The object of the new Children’s Act is not only to give effect to Botswana’s obligations in terms of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child regarding the well-being of children, but also to promote well-being of families and communities in Botswana as espoused by our Vision 2016.
The new Act provides for the facilitation of the respect, protection, promotion and provision of the realisation of child rights. The Act will further contribute to the survival, development, participation, and protection of the current and future children in Botswana in compatibility with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, all of which Botswana has acceded to.
Background Information
The Children’s Act of 1981 mainly addresses custody, care, juvenile justice, and aspects of child protection. Over the past 28 years, this country has encountered many new challenges, ranging from the HIV/AIDS scourge, rapid urbanization, child abuse, increase in single parenthood and the emergence of child headed households. These challenges have made the Children’s Act of 1981 inadequate and defective because it falls short of the provisions on children’s rights and responsibilities, hence the decision to review it and make it more holistic to address all the issues of child protection.
The need to finalise the amendment of the Act was amongst the notable recommendations from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2004. The committee noted with appreciation the comprehensive review of the Children’s Act of 1981 with a view to harmonizing it with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The committee was concerned that “this process has been slow and that the current Act is outdated and does not fully take into account the Convention’s principles and provisions.
In developing the new Children’s Act of 2009, the Ministry of Local Government in collaboration with UNICEF, established a Multi-sectoral Reference Group, the Key Stakeholders’ Forum and a Children’s Consultative Forum for a more participatory process. The Local Authorities and Members of Parliament have been consulted in drafting the Bill. The then Minister of Local Government have also had the opportunity to address kgotla meetings in some villages on the Bill.
Some Parts of the Act
Part II definitively sets out the objects and guiding principles of the Children’s Act of 2009, the paramount principle being that in the performance of the functions of the various authorities tasked with protecting and caring of child, the best interest of the child must be paramount. The other key principle is meaningful participation of children in matters that affect them depending on their level of maturity.
In Part III therefore, the new Act sets out a Bill of child rights which is balanced by provisions setting out the duties and rights of parents vis-à-vis their children. Thus, while children are given and may exercise various rights, such as freedom of expression, they are still subject to, amongst other things, parental guidance and control.
By the establishment of a Children’s Consultative Forum, and provisions that children be consulted on matters which affect them, the Act enables children’s voices to be heard. A National Children’s Council is also established to facilitate, at the National Level, the better planning and coordination of programmes regarding the welfare of Children. The new Act also establishes Village child well-being committees (Ntebele ke go lebele) at the community level.
Part VIII establishes children’s courts to deal with such matters as applications for protection orders in circumstance in which the safety and security of children are compromised or endangered.
Part XIV seeks to ensure that children are not traumatised in cases where they are victims of perpetrators of crime by, amongst other things, providing that they be tried in informal court settings and do not come face to face with those accused of causing them harm.
The new Act also, in Parts XII and XIII, provides for the placement of children in alternative care where the circumstances in their homes make it either difficult or impossible for children to be cared for or protected from harm. These Parts of the new Act ensure that children are cared for in places of safety, such as foster homes and licensed child welfare institutions while the situations in their homes are being improved or normalised for their reintegration into their families. A penalty for contravening these Parts carries a penalty of a fine of not less than P10, 000 but more than P20, 000.
The new Act provides for the licensing of the various kinds of institutions in which children may be temporarily placed to ensure their safety, security and general well-being.
Abduction and trafficking of children are prohibited by the new Act, as are various other types of negative acts such as the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, exposing them to pornography and narcotic substances, and subjecting them to cruel treatment or punishment. A penalty for abduction, selling or trafficking of children carries a penalty of a fine of not less than P30, 000 but more than P50, 000 or to imprisonment of not less than 10 years but not more than 20 years.
Participation of Children in their Protection.
Child participation involves encouraging and enabling children to make their views known on the issues that affect them.
Participation is all about adults listening to children, to their entire multiple and varied ways of communicating.
It ensures children’s freedom to express their views openly without fear of intimidation.
Child Participation in Botswana
Commemoration of the Day of the African Child (June 16).
Children’s Forum (June 2008)-160 children from 16 districts met in Tlokweng to make an input into Children’s Bill
Section 4 (2) of the Adoption of Children Act provides that a court to which application for an order of adoption is made shall not grant the application unless it is satisfied-
(e) that the child, if over the age of 10 years, consents to the adoption.
The new Act provides for the formation of the Children’s Consultative Forum which will include children’s representatives across the country based on their evolving capacities and level of maturity.
Challenges
• The challenge is the manner in which the justice system treats children in contact with the law-whether as witnesses, accused or plaintiff/applicant (duly represented).
• There is need for child friendly courts for children in need of protection.
• The current set up does not provide a conducive environment for children to be free to give evidence in court.
• There is no protocol that spells out the roles and responsibilities of the various service providers.
• There is serious under reporting of cases of sexual abuse for various reasons such as the perpetrators being covered up by family members they are the sole breadwinners in the household and to report them would undermine the family income. In some cases children are just powerless and not prepared to report.
Conclusion
In conclusion, one can say that the Government of Botswana is fully committed to ensuring maximum protection of the current and future children from all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation. Child protection requires a multisectoral approach thus all stakeholders including children themselves, their parents and the community at large should be involved in child protection. The implementation of the new Children’s Act of 2009 requires concerted efforts, the full cooperation and collaboration of all key role players for effective protection of Botswana’s children.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
BOTSWANA GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT ON CHILD PROTECTION
The Government of Botswana ratified various international conventions and instruments dealing with child abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children. The Government ratified the World Declaration on the Survival Protection and Development of Children in 1992; the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1995; the ILO Minimum Age for Admission to Employment Convention of 1973 in 1999; and the ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour in 1999. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child was acceded to in 2001. In addition, the government has enacted or reviewed legislation that deals either directly or indirectly with child abuse, exploitation and violence such as the Children’s Act of 1981, the new Children’s Act of 2009 and the Affiliation Proceedings Amendment Act of 1999, just to name a few.
