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executive summary
responsibility of states to protect children.
Collaboration across all sectors is vital to
promote change and ensure the realisation of
children’s rights.
Lessons learned from civil society practice
in promoting child protection need to be
shared. There is no magic formula – no single
intervention that works in all environments –
but standing out as giving value and hope to
children are programs whose designs
effectively apply common principles of the
CRC; the commitment of individuals and
agencies to work in difficult, uncertain areas;
approaches gaining the support of others to
understand and act on problems limiting the
lives of children; and practice that results in
changed attitude, behaviour, and resources.
Impact can be measured in many ways, but
increasing hope of children and communities
is a particularly valuable indicator, as it is an
investment in both today and tomorrow.
Experiences detailed in this report show
where NGOs including World Vision have
been able to extend the practical role of
governance in key areas of protection,
prevention and development. They engage on
areas of priority reflected in the aspirations of
children and noted as concerns by country
mechanisms monitoring the implementation
of the CRC. Program models that promote
children’s participation in development also
serve to strengthen protection of children.
Direct service makes a difference to
beneficiaries, but its impact can be furthered
when linked to advocacy on policy. Research
demonstrating the links between the “micro”
and “macro” aspects of child protection can
promote change at both levels. Greater
attention is needed to getting the message,
whether of good practice or emerging
problems, into the public arena. One aspect
of globalisation is the increased availability,
speed and influence of information. Initiatives
that work well to address child protection in
the field can, if communicated in a timely and
accessible way, influence program designs in
other countries and regions.
Over the past 20 years, NGOs have
documented and published on child abuse
and neglect, pushed for legal change and
aroused public opinion. Never before have
states agreed to accept so many restrictions
on their domestic behaviour or to submit to
so much international scrutiny. 4 Change is
often difficult, but it is possible.
Indeed, as this report demonstrates, the
practical interventions needed to protect
children and reduce the threats to their
safety and well-being are clearly do-able. So
what is holding us back?
At grassroots level, the ideas and energy to
bring about change often already exist – they
need to be resourced and mobilised. It is
crucial that at higher levels, decisions
(including that of inaction) do not have the
effect of holding back important changes at
the grassroots.
This report’s focus is from a civil society
perspective, but clearly draws attention to
the need for ongoing government and donor
commitment. Local and national government
agencies and officials clearly have a primary
role in protecting children, and NGO activity
should never be seen as a replacement for
government obligations.
At the same time, “from whom much is
given, much shall be required”. Of most
concern has been the lack of initiatives by all
donors/lenders to assist governments with
budget support and capacity-building help for
children at risk. The failure of major
development institutions to recognise and
address the problem of children at risk
reflects the very marginalisation of this
problem. International institutions such as the
World Bank, which seek to pressure states to
strengthen governance and improve the rule
of law, have been insufficiently concerned to
ensure that children benefit from their
efforts.
This report shows examples of what can be
4 See, for example, "The world is watching: A survey of human rights law", The Economist, 5 December 1998
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