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CISMAI
Coordinamento Italiano dei Servizi contro il Maltrattamento e l'Abuso all'Infanzia Partner nazionale ISPCAN |
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WORLD FIT
FOR CHILDREN: European governments and
NGOs gauge progress [news]
- COLOMBIA: Where are the paramilitary children? [news] - TRAINING: Children, Youth and Development Programme [event] - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE CHILD 2006: Events and activities [events] - EMPLOYMENT: UNICEF Canada - Defence for Children International [job postings] ___________________________________________________________ WORLD FIT FOR CHILDREN: European governments and NGOs gauge progress [news] [FLORENCE, 15 November 2006] – European governments who signed up to the ‘World Fit for Children’ agenda more than four years ago are being reminded to involve and consult with children if their pledge is to remain credible. A call to action to those governments, made in Italy this week, also praises efforts by the European Union to make children a priority – but insists that mechanisms must be put in place to ensure the strategies are implemented. The comments marked the end of a meeting co-hosted by UNICEF and the European Children’s Network, Euronet, which gathered representatives from civil society organisations, UN agencies and European governmental bodies at New York University’s Villa La Pietra Conference Centre on the outskirts of Florence for two days of dialogue. “Europe needs to continue to play a very important role in mobilising resources in the context of the European Union,” said Marta Santos Pais, Director of UNICEF’s Innocenti Research Centre, which is located in Florence. “Also, in bilateral cooperation with third world countries, it must be able to invest in more social services for children. These should be accompanied by the consolidation of the best possible life for children in Europe.” Progress report upcoming The ‘World Fit
for Children’ pledge was signed
by 180 nations at the 2002 United Nations
Special Session on Children. It outlined
21 specific goals and targets for the
next decade, focusing on four key priorities:
Providing quality education
for all In anticipation of a progress report to the UN General Assembly on the fifth anniversary of the pledge next year, the meeting in Florence gave non-governmental organisations an opportunity to help review achievements in Europe since 2002 – and to identify the challenges. The Council of Europe’s project, ‘Building a Europe for and with Children’, was praised for involving young people in its work and put forth as a possible model to be shared with nations outside Europe. Similarly, the Children’s Ombudsman’s Network was widely viewed as a significant advance. Some at the meeting voiced concerns that European countries still have a tendency to look exclusively to the developing world rather than see the problems faced by children on their own soil. Criticisms focused on the level of violence faced by many children in Europe, social exclusion of children (particularly those from minority groups) and criminalisation of young migrants and asylum seekers. Youth participation needed Euronet President Simone Ek, who is also a senior advisor with Save the Children, Sweden, remarked at the end of the consultation that some “truly excellent contributions” had been made. A recurring theme at this gathering of adult policymakers was the need to consult with and include children at every stage, particularly in preparation for the ‘World Fit for Children +5’ report. “Europe can’t go to New York in 2007 without having consulted with its youth,” said UNICEF Regional Director for Europe Philip O’Brien. “That’s not credible anymore, so there has to be something that’s set in place in which the voice of young people will say, ‘This is what we want to see changed in our world in the next five years.’” Participants were also invited to presentations on child poverty and child trafficking at the Innocenti centre. Ms. Santos Pais said holding the event in Florence helped the centre to be seen not just as the home of UNICEF’s research programme but also as a meeting place for other advocates of children’s rights. Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=11247 Further information --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROMA CHILDREN: Excluded from primary education in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina [publication] Extreme poverty, discrimination in schools, and the lack of truly inclusive and multicultural curricula prevent Romani children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia from enjoying their right to education. Amnesty International’s latest report focuses on the exclusion of Romani children from primary education in these three countries and on the failure so far of the governments to address their needs. "The barriers Romani children face in accessing education deprive them of the chance of fulfilling their true potential and perpetuate the marginalisation of Romani communities,” said Omer Fisher, Amnesty International's researcher on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia. "Tackling these barriers to education is the responsibility of governments." The rights to education and to be free from discrimination are enshrined in international human rights law and in the constitutions of the three countries featured in the report. Their governments have adopted special programmes and action plans aimed at the inclusion of the Romani population in education. However, governments and non-governmental organisations alike admit that access to education for Romani children is partial at best. Free meals, textbooks and transportation are sometimes provided to Romani children. But just getting to school can be impossible when the school is too far to reach on foot and your clothes are not warm enough to cope with a bitter winter. Children are often unable to study or do homework in cold, overcrowded homes. As members of the Romani community in Slovenia told Amnesty International, “Some of us live in huts. How can the children do well at school?” Romani children are in some cases discriminated against by their own teachers. Sometimes, children are segregated into “Roma only” groups or classes and are offered a reduced curriculum. Negative stereotypes about the Roma’s “way of life” or attitude towards education are often used to explain