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Summary: Interview with Alaa, a girl from Yemen who came to the General Assembly in New York for the launch of the UN Study on Violence against Children.
How did you become involved in the violence study? I belong to the Children’s Parliament in Yemen which was set up in 2000. I am also a member of the Committee of Children and Youth Net, a new organisation in Yemen which is a network of children and young people which works a lot on violence against children. Were you involved in the national or regional consultations in the Middle East and North Africa? Yes, I went to a regional meeting in Cairo. There were twenty-four children there, I went with three other children from Yemen. What have young people in Yemen done since this meeting, have you seen anything change since? No, nothing has changed since! There is a lot of traditional violence where I live (and in other countries): in the streets, in the home, at work. People don’t see it as violence, they see it as normal. But I think now a lot of people want to stop the violence from their heart, and I have a hope to continue the work. Also, we have had a plenary about violence against children in the children’s parliament. We made recommendations about violence against children at the meeting in Cairo and we gave the recommendations to our government in Yemen. How were you chosen to come to the General Assembly? I came here because I went to the meeting in Cairo and because I have worked on violence for four years in different parts of the country like Yemen and Aden. I work a lot with street children in Yemen in my work for the Children’s Parliament. I go out and say to them that I am also a child and I say to them that I am trying to reach this message, to ask the government to change their situation. What are your plans to take this study forward when you return? I report on the recommendations to the government and I try to make them reach every organisation in Yemen. I think children should be able to speak, that they shouldn’t have to wait for governments and organisations. You have been chosen from many children as a representative here at the General Assembly in New York. Do you see this as a responsibility and how will you take back messages to children in your country? Yes, for me this is a great responsibility. It is something unimaginable. I never thought I would come to New York. But I think I have a lot of energy to speak with the children, with the government, and organisations in Yemen to try to stop this violence.