CRINMAIL 781

18 May 2006 - CRINMAIL 781

 

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- HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE MEDIA: Top 10 Underreported Stories for 2006 [news]

- CHAD: Some 80,000 Children at Risk in Militia Attacks in the East [news]

- SOUTHERN AFRICA: Little Done to Counter Rising Abuse of Schoolgirls [news]

- JORDAN: Child Abuse Cases Rise and Are Still Underreported [news]

- PARENTING: Conference of European Ministers for Family Affairs [declaration]

- EARLY CHILDHOOD: A Guide to CRC General Comment 7 [publication]

- EMPLOYMENT: Child Helpline International [job posting]

** NEWS IN BRIEF **

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Your submissions are welcome if you are working in the area of child rights. To contribute, email us at [email protected]. Adobe Acrobat is required for viewing some of the documents, and if required can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html If you do not receive this email in html format, you will not be able to see some hyperlinks in the text. At the end of each item we have therefore provided a full URL linking to a web page where further information is available.

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE MEDIA: Top 10 Underreported Stories for 2006 [news]

[15 May 2006] - Concerned that some issues continue not to receive sustained media attention or slip off the radar screen, the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) has unveiled a new list of "Ten Stories the World Should Hear More About."

"The media and the UN share an interest in getting information about what is happening in our world to the public," says Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. "But journalists are often inundated with stories, all competing for their - and the public's - attention. Our aim is to make it easier for them to see that important issues do not fade from the headlines."

The initiative, first launched in 2004, is not meant to be representative of the Organisation's agenda. As in previous years, the 2006 list covers a spectrum of issues and geographical regions, some of which draw on troubling humanitarian emergencies and conflict situations (such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nepal) while others focus on such vital areas as human rights (asylum law and child prisoners) and development (Liberia and water as a shared resource). While the stories are enumerated from one to ten, their ranking is not a reflection of their relative significance. In this year's list, some stories focus on conflicts that may have been in the media spotlight - but highlight a perspective that does not usually get much play. Although DPI takes responsibility for the final list, it was arrived at following extensive consultation with UN departments, field offices and programmes.

The top ten underreported stories are:

1. Liberia: Development challenges top agenda as the nation recovers from years of civil strife. Setting off on an obstacle-strewn road of transitioning from a vicious war to stable peace and development, the nation grapples with an array of critical challenges that often escape the glare of world media.

2. Lost in migration: Asylum seekers face challenges amid efforts to stem flows of illegal migrants. Against the backdrop of escalating migratory flows and growing concerns over security, the institution of asylum finds itself in need of protection as the line gets blurred between victims who flee persecution and migrants who seek economic opportunity.

3. DR of Congo: As the country moves boldly towards historic vote, humanitarian concerns continue to demand attention. As the world is applauding the determination of the Congolese people and leadership to take a crucial step in the country's transition from a bloody civil war to peace and democracy, the steep humanitarian challenges facing the devastated nation must not be forgotten.

4. Nepal's hidden tragedy: Children caught in the conflict. Caught in the violence that has plagued the country for over 10 years, Nepal's children have become the often - overlooked victims of the ongoing strife, their plight exacerbated by poverty and abuse.

5. Somalia: Security vacuum compounding effects of drought. Against the backdrop of a fragile peace process and encouraging prospects for reconciliation, the persistent insecurity in many parts of the country presents mounting challenges on the humanitarian front as Somalia struggles with the effects of its worst drought in a decade.

6. Protracted refugee situations: Millions caught in limbo, with no solutions in sight. While news of major refugee emergencies often dominate headlines, the plight of millions of people who have languished in exile for years - and sometimes decades - remains a low-profile high-risk situation with serious humanitarian and security implications.

7. South Asian earthquake: Relief effort saves lives, stems losses, but reconstruction tasks loom large. In the wake of a successful relief effort that helped to prevent additional casualties in quake-devastated areas, the aid community is facing a new crucial task of restoring livelihoods to hundreds of thousands of people left homeless and destitute by the disaster.

8. Behind bars, beyond justice: An untold story of children in conflict with the law. Amid important strides in global efforts to ensure a protective environment for the youngest members of society, an alarming number of children in many parts of the world are held in detention without sufficient cause, often for offences that are not considered criminal when committed by adults.

