None Issued!
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The Ministry of Social Development and UNICEF Sign Agreements
The Minister of Social Development , Riyad Al Karaki, and Anne Skatvedt, UNICEF Representative in Jordan, signed the 2005 work plans for the Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) and Protection Programmes - UNICEF ‘s total contribution to both programmes was JD 461,000.
The IECD Programme was allocated JD 300,000 to support national efforts in providing a stimulating environment for child growth and development. Here, focus is on supporting families and care givers with the required knowledge and skills, and to also build the institutional capacities of the Programme's partners.
A wide partnership has been established with the public and private sectors through the IECD Programme. Partners include the Ministries of Social Development, Health, Education, Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. Others are the General Union of Voluntary Societies, Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, Jordanian Women’s Union, UNRWA, National Council for Family Affairs, World Health Organisation, Abu-Thur Al-Ghafari Committee, Al-Farouq Society, and the private sector.
UNICEF allocated to the Protection Programme 161,000. The Protection Programme works on enhancing the legislative environment concerning children and building the institutional capacities of professionals working with children victims of violence. The objective also includes supporting programmes and policies that reintegrate children deprived of parental care and children in conflict with the law back into their families and communities.
Partner institutions working on this Programme are the Ministries of Social Development, Justice, and Health. Others are the Legislative Bureau, National Council for Family Affairs, National Centre for Human Rights, Public Security /Family Protection Department, MIZAN Law Group, and the Jordanian Society for Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence.
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ECD Standards Workshop
(Amman-15 February, 2005) - In line with Jordan’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) Plan of Action for the years 2003 2007 calling for the setting of ECD standards and indicators which are culturally appropriate and nationally accepted, a workshop was launched with the participation of 80 ECD professionals.
This one day workshop is organised by the National Council for Family Affairs and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Last year, research and extensive technical meetings took place to develop these standards, indicators and benchmarks to ensure their appropriateness. The development of standards is a lengthy and complex process. In Jordan it has taken over a year of hard work to develop draft standards and indicators.
ECD indicators reflect what children know and are able to do in each phase of their development. The ECD standards are measures that a country adopts to define the level of knowledge and skills expected of its young children at various stages of their development. They formulate the benchmark upon which countries can evaluate the impact of its programmes on children. These standards guide the process of curricula development and teacher training for professionals dealing with young children. They also set the levels of expectation that parents should have for their children and help develop parenting programmes.
Attending Cultural Diversity
Standards need to be sensitive enough to capture individual, cultural, and contextual specificities. This is a main challenge, and it is up to professionals working in the field to agree on which standards are culturally appropriate and which are not.
Jordan, under the leadership of Her Majesty Queen Rania, has become a pioneer in ECD in the region, and in some aspects in the world. Early childhood indicators and standards can be used to ensure that Jordan is on track in meeting its obligations to its young.
The actual ECD process started in 2003 supported by the National Council for Family Affairs, an ECD Advisory Committee representing the Ministries of Social Development, Education and Health, academia, the National Centre for Human Resource Development, and UNICEF-Colombia University also provides technical support for this project.
ECD standards cover the age group from birth till eight years of age as stipulated in the National ECD Strategy and deal with the holistic development of the child such as social, emotional, cognitive, health and physical development. ECD standards will form the basis for a national monitoring system to periodically measure child development in Jordan.
MARCH 2005
Strategic Plan to Boost Quality of Health for Adolescents in Jordan
(Amman – 3 March 2005) – A landmark strategy to promote adolescent’s health in Jordan was the subject of a meeting that took place on Thursday 3 March, to present national authorities, in particular from the health and education sectors with details of this initiative, resulting from the development of the National Youth Strategy, launched recently in Jordan in the presence of His Majesty King Abdullah II.The Ministry of Health and UNICEF have outlined the key objectives of a strategic approach to young people’s need for the sustainability of quality services, increased access to medical assistance and a plan to substantially improve overall health standards at national level.
UNICEF has provided close support to the initiative through orientation by a Harvard University consultant who contributed to the Ministry of Health’s conceptualization of the plan. Among areas to be prioritized through the strategy are nutrition; peer education in school health programmes; adolescents’ mental and psychosocial health; reproductive health awareness; HIV/AIDS and prevention of smoking and drug abuse.
The presentation today aims at sharing the plan with all concerned parties, involving ministries, local and international donor organizations.
Integration of initiatives with potential collaborators from the health sector is expected to materialize along with the progressive implementation of the plan at both the capital and provincial levels.
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APRIL 2005
Amman (22 April, 2005) - Participants in Better Parenting sessions, from Al-Naser in East Amman, graduated on 23 April 2005. The graduation was held under the patronage of Nidal Hadid, Mayor of the Greater Amman Municipality.
