NEWS BANJUL THE GAMBIA(MB)- According to information from UNICEF Office in Banjul has indicated that UNICEF cheered the kick off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup today. A series of partnerships and programmes around the global football championship will provide children with the opportunity to learn about their world, and help harness the power of sport to promote children’s rights.
“UNICEF is very excited to be able to give more children the chance to safely experience the thrill of the World Cup, whether they’re sitting in the stadium or watching from their own villages,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director from New York.
A programme called World Cup in My Village piloted in two African countries by UNICEF, the Children’s Radio Foundation and other community partners. It will give young people who would otherwise not have the opportunity the chance to see World Cup football matches on large open-air screens and projectors. The special screens have been set-up in the Rubavu District in Rwanda, and in the town of Mongu and the UNHCR Refugee Camp of Mayukwayukwa in Zambia; places where there is no electricity or broadcast connection. In addition to the football, the screens will broadcast important information about children’s health and their rights.
In the host country, a special partnership between UNICEF and the South African government will address potential problems that may arise due to the massive influx of people. In a country where 12 million children live in poverty, special attention is being given to unaccompanied minors, some of whom may be induced to travel to the cities where games are played in search of employment opportunities and adventure.
With hundreds of millions of people tuned into the competition and the celebrations, the World Cup is a venue for many important messages about child rights for children and adults.
A massive Red Card communication campaign has been launched that sends out a message that child abuse and exploitation have no place in South Africa. Targeted at children, parents and tourists, the campaign uses digital, print and electronic outreach to warn about child abuse, exploitation, child sex tourism and trafficking.
A key ally in getting the message out, especially to foreign visitors, is Fair Trade in Tourism in South Africa (FTTSA), an organization that works alongside the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and now has 30 tourism industry companies signed up to the International Code against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. These partners, including hotels, car rental companies and tour operators will also disseminate messages about child rights and safety throughout their networks. The Red Card campaign is expected to reach millions of people in South Africa and neighbouring countries
In addition to raising awareness and helping ensure services are available to protect unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable children, UNICEF has worked closely with South
Africa’s Department of Social Development, Child Welfare South Africa and other civil society partners to set up referral systems and train social workers.
Child-friendly spaces, supported by UNICEF and partners, will open at four of the major FIFA Fan Fests in Soweto, Sandton, Nelspruit and Port Elizabeth. The sites are expected to host 15,000 to 45,000 fans as well as social workers, child and youth care workers and trained volunteers charged with identifying children who are in need of protection and emergency care. TV screens will show matches in the spaces and age-appropriate activities will also be offered. UNICEF, Child Welfare South Africa and other partners will offer parents the option of voluntarily tagging children and themselves with numbered wristbands to facilitate easy reunification in the event that parents and their children are separated.
HIV prevalence in South Africa is high, and UNICEF has also contributed to prevention efforts to educate young people and their families about risks by supporting the Brothers for Life Campaign. This campaign leverages the star power of some of the world’s top football players, including Lionel Messi, Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry and Patrice Evra, through messages that will be displayed on billboards across the country promoting positive male behavior, HIV testing, alcohol consumption and safe sex.
“The World Cup gives us a chance to focus positive public attention on the special risks children face in countries like South Africa and around the world and the special efforts we can take to protect them from those threats,” said Lake. “We can use the popularity of sport to promote children's rights and wellbeing around the world.”
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. Visit www.unicef.org
For further information, please contact:
Yvonne Duncan, Mobile: +27 82 561 3970 yduncan@unicef.org
Kate Pawelczyk, Mobile: +27 72 217 3554 , kpawelczyk@unicef.org
Kate Donovan, UNICEF New York, 1 212 326 7452 kdonovan@unicef.org
Sally Sadie Singhateh, UNICEF Communication Specialist, The Gambia, + 220 449 4786, ssinghateh@unicef.org
For more information about UNICEF South Africa’s Red Card Information campaign, visit http://www.unicef.org/southafrica/index.html
For more information about The Code, visit www.thecode.org or contact FTTSA, or telephone +27 12 342 2945 or via e-mail thecode@fairtourismsa.org.za
For information about World Cup in My Village
Misbah Sheikh, UNICEF Rwanda, Tel +250 788 300 731, msheikh@unicef.org
Patrick Slavin, UNICEF Zambia Tel.: +260 977 770 616, pslavin@unicef.org
Janine Kandel, UNICEF New York, Tel.: + 1 212 326 7684 , jkandel@unicef.org
Attention broadcasters re: World Cup in My Village
Video footage and high resolution images will be available free of charge at www.thenewsmarket.com/unicef
Audio clips will be available free of charge at www.childrensradiofoundation.org
Stories about the screenings written by youth will be available on www.voicesofyouth.org
No comments:
Post a Comment