Let’s celebrate 100 years of child protection and family reunification (and prepare the next 100 years).
We are a network of interconnected NGOs and partners that works towards re-establishing links within a family separated by international borders. We want to celebrate and highlight 100 years of Women Explorers, celebrating the women who founded ISS and the women who are leading ISS now, 100 years of Restoring Links, allowing children and their families to be protected and reunited, and 100 years of Pioneer Advocacy, contributing to the development of international private and public law.
Do join one of our events and be part of shaping the future of ISS as we tackle tomorrow's social challenges.
Celebrating 100 years of protecting children and reuniting families across borders, we are thrilled to invite you to participate in our public events:
1. ISS 100th Anniversary Dinner on the 10th of October in the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Geneva Airport.
Meet ISS people, partners, and friends from around the globe, hear their inspiring stories, and experience captivating artistic performances while enjoying a nice meal.
2. ISS International Conference, Throughout time, across borders: Navigating child protection and restoring family links, in the Maison Internationale des Associations in Geneva on the 9th of October 2024 between 9am – 6pm CET in Geneva and Online.
Through multi expert panels representing ISS Network, academia, national authorities, and international and national organisations, we will explore issues related to, among others, ISS history, children on the move, search for origins, family based care, child abduction and mediation, and the future of child protection and social work.
3. ISS Exhibition ‘Across time and borders’ at the Quartier Libre SIG on the Pont de la Machine in Geneva from the 19th of September 2024 until the 24th of January 2025.
4. ISS Academic Symposium & Debate on the state of research on ISS History on the 10th of October in the Museum of Ethnography in Geneva on the 10th of October 2024 from 9am to 3:30pm.
ISS 100th Anniversary Dinner book your seat!
100 years of Women explorers
It is in Geneva, Switzerland, that ISS was founded by a handful of women. Facing the challenges of post World War I migrations, these women explorers recognised the need for coordinated action between countries to ease the passage of those travelling to unfamiliar lands, and to reduce the numbers of migrants being refused entry to countries they had gone to. The idea of an international migration agency was born.
100 years of Restoring links
For 100 years, ISS has been developing ecosystems allowing children and their families to be protected and reunited through time and across borders ISS has built a global network of members to address the needs of cross border social services through international and regional cooperation. It is the strength of this global network that has reunited children with their families across the world.
100 years of Pioneer advocacy
Solidly anchored on national levels through its worldwide network and community of social workers, ISS has been at the forefront of a changing social panorama, tackling complex challenges and real-life situations around child protection, childrens’ rights, family reunification and mediation, and much more.