Better Parenting sessions are an important component of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Early Childhood Care and Development (ECD) Programme. In East Amman, 3,600 parents and 550 service providers and educators were trained in Better Parenting through a partnership between UNICEF and a local network of non-governmental organisations. This partnership started with the Abu-Thur Al-Ghafari Society. UNICEF in Jordan has been working in partnership with 16 governmental and non-governmental agencies in the field of ECD. This approach has allowed for implementation to take place at different levels; national, governorate and community. Since 2000 a total of 50,000 mothers, fathers and care givers have taken Better Parenting training from all over the Kingdom.
The importance of the early years in human development can not be stressed enough and Jordan’s commitment is serious. Her Majesty Queen Rania’s continuous effort in this field has resulted in the development and adoption of the Kingdom’s national ECD strategy.
Mothers, fathers, and caregivers are critical partners to ensuring a good start in life for children. They provide a caring and safe environment that enables the child to survive and be physically healthy, mentally alert, emotionally secure, socially competent and able to learn. But in order to do so, all partners need the knowledge and information.
Islamic Sharia and the Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly state that every child has the right to a good start to life.
ECD policies, services and practices are the foundations for a good start in life. The challenge faced by the ECD Programme today is to expand its partnerships and foster ownership by governmental and non-governmental agencies and promote coordination at the governorate level, and with the community taking an active role.
The support of policy makers is very much needed specifically in the capacity building of staff and in allocating budgets for ECD. The steps taken by the Ministry of Education in establishing pre-schools attests to the lead role the Ministry has. Other stakeholders, including the private sector and donor agencies, have a role in supporting ECD initiatives in the country.
ECD policies seek to strengthen the capacity of the family to care for its children, especially those who are most vulnerable. These policies need to respond to the critical issues affecting early childhood care and development such as early socialisation, gender equality, the rights and status of women, the safety of the environment that surrounds a young child. Other issues needing attention include the protection and participation of the child and the care giver , and the special care of children with disabilities.
A good start to life is the foundation for ensuring children’s rights. There is a well-established body of evidence that proves that choices made and actions taken by parents and society in the earliest years of childhood have a powerful and long-lasting influence on the later progress of individual children, and on the wider progress of nations.
Investing in young children will bring long term social change and the sustained realisation of children’s rights.
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 2 May 2005 – Ann M. Veneman, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, assumed the leadership of UNICEF today, becoming the fifth Executive Director to lead the UN children’s agency in its 60-year history.
“It is a great honor to have the opportunity to lead UNICEF, which is truly one of the world’s great institutions,” Ms. Veneman said Monday on her first official day at UNICEF headquarters in New York. “Too many children in the world face hardships and challenges that should never be a part of childhood. I look forward to continuing UNICEF’s mission of serving children around the globe.”
Veneman, who was appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to succeed outgoing Executive Director Carol Bellamy, said that among her top priorities will be ensuring that UNICEF works to advance the Millennium Development Goals.
“The Millennium Development Goals reflect the wishes and the will of governments around the world,” Veneman said. “And because they place such important emphasis on the well-being of children, UNICEF has a vital role to play in helping meet the goals.”
Key to UNICEF’s continued success will be strengthening existing partnerships and building new collaborations with governments, fellow UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups and communities, Veneman said.
“Strengthening our collaboration with partners around the world can advance the goals of reducing poverty, malnutrition and disease, as well as helping to protect children from abuse and violence,” she said.
Having directed one of the largest and most complex departments of U.S. government, Veneman arrives at UNICEF with vast experience in leading a far-reaching global agency that engages with thousands of partners and governments.
As the 27th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture prior to joining UNICEF, she directed a department of 111,000 employees; a program level of $113 billion that would rank sixth-largest if it were a U.S. corporation; and one of the most diverse and challenging missions in government. During her tenure, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the first time received a clean financial audit, a status it then attained three years in a row.
While at the USDA, Veneman directed programs that included school meals, nutrition assistance and nutrition education, foreign food aid, and development assistance both at home and abroad.
Much of Veneman’s career has been focused on child nutrition, public health, and alleviating hunger, including new approaches to help fight malnutrition around the world.
She previously served in various positions at USDA and in California state government, and has practiced law in Washington, D.C. and in her home state of California.
Ms. Veneman earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Davis; a master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley; and a juris doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.
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MAY 2005
Signing of a Framework of Cooperation to Improve Juvenile Justice in Jordan
Amman (19 May, 2005) - To foster a relationship of long-term cooperation between key partners in Jordan based on the promotion and protection of the rights of children in conflict with the law, an agreement will be signed today at the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) at 13:00.
The aim of this agreement is to improve coordination and collaboration amongst partners working in juvenile justice. The project will be implemented this year and will continue up to 2007 in cooperation with NCHR, the Ministry of Social Development, the Family Protection Department at the Public Security Directorate, the Judiciary Council, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Penal Reform International. Other partners are MIZAN Law Group for Human Rights, and the Family and Child Protection Society in Irbid.
Based on the signature of today’s agreement others will follow and will be funded by UNICEF and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) at the cost of US $120,000 for 2005.