WHAT IS CHILD PROTECTION?
Chid Protection means the protection of children from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination. It involves, Birth Registration, Child Abuse, Sexual exploitation of children, Trafficking and sale of children, harmful traditional practices, violence and neglect, alternative care, justice for children and child labour.
• Birth Registration: As of 2000 it was estimated that only 59% of births of under 5 year olds were registered in Botswana (MICS 2000) and in some districts more than half of the birth are not registered. The Department of National and Civil Registration (DNCR) routinely collects statistics of births from health facilities across the country and produce annual births and deaths statistics report. Even though 90% of births take place in health facilities it is estimated that only 60% of births are registered.
• Justice for Children system (Juvenile Justice) comprises both (1) State-run justice and law enforcement institutions, including the judiciary (criminal and civil), justice and interior ministries, the police, prisons, criminal investigation and prosecution services and (2) Non-state justice mechanisms, i.e the whole range of traditional, customary, religious and informal mechanisms that deal with disputes at community levels. Cases pertaining to children in conflict with the law (juvenile offenders) will be held in Children’s courts where the media or members of the public will not allowed.
• Sexual exploitation of children includes incest, rape, defilement, child marriages, violence, abuse and commercial sexual exploitation. Information on the prevalence of sexual exploitation and adequacy of systems and structures in preventing, responding and mitigating this issue is extremely limited. Harmful traditional practices that contribute to these violations also need to be assessed and identified to inform advocacy and planning.
The number of cases of sexual abuse, exploitation and violence reported to the Police Services is on the increase in Botswana, although it is also understood that many cases are not reported due to the powerlessness of children. This is also due to the fact that the perpetrators are often the sole breadwinner in the household and to report them would undermine the family income.
• Child Trafficking is the recruiting, transfer, transporting, receipt of persons by means of threats or use of force or other form of coercion, of abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, the giving or receiving of payment to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation. The forms and reasons for trafficking need to be assessed to ensure evidence based planning.
• Child labour: Some background research has been done via the National Labour Force Survey (LFS) (2005/2006) conducted by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The survey addressed questions on employment of persons aged 7 years and above, and incorporated a specific children’s activities component. The preliminary results released by CSO in December 2006 showed:
- 6.9% (37,936) of the employed population (548,594) are children (aged 7 to 17 years old);
- Male children constitute 60.9% of the employed children (23,109 boys);
- 66.1% of the children (25,093 children) are employed in agriculture, and 22% (8,339 children) in the retail trade;
- Employed children constituted 8.9% of all children aged 7-17 years; and
- 51% of the employed children are aged 7-13 years (19,435 children).
3.4 In order to address issues related to child labour, the National Action Plan towards the Elimination of Child Labour in Botswana (APEC) was developed in 2008. It focuses on cross-cutting actions, actions that relate to and may impact upon all the forms of child labour that have been identified in Botswana. It also focuses on each of the following specific child labour issues:
i. Children doing excessive and inappropriate domestic work
ii. Children working in agriculture
iii. Children used by adults to commit crime
iv. Commercial sexual exploitation of children
v. Children working in the liquor, retail, and informal sectors
vi. Children working on the streets
vii. Orphaned and vulnerable children
viii. Children involved in physical labour at schools
• Alternative care includes kinship care, foster care adoption and placement in suitable institutions of care of children. With the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS and resulting numbers of orphans in Botswana, the adequacy of institutions, structures and monitoring processes need to be assessed to inform planning and advocacy.
• Other vulnerable children: Children with disability, indigenous children and those children who are orphaned, living on the streets or in extreme poverty often face double discrimination. They should be identified and recognized in studies in order to inform Policy and legal reform, administration and planning.
Since 1999, the Ministry of Local Government has been implementing the Short Term Plan of Action (STPA) for orphan care in Botswana. In the last quarter there were 49, 000 orphans and 31, 000 needy children registered countrywide by the local authorities. They are supported with food and school uniform. A draft National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children has been completed.
Hope to hear from you…
The Government of Botswana ratified various international conventions and instruments dealing with child abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children. The Government ratified the World Declaration on the Survival Protection and Development of Children in 1992; the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1995; the ILO Minimum Age for Admission to Employment Convention of 1973 in 1999; and the ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour in 1999. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child was acceded to in 2001. In addition, the government has enacted or reviewed legislation that deals either directly or indirectly with child abuse, exploitation and violence such as the Children’s Act of 1981, the new Children’s Act of 2009 and the Affiliation Proceedings Amendment Act of 1999, just to name a few.
WHAT IS CHILD PROTECTION?
Chid Protection means the protection of children from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination. It involves, Birth Registration, Child Abuse, Sexual exploitation of children, Trafficking and sale of children, harmful traditional practices, violence and neglect, alternative care, justice for children and child labour.
• Birth Registration: As of 2000 it was estimated that only 59% of births of under 5 year olds were registered in Botswana (MICS 2000) and in some districts more than half of the birth are not registered. The Department of National and Civil Registration (DNCR) routinely collects statistics of births from health facilities across the country and produce annual births and deaths statistics report. Even though 90% of births take place in health facilities it is estimated that only 60% of births are registered.