9. From water wars to bridges of cooperation: Exploring the peace-building potential of a shared resource. Despite widespread perceptions that water basins shared by countries tend to engender hostility rather than collaborative solutions, water is an often untapped resource of fruitful cooperation.

10. Côte d'Ivoire: A strike away from igniting violence amidst a faltering peace process. As Côte d'Ivoire gears up for October elections, postponed from 2005, the country is on a knife's edge with fears that a renewed eruption of violence will destroy any progress towards political reconciliation. So-called "hate media", is playing on people's fears, stoking the violence and is a major threat to peace and reconciliation.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8298

Further information

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CHAD: Some 80,000 Children at Risk in Militia Attacks in the East [news]

[DAKAR, 17 May 2006] - Fears are mounting for the safety of displaced Chadians, Darfuri refugees, and aid workers helping to keep them alive in the harsh desert of eastern Chad, and among them are 80,000 children, according to a UN official.

There has been an increase in militia attacks on villages and refugee camps in eastern Chad since rebels opposed to Chadian president Idriss Deby launched an assault on the border town Adre in December. Since then the Chadian army has withdrawn from many areas. And on Wednesday, a senior UN official told IRIN in Dakar that the government could not guarantee security across vast swathes of the eastern region.

"The government has lost the ability to assure the security of some areas along the border, and to ensure the security and integrity of refugee camps, and the safety of humanitarian workers," Stephen Adkisson, Chad representative for the UN children's agency UNICEF, told IRIN in Dakar on Wednesday. "They admit themselves that they are overstretched. They recognise the responsibility they have to protect people, but also that to fulfil all their responsibilities is impossible," he added.

Some 80,000 children are among the most vulnerable people who are at risk because of repeated militia attacks against their villages, the camps they have fled to, and increasingly the aid workers trying to help keep them alive, according to Adkisson.

The UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland has already warned the Chadian government that if the security of aid workers in eastern Chad cannot be assured, humanitarian operations for over 350,000 refugees and displaced people could be "pulled out".

Chadians who have been leaving their villages along the border by the truckload in recent weeks say armed rebels are attacking them with automatic weapons and stealing their cattle and food stocks. Several people have been killed in rebel attacks.

The UN's refugee agency UNHCR sounded the alarm earlier this week over reports of thousands of refugees being forcibly recruited from camps in eastern Chad into militia groups.

UNHCR said on one weekend in April alone 4,700 men and boys were taken away from their families by Sudanese fighters who crossed into Chad from Sudan's troubled Darfur region. The men and boys, many against their will, were taken to Sudan to work as porters and gun cleaners for the fighting force, said UNHCR.

The abductions and recruitments could lead to camps being targeted by rival groups, making it "essential" that the Chadian authorities regain control of areas around the 12 camps in eastern Chad, UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said in Geneva on Tuesday.

UNICEF's Adkisson called for security to be addressed urgently. "The displaced want nothing more than security, and the opportunity to go home," said UNICEF's Adkisson. "There is a security vacuum at the moment, and it must be addressed."

[Source: AlertNet]

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8302

Further information

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SOUTHERN AFRICA: Little Done to Counter Rising Abuse of Schoolgirls [news]

[JOHANNESBURG, 17 May 2006] - Violence against girls in Southern African schools is steadily rising, but not enough is being done to prevent and censure abuse in educational institutions, according to delegates at a regional conference in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare.

"The incidence seems high because more girls are reporting cases of abuse in schools," said Betty Makoni, founder and director of the Girl Child Network (GCN), a Zimbabwean rights NGO. "But there are other reasons as well, such as the increasing incidence of poverty: girls from poor homes are lured by teachers with promises of cash. Even the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS is another reason - the myth that sex with a virgin can cure the disease is still very prevalent, and desperate men will do anything."

The Panos Institute, an NGO that produces development information, noted in their report, Beyond victims and villains: Addressing sexual violence in the educational sector, based on a study conducted by the British government's Department for International Development in Zimbabwe, that almost half the teenage girls interviewed had reported unsolicited physical contact by boys at school, such as "grabbing or pinching their breasts or buttocks, pulling them, twisting their arm, blocking their way and, in a few cases, beating or hitting them". Some of the girls said they had been propositioned by a teacher for sex.

