JPA – Youth Advocates For ChildSafe!
The work of Friends-International has always been informed by listening to children and young people, responding to their needs and ensuring through our projects and initiatives that their rights are being met. It’s particularly heartening for us then when young people themselves become inspired into advocacy and action. The following is a tremendous example of just such happening…
Kaliyan Mith Siem Reap recently hosted a visit from students of the Jay Pritzker Academy in Siem Reap. These young Cambodians (four girls and one boy, aged between 17 and 20 years old) spent one week with the program, three days focused on social work and the final two on learning more about the ChildSafe Movement. They then took their learning out into an external forum, presenting to a meeting of the Angkor HUB.
They talked openly about how some preconceptions they had, for example about drug using youth, had changed after their visit and learning opportunities. They discussed their learning about ChildSafe Movement, and particular issues such as safe migration, and of great interest was their understanding of the ChildSafe campaigns against visiting or supporting orphanages. One of the participants has actually lived in an orphanage for over 12 years, and was able to reflect on the negative impact that had had upon his life and family, such as the damage it had done to the relationship with his mother.
In addition, the group shared the results of a brainstorming session they had held on the subject of the Cambodian Citizen Tips – how they could be made more effective and interactive with a lot of really interesting ideas coming out!
The Hub presentation will be available soon on video, look out for our upcoming posting of that, in the meantime please enjoy the attached photographs of the brainstorming and Hub sessions!
