WEST AFRICA: Youth Forum against Violence

Summary: More than 200 young people will join forces in Accra from 30th August to 4th September to follow up the implementation of the UN's study on violence against children (UNVAC).

Read Updates: DAY 1 / DAY 2 / DAY 3 / Statement to SRSG / Profiles young people / SRSG Statement

Within the framework of the fight against violence against children, Plan and Save the Children in West Africa are committed through the 'VAC Project' to helping young people be more involved in raising community awareness on the violence that they suffer, to create awareness raising aids and to implement a series of interventions aimed at bringing an end to violence against children.

The VAC project has been closely linked with the NGO Advisory Council (formed specifically to support strong and effective follow-up to the UN Study on Violence against Children) since its inception, with VAC as a pilot project on how to involve children in the follow-up of the UN Study. The Council is currently in discussion on how to replicate the VAC project in other regions.

One of the project's main interventions is grouping the children into youth networks to facilitate the exchange of experiences, collaboration and strengthening of their capacity to be more involved in following up State implementation of the recommendations of the study commissioned by the UN Secretary-General.

Therefore, from 30th August to 4th September 2010, a regional youth forum will be held to support youth activities. Members of NGO Advisory Council will take part in the youth forum in Accra.

Goals of the forum:

The goal of the forum is to establish 1) a formal mechanism of child participation and 2) support for the emergence of a network of children and young people involved in bringing an end to violence against children, within the framework of the follow-up of the UNVAC's recommendations.

Specifically, this forum aims to:

Share experiences and lessons learnt with young people and civil society who are involved in fighting violence against children after 2 years of implementation of the project;

Support the children's and young people's organisations involved in advocating for the eradication of violence against boys and girls by creating opportunities for newtorking and sharing experiences between young people and with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (UN SRSG);

Create opportunities for the UN SRSG to meet children and young people, visit projects aimed at reducing violence against children and meet government authorities involved in reforms in strategies;

Strengthen networking of NGOs and agencies involved in the fight against violence through the support they give to youth advocacy.

Gathering together young people and children's rights organisations

More than 200 young people from countries in the African sub-region – Benin, Togo, Ghana, Guinea, Cameroon, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Ivory Coast and Niger, and some countries in Asia and Europe supported by organisations such as Plan, Save the Children, World Vision, ActionAid, WCH, ECPAT and UNICEF, will discuss their experiences in the fight against violence against children during this forum.

The young people will also have the opportunity to discuss the follow-up mechanisms of the UN study's recommendations with the UN SRSG, Ms Marta Santos Pais.

Several sessions will be held during the 4 days of the forum which will focus on sharing experiences, cultural and recreational activities, displays, games, exhibitions and field visits among others.

Children's expectations

Some children participating in the forum have shared their expectations with the organisers:

"All the violence that we children are victim of and in particular how some of us are unable to denounce this violence are the reasons that motivated me to get involved in the fight against violence against children. How the violence is seen varies from town to town, but whatever the type of violence, it prevents children from developing. Whilst the means that we use to fight the violence are similar from one country to the next, we need to bring them together for the fight to be more successful.

"I have many expectations of this forum; it will allow me to know what's going on in the other countries, to learn about the measures they take, their successes, their failures and the points of view of my peers so I can better organise my friends in Benin." Thalès , 17 years old, from Benin.

"I got involved in the fight against violence against children because I noticed in my community and virtually throughout Togo that acts of violence are being carried out more and more against children. I'm a child too and I don't want adults to treat us like objects. I hope that the forum in Accra will train us to get more involved in this fight." Magnoudewa, 16 years old, from Togo.

"I got involved in the fight against violence against children because firstly, as a children's rights defender and a future human rights defender, I couldn't not be affected by it or remain indifferent, and seeing children victims of corporal punishment or other types of violence (physical or verbal) all day long, I decided to make the fight against violence against children one of my priorities because it damages children's well-being and goes against the laws protecting us.

"I think I have a big thing in common with the other young people: the fight against violence – this is great progress. Now we have to unite and commit ourselves so that no more children are victims of violence. This forum will certainly help us achieve this." Boncana, 16 years old, from Mali.

For more information on the VAC project, visit http://vac.plan-childrenmedia.org/