During the opening of the XXI Pan American Congress of children and adolescents, the Deputy Secretary General of the OAS, Ambassador Albert Ramdin, called authorities of all States membros of the Organization of American States (OAS) will not forget the goal this event: “Building peace environments across America”

“Ladies and gentlemen, there is no doubt in my mind that the central focus of this meeting: Building Environments of Peace for our Children, must be of the utmost priority for all of those present here today.  I am certain that this event, as promoted by Brazil, will act as a catalyst through which the Inter American Children’s Institute can bring together an array of strategic partners to forge a path for addressing and identifying solutions and strategies seeking to eradicate all forms of violence against our children and adolescents”

“As many of you already know, violence against children can take many forms: from physical harm to exposure to gangs and organized crime to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.  As modern democracies, we must all agree that this can no longer be tolerated in our societies– and that it can only be stopped by the collective efforts of ordinary citizens, policymakers, governments and international stakeholders”

Ambassador said that according to a recent UNICEF report on strategies for ending violence against children, “Every year, roughly 6 in 10 children between the ages of 2 and 14, or nearly a billion children worldwide, are regularly subjected to physical punishment by their caregivers.”   No child is immune. Those at risk cut across all boundaries of age, gender, religion, ethnic origin, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression.

So he said that the conviction of the OAS is to lay the groundwork for ”

our children and to future generations to lay the bases for them to thrive and live in peace, without fear of violence and abuse.  We must dedicate ourselves to this task and continue to be strong in our resolve to fight forcefully and tirelessly against any obstacles threatening the life and dignity of our children.

Read the full speech here in its original language

RESOLUTIONS

CPNNA/RES. 02 (XXI-14) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL FOR HOSTING THE XXI PAN-AMERICAN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT CONGRESS AND II PAN-AMERICAN CHILD FORUM

CPNNA/RES. 1 (XXI-14) UNIFIED RESOLUTION ON THE TWENTY-FIRST PAN AMERICAN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT CONGRESS. “Childhood and adolescence: Building peaceful environments”

http://www.sdh.gov.br/noticias/2014/dezembro/aviso-de-pauta-ministra-participa-da-abertura-do-21o-congresso-pan-americano-da-crianca-e-do-adolescente-nesta-quarta-10

With 200 children, adolescents , young and various institutions was performed the VI International Meeting of the Network NNA to Border Salto.

Participants discussed topics: such as dating violence and domestic, sexual violence, violence in sport , and racial discrimination. The main conclusions and contributions on these topics will be conducted by representatives of Uruguay at the II Pan American Forum of NNA to be held in Brasilia ( in the XXI Pan American Congress of IIN / OAS).

Is important that for first time the 3 countries managed the integration:

It was attended by delegations from Uruguay (Chuy, Thirty- Three, Rio Branco, Melo, Aceguá, Rivera, Artigas, Bella Union, Paysandu, Fray Bentos and Carmel, is hosting Salto) Brazil returned to participate Bage and Barra do Quaraí , and teenagers of Colon and Concordia participated in Argentina.

Accompanying the opening and during the day of the meeting that took place in the Northern Regional UdelaR : Dart Rodriguez (Director of INAU ), Rodrigo Brol ( Departmental Director Salto ) and Miriam Martinez (Director Departmental Rivera)

CKLN is collaborating with the Caribbean Child Development Centre, The University of the West Indies Open Campus at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, the Inter-American Children´s Institute (IIN) of the OAS, using facilities at the Open Campus (UWIOC), and the University of the Republic (Uruguay) which are connected to C@ribNET, the Caribbean’s regional research and education network, and the Latin American network, RedCLARA.

The objectives of the Caribbean Virtual Forum are:

1. To make a contribution to the 21st Child Congress from a Caribbean perspective.
2. To foster the leadership skills of children and adolescents, promoting their participation in issues in which they have a stake.
3. To disseminate information and provide a forum for examination of the issue of violence against children and adolescents.

Participants from Antigua, Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent will make recommendations to go forward to the 21st The Congress which will take place in Brasilia, Brazil on December 10 – 12, 2014 under the theme “ Violence against Children:  Building Peaceful Environments”

The Virtual Forum will be from 12 – 3pm (Jamaica Time) on Tuesday November 18

The SENAME Chile organized the “National Workshop on Preparation for the Second Pan American Forum of Children, and Adolescents,” in order to create a space for information and reflection, enabling children and adolescents develop an opinion about the topics to be discussed at the upcoming Pan American Forum.

This national workshop was attended adolescents Advisory Council SENAME coming from different geographical areas of the country, as well as representatives of civil society. Boys, girls and adolescents participants took part in different areas of information, reflection and exchange on the issues, in order to generate opinions and proposals developed as representatives of Chile. They helped organizations like Foundation Option, Marist Foundation and ECPAT in exposing these issues.

The selection of teens who will represent Chile in the Forum will be made based on criteria that were determined by the same children in the workshop, in addition to the principles of democratic elections and respect for diversity of geographical areas and gender. The members of the Advisory Council of Children and Adolescents SENAME and adolescents delegates from civil society will form the final state delegation.

The National System for Development Integralde the Family (DIF) as a board member of the Inter-American Children, and Adolescents (IIN), convened in early October to 27 children and adolescent members of the National Network of Diffusers on the Rights of the Child, in order to democratically selected representatives of Mexican children for the II Pan American Forum of Children, and Adolescents.

Broadcasters Network for Children’s Rights is a national program launched by the DIF in coordination with State DIF, in order that from childhood itself disseminate and promote their rights within the family, school and community, with due support from the authorities in order to have a community participation based on local realities.

Girls, children and adolescents representing various states of Mexico addressed the priority issues for the Second Forum, related to violence against children, criminal justice and adolescent sexual exploitation. Also by a vote in polls, the diffusers and the Rights of the Child, chosen to represent them in the event, being selected four teenagers: Marbella Quezada Perez 14 years representative of Michoacan de Ocampo, Sheyla Java Balcazar 14 years Associate of Veracruz, Francisco Peralta Llamas delegate Tuxpan 15 years and Angel Perez Perez 15 years representative of Oaxaca.

The four teens representatives carry the voice of Mexican children at Pan II Forum to be done in order to include the participation of children and young representatives of the countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) in celebration of the XXI Pan American Congress.

Thanks everyone who participated and congratulations to the winner the venezuelan Nerio Andrés Rincón Ducat, of 12 years old.