 Tuesday
at the Prepcom
A world apart, but similar concerns
New York, June 12 - At a workshop on the Global Movement for Children
on Tuesday, some participants found out that issues of primary concern
in their own backyards were strikingly similar to those of others
from half a world away.
When one presenter from New York stated that education was one
of the top three problems in the United States, participants from
Malawi, Hong Kong, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Nigeria,
Romania and Mongolia, among others, followed up with exactly the
same sentiment.
The workshop, "Bringing the Global Movement for Children
Alive", is one of the many activities planned during the week-long
third Preparatory Committee meeting of the UN General Assembly's
Special Session on Children.
In some instances, details of the problems were different: the
disparity between wealthy and poor school districts in the United
States; the attitude in Nigeria that education for girl children
was wasted because it "would end up in the kitchen"; or
the fact that poor children in Malawi did not attend free primary
schooling because they could not afford school supplies like pens
and exercise books.
In other instances the details were identical. Participants from
Mali, Romania, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, the United
States, Malawi, Nigeria and other nations all highlighted the need
for improved teacher training, better salaries for teachers and
the need to enhance respect for the teaching profession.
The need for more effective, frank, taboo-busting HIV/AIDS education
was another common call from the diverse constituents, as was the
need for improvements in environmental law enforcement.
"We have environmental laws but they are enforced too slowly
and not very effectively," reported one participant on behalf
of his group.
"Was that for the US?" whispered one person who was
taking notes. "No, I think Tanzania," someone answered.
Actually, the comment came from a participant from Mongolia.
Breakaway groups discussed the ten imperatives in the rallying
call for the Global Movement for Children and suggested community
projects to target the root causes of what will emerge as the three
high priority problems. The possible projects ranged from peer education
programmes on HIV/AIDS and dealing with cultural barriers against
listening to children, to raising awareness about the special case
of families in which one parent is in jail. (For more information
about the rallying call and Say Yes campaign, log on to www.gmfc.org)
The workshop was put together by two non-governmental organizations,
Peaceways and the Young General Assembly.
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