• Justice for Children system (Juvenile Justice) comprises both (1) State-run justice and law enforcement institutions, including the judiciary (criminal and civil), justice and interior ministries, the police, prisons, criminal investigation and prosecution services and (2) Non-state justice mechanisms, i.e the whole range of traditional, customary, religious and informal mechanisms that deal with disputes at community levels. Cases pertaining to children in conflict with the law (juvenile offenders) will be held in Children’s courts where the media or members of the public will not allowed.
• Sexual exploitation of children includes incest, rape, defilement, child marriages, violence, abuse and commercial sexual exploitation. Information on the prevalence of sexual exploitation and adequacy of systems and structures in preventing, responding and mitigating this issue is extremely limited. Harmful traditional practices that contribute to these violations also need to be assessed and identified to inform advocacy and planning.
The number of cases of sexual abuse, exploitation and violence reported to the Police Services is on the increase in Botswana, although it is also understood that many cases are not reported due to the powerlessness of children. This is also due to the fact that the perpetrators are often the sole breadwinner in the household and to report them would undermine the family income.
• Child Trafficking is the recruiting, transfer, transporting, receipt of persons by means of threats or use of force or other form of coercion, of abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, the giving or receiving of payment to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation. The forms and reasons for trafficking need to be assessed to ensure evidence based planning.
• Child labour: Some background research has been done via the National Labour Force Survey (LFS) (2005/2006) conducted by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The survey addressed questions on employment of persons aged 7 years and above, and incorporated a specific children’s activities component. The preliminary results released by CSO in December 2006 showed:
- 6.9% (37,936) of the employed population (548,594) are children (aged 7 to 17 years old);
- Male children constitute 60.9% of the employed children (23,109 boys);
- 66.1% of the children (25,093 children) are employed in agriculture, and 22% (8,339 children) in the retail trade;
- Employed children constituted 8.9% of all children aged 7-17 years; and
- 51% of the employed children are aged 7-13 years (19,435 children).
3.4 In order to address issues related to child labour, the National Action Plan towards the Elimination of Child Labour in Botswana (APEC) was developed in 2008. It focuses on cross-cutting actions, actions that relate to and may impact upon all the forms of child labour that have been identified in Botswana. It also focuses on each of the following specific child labour issues:
i. Children doing excessive and inappropriate domestic work
ii. Children working in agriculture
iii. Children used by adults to commit crime
iv. Commercial sexual exploitation of children
v. Children working in the liquor, retail, and informal sectors
vi. Children working on the streets
vii. Orphaned and vulnerable children
viii. Children involved in physical labour at schools
• Alternative care includes kinship care, foster care adoption and placement in suitable institutions of care of children. With the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS and resulting numbers of orphans in Botswana, the adequacy of institutions, structures and monitoring processes need to be assessed to inform planning and advocacy.
• Other vulnerable children: Children with disability, indigenous children and those children who are orphaned, living on the streets or in extreme poverty often face double discrimination. They should be identified and recognized in studies in order to inform Policy and legal reform, administration and planning.
Since 1999, the Ministry of Local Government has been implementing the Short Term Plan of Action (STPA) for orphan care in Botswana. In the last quarter there were 49, 000 orphans and 31, 000 needy children registered countrywide by the local authorities. They are supported with food and school uniform. A draft National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children has been completed.
Hope to hear from you…
Thursday, May 7, 2009
In Botswana, the concept of the best interests of the child is not constitutionally enshrined nor built into public or private institutional decision-making and policy-making; courts of law; administrative or legislative bodies.
In its original jurisdiction, the High Court is the upper guardian of minor children. Courts, therefore, consider the welfare or best interests of the child as being paramount, and have affirmed this principle in various judicial pronouncements (see below). The concept, as judicially interpreted, is given an all-embracing approach that seeks to protect the general welfare of the child, such that all relevant circumstances are taken into account in determining what is best for the child.
The Children’s Act of 2009 makes every magistrate a Commissioner of Child Welfare, and where there is no magistrate, the District Commissioner, District Officer of the administrative district, or the Chief .
The Children’s Act of, 2009 provides that:
A person or the court performing a function or exercising a power under
this Act shall regard the best interests of the child as the paramount
consideration.
.(1) The following factors shall be taken into account in determining
the best interests of the child :–
(a) the need to protect the child from harm;
(b) the capacity of the child’s parents, other relative, guardian or other person to care for and protect the child;
(c) the child’s spiritual, physical, emotional and educational needs;
(d) the child’s age, maturity, sex, background, and language;
(e) the child’s cultural, ethnic or religious identity;
(f) the likely effect on the child of any change in the child’s circumstances;
(g) the importance of stability and continuity in the child’s living
arrangements and the likely effect on the child of any change in, or
disruption of, those arrangements; and
(h) any wishes or views expressed by the child, having regard to the child’s
age, maturity and level of understanding in determining the weight to be given to those wishes or views; or
(i) any other factor which will ensure the general well – being of the child.
(2) The provisions of subsection (1) shall not be construed as limiting the factors that may be taken into account in determining what is in the best interests of the child.
7. The following principles shall be observed in the administration of this Act
–
(a) no decision or action shall be taken whose result or likelihood is to
discriminate against any child on the basis of sex, family, colour, race,
ethnicity, place of origin, language, religion, economic
status, parents, physical or mental status, or any other status;
(b) every child shall be cared for and protected from harm;
(c) the parents, family and community of a child have the primary responsibility of safeguarding and promoting the child’s well – being;
(d) every child shall have stable, secure and safe relationships and living
arrangements;
(e) a child’s parents and any other people who are significant in the child’s
life shall be given an opportunity and assistance to participate in decision - making processes under this Act that are likely to have a significant impact on the child’s life;
(f) the people referred to in paragraph (e) shall be given adequate information, in a manner and language they understand, regarding –
(i) decision – making processes under this Act that are likely to have a
significant impact on the child’s life,
(ii) the outcome of any decision about the child, including an explanation of the reasons for the decision, and
(iii) any relevant complaint or review procedure;
(g) decisions about a child shall be consistent with cultural, ethnic and
religious values and traditions relevant to the child; and
(h) decisions about a child shall be made promptly having regard to the age, circumstances and needs of the child.