Everjoice Win, head of International Women's Rights at ActionAid, said verbal and sexual abuse at the hands of male teachers and students was one of the reasons for the high incidence of school dropouts, pregnancy and HIV infection among girls.

ActionAid studies across Africa and Asia found that girls' education was disrupted by the "physical and emotional trauma, low self-esteem, anger, depression, anxiety, guilt, and hopelessness" they felt. The findings also showed that girls were not encouraged to report abuse, and when they did they often experienced further victimisation by teachers and parents, or in many cases their allegations were dismissed.

The dominance of a patriarchal system in the region was a major stumbling block. "Rape is seen as illegitimate sex," commented Win. Depending on the age of the abused girl, the community would frequently encourage the abuser, if a teacher, to marry the complainant because they perceived rape as an expression of love for the abused child. "It [the thinking] is so warped," she remarked.

In an attempt to address the perception of female members of society, the conference called on governments to eliminate negative traditional practices that make women vulnerable to abuse. Some of the customs often highlighted by gender activists include polygamy, the "cleansing" of virgins on reaching puberty by having forced sex with a disguised male, lack of recognition of marital rape, and mandatory wife inheritance by a brother or other male relative when the woman's husband died.

The conference has called on governments to coordinate existing legislation to deal with the sexual abuse of children and set specific guidelines for schools to deal with the problem. Teachers' unions have been asked to draw up a code of conduct for their members, and conference participants have formed a panel to create model guidelines to counter violence against girls in schools.

According to the UNICEF, most of the nearly 115 million children staying out of school are girls. UNICEF's 2005 Gender Achievements and Prospects in Education report noted that eight countries in Southern Africa were on track for achieving an initial gender parity deadline in education by the end of 2006, but stressed the threat posed to girls' education by sexual harassment and violence in and around schools in the region.

[Source: IRIN News]

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8311

Further information

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JORDAN: Child Abuse Cases Rise and Are Still Underreported [news]

[AMMAN, 17 May 2006] - IRIN recently featured a story on widespread cases of child abuse in Jordan. After speaking to Dr Nabil al-Herish in his clinic, this is what IRIN reports:

The clinic, located at the heart of the squalid Baqaa refugee camp, located some 30km west of Amman, is one of many places where child abuse often goes unreported. “Child abuse is a common phenomenon in impoverished areas like this, but families tend to conceal these incidents,” said al-Herish. “I receive children with severe lashings, burns and bruises, but their families always attribute the injuries to accidents, for fear of the law.”

Statistics reveal that only 1 per cent of child abuse cases are reported by doctors, as compared to 75 per cent by police, 10 per cent by relatives, 9 per cent by government ministries and 5 per cent by schools.

Al-Herish pointed out that “poverty and ignorance” play a major role in the phenomenon. “I know a number of divorced mothers who spend the day working to make ends meet,” he said. “Children left unattended can become vulnerable to physical – even sexual – abuse by neighbours.”

Al-Herish also pointed the finger at health care professionals. “If a doctor suspects abuse, duty compels him to interrogate the child to find out what happened and prevent it from happening again,” he said. “But many doctors don't do that – either because they’re too busy or don’t notice.”

Forensic pathologist Hani Jahshan agreed that hospital staff “often fail to be courageous and forthcoming” when it comes to suspected cases of child abuse. “Healthcare professionals need to show greater diligence in detecting abuse,” added Jahshan, who works as chief forensic physician at the Family Protection Directorate in Jordan’s Public Security Department.

Children’s rights activists point out that early detection is vital to recovery. “Early detection and immediate care would mitigate the toll of physical and psychological abuse on children,” said Maha Homsi, a gender and education officer at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Amman.

Experts in the field express concern over rising numbers of reported child abuse cases, from 661 in 2002 to 1,423 in 2004. According to Zina Khoury, development manager at the Dar al-Aman child-safety centre, this figure “is probably higher, as many cases go unreported”. Dar al-Aman, which has been operational since 2002, offers psychological, medical, social and educational services for abused children and their families.

In an effort to reverse the trend, the government, with assistance from UNICEF, is developing a plan to establish child-protection committees in 10 hospitals countrywide in order to guarantee that proper procedures are followed in cases of suspected abuse. The plan entails training 150 healthcare professionals to spot abuse and help abused children in a respectful manner. “We must be culturally sensitive when we preach citizens on children’s rights,” noted Jahshan. “Otherwise, it might backfire.”

