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Sombor, Serbia – 28 July 2016<\/p>\n
Arigatou International\u2019s Interfaith Initiative to End Child Poverty (End Child Poverty) and The Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC) in collaboration with the Somborski Edukativni Centar (SEC) co-hosted a Round Table at the Sombor Municipal Hall, Serbia on 28th July 2016.<\/p>\n
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The event entitled \u2018Faith Communities Partnering Towards Ending Child Poverty and Violence against Children\u2019 focused on the link between child poverty and violence against children and role of faith communities and children in aligning ending child poverty actions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also highlighted ways that children experience poverty and the patterns of poverty across the Balkans as well as the common drivers of poverty. In addition, the meeting addressed challenges of child poverty, while simultaneously providing new sustainable pathways.<\/p>\n
Mr. Sr\u0111an Vla\u0161kali\u0107, Executive Director of the Somborski Edukativni Centar (SEC)<\/a> , the moderator of the session, set the tone by welcoming the participants and setting the context of the Round Table. He then invited Mr. Antonio Ratkovi\u0107, the Deputy Mayor of Sombor City to officially open the meeting. In his remarks the Deputy Mayor welcomed the idea of a faith-inspired process towards ending child poverty and violence against children, as well as expressed his wish that the reflections would be followed by concrete actions.<\/p>\n Rev. Fred Nyabera, Director, End Child Poverty\u2013Arigatou International, shared an overview of Arigatou International and its initiatives. He highlighted the importance of working together to end poverty and violence against children. \u201cWe are fully aware of the importance of working together, with various stakeholders, as well as children and young people. As a faith inspired organization, we realize the importance of riding on each other\u2019s strength towards catalyzing change… Such partnership should provide a platform to learn from each other\u2019s experience, and foster concrete and measurable results. Together we can end child poverty and violence against children\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n Mr. Sa\u0161a Stefanovi\u0107, President of the Network of Organisations for Children of Serbia-MODS<\/a>, referred to the importance of addressing violence against children. He further highlighted the need for data, and recalled the creation of a national framework to measure social impact within the Balkans, as well as the issuing of legislation to protect children from different forms of violence. \u201cWhile there are many laws and policies in place to target child poverty, as well as violence against children, not enough is being done at a local level to respond to the needs and fulfil the rights of all children\u201d, he said. He further called for data collection, monitoring and evaluation as well as action plans focusing on addressing child poverty at local, municipal and national levels.<\/p>\n Ms. Emma Grindulis, Advocacy and Parliamentary Officer, Eurochild<\/a>, called attention to the historic opportunity provided by the SDGs towards ending child poverty and violence against children. \u201cFaith based communities can use the SDGs to accelerate a child rights-based approach to ending child poverty\u201d, she emphasized. <\/p>\n Mr. Stephen Katende, Local Level Advocacy Learning Hub Lead \/ Development, Learning, and Impact \/ MEERO, from World Vision<\/a> Bosnia and Herzegovina, remarked on why putting an end to violence against children is so important and urgent, and highlighted the staggering statistics that amplify the dire state of children living in poverty and violent situations in the Balkan countries. He lauded the faith led initiative but urged the faith communities to do more by maximizing on their comparative advantage to mobilize their constituencies towards policy and social change and citizens participations in the municipal legislation and the delivery of social services.<\/p>\n Fr. Sr\u0111an Ne\u0161i\u0107, Priest at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Sombor; Mr. Igor Jakobfi from Beli Manastir, a representative of the Catholic Religious Community in Sombor; and Effendi Veton Zorjani representative of the Muslim community in Vojvodina; all referred to the importance of commitments from faith communities to preventive and responsive actions to tackle child poverty and violence against children. They highlighted the strategies that are being implemented within their respective faith communities to address these issues, including the use of faith inspired resources and tools such as sacred texts, worship spaces, advocacy for policy and social change and practical action and support to the economically dis advantaged.<\/p>\n Mr. Aleksandar Trudi\u0107, Youth worker, SEC expounded on his practical experiences working with the youth and regretted the lack of personal and collective sense of responsibility among most youth as citizens. He praised SEC for having achieved what many other organizations had failed to do in regard to youth mobilization and action.<\/p>\n
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