I hope this has helped shed some light in the new Act. Let’s hear your views…
Cheers!
In its original jurisdiction, the High Court is the upper guardian of minor children. Courts, therefore, consider the welfare or best interests of the child as being paramount, and have affirmed this principle in various judicial pronouncements (see below). The concept, as judicially interpreted, is given an all-embracing approach that seeks to protect the general welfare of the child, such that all relevant circumstances are taken into account in determining what is best for the child.
The Children’s Act of 2009 makes every magistrate a Commissioner of Child Welfare, and where there is no magistrate, the District Commissioner, District Officer of the administrative district, or the Chief .
The Children’s Act of, 2009 provides that:
A person or the court performing a function or exercising a power under
this Act shall regard the best interests of the child as the paramount
consideration.
.(1) The following factors shall be taken into account in determining
the best interests of the child :–
(a) the need to protect the child from harm;
(b) the capacity of the child’s parents, other relative, guardian or other person to care for and protect the child;
(c) the child’s spiritual, physical, emotional and educational needs;
(d) the child’s age, maturity, sex, background, and language;
(e) the child’s cultural, ethnic or religious identity;
(f) the likely effect on the child of any change in the child’s circumstances;
(g) the importance of stability and continuity in the child’s living
arrangements and the likely effect on the child of any change in, or
disruption of, those arrangements; and
(h) any wishes or views expressed by the child, having regard to the child’s
age, maturity and level of understanding in determining the weight to be given to those wishes or views; or
(i) any other factor which will ensure the general well – being of the child.
(2) The provisions of subsection (1) shall not be construed as limiting the factors that may be taken into account in determining what is in the best interests of the child.
7. The following principles shall be observed in the administration of this Act
–
(a) no decision or action shall be taken whose result or likelihood is to
discriminate against any child on the basis of sex, family, colour, race,
ethnicity, place of origin, language, religion, economic
status, parents, physical or mental status, or any other status;
(b) every child shall be cared for and protected from harm;
(c) the parents, family and community of a child have the primary responsibility of safeguarding and promoting the child’s well – being;
(d) every child shall have stable, secure and safe relationships and living
arrangements;
(e) a child’s parents and any other people who are significant in the child’s
life shall be given an opportunity and assistance to participate in decision - making processes under this Act that are likely to have a significant impact on the child’s life;
(f) the people referred to in paragraph (e) shall be given adequate information, in a manner and language they understand, regarding –
(i) decision – making processes under this Act that are likely to have a
significant impact on the child’s life,
(ii) the outcome of any decision about the child, including an explanation of the reasons for the decision, and
(iii) any relevant complaint or review procedure;
(g) decisions about a child shall be consistent with cultural, ethnic and
religious values and traditions relevant to the child; and
(h) decisions about a child shall be made promptly having regard to the age, circumstances and needs of the child.
I hope this has helped shed some light in the new Act. Let’s hear your views…
Cheers!
The ‘Day of the African Child’ is a day when the African nations come together in unison, to recall and reflect on the achievements made and more importantly, on the challenges that confront children throughout the African continent.
Botswana as a member of the African Union commemorates the Day of the African Child on June 16 every year. This day was designated by the African states as a “Day of the African Child” at a summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The day is marked by massive children’s participation and communicating all matters pertaining to the enjoyment of their fundamental rights which include, among others, the right to life.
In an endeavor to take this day to the people, the Ministry of Local Government has been commemorating this day with different communities around the country. The theme for 2009 is “Africa fit for Children: Call for Accelerated Action towards their Survival.” This theme calls for accelerated action to address the problems that impact negatively on child survival and development. Over the past decade children’s right to life has been compromised mainly due to the AIDS scourge and road carnage. The Government of Botswana has made efforts to address this issues as reflected by our success rate under the Prevention of Mother to child Transmission (PMTCT) Programme which is implemented by the Ministry of Health and my Ministry.
The objectives of the 2009 commemorations are;
• To educate children on their right to life, their survival and development;
• To advocate for the making of laws and establishment of government structures that ensure child survival, development and protection;
• To increase awareness on the need for wider coverage of children in the realization of their survival, development and protection;
• To foster alliances and collaboration which promote investment in the welfare of the current and future children;
• To strengthen and empower communities on issues of child survival, development and protection through public education.
The Ministers of African Union Member States responsible for promoting and safeguarding the rights and welfare of children met in Cairo, the Arab Republic of Egypt, at the Second Pan African Forum on Children: Mid-Term Review from 29 October - 02 November 2007 to consider and review the progress made in implementing the 2001 Declaration and Plan of Action of Africa Fit For Children. They focused their deliberations on the ten priorities set out in the Plan of Action, namely: Overall framework; Enhancing Life Chances; Overcoming HIV/AIDS, Realizing the Right to Education; Realizing the Right to Protection; Participation of Youth and Children; Actions at all levels; International Partnership; Follow-up Actions and Monitoring; and a Call for Accelerated Action.
At the end of the Forum, AU Member States reaffirmed their commitment towards the achievement of the targets for the 2001 Plan of Action and committed to the following priority actions:
1. Allocate sufficient resources in the national plans, Poverty Reduction Strategies and the supporting Medium Term Expenditure Frameworks and budgets for implementing various elements of the Africa Fit for Children with a focus on marginalized children, including those from poor families, vulnerable, children who are orphaned and children with disabilities.