In the meantime, chief of paediatrics at the government-run al- Bashir Hospital Samir Faouri urged doctors and other healthcare professionals to keep their eyes open for signs of abuse.

[Source: IRIN News]

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8307

Further information

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PARENTING: Conference of European Ministers for Family Affairs [declaration]

This is the Final Communiqué and Political Declaration coming out of the 28th session of the Conference of European Ministers Responsible for Family Affairs, which was held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 16-17 May 2006. Ministers responsible for Family Affairs of the Council of Europe member States have been meeting regularly since 1959. At their 28th meeting, they focused on the implementation of sustainable family policies in the context of new family forms.

The Conference was divided into three sessions: Family policies in the light of demographic changes in Europe and different patterns of family life - Supporting parenting in the best interests of the child - Follow-up of the 27th conference. 

The main aim of the 28th session of the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Family Affairs was to discuss experience, views and good practices regarding action in the area of changes in parenting, the new challenges relating to it and support for parents in the best interests of the child. The conference also took stock of the follow-up to the 27th session in Portorož, Slovenia (21-22 June 2001) on the theme of "Reconciling work and family life". 

The rights of the child are being mainstreamed throughout relevant activities of the Council of Europe through the programme “Building a Europe for and with Children” (officially launched in Monaco on 4-5 April 2006) composed of two closely linked themes: on the one hand, the promotion of the rights of the child and on the other the right of the child to be protected from all forms of violence. The action will be implemented in such a way as to reinforce coordination of all the activities of the Council of Europe relating to children. This ministerial conference was a first major contribution to the programme.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8301

For more information, contact:
Council of Europe
Nationality and Family Law Unit
Private Law Department
Directorate General I – Legal Affairs
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex, France
Tel: +33 3 88 41 25 51; Fax: +33 3 90 21 50 33
Website: http://www.coe.int

Further information

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EARLY CHILDHOOD: A Guide to CRC General Comment 7 [publication]

In collaboration with UNICEF and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Bernard van Leer Foundation has produced A Guide to General Comment 7: Implementing Child Rights in Early Childhood, a comprehensive and practical guide to the issues involved in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child when it comes to young children.

The book is based around the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's General Comment 7, issued in September 2005, and the Day of General Discussion 2004 from which the General Comment emerged. It contains extracts from papers submitted to the Committee at that time and other relevant material.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is applicable with regards to all persons under the age of 18. But, as Jaap Doek - Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child - writes in the introduction, "information on the implementation of the Convention with respect to children before the age of regular schooling is often very limited."

This is the problem which led the Committee to devote a Day of General Discussion and then a General Comment to the issue of implementing child rights in early childhood. It is also the motivation behind this book, which will be a useful aid to States parties implementing the Convention and to child's rights advocates.

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8299

For more information, contact:
Bernard van Leer Foundation
PO Box 82334, 2508 EH, Den Haag, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 70 331 2200; Fax: +31 70 350 2373
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.bernardvanleer.org

Further information

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EMPLOYMENT: Child Helpline International [job posting]

Child Helpline International (CHI) is looking for a dynamic Executive Director to lead the organisation into its next phase. CHI is a global network in 92 countries of telephone and outreach services for children and young people. It was founded in order to strengthen and develop helplines for children and young people in need of care and protection. Child helplines across the world annually receive approximately 11.3 million calls from children and young people who call when they need crisis intervention, rehabilitation, counselling or to talk to someone.
 
CHI’s objectives are to create a platform for networking amongst helplines, to establish new helplines across the world especially in economically developing countries, to strengthen and scale-up existing helplines and to advocate for better services for children across the globe.
 
Application deadline: 7 June 2006

For more information, contact:
Jeroo Billimoria
Stichting Child Helpline International
Prinsengracht 468-3, 1017 KG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)20 528 96 27; Fax +31 (0)20 638 76 55
Email: [email protected] 
Website: http://www.childhelplineinternational.org

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** NEWS IN BRIEF **

AUSTRALIA: Abuse Rife at Aborigine Camps (17 May 2006)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8286&flag=news

SRI LANKA: Escalating Violence Threatens the Safety of Children (16 May 2006)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8306&flag=news

ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Girls Fear Forced Marriage (14 May 2006) 
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8300&flag=news

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