Focus is on developing the juvenile justice system through the introduction of a restorative justice approach and good practices. According to the Ministry of Social Development 56 % of children in conflict with law are children attending schools at the time of committing the offence, thus getting involved in lengthy criminal procedures runs the risk of depriving them from their education. The Ministry states that the reasons for children committing offences are that half of them are ignorant of the legal implications of their acts. Peer pressure is stated to constitute 26 % of the reason, and poverty 6%. These statistics indicate that the majority of crimes and offences committed by children are petty in nature such as minor theft, and fighting.
The agreement calls for legal amendments focusing on reform, and the rehabilitation and reintegration of children in conflict with the law. The partnership emphasises the need for an improved legislative environment for children in conflict with the Law. This includes diverting children away from reform centres and into community services establishing judicial and police units specialised in children’s issues. Detention should come as a last resort and for the shortest period possible.
Areas of collaboration include strengthening the capacities of law enforcement personnel, social workers and civil society organisations on procedures towards juvenile justice restorative approaches and thus treat children in conflict with the law according to the best interests of the child. To this end, a national training team has already been formulated to train professionals working with children in conflict with the law. Four units in four police centres working with these children are being upgraded.
To complement this project, an Arab website “Noor” will be launched to help ensure the existence of mechanisms and channels of information for decision-makers and opinion leaders on key issues pertaining to children in conflict with the law, with a focus on issues requiring policy development and legislative change in line with international standards.------------------------------------------------------------------------
JUNE 2005
DAY ONE: Cairo, 27 June 2005
Regional consultation on violence against children opens in Cairo
A United Nations sponsored meeting of ministers, senior officials, NGO’s and children from across the Middle East and North Africa opened today and has heard calls for serious measures to end violence against children.
“Every society – no matter the cultural, economic or social background – can and must stop violence against children,” said Mr Paulo Pinheiro, the UN’s Independent Expert on the subject.
Some 250 delegates meeting in Cairo have heard that, for many children across the region, violence and abuse are an unavoidable fact of daily life. Some governments have presented data on the subject, but the majority have not.
“Child abuse, including sexual abuse and domestic violence in general remain hidden problems inside the protective wall of homes,” Pinheiro said.
“This consultation is very important because it is really breaking the silence,” said Rima Salah, Unicef’s Deputy Executive Director. “Every country will now admit that they have violence against children. Whoever stays silent about the truth is a mute devil,” she said quoting the Prophet Mohammed.
The meeting is part of a global study to be presented to the UN General Assembly in 2006. Similar regional consultations have already taken place in Latin America, Asia and elsewhere. The report is likely to make uncomfortable reading - in a region where the subject is traditionally considered a taboo.
“We must look hard at our traditions,” argued Ambassador Moushira Khattab, Secretary General of the Egyptian National Council of Childhood and Motherhood, the host of the conference, “Especially at those customs -- such as female genital mutilation and early marriage -- that condone forms of violence against our children.”
Some twenty countries are represented at this three-day meeting - a sign, according to Pinheiro, of commitment on the part of governments and civil society to produce meaningful and sustainable results.
Children’s voices are being heard too. Young delegates from nine countries have been drawing up their proposals for presentation to the conference.
“Violence is found in every school family and street, and so far we have turned a blind eye to it,” said Aya Lekhyari, 17, one of the child delegates from Tunis. “Every child has the right to live in peace, without violence; otherwise he will become violent himself.”
DAY TWO: CAIRO 28 June 2005
Conference on violence against children debates school discipline
“Teachers who hit children will be punished.”
This was the title written out a hundred times on a blackboard at the United Nations sponsored conference discussing violence against children in Cairo today.
The second day's discussions -- focussing on violence in schools -- released alarming findings on the extent of corporal punishment in the region. Monsif Moalla, UNICEF Education Officer in Tunisia reported that in some countries in the region 73% of children said they were hit at school, while 40% said they were seriously beaten. Verbal and sexual violence are also common in schools though precise figures are not known.
“Often when governments are confronted with reports of violence they claim that they are isolated cases,” said Lamia Bolbol, who oversaw the regional analysis report on violence. However, in the first detailed study conducted in Syria, over 80% were verbally abused while over 50% were threatened with low grades or expulsion.
The delegates also heard personal and hard-hitting testimonies from children attending the conference.
“They used to make us stand under the sun and many children collapsed,” said one 17 year old participant in the conference. “We also had to sit on our feet in a way that really hurt.”
“Hitting is common in schools and this makes us hate school and our teachers.”
Recent research supports this view - corporal punishment is actually a poor tool for discipline.
“Corporal punishment does not create a bond between adult and child, but makes the child step away,” explained Paul Fontani, UNESCO’s specialist in peace and human rights. “And violence often escalates to the point where the child loses the idea of what is and isn’t a violent act. This makes the child more likely to use violence against others,” he concluded. The child delegates expressed concern at the extent of studies conducted but the absence of any plan of action to end school violence.
