laurier for tea. During that period, I saw her at many Children’s Rights Academic Network (CRAN) meetings in Ottawa and in Moncton at the International Summer Course on Children’s Rights.

I was always inspired by Landon's vision of raising the bar on children's rights and youth participation. She had a way of taking abstract concepts and putting them into concrete actionable language. As a Child and Youth Advocate myself for the second time (now in PEI and formerly in Saskatchewan), I have built on that theme and made the distinction between the 'paper rights' and 'lived rights' of children and youth.

I admired Landon's penchant for injecting a healthy dose of optimism into her advocacy. She had a way of ending her speeches on a positive note. These are good lessons for any aspiring Child and Youth Advocate. If we can stay optimistic and not be stymied by occasional setbacks, we are more likely to be attentive to the emergence of windows of opportunity where we can advocate for and influence positive change.

Of course, many of my conversations with Landon focused on the importance of establishing an independent National Children’s Commissioner in Canada. This was a dream of hers and this was part of my advocacy remit at UNICEF Canada. During some of those visits, we would chat about how to encourage youth themselves to bring forward their own reasons why there needed to be this independent children’s champion at the federal level.
There have, of course, been four unsuccessful Private Member's Bills introduced to establish such a position during Landon's lifetime. Nonetheless, it would be a fitting tribute to Landon, and her incredible legacy as the 'Children's Senator', if we could come together and propose that the next Bill introduced in Parliament to establish a National Commissioner for Children and Youth be named in her honour and accompanied, at the point of legislative introduction, by diverse groups of children and youth sitting in the Parliamentary gallery.

### *Teacher, Mentor, Friend*
### *Kelly Stone, Former CEO of Families Canada*

These three words immediately come to mind when I reminisce on time spent in the company of Landon Pearson. Our professional relationship and later friendship took root in 2001 as my own public service role intersected with that of her mantle as the Children's Senator, under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. She became my guide and personal historian for all things UN and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Landon with her magic fingers pulled all the right political strings in those heady years, and so much was accomplished! It was a time filled with possibility of a political agenda benefiting Canada and the world's children.

Throughout our years of work together, I observed how Landon's participation at events and in support of projects was coveted. In the context of the United Nations and the Inter-American Children's Institute, which falls under the Organization of American States, she was afforded deep respect by officials and political leadership. Her presence afforded Canada outsized status and influence and nurtured sometimes delicate international partnerships. When Landon was present, Canada held court.

Landon also taught public servants how to seize opportunity. She tutored strategy around achieving the most possible under presiding political, fiscal, or other constraints. And equally she taught us how to mitigate the impact of government inaction or worse, negative action. Landon encouraged me, along with my peers, to keep chipping away at the margins of possibility, all the while keeping a keen eye on the long game. She taught us endurance, which so many years later guides my own volunteer work as a retiree.
Landon's energy and dogged determination to *shake those movers* in the name of a better world for children remains such an inspiration to all who follow in her wake. May we commit carrying her legacy into the future.

## Humility, Curiosity, Courage, and Justice

*Personal and Professional Reflections on Senator Landon Pearson*
*Richard C. Mitchell, Professor Emeritus, Brock University*

What do I say about Landon in so few words?

I can see now that meeting her during graduate studies was life-altering at a time when I was struggling to make sense of young people's experiences as a counsellor at in-patient mental health facility on Canada's west coast. Senator Pearson was co-hosting the University of Victoria United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) conference *Stronger Children, Stronger Families* that included former sex-trade involved young people as co-organizers - a fairly radical notion at the time. Landon subsequently agreed to a 1995 Senate interview in Ottawa in support of this study, and based on those findings, I took up her suggestion to carry on with Ph.D. studies at Scotland's Stirling University. Also based on those findings, I was invited to participate during the UN's Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meetings for the 2001 *General Assembly Special Session on Children*.

Indeed, on the morning of 9/11 my bags were packed for LaGuardia in New York, but the world changed instantly that day for all of us, and the Special Session was postponed until May 2002. Landon was there again with a delegation of young people shaping *A Canada fit for Children* framework (2004) that included input from an articulate and sensitive young Indigenous teen from Alberta, sadly no longer with us. Following those sessions, I interviewed this brilliant young man with such a promising future in Alberta's legal studies and some of his peers, sadly without knowledge of the deep pain that took his life shortly after.

