Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: This Statement was delivered by Hanne Walsegard from Denmark and Milos Vojnovic from Serbia, the young participants in the UN Study process, at the UN in Geneva on 20 November 2006. Ladies and gentleman, dear friends, I am very happy to be here today, because this meeting shows that the problem of violence against children is no longer kept secret. The Study opened our eyes and showed us how many different forms of violence, both obvious and less obvious, affect children of all backgrounds all over the world each and every day. If they could, children who have been ill-treated at their homes, children who are forced into labour from the age of three or are exposed to abuse in residential institutions, schools or in their communities - they would be here today and ask for your help and support. Thatās why we are here, to share voices of those who cannot be here. Violence does not stop in neighbourās back-yard. This is a global problem that calls for universal response and responsibility, involving all those who have duty and ability to help. Children and young people along with many good willed adults have been trying to address this problem. Unfortunately, this is not enough and that is why we would like to ask you for your assistance. We, the children of the world, would like to ask you, governments, NGOs, the UN, the media, private sectors, parents, teachers and everybody else who work for the benefit of children to do all you can to prevent and stop violence and to better protect children. We would like you to promise this and make a firm commitment. The Study gave us great recommendations, which we expect you to implement fully ā together with us! One of the recommendations suggests banning all forms of violence against children, including corporal punishment in all settings. Another important thing is to keep the energy and enthusiasm created during the past four years. We should therefore have a special representative appointed who will make sure that the pages of the Study are translated into our daily reality and all these efforts and all findings are not forgotten. The problem of violence against children is still unknown in many environments. Therefore we believe that it is your duty to raise awareness on all forms of violence and reveal hidden and less obvious types of violence. Of course, the problem of violence must not be dealt with only by words. Although I believe in power of words, my friends and I think that concrete actions are much needed in this global movement to stop violence ā with both actions and words! Children and young people from all over the world have shown how capable and willing we are to face challenges and problems ā it is therefore very important for you to create more space and ways to keep consulting us and involving us in all matters that concern us. The issue of violence against children is something to focus more on, especially when it comes to prevention of violence. I myself intend to continue my involvement in peer-education on violence and to initiate specific actions in my community to raise awareness on this problem. We already talked about what you can do for us, but off course it is not you who should do it all. We have already demonstrated our willingness to share our ideas and initiate actions, because we are experts in our own lives and we know best what we are capable to offer in fighting violence against children. There are already many good examples of child-led and initiated actions against violence all over the world - through Childrenās Parliaments in Yemen or peer mediation programmes in Sri Lanka; childrenās involvement in campaigning to ban violence in Romania or childrenās village councils in Cambodia; child-led advocacy to introduce childrenās ombudsman in Serbia or child rights clubs and school debates in Zambia. All this and much more could be done to improve the overall protection for children if we are invited and empowered to participate - if space, time and resources are dedicated to our own actions and initiatives. We can also offer peer-to-peer education and support. By having a young person to confide in, you can easier reveal your problems: this can be done in peer-to-peer assistance in help-lines. We can also remind you, the adults, how it is to be a child, how it is to be new in the world and have less experience: we can raise awareness and organize awareness raising campaigns, because we know how to get childrenās attention. And, of course, we can be the middlemen between younger children and adults, because we are children ā but resourceful children, that know what is right and what is our right. I know, that when I come home, I will continue being a role model to the children I guide, and keep being a person they can confide in, someone they can trust. Now we have found out what you can do and what we can do ā and we can do it even better if we work together! You have the power in society, and the ability to actually change things. We have the first-hand experience and we know our peers and what they want. Together we make a great team: weāll be weak and ineffective if we are alone, but together we can work as one and take a huge step for the world ā for humanity! ā and definitely for us, the children. We have a birth right to a life in a world without violence. We will not accept to live with being treated badly, being humiliated, exploited and hit. This right should be respected, and if it isnāt, we should not pretend that it is. We all should be brave enough to step forward and say āYou know, in my country, children are not being treated with respect.ā In that way, we will not create a fake reality. We will reveal the real reality, and then we can all get some help so that our countries become a safer and better place for children to live. Letās show the truth ā like the Study showed it to us - or else we will end up as Pinocchio, with a long nose! There might be some countries saying: we did something to stop and prevent violence, it is alright now. It is not yet! Even if you think you have taken enough action, you can always do more. It is an eternal battle to keep the world a safer place for everyone, therefore, we, the children and young people ask you to go home to your country and say ā letās do it ā letās stop violence against children once and for all!