GNRC–Uganda through Youth Leaders for Restoration and Development (YOLRED) organized a community training on ending violence against children, on 6th July 2017 in Makindye, Northern Uganda. Twenty-four (24) participants were reached through the one-day training workshop. With the worrying trends of violence against children worldwide, GNRC–Uganda sought to create awareness on the issue by educating the community on the rights and responsibilities of children. The training was supported by the Goldin Institute and the Caritas Counselling and Training Institute.

Various topics on violence against children were discussed, including, the various forms of violence, their signs and their consequences on the lives of children. The importance of working with community stakeholders including security personnel, relevant government departments, schools, parents, teachers, youth and children was emphasized.

Participants shared real life cases that have occurred in the community ranging from domestic, sexual and physical violence.It is recorded that one billion of the 2.2 billion children from all walks of life around the world endure different forms of physical and sexual violence, irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, race, religion or income levels. In 2012 alone, 95,000 children and adolescents under the age of 20 were killed in homicide cases globally. 

Mr. Geoffrey Omony, the Executive Director of YOLRED who participated at the GNRC 5th Forum, shared with participants the commitments made by children and religious leaders, dubbed the “Panama Declaration on Ending Violence Against Children”. The workshop participants made a commitment to make use of the knowledge gained, and the Panama commitments to address violence against children in their communities.