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executive summary
The Philippines
In the Philippines, a significant advantage is
that national child protection legislation
exists. Greater opportunity exists for
concerned groups to access information from
and to lobby government. Implementing
national policy at the local government level,
however, requires the involvement of NGOs
and civil society to identify practical child
protection measures, maximise opportunities
and counter constraints.
Findings included:
• Partnership, community organising and a
broad range of involvements assist in
gaining local ownership, securing a legal
base for a local government code and
creating expectation/commitment for
implementation.
“Start with the window of the community, and
then you need to make a door”
– comment from NGO discussion
in the Philippines
• Civil society gains strength through
functioning networks, which allow for local
issues of child protection to be addressed
in ways that would not be possible for a
single agency to achieve.
• Where children and communities have a
vibrant faith-based commitment, this is a
source of hope and energy for change.
• The development of local legislation
supported by local taxes promotes local
accountability for child protection.
• Documentation of the process of
development of a children’s code has
allowed for this approach to be adapted to
other provinces and similar codes formed.
Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, decades of conflict have affected
children, compromised their development
and in some cases, seen children themselves
actively participate in the fighting. Sri Lankan
children have experienced reduced access to
education and development, and have
identified domestic violence and loss of
livelihood as other threats to their
development and protection.
The findings of this chapter include:
• The Sri Lankan Children’s Challenge, an
event linked to the 2002 United Nations
General Assembly Special Session on
Children, gave more than 11,000 children
the opportunity to identify barriers they
face and to recommend solutions to their
Government. This successful campaign is
one example of advocacy supported by
inter-agency cooperation.
• Children have capacity and potential to
advocate locally, even when others fear to
raise their voice; this is illustrated by the
success of a children-led movement to
oppose illegal alcohol brewing which
contributes to high rates of domestic
violence.
• Community structures and approaches can
be developed that promote child
protection on a local and national level.
• Relief efforts, in areas of the country that
are now becoming more accessible, need
to include child protection as a key area of
response along with issues of health and
education.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, the main focus of the study is
children with disabilities. Awareness of
disability and of child abuse or neglect is often
extremely limited, and those in need of extra
care are too often invisible to others. The
study examines community-based approaches
that engage with local communities and
structures in integrated care and
rehabilitation for these children, seeking to
broaden the definition of “community” to
include vulnerable members who often are
hidden away.
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