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Summary: Profiles of some of the under 18 delegates
participating at the East Asia and Pacific
regional consultation for the UN Study on
violence against children taking place in
Bangkok from 12 to 16 June 2005.Hilda Wong, 14 Hong Kong, China
Working group – Violence against children in school
Hilda Wong has spent the last two years working as one of 120 child
councilors in Hong Kong. She believes that as a child she knows much
more about her peers’ feelings than adults who usually are the group who
use violence and abuse against children. Throughout the past 2 years,
her groups of peer councilors have been debating the issue of violence
against children in Hong Kong. In last year’s children’s council project,
they focused on “bullying in school”. She says that “as school is a place
where we, children, usually spend our days we should be protected.
Schools should be a place which builds us up and teaches us knowledge
instead of a place where we will get hurt.” Hilda is grateful to the National
Focal Agency Against Child Abuse in Hong Kong, who is also an organiser
of the children’s council project for nominating her to attend the Regional
Consultation. She promises to try her best to shout out the heartfelt of all
the children in Hong Kong.
Nos Werao, 17, Papua New Guinea
Working Group – Violence against Children in School
Nas Werao is in grade 10 at Good Shepherd Lutheran High School in a
small town of Madang in Papua New Guinea. As school captain he was
selected to attend the child participation project meeting where 30
representatives from different youth groups, schools and churches came
together to discuss the problem of violence against children. He was
nominated by this group to represent them at the Regional Consultation
on Violence against Children.
Samuela Raika, 17, Fiji
Working Group – Violence against Children in conflict with the law
Samuela is part of a child led activity group known as the Kidz Link, which
comes under the umbrella of Save the Children Fiji and consists of 18- to
24 volunteer members. He is in form 6 at Marist Brothers High School. He
has experience of public speaking, is an orator, and also participated in
debating during the National Youth Parliament in 2002. He has had
experience in seeing violence happen, and in being the voice of those
children who face violence is his number one priority. He believes that to
break the cycle of violence it is crucial to start with the home. He wants to
reduce the cases of violence against children in his country and also to
prevent any kind of violence happening in the future.
Paroon Sanoenrat, Thailand
Working group – Violence against children in cyber space
Parron Sanoenrat is from Trat province on the most eastern border of
Thailand. He works in his school community to promote child rights issues
and is committed to finding solutions to stop violence against children. He
participated in a provincial consultation and then was nominated to attend
the National Consultation in Thailand.
Natalino Soares Ornai Guteres, 16, Timor-Leste
Working group – Violence against children in the violence in the home and
Family
Natalino Soares Ornai Guteres is from Timor-Leste. He is involved in a
children organisation called Criancas Unidas which has been working to
promote child rights through radio and television. He was selected by 54
children from all over the country who attended the national consultation
on Violence against children that was held in May. He thinks that violence
in the home and family is a serious problem in his country and many
parents think it is acceptable. He thinks much more education is needed
to change attitudes to stop violence against children.
Michael Bendall, 16, New Zealand
Working Group – Violence against Children in the streets
Michael Bendall is from Christchurch, the largest city on the Southern
Island of New Zealand in the Pacific. He attends St. Thomas of Canterbury
College, which is a small Catholic Secondary School, where he is in year
12. He is involved in this Consultation because he is a very strong
believer that children and young people do not deserve any form of
violence. He is also a passionate advocate of child rights issues and that
they be honoured by countries. In New Zealand he is involved in a young
people’s reference group run by the office of the Children’s Commissioner.
In this group, various issues relating to children and young people are
discussed in a genuine and non-tokenistic way, including the subject of
violence against children. He is very much a believer that all children have
the right to protection and that they must not be exposed to violence in
any form.
Rahmat Ali, 17, Indonesia
Working group: Violence against Children in the Workplace.
Rahmat Ali is from Bantaeng in South Sulawesi in Indonesia. He was
elected to represent children from Indonesia at the national consultation,
after being first elected at a consultation in his home province. As well as
being a student, Rahmat is actively engaged in a student organisation
called OSIS which does extra curriculum activities. He believes that in
Indonesia there is still a lot of violence against children in the home, where
there is still a lot of authoritarian attitudes within the family. He also says
that many children are forced to work from a young age. In his home
area, many children work as fishers or seaweed workers because their
families are poor. He is coming to the Consultation to give a voice to the
children of Indonesia and does not want to see Violence against Children
anywhere in his country. He will be sharing issues raised by other children
at the provincial and national consultation.
Gerald B Conception, 16, Philippines
Working Group: Violence against Children in Institutions
Gerald Conception was voted by his fellow child leaders to represent the
Philippines at the Regional Consultation. He was first nominated by his
organisation and underwent interviews at the Council for the Welfare of
Children. He believes that children can be strong partners with adults in
preventing violence against children.