BEIRUT: Political uncertainty and instability that led some schools to close down for one day last week has negatively affected students in Lebanon, the secretary-general of child advocacy group Terre des Hommes, Peter Brey, said Tuesday.
Speaking at the launch of “Keeping Children Safe Toolkit in Arabic” at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Hamra, Brey urged politicians to take all necessary measures to protect children and to ensure their safety and well-being.
Recent political developments have led to a tense atmosphere in the country, pushing schools in the capital to dismiss students amid fears of a rapid escalation of the security situation.
As a recognized international humanitarian organization, TDH has been actively engaged in providing psychosocial support to generations of war-affected communities since 1975.
“The aim of the toolkit is to assist governments, international nongovernmental organizations, local NGOs, institutions and individuals who have contact with children to develop practices and procedures to best protect children in their care,” said Brey.
The toolkit is a comprehensive package of materials aimed at training and equipping professionals involved in child protection across the world with detailed standards as a major framework in dealing with various cases.
Brey also shed light on different circumstances in which children have become victims of mistreatment as a result of wrong practices by individuals involved in child protection services around the world. “Unfortunately there have been numerous recorded incidents of children being abused or exploited while in the care of the state, NGOs, the U.N. or religious institutions,” he added.
According to Brey, those trusted with the protection of children have sometimes failed in their responsibilities and as a result have caused lifelong traumas to many children. “The abuse of minors, particularly sexual abuse is a serious social problem that all countries and all organizations working with children and young people are likely to encounter,” added Brey, who hailed the Lebanese government’s support for their projects.
The scope of TDH’s projects since the 2006 July war has extended to several Palestinian refugee camps and Iraqi refugees. Recently the organization launched a plan to assist the Dom people, commonly known as “nawar” in Lebanon. Brey said that the local Dom population has been one of the most marginalized and vulnerable to abuse.
Meanwhile, caretaker Social Affairs Minister Salim Sayegh said that standards presented in the toolkit should become an essential system to monitor and regulate child protection practices in Lebanon.
Sayegh, who heads the Higher Council for Children in Lebanon, announced that the project for establishing a “Children’s Parliament” would soon become a reality to further strengthen the rights of children at this crucial period. “I call on every leader in the country to draw a red line in defense of children and work to keep the children away from conflicts,” Sayegh added.
The toolkit is also available in French and English.
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