poor school attendance and grades. Teachers at Macinec primary school in Croatia used the following arguments in a court submission to explain their decision to segregate Romani children: “Romani parents are frequently alcoholics, their children are prone to stealing, cursing and fighting, and as soon as the teachers turn their backs things go missing, usually insignificant and useless objects, but the important thing is to steal”. It is generally acknowledged by teachers, Romani children and parents, that many of the difficulties Romani children encounter in primary schools are due to linguistic barriers. Many Romani children have no or limited command of the language spoken by the majority population. At present, the languages spoken by Roma are virtually absent from schools of the three countries, unlike other minority languages. Other measures that could help overcoming language obstacles, such as improving access to pre-school education for Romani children and the employment of suitably trained Romani teaching assistants, have not been implemented in a systematic and comprehensive way. Romani culture and history in general are not included in a systematic way in curricula in the schools of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia. “The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia must adopt an approach to the education of Romani children based on their integration into a school system that adapts to their needs and culture,” Omer Fisher said. Amnesty International is calling for immediate action to confront discrimination against Roma in schools by ensuring that no Romani children are placed in special classes or groups simply because they are Roma, by monitoring the composition of classes and, where needed, the activities of teachers working with Roma, and by providing training to primary school teachers aimed at eliminating negative stereotypes and prejudices. Tackling obstacles in access to education which are the result of extreme poverty, and including Romani language and culture in schools are parts of a long-term process which should be aimed at the full inclusion of Romani children in primary education. "Romani children, like all other children, have the right to an education that will empower them to take their place in and contribute to the society of the country they live in," Omer Fisher said. "It is the responsibility of the governments to break the vicious cycle of illiteracy, poverty and marginalisation and to integrate the most vulnerable part of their populations." Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=11245 For more information,
contact: Further information --------------------------------------------------------------------------- COLOMBIA: Where are the paramilitary children? [news] [15 November 2006] - The United Nations estimates that there are 14,000 boys, girls and teens involved with illegal armed groups in Colombia. But the only concrete figures registered to date are the 2,864 children given by the Children and Teenagers Out of Illegal Armed Groups programme, of Colombia’s Institute for Family Wellbeing (ICBF), in the period from 16th November 1999 to 30th April 2006. The number of children in the demobilisation and reintegration programme amounts to approximately 20.5 per cent of the number of children recruited by illegal forces in the country, the tip of an iceberg as noted by many local, national and international organisations. According to the United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP), the complex problem is aggravated by a complete lack of data. There is no information of how many children are involved in armed groups, what percentage of the combatants are under 18, how many die in combat or as a result of punishment, how many are crippled, what happens to those who run away, and what happens with the women and those children who are still involved. No answers in sight On 15th June 2006, the General Prosecutor’s Office released a report on reintegration and demobilisation programmes, alerting that “children and adolescents are rendered invisible in the negotiation that takes place prior to collective demobilisations.” In February, the Prosecutor’s Office filed complaints against the main leaders of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), for involving underage children in their ranks. According to estimates of organisations such as UNICEF and Human Rights Watch, the AUCs, for example, employ at least four thousand children below the age of 18. In contrast, among the 30,000 members of the paramilitary forces demobilised, only 1,015 youngsters were present. The obvious question remains, where are the other children? To date, no one has been able to trace back the destinies of these youths, neither the government nor AUC leaders. “It is possible that in the demobilisation process, that has lasted for over three years, some youths have come of age, and consequently have been listed as young adults beneficiaries of the social and economic integration programme,” said Iván Ramírez, coordinator of the Observer of Child Involvement in Organised Armed Violence and member of the COAV Cities Project working group. Nevertheless the contrasting figures beg for an explanation: “One can only presume that the AUCs have played down the number of children involved, since child recruitment is a crime against humanity. It is only a conjecture, hardly backed by empirical proof, but it does not mean, on the other hand, that the paramilitaries have informally demobilised child combatants,” Ramírez said. The recruitment of children below 15 is punishable under International Law as a war crime, which has become a complicating factor in the peace negotiations with paramilitary groups under Colombia´s controversial Justice and Peace Law. A controversial law fuels the demobilisation process On presenting his report, National Prosecutor Edgardo Maya states his preoccupation with the fact that the Justice and Peace Law violates international standards, by granting legal benefits for those responsible for illegally recruiting underage youths into armed violence, considered a crime against humanity. “Perhaps the most notable aspect of the demobilisation programmes is that government negotiations with the paramilitary forces forced the legal and political issue to the centre stage. This same process that granted the paramilitary forces political recognition, was the one that defined in part their crimes