Sombor Educational Center, a member of GNRC, commemorated the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children by carrying out an outdoor event in Sombor, Serbia. The activity, hosted on 20th November 2017, sought to echo the theme of the international day namely Stop Violence Against Children. The event was supported by Arigatou International Prayer and Action for Children, the TRAG Foundation, the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, the CSO Dialogue and local authorities.

The event began with the collection of signatures from community members in support of the campaign to end violence against children. The signatures will be passed to the local authorities to document the communities’ commitments towards ending violence against children. More than 50 citizens of Sombor have since signed the campaign document on ending violence against children. Sombor Educational Center also plans to share the Panama Commitments on Ending Violence Against Children with all local organizations dealing with children’s rights in the country.

The Center collected donations from well-wishers a week to the material date, to be distributed to vulnerable families in Sombor before the New Year holidays. Participants were taught on the importance of ending violence against children with much prominence given to the three sub-themes of the GNRC 5th Forum namely: Protecting Children from Violent Extremism, Gang Violence and Organized Crime; Nurturing Spirituality and Ending Violence in Child Upbringing; and Ending Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children.

The campaign on ending violence against children is set to continue in Serbia with more training to be offered to the community in the future.