“I hope our recommendations will be taken seriously,” said Fatma from Bahrain. “The teacher is the parent of a child during the day, the teacher needs to have the skill to bring up the child without violence.”
DAY THREE: CAIRO 29 June 2005
MENA consultation calls for an alternative culture to violence against children
Delegates attending the UN’s Regional Consultation for the Middle East and North Africa wrapped up their 3 day meeting with a declaration calling for the creation of a culture that condemns any violence against children.
The Consultation’s recommendations focused on the importance of the family unit as the key to success in combating violence in the home, at school, and on the streets.
“The issue of violence starts with the family and ends with the family,” said Ambassador Moushira Khatab, Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. “The solution lies in raising awareness in the family on how to discipline the child without resorting to violence.”
While paying respect to the religions and values of the region, the declaration states that some people abuse them as a pretext to commit violence against children.
“There are certain alien practices introduced in our culture that constitute blatant violence against our sons and daughters,” the declaration says. “These practices must be banned.”
Over the past 3 days, the consultation has heard testimonies and seen graphic evidence of many kinds of violence against children, including female genital mutilation, sexual abuse and honor killings. Whilst these practices are not shared by all countries in the MENA region, they are serious enough to warrant immediate attention.
Follow up mechanisms for reporting complaints in schools, institutions and at home were among the main recommendations proposed by the more than 600 delegates from 20 countries.
One recommendation put forward by the delegation of children attending the consultation involved the setting up of committees in schools to monitor reports of violence and to raise awareness.
The participation of children at the consultation has been crucial to the forum’s discussions. As 15 year old Bassem Abdel Salam explained, “The problem is that the adults may understand the violence but we feel it. We can give a clear perspective of reality rather than a theoretical one. We are the victims, not the perpetrators.”
The recommendations put forward by the MENA delegates will form part of a UN global report to be presented to the General Assembly at the end of 2006.
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Round Table Discussion on Family Counselling Offices
Amman (23 June, 2005) - With the aim of mobilising support for amending legislation related to the family and child, a round table discussion on the importance of family counselling offices took place on Sunday 26 June, 2005. The event was organised by the National Council for family Affairs (NCFA) the National Center for Human Rights (NCHR), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).Family counselling offices work on resolving familial conflict and reconciling family members. The importance of these offices will be discussed by members from the Chief of Islamic Justice Department, parliamentarians, law practitioners, experts and other personnel from ministries and organisations concerned.
The experience of the United Arab Emirates' in the field of family counselling offices were presented and discussed. Participants then had the chance to make their recommendations accordingly.
This activity was the first in a series of four to take place this year. It is the result of a long-term cooperation agreement signed earlier this month between key partners in Jordan. The aim of this agreement is to raise awareness and to advocate for the amendment of some legislation and the passing of others on the rights of the child and family by Parliament. All recommendations are in line with Islamic directives and teachings, and with international human rights standards. The agreement will be implemented by NCHR, NCFA, and supported by UNICEF.
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July 2005
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Ricky Martin visits Child Safety Center in Jordan
Amman (25 July, 2005)-UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Ricky Martin, visited Dar Al-Aman yesterday Sunday 24 July 2005. Dar Al Aman is the first Child Safety Center in the Arab region, and was established by the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) in August 2000. The Center serves as a therapeutic community for abused children and offers psychological, medical, social and educational services to address the multiple consequences of abuse on children and their families. The Center’s aim is to return the child to better family conditions. The transfer of the child to another center is held as a last resort.Ricky Martin’s visit was part of the renowned celebrity’s commitment to fighting the phenomenon of child abuse. The Ricky Martin Foundation aims to benefit children around the world, improving their quality of life by supporting programmes and services that fulfill their needs.
Dar Al Aman operates under the auspices of the Child Safety Programme launched by HM Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, Chairperson of the Jordan River Foundation. Queen Rania’s conviction that the well-being of future generations should be of primary concern to the Jordanian society has been the driving force behind this key project and has placed it at the forefront of the national policy agendas.
JRF has partnered with UNICEF in combating child abuse and supporting families in their task of nurturing children. Child Protection, Better Parenting, Early Childhood Development and Adolescent Participation and Empowerment are four main areas of cooperation between both organizations.
Ricky Martin is currently participating as the guest of honour at the 25th Arab Children’s Congress being held in Amman from July 24-30, 2005.
Established in 1995 and chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, JRF is a non-profit Jordanian non-governmental organization whose mission is to promote, in partnership with stakeholders, the development of a dynamic Jordanian society by initiating and supporting sustainable social, economic and cultural programs that empower communities and individuals based on their needs and priorities.
UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. It is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children.
