A sensitisation seminar aimed at reducing the risk of abuse and violence amongst children was held recently targeting religious leaders, health professionals and teachers.
EveryChild Guyana, which hosted the one-day event, said in a press release that one of its objectives was to include key stakeholders in its fight to stop violence against children.
Bishop Kwame Gilbert, of World Vision New Testament Church and a key stakeholder of EveryChild Guyana, highlighted the role of the church in protecting children. The release quoted him as saying, “the church is given a divine mandate to protect children and their families and needs to know the importance of their roles and responsibilities.”
Gilbert commented on the significance of balancing the roles of the c hurch in providing both spiritual and social responses to abuse as the church is the custodian for truth and justice. He encouraged religious leaders to take a policy approach in addressing the issue of abuse in a proper way within the institution by defining what constitutes abuse, what the local laws and international convention endorse and how to deal with perpetrators.
Ann Greene, Child Protection Coordinator, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, in her presentation, highlighted the role of the ministry in protecting children and its moves to stop violence against children.
These include the upgrading of the current Child Protection Unit to a Bureau to effectively address children in need of protection. Greene also endorsed the need for collaborating with stakeholders to provide a more holistic approach to addressing issues of abuse among children.
Attorney-at-Law Marcella Thompson presented on Child Protection and the Law, addressing available legislation in support of children.
Thompson addressed the need for additional provisions to ensure children are protected and justice is served. She said that much more is needed outside the legal framework and there needs to be a wider approach to target the persons who are not doing anything to protect children. Additionally, every Guyanese needs to be vigilant to the welfare of children. The release quoted Thompson as saying “child protection cannot be looked at in isolation since children are brought up in families and mechanism need to be put in place to enlighten parents and caregivers of their roles and responsibilities in protecting children.”
Other presenters including Sandra Hooper, Commissioner of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child and Michael Gillis, Project Coordinator, Pickney Project, reminded participants about the rights of children. Gillis pointed out the importance of connecting child rights and protection to the roles played by participants, particularly those working with children who are infected with HIV.
The seminar was held in the conference room of the National Library.
As a non-governmental organisation working to ensure children rights to a safe and protected environment, EveryChild Guyana affirms its belief in the right that all children be protected from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
According to the release, a similar workshop will be held in Linden targeting stakeholders in that region.