2. Strengthen health systems in order to provide good and quality maternal and child health services and develop health centres and hospitals that are child and youth friendly, in line with the Africa Health strategy;
3. Scale up universal access to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support (linking with other health measures on promoting reproductive health and reducing Tuberculosis, Malaria and other related diseases) with an emphasis on adolescents, young girls, women, children living with HIV and AIDS and the most vulnerable segments of the society;
4. Promote and implement multi-sectoral programmes on ending violence against children, including neglect, abuse, sexual exploitation, child labour and trafficking guided by the findings and recommendations of the UN Study on Violence against Children as well as support activities such as lifelines and safe havens to rehabilitate and reintegrate child victims of abuse, sexual exploitation, rape and trafficking;
5. Promote the right to participation of all children (particularly of those who are marginalized, children from poor families, children with disabilities and children who are orphaned and vulnerable) based on their evolving capacities through establishing appropriate consultative for a including child rights clubs, children’s parliament, associations.
That's all for now.
Put your views down...
Botswana as a member of the African Union commemorates the Day of the African Child on June 16 every year. This day was designated by the African states as a “Day of the African Child” at a summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The day is marked by massive children’s participation and communicating all matters pertaining to the enjoyment of their fundamental rights which include, among others, the right to life.
In an endeavor to take this day to the people, the Ministry of Local Government has been commemorating this day with different communities around the country. The theme for 2009 is “Africa fit for Children: Call for Accelerated Action towards their Survival.” This theme calls for accelerated action to address the problems that impact negatively on child survival and development. Over the past decade children’s right to life has been compromised mainly due to the AIDS scourge and road carnage. The Government of Botswana has made efforts to address this issues as reflected by our success rate under the Prevention of Mother to child Transmission (PMTCT) Programme which is implemented by the Ministry of Health and my Ministry.
The objectives of the 2009 commemorations are;
• To educate children on their right to life, their survival and development;
• To advocate for the making of laws and establishment of government structures that ensure child survival, development and protection;
• To increase awareness on the need for wider coverage of children in the realization of their survival, development and protection;
• To foster alliances and collaboration which promote investment in the welfare of the current and future children;
• To strengthen and empower communities on issues of child survival, development and protection through public education.
The Ministers of African Union Member States responsible for promoting and safeguarding the rights and welfare of children met in Cairo, the Arab Republic of Egypt, at the Second Pan African Forum on Children: Mid-Term Review from 29 October - 02 November 2007 to consider and review the progress made in implementing the 2001 Declaration and Plan of Action of Africa Fit For Children. They focused their deliberations on the ten priorities set out in the Plan of Action, namely: Overall framework; Enhancing Life Chances; Overcoming HIV/AIDS, Realizing the Right to Education; Realizing the Right to Protection; Participation of Youth and Children; Actions at all levels; International Partnership; Follow-up Actions and Monitoring; and a Call for Accelerated Action.
At the end of the Forum, AU Member States reaffirmed their commitment towards the achievement of the targets for the 2001 Plan of Action and committed to the following priority actions:
1. Allocate sufficient resources in the national plans, Poverty Reduction Strategies and the supporting Medium Term Expenditure Frameworks and budgets for implementing various elements of the Africa Fit for Children with a focus on marginalized children, including those from poor families, vulnerable, children who are orphaned and children with disabilities.
2. Strengthen health systems in order to provide good and quality maternal and child health services and develop health centres and hospitals that are child and youth friendly, in line with the Africa Health strategy;
3. Scale up universal access to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support (linking with other health measures on promoting reproductive health and reducing Tuberculosis, Malaria and other related diseases) with an emphasis on adolescents, young girls, women, children living with HIV and AIDS and the most vulnerable segments of the society;
4. Promote and implement multi-sectoral programmes on ending violence against children, including neglect, abuse, sexual exploitation, child labour and trafficking guided by the findings and recommendations of the UN Study on Violence against Children as well as support activities such as lifelines and safe havens to rehabilitate and reintegrate child victims of abuse, sexual exploitation, rape and trafficking;
5. Promote the right to participation of all children (particularly of those who are marginalized, children from poor families, children with disabilities and children who are orphaned and vulnerable) based on their evolving capacities through establishing appropriate consultative for a including child rights clubs, children’s parliament, associations.
That's all for now.
Put your views down...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Here are Various Catergories of Children who need your support..
There is national concern about the growing numbers of vulnerable children and the need to protect them, through a coordinated guided response in Botswana. The National Situation Analysis on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (2007) identified 30.6% of children as vulnerable due to living in poverty, while other children struggle to grow up in families prone to internal conflicts, alcoholism, violence, abuse and poor parenting skills.
We have situations where children are also heading households and living in households headed by their young brothers or sisters. Other groups of vulnerable children are those who are displaced or refugees or who have parents in prison or detention
These children are unlikely to enjoy their rights and may even be driven onto the streets to support themselves. Children with unmet emotional needs are also particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse.
Let us define some of the common terms used to define the various categories of children in Botswana:
A child is a person below the age of 18 years.
‘Orphan’
International definition
An orphan is a child below the age of 18 years who has lost one or both parents
Botswana programme definition
“an ‘orphan’ is a child below 18 years who has lost one (single parents) or two (married couples) biological or adoptive parents. Married couples include those married in civil or traditional marriages”
‘social orphan’
Botswana programme definition
‘Social orphans’ are those abandoned or dumped or whose parents cannot be traced”
‘vulnerable child’
A vulnerable child is a person below the age of 18 years who is in any situation or circumstance which is or is likely to adversely affect the child’s physical, emotional, psychological or general well-being, which prevents the enjoyment of his or her rights, and who is in need of protection.