As Landon's guest, I attended Canada's 2nd UNCRC report in Geneva in 2003 at the UN High Commission for Human Rights where the world's periodic implementation reports are evaluated. Through Landon's mentoring during each of these exchanges, I came to understand that to actualize the UNCRC in young people's lived experiences requires similar mentoring partnerships with parents, politicians, and professionals in education, law, psychology, social work, youth justice, business, and recreation - along with members of the public. This complex
systems approach evolved in my research, teaching, and publications as *transdisciplinarity* since
an understanding of this intergenerational interdependence and interconnectedness is a
prerequisite, an approach I've found very similar to First Nations spiritual teachings.

I'll close by re-emphasizing how Landon's indefatigable passion for children's and young people's well-being through rights-based relationships - communicated so well, so often and in so many places - has literally changed my life. As a result, I've been able to pay it forward by offering this same life-changing passion to thousands of students in my decades as a rights-based professor of child and youth studies here in Ontario. I am deeply humbled and grateful to share these reflections as part of her enduring legacy in Canada and the world - and in all of our efforts towards actually creating *A World Fit for Children*.

*Landon Pearson's Blueprint for Advancing Children's Rights*
*Mónica Ruiz-Casares, Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University*

A decade ago, as we got ready to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), I had the privilege to interview Landon—a children’s rights giant, a mentor, and a friend. Published in this same journal, she reflected on her own trajectory, the road travelled by the CRC, and the way ahead (Ruiz-Casares, 2014). As I write this piece today, I look out my window—Fall slowly finding its way into the Ottawa valley, a familiar place for Landon and a crossroads of our stories. Her presence is strongly felt so her wisdom must be shared in present tense...

Landon emphasizes the importance of empathy and respect in childhood researchers and activists. She believes that researchers must always consider the perspectives and experiences of children and ensure that their work benefits the children more than themselves. She argues that empathy is crucial, as it helps researchers and activists understand and connect with children, especially those from marginalized backgrounds. She also stresses the need for clear and accessible communication, avoiding jargon and ensuring that children can understand and engage with the research.

Additionally, Landon underscores the significance of a strong sense of fairness and justice in those working with children. She believes that researchers and activists should be driven by a commitment to fairness, ensuring that all children are treated with respect and dignity, as experts in their own lives. She also advocates for continuous learning and reflection, encouraging
researchers to stay informed and adapt their approaches based on new insights and experiences.
We must build a reputation through consistent, passionate, and thoughtful work, which can help
gain the trust and support of both children and the broader community. Overall, Landon's views
highlight the need for a compassionate, respectful, and justice-oriented approach in childhood
research and advocacy.

With gratitude and an enhanced sense of responsibility, let's work together to drive meaningful change and build a future where every child's rights are respected and upheld!

Landon Pearson's Faith in Children and the Power of Children's Rights
Mona Paré, Professor, University of Ottawa

The Honourable Landon Pearson was a friend of children and young people. She was also a tireless advocate of their rights. From what I have heard of her own stories, and from memories shared by her family, she was that friend and advocate perhaps even before she knew it. She was "officially" involved in children's rights work since the 1970s. Being appointed senator in 1994 gave her the right platform to make children's rights a political concern in Canada. How many countries are lucky to have a children's senator? I only met Landon Pearson in 2007, after I had moved to Ottawa. I was hired as a professor at the University of Ottawa's faculty of law, and my research centered around children's rights, so being introduced to the children's senator was a great privilege. I was lucky to get to know Landon Pearson for over 15 years and to learn from her. Having been a member of the Child Rights Academic Network (CRAN) since its creation by Landon in 2008 and having joined the advisory committee of the Landon Pearson Resource Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children's Rights in 2011, I have been vastly touched by Landon's work and influenced by it. What has struck me most is the faith she had in children and in the power of children's rights. Landon never failed to think that children could teach us, that we should learn from them, that their ideas and concerns should influence policymakers, and that implementing their rights would lead to a better world. This is what led her to create the Shaking the Movers annual workshops. This wasn't enough for her, and, year after year, she would want to discuss ways to make children's voices truly heard and have an impact. She would always invite
children and young people to actively participate in her events so that we could learn from them. Landon was also interested in thinking about children's rights in different ways, realizing that they could evolve as our society evolves and as children have new ideas and face new challenges. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) sometimes feels a little dated or poorly formulated to me, and, as an academic, it's easy for me to fall into an overly critical mindset. This kind of detail didn't bother Landon who had a "CRC as a living tree"-approach. Children's rights are fundamental to the wellbeing of children and to our society more generally. I must confess that it is greatly thanks to Landon that, whenever I conduct a research project on children's rights, I ask myself about the possible practical impact of the project on children, how children can inform my research, and how different actors in society can learn about and implement children's rights-based approaches. Thank you, Landon, for making me a children's rights optimist.