Children's groups put children at the heart of the campaign

When the Learn Without Fear campaign launched Plan called for a world where children are recognised as critical participants in developing strategies and solutions to address violence in schools. At the end of 2010 we recorded that around 600,000 children had actively participated in the campaign to date.

Their participation varies from a variety of different activities and events from; making up a child Parliament in Liberia - lobbying the government for improved child protection legislation, to leading mass media marketing of campaign around the world. One type of effective and meaningful child participation are the children’s groups  being run in Vietnam – where around 40,000 children have participated in the campaign since it launched in 2009.

The group allows children from different grades, ranging from primary to middle schools, to gather and discuss issues that they face in relation to their experiences of violence. These groups are led and run by children, such by the 15 year old girl in the picture, in the community of Ban Dat, in North West Vietnam. The content of the children’s group discussion is open and very frank about relationships with parents and teachers, and their general feelings towards schools and violence. Along with providing a safe open space within which to discuss child protection issues, the groups can also feedback to parents and teachers about the main findings and feeling from the group.

The groups are also used as a setting to trained children on child rights and child protection, thus providing them with the information they need in order to know whether behaviour towards from adults and their piers is appropriate.

Through child participation children are empowered to protect themselves from violence. This is the way to ensure eliminating violence in schools in permanent and sustainable.

January 2011