as sedition, guaranteeing paramilitary leaders a shelter from extradition, and subordinating the peace process to a law that privileges their rights over the rights of the victims,” noted Iván Ramírez. We are left with the open question of why child recruitment is not a main issue on the negotiating table. Ramírez points out that even more importantly than the impunity that has set the tone of the agreements with the AUCs, the issue of child combatants and child involvement in organised armed violence is still “at the margins of social policy and security in Colombia.” By the wayside At the end of the first semester of 2006, the National Prosecution recognised the existence of about 25 groups made up of former paramilitary members. Ramírez, however, questions whether these are in fact new groups, or if the demobilisation process was in effect fully completed. “In many cases paramilitary groups were not completely dismantled, nor did they give up their entire weapons cache. As a result, many groups are still active, just as they were prior to their demobilisation” Ramírez points out. The question of the missing children is still far from solved. “It is alarming, they have to be somewhere, and as far as evidence suggests from cases such as Medellín, many have been left by the wayside, uncared for by the government, and in some cases still active in armed groups or even creating their own associations,” Ramírez notes. Colombia is the nation with the fourth largest contingent of children and youths in illegal armed groups, after the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Myanmar. [Source: Comunidad Segura] Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=11238
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRAINING: Children, Youth and Development Programme [event] The Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague (the Netherlands) is looking to expand its network to attract more participants from the Middle East in the courses they offer. The 'Children, Youth and Development Programme' (CYD) takes an interdisciplinary, rights-based approach that draws on the study of education, health, sexuality, work/employment, conflict, rights and culture to address issues of youth welfare, participation and justice. CYD is intended for young and mid-career professionals in international, national and local development agencies who work on issues involving children and youth. It is also appropriate for those working in institutes of higher education and research, and those who intend to follow a career path in the field of children/youth and developments. By the end of the programme participants will have: become familiar with
key ideas and debates on childhood and
youth in the social sciences; The programme comprises three basic modules. The first module, Child/Youth Studies in the Development Context provides an analytical overview of the field of child/youth studies in the development context. The second one explores key problem areas with a focus on analysis, policy and implementation. The module on tools and skills in rights-based programming strengthens participants’ skills in rights-based policy analysis and programme development. Study visits are made to various international, government and NGO agencies in the Netherlands focusing on childhood and youth issues, as well as to one or more other European countries. Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=11240 For more information,
contact: Further information --------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE CHILD 2006: Events and activities [events] By resolution 836(IX) of 14 December 1954, the General Assembly recommended that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children. It recommended that the Day was to be observed also as a day of activity devoted to promoting the ideals and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the world. The Assembly suggested to governments that the Day be observed on the date and in the way which each considers appropriate. The date 20 November, marks the day on which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989. The 2006 International Day of the Child marks the 17th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The links below provide information on events taking place around the world. Please feel free to submit information to CRIN via our website, and it will be added to this page. Canadian Child Care Federation:
National Child Day - highlighting the
child's right to be heard (20 November
2006) Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infodetail.asp?id=7850 Further information --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EMPLOYMENT: UNICEF Canada - Defence for Children International [job postings] UNICEF Canada - Programme Manager, Advocacy UNICEF Canada is seeking to recruit a Programme Manager for Advocacy. The postholder will be responsible for strengthening the UNICEF Canada Brand in Canada by demonstrating UNICEF Canada’s leadership and authority on children’s rights through programmes and initiatives that engage Canadians at all levels, to promote change in policy and practice. Led by the Vice-President, and working closely with varying levels of internal staff and external partners, the Programme Manager, Advocacy will be relied on to develop strategies to engage Canadians, the private sector, the NGO and GO communities on matters affecting the rights of children with the intent to influence policy and programme direction in Canada. In support of these efforts, s/he will develop resources to educate and support the adoption of best practices and will be required to generate project related funding proposals. Application deadline: 30 November 2006 For more information,
contact:
Defence for Children International (DCI) International Secretariat, based in Geneva, is currently looking for a Communications and Advocacy Officer to: develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy; develop and manage a coherent editorial policy to guide reports and other publications; coordinate the process for sharing information with DCI national sections and other partners; respond to general enquiries from national sections, the public, and other partner organisations; produce regular internal reports to the Executive Director and International Executive Council. Application deadline: 8 December 2006 For more information,
contact:
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