In 2 days from July 10 to 11, at Kim Lien Hotel – No. 5, 7 Dao Duy Anh Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Department of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs held Hanoi City Children’s Forum 2017 with the theme “Children and issues of violence and child sexual abuse prevention”.
Participating in a lot of useful and interesting activities, 100 children ranging from 10 to 16 years old from 08 units: Le Duan Union Team School (Representatives of Hanoi City Communist Youth Union), Long Bien District, Dong Da District, Thach That District, Quoc Oai District, Dong Anh District, and Birla Children’s Villages, and SOS Children’s Villages, representing for over 1.8 million children in the city expressed their wishes and aspirations and made recommendations to the Organizing Committee.
City Children’s Forum 2017
Hanoi City Children’s Forum event has been held annually since 2009 so far. This year Children’s Forum was held upon the effectiveness of the Children’s Law on June 1, 2017 – the first day of Action Month for Children. This is an important legal basis for better assurance of children’s rights in general and the rights of children’s participation in particular. The Forum aimed to obtain children’s opinions on building a safe, friendly and healthy environment for them. Managers and policy-makers considered the opinions to implement measures for preventing violence and child sexual abuse in a more effective manner.
In preparation for the City Children’s Forum, in June 2017, thousands of children in 30 districts, towns in the City participated in district-level and town-level forums to give their opinions on building a safe, friendly and healthy environment for them and preventing violence and child sexual abuse. They had the opportunity to meet, have dialogues with local government authorities, leaders of branches and agency, and organizations. Representatives were select to attend the City Children’s Forum 2017.
At the City Children’s Forum, the children continued to talk about issues related to the prevention of violence and child sexual abuse. In the Forum, children also expressed their desires to live a safer and healthier life.
Children of Long Bien district display the communication corner
At the first session (July 10, 1977), children were involved in many activities: displaying communication corner, exchanging, making acquaintance, learning about the meaning of communication products and themes presented by children of each unit. In addition, they had group discussions on their concerned issues such as Children rights and duties, prohibited behaviors for children; Children with issues of prevention of violence, child sexual abuse in family, schools, communities and network environment. For each aspect of discussion, children expressed their views and agreed to give questions and messages of the group in different ways such as painting and presentations. At night, children had the opportunity to joint art performance exchange program. The first session took place in a very exciting atmosphere.
On the second day (July 11), on which the dialogue was conducted, children gave questions to the leaders of the Department of Child Affairs – Ministry of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs, Department of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs and representatives of Departments, branches, agencies and organizations of the city, etc. With 12 times of raising opinions, they expressed their concerns and enquiries about the problems faced by them or their friends; thereby, the question like: what to do and who to ask for help in case of violence at school, in family, and who is responsible for traffic accidents or child sexual abuse, etc were thoroughly answered by unit’s leaders.
Children were selected to participate in the National Children’s Forum 2017
At the end of the Q&A session, the children gave 10 messages and 03 recommendations to the functional departments, branches and agencies, suggesting taking specific measures to handle any cases of violence, child sexual abuse; providing children with life skills from preschool age; investing in and building suitable entertaining places for children, opening psychological consultation rooms for children and selecting 04 children to participate in the National Children’s Forum in August 2017.
Mr. Dang Van Bat, Deputy Director of Department of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs, acquired proposals of the children at the Forum and affirmed that Department would continue to work with the City leadership in implementing the best policies for children. At the same time, the City’s branches and departments were requested to address the children’s recommendations at the City Children’s Forum.
At the end of the Forum, the leaders of the City Departments and branches gave gifts and awards to the units participating in the Forum.
Nguyen Mai