Launch of Jordan's Third Report on Child Rights
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah was presented with Jordan’s Third Report on Child Rights on Monday (18 July, 2005). The ceremony, which took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was organized by the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Social Development, and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).The report highlights Jordan’s work in the fields of early childhood development, protection, and adolescent participation. It is the outcome of a collaborative national effort of 140 experts from governmental and non-governmental organizations. Lawyers, Sharia scholars, psychosocial specialists, and childhood researchers were part of this participatory process. The report is an important monitoring and evaluation tool, and is to be submitted to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in Geneva this month. The Committee encompasses 18 members, five of which come from the Middle East and North Africa region.
The Jordanian Government's efforts to protect the rights of the child are reflected in the Report. The latter includes specific reference to proposed legislative amendments pertaining to children, policies, programs and strategies in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The CRC report addresses the closing recommendations made by the CRC Committee in 1998 report when Jordan submitted its second report.
As a partner in developing Jordan's Third Report on Child Rights, the Ministry of Social Development formed a steering committee in June 2003 to head this process. The Ministry provided its administrative and technical expertise in drafting and finalizing the Report.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated among all stakeholders involved in drafting the Report. Acting as the official body mandated to submit the report to the CRC Committee in Geneva, the Ministry provided the different committees with all necessary information about the rights of the child.
UNICEF provided expert advice on the implementation of the Convention and assisted in the monitoring and reporting processes as a means of upholding children's rights. UNICEF works on establishing children's rights as principles and international standards of behavior. The Organisation is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is UNICEF’ framework and action plan.
Under the leadership of Her Majesty Queen Rania, NCFA is mandated to contribute to ensuring a better quality of life for Jordanian families through a national vision that supports the country’s development policies and enables all Jordanian families to achieve their optimal aspirations. Acting as an umbrella organization, NCFA works as a support agency that coordinates and facilitates the work of its partners and relevant institutions, which work for the best interest of the Jordanian family.
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Jordan Celebrates World Breastfeeding Week
“Breastfeeding and Family Foods: Loving & Healthy”
This year’s theme focuses on continuing breastfeeding while introducing complementary foods after the child’s completion of the age of six months. The aim is to increase awareness of this vital practice and emphasize the introduction of complementary foods (other than breast milk) after the baby’s sixth month. Emphasis is also on the baby’s feeding with other family members in an atmosphere of loving care. Optimal complementary feeding must be introduced atthe right time with foods that are appropriate, safe, nutritious and meeting the infant’s needs.
“Family Foods” has been selected for World Breastfeeding Week since in most families in the world babies above one year of age eat the same food as their family members. At this stage, the infant’s food has to be prepared in a manner which is appropriate for the baby’s chewing, swallowing and feeding abilities.
The Mother and Child Direcotrate and in cooperation with Linkages, UNICEF and the World Helath Organsiation (WHO) has promoted breastfeeding in Jordan to increase the number of breastfed babies. The Directorate has trained staff in most health centres and in some hospitals, and produced informative audiovisual material on breastfeeding. It has been promoting the work of support groups for breastfeeding at centres and local communities. Hospitals and health centers have also been empowered to support the Baby Friendly Hospitals Initiative (BFHI): The Hussein Hospital in Salt will be declared a Baby Friendly Hospital to mark World Breastfeeding Week this year.
Other baby friendly centres will be announced at a later stage as part of the world initiative to protect and enhance breastfeeding for the well being of both mother and child.
The introduction of complementary foods marks a new phase in the infant’s psychosocial and behavioural development and in its relationship with its parents and caregivers. This requires gradual change and patience, as complementary foods and breastfeeding are part of the care to be provided during this stage of a baby’s nutrition.
The Ministry of Health and all of its directorates in the Kingdom commemorated World Breast Feeding Week at health centres and hospitals with the participation of local communities. The importance of breastfeeding as well as the selected theme for this year was highlighted through the media.
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SEPTEMBER 2005
Mid Term Review of UNICEF Jordan’s Programme of Cooperation with the Government of Jordan
(Amman-29 September, 2005)-The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Suhair Al-Ali, will head the mid term review of the UNICEF Programme of Cooperation with the Government of Jordan today at the Grand Hyatt Hotel at 9:00 a.m.
For the past six months, a dialogue has been on-going among the Government, key partners and UNICEF to discuss achievements, strengths and challenges in the 2003-2007 Programme of Cooperation. This is a mandatory requirement for all UNICEF country programmes world wide.
The aim of the mid term review process is to assess to which extent the Programme is actually meeting its stated goals and objectives. UNICEF will take note of what partners have to say and make provisions for programmatic adjustments for the remaining cycle. Discussions will be focusing on the five UNICEF Jordan programme components: Integrated Early Childhood Development, Protection, Adolescents Participation and Empowerment, Community Development, and the National Movement for Children and Monitoring of Rights.
