The first year of the project “Dardedze FOR society against abuse“ is coming to an end. It has been very dynamic, interesting and productive.
The experts of the Centre Dardedze, by participating in the working group “Implementation of the Victims Directive” of the Ministry of Justice and Parliamentary Committee meetings, are actively involved in legislative changes affecting children suffering from violence.
In parallel,work is continued not only with children who already have been victims of violence, but a strong emphasis is placed on preventive measures as well. Centre Dardedze professionals have visited several Latvian schools, giving lectures on violence prevention, the types of it and students’ ability to reduce violence in their environment, such as reducing mobbing in class. A close cooperation with school youth organizations and authorities has been established during the visits. Work with Latvian universities, such as the Rīga Stradiņš University, P.Stradins Medical College of the University of Latvia, as well as the Police College lecturers and students, is ongoing.
Specialists of the Centre Dardedze have met with the county social services’ leaders and visited several boarding schools throughout Latvia, to assess the risks of sexual violence in schools and local social rehabilitation services for children who were victims of violence.
Non-governmental organizations(NGOs) are a great support in ensuring a safe, violence-free environment for children. Centre Dardedze regularly partnered with several local and foreign NGOs and took part in their organized events. In September, Agnese Sladzevska represented Centre Dardedze in the international conference ‘International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect’ (http://www.ispcan.org/), which took place in Dublin. In the Conference Agnese Sladzevska successfully presented the activity of the Centre Dardedze and built new contacts with foreign NGOs. In October, in cooperation with The Resource Centre for Women ‘Marta’, Centre Dardedze experts participated in the focus group ‘Young People and Sexual Mobbing’. In November experts attended ziedot.lv conference and in December the SOS Childrens Villages Latvia organized conference “Child Welfare as the Basic Condition for Latvian Capital Retention and Development”.
For several years, the Centre Dardedze brings together Latvian social specialists for an international conference to share their and the foreign experts’ experiences. This year, the title of the November 28th conference was ‘Adult Role in a Childs Emotional Well-being.’The focus was placed on the role of the father in the family (conference in pictures: HERE
We have to say thank you to many volunteers and supporters, without whom the Dardedze activity would be unthinkable.This year, the assets are involved not only experienced volunteers, but also attracted new, who have helped not only to watch the children while parents attend center Dardedze trainings, but also participated in the variety practical tasks.
Sponsors and supporters of Center Dardedze can be viewed here: lat/dardedzes_hronika/?doc=617.
Thanks to this project, the material of new training program “Guide to raising adolescent” (CAP) was printed. With the financial support of the project a new booklet for new parents is created and distributed to inform them about the program “Drošais pamats”. ( Safe begginings)
Specialists of Dardedze are regularly invited as experts to present their views for questions related with children. Some of the publications:
· LR1 broadcast „Emotional Violence Against Children”: http://lr1.latvijasradio.lv/lv/raksts/gimenes-studija/emocionala-vardarbiiba-pret-berniem.a29900/
· LTV1 broadcast „The Forbidden Method’- operation: bad children: http://www.ltv.lv/lv/raksts/01.11.2013-aizliegtais-panjemiens.id19934/
· Latvian social media „Police: A Man with Pedophilia charges pretends to be a girl in social networks”: http://www.lsm.lv/lv/zina/?id=69774
· Newspaper „Diena” „Mobbing starts in Kindergarten”: http://www.diena.lv/sodien-laikraksta/mobings-jau-bernudarza-14035129
Thanks to the financial support of the EEA,the project “Dardedze FOR society against abuse” will continue also in year 2014.
For more information about the project please contact project manager Baiba Berovska, phone: +371 67240042, e-mail: baiba.berovska@projects.lv.
More about the programme can be found on the following webpages:
www.sif.lv
www.eeagrants.lv
www.eeagrants.org
Project financially supported by Iceland, Lichtensteinand Norway. Programme financed by EEA financial instrument and Latvia.