‘A child in need of protection’
A child in need of protection is a vulnerable child under the age of 18 years and includes a child who is temporarily or permanently deprived of parental care and support; or who is temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment and care; or heads or lives in a child headed household; or displays behaviour which cannot be managed by the parent, guardian or other person; or suffers from physical/mental disability or any form of chronic illness; or is involved in work which is harmful to his or her emotional, physical, psychological, social or educational development or well-being; or suffers/lives in abusive circumstances; or lives in circumstances calculated to cause or conduce to the child’s seduction, prostitution or corruption; or is in contact or conflict with the law.
‘Child-headed household’
A child headed household is a family headed by a person under the age of 18 years, in the absence of his or her parent (s) or other adult family member to provide care for the children in the household.
Let's discuss support to these children later...
We have situations where children are also heading households and living in households headed by their young brothers or sisters. Other groups of vulnerable children are those who are displaced or refugees or who have parents in prison or detention
These children are unlikely to enjoy their rights and may even be driven onto the streets to support themselves. Children with unmet emotional needs are also particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse.
Let us define some of the common terms used to define the various categories of children in Botswana:
A child is a person below the age of 18 years.
‘Orphan’
International definition
An orphan is a child below the age of 18 years who has lost one or both parents
Botswana programme definition
“an ‘orphan’ is a child below 18 years who has lost one (single parents) or two (married couples) biological or adoptive parents. Married couples include those married in civil or traditional marriages”
‘social orphan’
Botswana programme definition
‘Social orphans’ are those abandoned or dumped or whose parents cannot be traced”
‘vulnerable child’
A vulnerable child is a person below the age of 18 years who is in any situation or circumstance which is or is likely to adversely affect the child’s physical, emotional, psychological or general well-being, which prevents the enjoyment of his or her rights, and who is in need of protection.
‘A child in need of protection’
A child in need of protection is a vulnerable child under the age of 18 years and includes a child who is temporarily or permanently deprived of parental care and support; or who is temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment and care; or heads or lives in a child headed household; or displays behaviour which cannot be managed by the parent, guardian or other person; or suffers from physical/mental disability or any form of chronic illness; or is involved in work which is harmful to his or her emotional, physical, psychological, social or educational development or well-being; or suffers/lives in abusive circumstances; or lives in circumstances calculated to cause or conduce to the child’s seduction, prostitution or corruption; or is in contact or conflict with the law.
‘Child-headed household’
A child headed household is a family headed by a person under the age of 18 years, in the absence of his or her parent (s) or other adult family member to provide care for the children in the household.
Let's discuss support to these children later...
Child Protection in Botswana
Child Protection means the protection of children from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination. It involves birth registration, child abuse, sexual exploitation of children, trafficking and sale of children,harmful traditional practices, violence and neglect, alternative care, justice for children and child labour.
Research, monitoring and evaluation on child protection issues in Botswana is inadequate. This lack of data impacts negatively on the ability of the Government and civil society organisations to meet their obligations, under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the child to design and implement programmes towards the realisation of children's rights to protection and development. Currently prevention, mitigation and respeonse programmes and initiatives are most often implemented on a small scale and with uncoordinated efforts.
We will talk about child protection in more deatil later...
Stay in touch...
Research, monitoring and evaluation on child protection issues in Botswana is inadequate. This lack of data impacts negatively on the ability of the Government and civil society organisations to meet their obligations, under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the child to design and implement programmes towards the realisation of children's rights to protection and development. Currently prevention, mitigation and respeonse programmes and initiatives are most often implemented on a small scale and with uncoordinated efforts.
We will talk about child protection in more deatil later...
Stay in touch...
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Best Interest of the Child Vs the best interest of the adult
What really constitute the best interest of the child?
This is a million dollar question...
Read on to get more on this...
On many ocassions instead of focusing on the interest of the child, they tend to focus of the interets of the adults.
Some inexperienced social workers too tend to get carried away with the interests of other parties and focus largely on furthering the interests of the adults instead of those of children.
This has resulted in many children being disadvantaged or being prejudiced...
Thes best interest of the child should always be given paramount consideration in all respect...
Is this happening, practically on the ground?
What is happening is that the best interest of the adult seems to be taking precedence over everything.
It is critical to assess what is best for the child before addressing the needs of the adults who happen to be trying to assist the child. This happens in many cases of adoption of children or custody cases.
The best interest of the child looks at his health, economical, social, psychological, emotional etc of the child.
It is important to always keep the focus on the child and not the adult who brought the matter before the social workers or before the court.
Do we really know what the best interest of the child is?
Let's hear your opinion on this one..
This is a million dollar question...
Read on to get more on this...
On many ocassions instead of focusing on the interest of the child, they tend to focus of the interets of the adults.
Some inexperienced social workers too tend to get carried away with the interests of other parties and focus largely on furthering the interests of the adults instead of those of children.
This has resulted in many children being disadvantaged or being prejudiced...
Thes best interest of the child should always be given paramount consideration in all respect...
Is this happening, practically on the ground?
What is happening is that the best interest of the adult seems to be taking precedence over everything.
It is critical to assess what is best for the child before addressing the needs of the adults who happen to be trying to assist the child. This happens in many cases of adoption of children or custody cases.
The best interest of the child looks at his health, economical, social, psychological, emotional etc of the child.
It is important to always keep the focus on the child and not the adult who brought the matter before the social workers or before the court.
Do we really know what the best interest of the child is?
Let's hear your opinion on this one..
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Discover how a dysfunctional family can cause difficulties in childhood development
Here's how a dysfunctional family can lead to wayward behaviour on a child...
