violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

“If you want to know how to paint, you consult a painter; if you want to eat, consult a chef; so if youwant to know about children’s issues, you have to consult young people.”Young person, NGO Advisory Panel to the Study, April 2004Children and young people taking actionIn Europe and Central Asia: UNICEF has been supporting the development of mechanismsfor the expression of children’s views, and their participation as a distinct group withtheir own policy agenda in civil society. In the Republic of Moldova, for examples, LocalYouth Councils have been set up to strengthen their capacities and empower young peoplefor conscious participation in community life. In Azerbaijan, youth centres have beenestablished in areas with high concentrations of internally displaced people, and eventsorganised to promote a dialogue among ethnic groups and the wider community. 271334Violence against children in the communityThe Government of Kenya: In the response to its questionnaire submitted to theStudy 272 , the Government reports that the participation of young people in fosteringpro-social attitudes has been promoted through the development of the NationalYouth Service (NYS); through training of young citizens to engage in ‘tasks of nationalimportance’, such as in reception centres for children living on the street. This is oneexample of a country facilitating the potential of young people to contribute to policydebates and assume a vanguard role in building a secure society. A similar approach hasbeen applied under the UNICEF programme of cooperation in Somalia, where youngpeople participated in training programmes for citizenship and are setting an examplein the renunciation of violence. 273In the Caribbean ‘XChange’– creating a culture of non-violence in the EnglishspeakingCaribbean: This project seeks to create safe and protective environmentsfor children and adolescents in the home, school and community where they can liveand reach their full potential. The project covers seven Caribbean countries: Barbados,Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. UNICEF teamedup with well-known Caribbean entertainer Machel Montano in 2005, to conceptualisethe ‘movement’, using entertainment as an entry point for bringing about positivechange among young people and adults. The campaign uses music, sports, and variousforms of arts to reach and empower adolescents to adopt a positive lifestyle. XChange isa ‘youth-led movement’, and is multilevel, including parenting and building protectiveenvironments in homes, providing health and family life education, peace-buildingand child-friendly school initiatives; building protective communities with adolescentsand young people, improving quality and access of service delivery in relevant institutions,policy development and legislative reform, and advocacy and social mobilisation.Young leaders clearly defined the vision they have for the XChange project. The secondphase will need to reflect this vision by clarifying the role that XChangers will playwithin a clear organisational structure spearheading the initiative. 274