“The review process has been a positive and encouraging one, undertaken in a truly participatory manner,” said Anne Skatvedt, UNICEF Jordan Representative. She added that “the process has reconfirmed that the Country Programme of Cooperation is still highly relevant to Jordan's national agenda for children, adolescents, and women. “
The Country Programme of Cooperation adopts a rights-based, gender sensitive and life-cycle approach. It works within the framework of the Government’s national plan for the acceleration of socio-economic development
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OCTOBER 2005
© UNICEF Pakistan/Asad Zaidi
Queen Rania of Jordan Provides the People of Pakistan with Humanitarian Aid
Muzaffarabad (29 October,2005)-In her capacity as a humanitarian and member of the UNICEF Global Leadership Initiative, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan , accompanied by Prince Rashed Al-Hasan, visited the earthquake-ravaged areas of Pakistan on Saturday.
Click here to download and view Queen Rania's video
"The extent of the damage is hard to imagine…children have been orphaned, two million children are displaced. The window for extending a helping hand is closing," stressed Her Majesty during a visit to a destroyed government school. The latter was a Girls High school in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Around 80 girls at this school along with their headmistress died as a result of the earthquake which hit in the morning, when most children were at school.
According to the Pakistani Government, approximately 75,000 people have been injured as a result of the earthquake which devastated the Country on 8 October, 2005. So far, estimates are that over 53,000 have died, the majority of which were in Muzaffarabad.
"We do not have sufficient resources, UNICEF needs $70 million to meet the immediate needs of the children of Pakistan," stressed Ronald Van Dijk, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Senior Programme Officer, as he accompanied the Queen. Her Majesty spoke to the children and mothers in the UNICEF-supported-school tents, asking about their needs and conditions.
UNICEF's long-term relief effort in the quake zones is focused on restoring schools and helping children and their families address lingering psychosocial impact. The Organisation supports counseling for vulnerable children both in schools and in the community. There is now dire need to protect children in Pakistan who are unaccompanied, injured and traumatized.
"UNICEF is trying to relieve the distress of these children by diverting their attention. We provide them with opportunities to learn and play in safe spaces," said Van Dijk. The children of Pakistan are suffering form visible and invisible wounds. By going back to school these little minds will hopefully be kept busy from re-living the nightmare they have suffered-these children have lost everything. The Children's Organisation states that $3 can educate a child in Pakistan.
The earthquake has shattered the lives of thousands of children, leaving them homeless, injured, and in many cases, orphaned. Her Majesty also toured Abbas Hospital in Muzaffarabad and spoke to women and children there.
Children in Pakistan are now at risk of disease outbreak, with measles, polio and tetanus representing the most pressing threats. Approximately 120,000 children have been vaccinated. The Organisation is supporting Pakistan to immunize affected children and provide them with Vitamin A supplements .
With winter fast approaching in the Country, the four million people who have been displaced (half of which are children) are in urgent need of shelter, food and medicine.
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Global AIDS crisis gets first-ever global awareness campaign
Whoopi Goldberg, Sir Roger Moore, Lord Richard Attenborough and Yvonne Chaka Chaka Unveil Outdoor Ads at Same-Day Events in New York, London and Johannesburg
Joint campaign from UNICEF and Clear Channel Outdoor will appear in 50 countries
Johannesburg, London, New York, 27 October 2005 – Clear Channel Outdoor and UNICEF today launched the first-ever global outdoor advertising campaign to raise awareness of the enormous impact of HIV/AIDS on children. At simultaneous events in Johannesburg, London and New York celebrities joined representatives of the two organizations to unveil a powerful image depicting a young child standing by her parents’ graves. The campaign will be seen on billboards and other outdoor displays in 50 countries around the world.
The creative resulted from a worldwide competition that received a tremendous response from the world’s advertising agencies. The winning creative, by Bester Burke, an agency in Cape Town, South Africa, was chosen from over 300 entries. The campaign will debut globally starting in November.
“Children are disproportionately impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. “They are watching their hopes and dreams crumble as parents, teachers, caregivers and role models succumb to AIDS. And children still see only a fraction of the resources dedicated to fight the disease. The Clear Channel Outdoor partnership will help make the public aware that, children are the missing face of AIDS.”
“Outdoor displays are extraordinarily effective at grabbing people's attention and delivering information that people retain,” said Paul Meyer, global president of Clear Channel Outdoor. “We can think of no better way to use the world's only true global outdoor network than to partner with UNICEF in this important work.”
The creative was unveiled in New York by UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Sir Roger Moore and Whoopi Goldberg along with Kami, the HIV-positive Muppet who appears regularly on the South African co-production of Sesame Street called Takalani Sesame. In London the campaign was launched by Lord Puttnam, UNICEF U.K. president and Lord Richard Attenborough, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. And in Johannesburg, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, South Africa’s legendary musical sensation, helped kick off the campaign across Africa. All of the participating artists are passionate about the urgent need to alert the world to the fact that children are missing from the global AIDS agenda.
To a large and unacceptable degree, children are missing from global awareness, budgets, and action on HIV/AIDS. They are missing services, care, support, and knowledge.
Fewer than 5 percent of HIV-positive children have access to treatment they need.
Less than 10 percent of children who have lost parents to AIDS get public support or care.
