| Posted: April 15 2005,08:44 |
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
We
don't have how to measure the progress toward a culture of peace and
non-violence in our domain of action. Our work consists on visiting
families to orient them about actions of health, nutrition,
citizienship and education. In this visits, the volunteers also talks
with the family about the importance of keeping peace at home and
avoiding violence. But, unfortunately, we still don't have indicators
to measure the results of these conversations about peace.
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OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
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The
most important obstacles to promote a culture of peace are the poverty,
unemployment, hungry and illiteracy in the families.
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ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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Every
child is a seed of peace or violence that needs a lot of care and love
to grow strong and bear good fruits. The building of a peace culture
starts before the child is born, when the mother is pregnant, and
consolidates in the first years of the child’s life, living together
with the family, the neighbors and in the school. On the other hand,
prioritizing social action and public policies that guarantee the life
quality of families in the first years of the children’s life is the
best investment one can make.
Therefore, the Pastoral da Criança
works a set of actions with the families and communities. More than 242
thousand volunteers are continually trained and recycled to know the
levels and the quality of the development of more than 1.8 million
children under age six assisted by the entity, including tracking
potential domestic violence environments and situations. Fathers,
mothers, family members and tutors receive guidance through home visits
and monthly meetings, including topics such as how to give birth,
increase and afford a peaceful environment for the development of the
children.
The opportunity to grow up and live in healthy families
and communities, being cared and participating in activities fit to
each phase of the child development ensures greater chances to form
secure and balanced adults who are able to participate in the decisions
that affect their reality. The best way to fight violence and promote a
fraternal life is to invest in preventive actions, through daily
practices that lead us to a full life in the family, the communities,
churches, schools, work environments, and everywhere.
Peace is a
culture and depends on mid and long term investments in the base, in
the roots of society. To cherish this seed means preventing exclusion
and war, means preventing hostility among different groups. To cherish
the seed is to invest in the quality of life as a whole, in the
community life, in sharing, in adding efforts. Peace in the future
depends on the children of today.
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ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
Dear Secretary-General
The
voluntary work can be understood as the expression of serving the
others with joy. The volunteers live the dimension of solidarity and
love, developing together concrete action towards those who need help.
The advocacy and partnership that are so important for the
accomplishment of the Millenium Development Goals - MDGs, in the
view of Pastoral da Criança, must have the support and the empowerment
of volunteer work. As a result, for instance, it is possible to reduce
child mortality, malnutrition, and family violence.
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PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
- Global Network of Religions for Children;
- UNICEF
- UNESCO
- CONIC (National Council of Brazilian Christian Churches)
- Criança Esperança Project (promoted by Globo Net of Television and UNESCO)
- Social Ministries Organization of CNBB (National Conference of Brazilian Bishops)
- Brazilian Federal Government
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
Pastoral
da Criança follows up about 1,8 million Brazilian poor children under
six years old, which means 18% of the total of 9,607,443 poor children
under six years old. We consider a poor children those ones whose
families earns two minimal wages or less (a minimal wage is 260 reais
or about 90 dollars). Our goal is to follow up 100% of the poor
Brazilian children.
The increase of the this number will certainly
brings peace to the house of hundreds of other families, since Pastoral
da Criança's actions help to prevent violence by promoting the
strenghtening of the solidarity knots in the communities and families.
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Postal address of organization
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Rua Jacarezinho, 1691 - Mercês
Curitiba - PR Brasil
80810-900
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E-mail address of organization
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pastcri@pastoraldacrianca.org.br
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Website address of organization
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www.pastoraldacrianca.org.br
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Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Free Flow of Information
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Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Education for a culture of Peace
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Highest priority country of action (or international)
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Brazil (regional)
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Second priority country of action (or international)
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Based
on the Brazilian experience, Pastoral da Criança is transferring
methodology and technical support for countries likewise initiatives
such as in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay,
Venezuela, Mexico, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, East Timor and
the Philippines.
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