Whenever social workers conduct an assessment on a child's alleged mischievious behaviour or when they are in conflict with the law, they usually trace how the child was brought up by his or her parents. This helps them make a good character analysis of the child and assist in pre-judgement in a juvenile delinquency case.
One of the most punishing tasks would be to identify and admit that a child was brought up in a dysfunctional family. Acknowledging this fact is however crucial to outgrow such relationship issues and transform oneself into an emotionally stable and happy person.
A dysfunctional family is a disastrous unit which can lead to repeated malfunctioning of children in their adult lives. The effects can be realized at a later stage in life when they achieve an enormous form of destructive psychological effects on children. The social workers should always assess the home environment and look at the socio-economic background of the child’s parents because that has a bearing on the upbringing of child. For instance, a substandard environment meted out to the child by such parents may be attributed to the unpleasant memories of their own childhood.
Here are some of the characteristics of a dysfunctional family
Lack of trust
Absence of security
Absence of the feeling of love and belonging
Lack of understanding between family members
Parents' failure to nurture and support the children
Needs and desires of the child are always neglected
Verbal, physical, or sexual abuse in the family
Family member(s) creating an unpredictably unhealthy environment
Disputes develop on petty issues like money, love, work or almost anything
Negative dealing of stressful situations
Family values and rules are rigid, incomprehensible and illogical.
In some cases, parents’ over protecting of the child may affect the child's upbringing.
Negative Impact on Child’s Psychological well-being
In dysfunctional families, parents’ distorted attitudes have a traumatic effect on children. As such, unnatural relationships become the norms of child’s life.
The behaviours displayed by children tend to reflect those of their deficient parents. These traits can be exhibited singly or in combination as reflected below:
Feelings of loneliness
Being too hard on oneself
Difficulties in relaxing and enjoying oneself.
Difficulties in expressing feelings openly.
Extremist responses and decisions
Problems in forming intimate relationships
Involving themselves in abusive relations
Concerned of others’ responsibilities
Apprehensive to seek approval
Taking over more than they can handle
Being unable to handle anger, frustration and hatred
Children’s Compliance to Unusual Roles.
An affected child normally exhibits disorders like study problems, drug or alcohol addiction and other disturbances in the family. It is common in some cases, to attribute the family dysfunction to the problem child even if he or she is not causing significant trouble. People always attribute the child's behaviour to that of his or her parent or a dysfunctional family that brought him or her up. In some cases, growing kids can use their sense of humour to rescue themselves and act as entertainers in groups. On rare occasions a few children love to stay in social isolation. Moreover, some children rarely play more than one of the above roles causing pain and confusion among those living with him or her.
Good Parenting - being more sensitive to the child’s feelings
It is apparent most of the parents do not wish to really hurt their children by choice, but they should intentionally be more sensitive to the child’s feelings. Family disputes are inevitable but should not be an accepted pattern. Each person should also preserve his own space and not invade others’ while being free to express, discuss and opine. One can focus on the plight of the problem child, the over-achiever or the silent sufferer. However, there is one thing in common applicable to each of these personality types i.e. an attempt to understand them, being a friend than being a parent or sibling.
Parental Support on the Child’s Needs and Helping him Recover
One of the prominent accomplishments of difficult childhood is that the child is fine tuned to being adjustable which helps him pull through adversity. It is advisable for the child to seek support from parents, friends and other companions whom they trust is helpful. The child should express himself or herself and most importantly keep yourself away from deficient members who are likely to hurt you. Moreover the child should accept that his or her accomplices too have limitations and react optimistically. He or she should take a break from daily chores to involve in his or her favourite hobby and recreational activities.
The best way to prevent dysfunctional relationship is to detect it at an early stage, find ways to cope with it through communicating, counselling and transforming the conflict into a productive life plan. As a parent you should be able to empower yourself through this tough situation which will ultimately transform you into an outstanding person and help you live life to the fullest.
So far so good.
Whenever social workers conduct an assessment on a child's alleged mischievious behaviour or when they are in conflict with the law, they usually trace how the child was brought up by his or her parents. This helps them make a good character analysis of the child and assist in pre-judgement in a juvenile delinquency case.
One of the most punishing tasks would be to identify and admit that a child was brought up in a dysfunctional family. Acknowledging this fact is however crucial to outgrow such relationship issues and transform oneself into an emotionally stable and happy person.
A dysfunctional family is a disastrous unit which can lead to repeated malfunctioning of children in their adult lives. The effects can be realized at a later stage in life when they achieve an enormous form of destructive psychological effects on children. The social workers should always assess the home environment and look at the socio-economic background of the child’s parents because that has a bearing on the upbringing of child. For instance, a substandard environment meted out to the child by such parents may be attributed to the unpleasant memories of their own childhood.
Here are some of the characteristics of a dysfunctional family
Lack of trust
Absence of security
Absence of the feeling of love and belonging
Lack of understanding between family members
Parents' failure to nurture and support the children
Needs and desires of the child are always neglected
Verbal, physical, or sexual abuse in the family
Family member(s) creating an unpredictably unhealthy environment
Disputes develop on petty issues like money, love, work or almost anything
Negative dealing of stressful situations
Family values and rules are rigid, incomprehensible and illogical.
In some cases, parents’ over protecting of the child may affect the child's upbringing.
Negative Impact on Child’s Psychological well-being
In dysfunctional families, parents’ distorted attitudes have a traumatic effect on children. As such, unnatural relationships become the norms of child’s life.
The behaviours displayed by children tend to reflect those of their deficient parents. These traits can be exhibited singly or in combination as reflected below:
Feelings of loneliness
Being too hard on oneself
Difficulties in relaxing and enjoying oneself.
