Children mark International Day to end Violence Against Children [Archives:2007/1097/Local News]

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October 25 2007

By: Fatima Al-Ajel
SANA'A, Oct. 24 ) Nearly 2,200 Yemeni children participated in activities marking International Day to end Violence Against Children. They called on the Yemeni government to stop violence against children and to limit such violence.

Children from Sana'a, Aden and Lahj's Kharaz refugee camp denounced all forms of violence, especially against children.

Activities included a display of awareness cartoons by children reflecting United Nations recommendations, as well as discussions, holding a march, music performance and doing radio and television interviews.

Save the Children-Sweden arranged the International Day to end Violence Against Children in cooperation with Aden's Safe Childhood Center and Shawthab Development Center and the Democracy School in Sana'a. Children in these organizations participated in the occasion with various activities.

Shawthab Development Center launched its activities with a film for a child named Ala'a Al-Ariani, focusing on violence children are exposed to on the streets, as well as that caused by early child marriage. Additionally, children sang songs related to the occasion.

Through their paintings, other Shawthab children asked the Yemeni government to activate laws already available and to make a law punishing those who outrage against children.

The children's exhibition was the outcome of nine days of workshops in Sana'a, Aden and Hajjah governorates. The child painters highlighted study recommendations by the U.N. secretary-general.

Maryam Al-Shawafi, secretary-general of Shawthab Development Center, added that three singing skits will be shown soon talking about how to protect children from sexual abuse, as well as an animated television film about the danger of children carrying weapons.
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