Only 10 percent of pregnant women have access to services that can prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
While important gains have been made in global funding for HIV/AIDS, children remain dangerously underserved. As long as this continues, the number of children infected, killed, orphaned, and left vulnerable due to AIDS will continue rising.
The creative will run on multi-format posters, street furniture and bus-sides in the following countries: Angola, Australia, Botswana, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Latvia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Lithuania, Mexico, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, Ukraine, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
About Clear Channel Outdoor
Clear Channel Outdoor, based in Phoenix, Ariz., is a global leader in outdoor advertising with over 800,000 displays in more than 50 countries across 6 continents.
In the United States, the company operates over 164,000 advertising displays and has a major presence in 42 U.S. markets. It manages over 60% of the spectacular displays in Times Square and approximately 45,000 taxi displays in 25 major U.S. markets. The Company also provides the advertising programs in more than 200 U.S. malls, as well as over 200 international retail centers. Clear Channel Outdoor also provides advertising displays in 15 major U.S. airports and 44 international airports.
Clear Channel Adshel is the company's International street furniture division that operates advertising franchises pursuant to over 6,000 municipal contracts worldwide.
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NOVEMBER 2005
Adolescents Speak Out
Amman (30 November, 2005)-In response to a request made by adolescents in Jordan to produce and broadcast their own television programmes, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has this year supported the production of fourtelevision programmes by and for youth.Young people, aged 12-18 years, have been working hard since the summer on researching, planning, and producing programmes focusing on HIV/AIDS, violence against children, and sports.
"We had great fun, it was a great experience. We really had the chance to express ourselves, and we spoke a lot about the problems we are facing and seeing. We studied and researched cases related to abuse particularly sexual, physical and neglect. We hope that we can help through our shows," said Amal Al Emlah (16) a participant from Zarqa.
The 25 talented adolescents producing these shows come from Amman, Zarqa and its neighbouring villages. The young producers have benefited from UNICEF-supported-projects implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and the Higher Council for Youth.
“Sar Waktuna” (Our Time has Come) is the name chosen by the youths to highlight their need for television programmes, and to give them the chance to say what they want in the manner they want.
These episodes will be broadcast on the local and satellite channels of Jordan television starting 2 December, 2005 at 16:00 to commemorate World AIDS Day celebrated the day before. After the first episode, others will be broadcast every Friday at the same time and for the following two weeks. The episodes encompass field reporting, interviews with abused children, discussions about the results of research conducted by the youths for each subject, and television spots by UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Mahmoud Kabil and David Beckham.
A wrap up will be made on the International Children's Day of Broadcasting on Friday (16 December, 2005) where these children will go live on television after the broadcast of their third episode. Here, adolescents will evaluate their experience, host guest speakers, and will be taking phone calls. They’ll also highlight important e-mails (saarw2tna@yahoo.com) and faxes (+9626-4779411) they receive from the public.
The International Children’s Day of Broadcasting takes place every year in December. Through its 165 field offices, UNICEF encourages broadcasters to open their airwaves and broadcast studios to young people so that they can produce programming from a child’s perspective. This Day gives children the opportunity to express themselves by creating shows focusing on their own concerns, hopes and ambitions.
Power of sport theme for ICDB
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DECEMBER 2005
The International Children's Day of broadcasting
For the past six years, JRTV has given space to children to express their views on issues of interest to them. But what makes this year's ICDB different from previous years is that children aged 12-18 years have been researching, interviewing, and script writing since the summer for their television programme “Sar Waktuna” (Our Time has Come) prior to the actual day of celebrating ICDB.
The programmes started to be broadcast on Jordan Television on 2 December, 2005 and will conclude this Friday. The shows have focused on HIV/AIDS, violence against children, and sports.
"I have gained so much from this experience and I am much more confident. I also felt so sad and shocked when I found out during my investigations on abuse for the show, that one of my own class mates is being abused, "said Widad Zude (13) from the Um Al Saleeh Village near Zarqa.
After the broadcast of their episode on sports for peace and development at 4:00 p.m on Friday, the children will go live on air, with Educational and Communication Specialist Rawan Damen, to share with their audience "the best of" their three episodes. They will also interview young Jordanian sports champions including Taekwondo Gold medalist and 13 year old Rawan Jabery. The children will be taking telephone calls (+9629-4200111), and responding to e-mails (saarw2tna@yahoo.com) and faxes (+9626-4779411) from the public.
The International Children's Day of Broadcasting is celebrated every year in December. It is a day when broadcasters around the world "Tune in to Kids". They air quality programming for and about children. But most of all, they allow children to be part of the programming process, to talk about their hopes and dreams and share information with their peers. Every year, thousands of broadcasters in more than a hundred countries take part in the day, celebrating it in ways that are as unique and special as children themselves.
