On the 30th Session of the Government of the Republic Macedonia in November 2008, the Action Plan for Prevention and Dealing With Problems of Child Sexual Abuse and Pedophilia 2009-2010, was adopted. The First Children’s Embassy in the World –Megjashi was invited to take a part in the preparation of this action plan, and to prepare trainings for the journalists “in order to make them more familiar with the problem of child sexual abuse and to be provided more appropriate presentation of the cases trough the media. “
„Our intention was to offer space for journalists who report on cases of child abuse, to exchange their experiences, obstacles that they have dealt with while reporting on such sensitive subject, dilemmas and approaches that they have used in order to cover the case in the most objective and authentic way as possible, without hurting the child even more“, says Gordana Pirkovska Zmijanac, Program Manager in Megjashi Embassy.
One of the most important outcomes of the training, was creation of the Draft of the Codex for Journalists who report on child abuse cases, as one of the forms of child protection.
„We are glad to see that journalists are interested in the existence of such Codex, and we believe that the Codex will be adopted and respected by Macedonian media, whenever they cover certain case of child abuse“, adds Mrs. Pirkovska Zmijanac.
The training was carried out as interactive workshop, trough plenary, group and individual work, and participants have made an active contribution. The first training was organized from 26th to 28th of June, and the second one from 1st to 3rd of July in the House of Art in Kicevo. On both trainings two representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Social Politics of the Republic of Macedonia were present, and they have, as training financial donors, provided more information about the above mentioned Action plan.
The aims of the trainings were developing a sensibility for the children rights and different kinds of child abuse, with special accent of the sexual abuse; initiating forms of constructive actions with purpose to prevent the child abuse, especially development of CODECS for the journalists when they reports about child abuse, as one of the forms for child protection; introduction with the system/mechanisms for monitoring of the children rights in R.M. ; contribution in increasing the mutual collaboration and communication between the representatives of the media, governmental and nongovernmental sector; initiating mutual engagement in the process of protection and promotion of the children rights and initiating better mutual connection of all participants, trough common acting in the process of fulfilling of the children rights and democratization of the society.
Training was held by founders of the First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi, Gordana Pirkovska Zmijanac and Dragi Zmijanac, who is also Executive Director of the Megjashi Embassy.
Organized by:
Photos:
Trainings for journalist, June-July 2009
