Healing the wounds in the aftermath of BeslanHEALING THE WOUNDS:
“It is time to look to the future and try to heal age-old wounds,” said Carel de Rooy, UNICEF Representative in the Russian Federation. “This part of the world has suffered from more than a decade of violence and fear as unresolved disputes and divisions have re-emerged. In the aftermath of Beslan, we fear that things will get worse unless we work with children and young people to build tolerance and understanding.” The new programme, to be launched in January 2005, will bring together key players from government, NGOs, schools and communities from every republic in the North Caucasus to create a common syllabus for peace and tolerance education. The aim is to introduce the syllabus into schools across the region over the next two years, benefiting tens of thousands of children. “It seems fitting, after the tragic events in Beslan, that schools should be at the heart of efforts to build peace and reconciliation” said Carel de Rooy. The programme will begin with a study tour to existing peace education programmes supported by UNICEF, and will include art competitions, sports contests, youth discussions, exchange visits and summer camps for children and young people from different ethnic groups and religions. The programme is scheduled to run – initially – from January to December 2005, and will require US$ 500,000. UNICEF has provided more than US$90,000 worth of medical supplies to the Beslan survivors, including supplies delivered within hours of the September siege at School Number One. It has provided school furniture and education materials worth more than US$200,000 for the remaining schools in the town to make them more welcoming. And UNICEF is supporting psychological counseling for the survivors, their families and other affected children in Beslan, with a programme budgeted at US$700,000. For further information: Angela Hawke, UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS and Baltics:
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