Difficulties in expressing feelings openly.
Extremist responses and decisions
Problems in forming intimate relationships
Involving themselves in abusive relations
Concerned of others’ responsibilities
Apprehensive to seek approval
Taking over more than they can handle
Being unable to handle anger, frustration and hatred
Children’s Compliance to Unusual Roles.
An affected child normally exhibits disorders like study problems, drug or alcohol addiction and other disturbances in the family. It is common in some cases, to attribute the family dysfunction to the problem child even if he or she is not causing significant trouble. People always attribute the child's behaviour to that of his or her parent or a dysfunctional family that brought him or her up. In some cases, growing kids can use their sense of humour to rescue themselves and act as entertainers in groups. On rare occasions a few children love to stay in social isolation. Moreover, some children rarely play more than one of the above roles causing pain and confusion among those living with him or her.
Good Parenting - being more sensitive to the child’s feelings
It is apparent most of the parents do not wish to really hurt their children by choice, but they should intentionally be more sensitive to the child’s feelings. Family disputes are inevitable but should not be an accepted pattern. Each person should also preserve his own space and not invade others’ while being free to express, discuss and opine. One can focus on the plight of the problem child, the over-achiever or the silent sufferer. However, there is one thing in common applicable to each of these personality types i.e. an attempt to understand them, being a friend than being a parent or sibling.
Parental Support on the Child’s Needs and Helping him Recover
One of the prominent accomplishments of difficult childhood is that the child is fine tuned to being adjustable which helps him pull through adversity. It is advisable for the child to seek support from parents, friends and other companions whom they trust is helpful. The child should express himself or herself and most importantly keep yourself away from deficient members who are likely to hurt you. Moreover the child should accept that his or her accomplices too have limitations and react optimistically. He or she should take a break from daily chores to involve in his or her favourite hobby and recreational activities.
The best way to prevent dysfunctional relationship is to detect it at an early stage, find ways to cope with it through communicating, counselling and transforming the conflict into a productive life plan. As a parent you should be able to empower yourself through this tough situation which will ultimately transform you into an outstanding person and help you live life to the fullest.
So far so good.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Little Boy's suffering
I got this from a colleague and I thought I should share it with you…
It is SAD INDEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“I was walking around in a Target store, when I saw a Cashier hand this little boy some money back.
The boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old.
The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll.'
Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: ''Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?''
The old lady replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.''
Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to
look around. She left quickly.
The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.
Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to.
'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for
Christmas.
She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.'
I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry.
But he replied to me sadly. 'No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.'
His eyes were so sad while saying this. 'My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I
thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.''
My heart nearly stopped.
The little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.'
Then he showed me a very nice photo of himself. He was laughing. He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.'
'I love my mommy and I wish she didn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.'
Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.
I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll!''
'OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough.' I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money.
The little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!'
Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before I went to
sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give it to my sister. He heard me!''
'I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.''
'My mommy loves white roses.'
A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket.
I finished my shopping in a totally different state of mind from when I started.
I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind.
Then I remembered a local news paper article two days ago, which
mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young
woman and a little girl.
The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma.
Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the news
paper that the young woman had passed away.
I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was for people to see and make last wishes before her burial.
She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.
I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever.. The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine.
And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away
from him.
Now you have 2 choices:
1) Send this message to others, or
2) Ignore it as if it never touched your heart.
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: 'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'
For those who prefer to think that God is not watching over us.... go
ahead and delete this. For the rest of us... pass this on.
The value of a man or woman resides in what he or she gives, not in what they are capable of receiving".
Let's hear your views here...
It is SAD INDEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“I was walking around in a Target store, when I saw a Cashier hand this little boy some money back.
The boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old.
The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll.'
Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: ''Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?''
The old lady replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.''
Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to
look around. She left quickly.
The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.
Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to.
'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for
Christmas.
She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.'
I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry.
But he replied to me sadly. 'No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.'
His eyes were so sad while saying this. 'My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I
thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.''
My heart nearly stopped.
The little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.'
Then he showed me a very nice photo of himself. He was laughing. He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.'
'I love my mommy and I wish she didn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.'
Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.
I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll!''
'OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough.' I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money.
The little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!'
Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before I went to
sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give it to my sister. He heard me!''
'I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.''
'My mommy loves white roses.'
A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket.
I finished my shopping in a totally different state of mind from when I started.
I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind.
Then I remembered a local news paper article two days ago, which
mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young
woman and a little girl.
The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma.
Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the news
paper that the young woman had passed away.
I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was for people to see and make last wishes before her burial.
She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.
I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever.. The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine.
And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away
from him.
Now you have 2 choices:
1) Send this message to others, or
2) Ignore it as if it never touched your heart.
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: 'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'
For those who prefer to think that God is not watching over us.... go
ahead and delete this. For the rest of us... pass this on.
The value of a man or woman resides in what he or she gives, not in what they are capable of receiving".
Let's hear your views here...
Friday, January 23, 2009
Are children's rights protected during war or conflicts?
It would be interesting to findout how children's rights are protected under international law... The International law provides that non combatants should be protected at all times during wars but the issue is who takes care of children when war erupts? We have seen children being killed during wars such as the war in Irag, Afghainstan, Darfur, and lately in Gaza
Who is to blame?
Children and women are always victims when war erupts and there seems to be no remedy for that. Non combatants should not e targeted.
What should be done to protected children's rights and well-being during times of war?
Let's hear your views..
Who is to blame?
Children and women are always victims when war erupts and there seems to be no remedy for that. Non combatants should not e targeted.
What should be done to protected children's rights and well-being during times of war?
Let's hear your views..
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