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Promoting child rights in Aceh, Indonesia
By Enda Balina on 24 Jul 2007
Child rights promotion was the focus of a variety of events involving more than 800 children and young people across Aceh, Indonesia last week.
In commemoration of Indonesia’s National Children’s Day on 23 July, World Vision held a variety of events, including the participation of seven Acehnese children in a national child forum held in Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta. Together with a 99 other children from 30 districts in Indonesia, they had the opportunity to meet with Indonesia’s minister of education, Bambang Soedibyo and to learn from a variety of experts including psychologist Frieda Simangunsong and leadership and management guru Anugerah Pekerti.
Prior to National Children’s day, 38 parents and 24 youths attended a World Vision organised child protection workshop in Banda Aceh. The workshop focused on child protection policy and code of conduct, and included a discussion on the issue of child abuse.
In Lamno, Aceh Jaya district, north west Aceh, more than 500 children and youths from at least 30 schools were given the opportunity to participate in a series of events. The events were organised by youth group REMADA and local non-government organisation Pusaka Indonesia, and were fully supported by World Vision. A variety of writing and sporting competitions were held in the weeks leading up to National Children’s day, involving all schools in Lamno, from kindergarten through to high school.
This is the third year that National Children’s day has been celebrated in tsunami and conflict-affected areas of Lamno. However, unlike the last two years this year’s celebration was fully organised by the youths, and supported by World Vision.
“We should start to be independent, and able to stand on our own and not depend on NGOs as they won’t stay long,” says Sri Wahyuni, 16, a member of the youth group. Sri explained that not only was this event a celebration for children and youths alike, it was also used as a way to promote a campaign for child rights.
Celebrations reached a climax on 24 July when World Vision collaborated with several NGOs such as International Relief Committee, Islamic Relief, dan Ibrahim Naim Foundation in order to organise an event in Banda Aceh involving hundreds of children with disabilities.
“We hope through this event, the children could appreciate each other although they are phisically different, by sharing one anothers arts,” says World Vision’s Education Advisor, Mr. Benedictus Uluhayanan.
“The main aim of these events has been to raise awareness of child rights in local communities. Through such events, we would like to provide an opportunity to the children to celebrate their achievement and express themselves in creative ways,” said Uluhayanan.
“We are here today to celebrate national children’s day as it is very important for the children,” said a fifth grade student.
“I really enjoy the event, especially the rope competition,” said the girl who wished to become a policewoman following her father who was a policeman.
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