Today, violence against children is as widespread as it ever was. It knows no boundaries of race, religion or ethnicity. Everyday, boys and girls all over the world are victims of violence with devastating consequences to their physical and emotional development.
In 2001, the United Nations commissioned a study to document the impact of violence against children and to outline measures to confront this challenge. United Nations agencies, governments and civil society committed whole-heartedly to the study and its follow-up and, together with children, were involved in the participatory process from the beginning.
At an international level, SOS Children's Villages was a peer editor of the study and gave input to various chapters. Representatives of the organisation, including young people, participated in regional consultations in Europe and in the Middle East.
The Hermann Gmeiner Academy, the organisation's research unit, also made a submission to the study called
"Seeing Beyond Violence. Children as Researchers". SOS Children's Villages was able to bring its years of hands-on experience with children and youth to this important global process, so that the voices of the thousands of children without parental care could be heard.
The study also ignited national activities, for example in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the run-up to national consultations for the study, in 2006 SOS Children's Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with the governmental and non-governmental partners, organised an international conference to shed light on the thematic. The conference brought over 120 international experts together to debate and exchange experiences, and above all to hear experiences from children. Children presented their points of view on the topic and took part in the thematic round tables, giving a strong message to end violence against children in Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world.
After its publication, the
"World Report on Violence against Children" sparked a worldwide movement against violence. SOS Children's Villages will now continue to be a part of the international movement, which includes a call to appoint a Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence against Children to advocate concrete action to end the violence. SOS Children's Villages will remain active and vigilant to ensure change really does occur.