For the past 13 years the International Children's Day of Broadcasting has celebrated the role of children in shaping the world around them, and shown how young people can take a leading role in radio and television broadcasting all over the globe. The day has won the support of over 2,500 TV and radio station in 170 countries, from satellite networks covering continents to tiny community radio stations in war-torn countries
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A Digital Scream
Amman (14 December, 2005)-"Am I a child or a man? I am a child by age and a man at work," explains Ali (17), who works to sustain his family of six. Ali also goes to school, but has some strong feelings about his work: "Young people pass in front of me while I fry falafel (chickpea balls) and look at me as though I am different from them. I want this film I helped create to show everybody that I have feelings and that I am not different because I work during school days and holidays.”
The film Ali is referring to is a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) initiative where children in refugee camps are given the opportunity to express themselves and to be heard through digital storytelling broadcast through the Internet.
'The Story of Ali' was chosen to be the digital highlight of UNICEF's State of the World's Report launched globally on 14 December, 2005. In Jordan, the Report was launched by Senator Leila Sharaf, a member of the Friends of Jordanian Children advocacy group, at UNICEF House yesterday.
Under the title of 'Excluded and Invisible', the Report is a sweeping assessment of the world’s most vulnerable children, whose rights to a safe and healthy childhood are exceptionally difficult to protect. This annual flagship Report highlights the four circumstances in which children are most likely to become invisible and forgotten: Children who are forced to take on adult roles, children without a formal identity, children without parental care, and children who are exploited.
Anne Skatvedt, UNICEF Jordan Representative, said at the launch of the Report that "Children who are forced to take on adult roles and responsibilities too early in life miss crucial stages of childhood development." An estimated 171 million children are working in hazardous conditions and with dangerous machinery, including in factories, mines and agriculture.
Regarding the subject matter chosen for 'The Story of Ali', according to director Bashar Sharaf who worked with the adolescents, " There were many other topics which the kids wanted to capture on film, some powerful such as the right to a passport, living with divorced parents, but difficult to get people to openly speak about." Sharaf adds that ''Children who have to work to support their families was the topic chosen by these young boys and girls as a result of several brainstorming sessions, and because it was not difficult to capture on film." Six adolescents involved in the production of 'The Story Ali' explained to selected members of the media invited to the Jordan launch of the Report how 26 young people, including five girls, were trained in film production this year. For 27 days, young people worked together at Souf Camp from four refugee camps in the northern parts of the Kingdom of Jordan: Souf, Jerash, Hoson, and Irbid. This was part of a joint UNICEF and UNRWA Women's Programme cooperation project.
“This has been an eye-opener for the kids. Whereas they are used to rote learning in their schools-they found it difficult at first to express themselves and speak to the other sex,” says Sharaf explaining that “they soon overcame their shyness, and spoke freely about issues which concerned them.”
Souf Camp is one of six emergency camps set up for Palestinian refugees coming from the West Bank as a result of the 1967 war. It falls under the umbrella of the Department of Palestinian Affairs. There are 17,000 inhabitants in this camp, 3,400 are young people aged between 15-18 years. Jordan hosts 1.7 million registered Palestinian refugees. Through its Palestinian Refugees in Jordan Programme, UNICEF focuses on the development and participation of adolescents – this digital filmmaking is such an example.
The message in this year's State of the World's Children Report is about meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and its Declaration to safeguard children over the next decade. Some of the root causes of exclusion as seen in the Report are poverty, HIV/AIDS, gender, and disability. The persistence of abuse and exploitation jeopardizes progress on all MDGs which the Report links to child protection.
"This documentary about child labour is a personal scream, we wanted to reach out, make people living outside the camps know of our issues," announces Ali with a maturity brought about by his many years of having to take responsibility for his family. The young man, with jet black hair and large brown eyes, recalls how he once fell asleep after a 12-hour working day during the holidays and his hand accidentally went into the food grinder. Holding up his right hand , which was miraculously saved, Ali exclaims that "It’s tough, but what’s even tougher is having young people my age pass by and stare because I am not out doing the same things that they are doing.”
The State of the World's Children 2006 Report outlines concrete actions to prevent children falling between the cracks. These include matching national laws to international commitments to children, finance and capacity-building, programmes, research, monitoring and reporting. The Report recommends and puts the responsibility of lending visibility to near "invisible" children on civil society, the family, government, the private sector, donors and the media.
'The Story of Ali' is a first person account given by Ali himself about his feelings and thoughts about working to help his family and going to school. Haneen (15) describes this project as having “strengthened my personality and self-confidence, it has helped us make new friends, express ourselves, and make people listen to us.” She explains, whilst pulling forward her navy blue head scarf, that being a girl made it difficult for her to join, but then she convinced her parents that there were other girls taking part and that the project was important: “People have to know about the lives of children living in refugee camps.”
These adolescents will now train others in the skills they have learnt, so as to vent out their emotions and to “utilise their energy positively” as one young girl put it. But more girls need to join and as Areej (16) assures with a pearly white smile, “Our parents are now used to boys and girls mixing and working together as a team.”