The Regie’s President of the Board of Directors Mr. Nassif Seklaoui, sponsored the launching ceremony of the Child Protection Policy at the Martyr Mohammed Saad Secondary School in Abbassiah, in the presence of municipal chief in Abbasiah Mr. Khalil Hershi, Child Protection Coordinator in TDH organization Mr. Hassan Bahani, member of Amal movement’s central board Mr. Atef Aoun, head of Amal movement’s educational unit in Jabal Amel Mr. Mustapha Al-Raii, head of the National Vision Association Mr. Qassem Safa, director of Mohammed Saad Secondary School Mr. Mohammed al-Abd, the director of the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Center Mr. Mohammed Hammoud, the social worker Mrs. Mariam Saab, and personalities from educational, cultural, and civil society sectors.
SAFA
First, Safa took the stage: "We are launching a child protection policy at martyr Mohammed Saad Secondary School under the patronage of the Director-General, Mr. Seklaoui, so that we can ensure our children’s safety and protect their rights by establishing a safe environment that saves them from abuse, exploitation, and violence, and providing medical services, proper food, clothing, and shelter".
SEKLAOUI
In his word, Seklaoui expressed his: "pleasure with this gathering in this educational structure on the land of Jabal Amel, which made resistance an active school of thought influencing traditional education”. “It is our pleasure to reunite in a school that holds the dear name of one of the resistance martyrs, namely Mohammad Saad, who provided this legacy”. “Tobacco seedlings had always played a resisting role on cultural, economic, and developmental levels, especially during periods of Israeli aggression. The Regie’s main concern was to be a socially responsible establishment that plays a sustainable development role. In 1993, President Berri underlined the consequences of letting hundreds of Lebanese citizens to work and attend school in occupied Palestine. At the time, our choice was to provide the residents of the border region with a decent life in their homeland. We brought the proposal to President Nabih Berri and late President Hariri. In order to regain its presence at the border region, the government’s option was to create means of life and resistance. We projected a program of granting tobacco growing permits, providing work for 6,000 families. We called tobacco the seed of resistance that contributes to farmers’ steadfastness.”
“In 2015, the Regie launched its Sustainable Development Plan, being the only public facility to dedicate a Department of Sustainable Development and Quality Management. The Regie’s special team has distributed thousands of questionnaires that emphasized the importance of raising awareness about child protection and ending minors’ labor. We implement this project in order to provide a promising future".
He added: "Your participation confirms that our common goal is coming from our sense of responsibility and belief that supporting education is a vital duty in order to achieve desired national goals, because cultural resistance is the hardest. Culture means education and discipline that start right from school. Since Sustainable Development is all about action and not just theories, we have already participated to the establishment of libraries, provided scholarships to farmers’ children and pioneer students, and today we support a child protection policy program."
He stressed that "this program was launched by Amal Educational Institutions and adopted by the Regie, in order to raise early awareness about child labor and violence and protecting children from such practices. Proper education contributes to the development of our societies and to raising a responsible and well educated generation that is able to pursue this path and, later, to take the leadership.”
He thanked Amal Educational Institutions, Martyr Mohammed Saad Secondary School, and the President of National Vision Association for the valuable initiative. “We rely on you, sons of this earth to preserve it the way martyrs had done, seeing your knowledge and education.”
TARHINI
The Vice President of National Vision Association, Dr. Anwar Tarhini, addressed the attendees: "when the wise of this time, the absent Imam Musa Al-Sadr raised, history couldn’t forget his name anymore. Thanks to him morning became more prosper and achievements succeeded. The association was his initiative to provide education and knowledge and to concern itself with the issues of children, the leaders of the future.”
He added: “Child protection includes procedures and measures that aim to protect children from intended and unintended violence. It is the duty of civil associations and schools to protect children under their custody from problems like physical, psychological, mental, or emotional violence, neglect, marginalization, or exploitation. Hence, we launch today the Child Protection Policy, which is an integrative policy between government, institutions and care providers, who bear the greatest responsibility. They should evaluate positive or negative outcomes in order to rely on them in modifying child related policies, provided the child’s right of enjoying security and prosperity”.
"The first thing we need to do is to secure the child's fundamental rights to life and survival and to ensure his or her best interests through non-discrimination, participation, and ensuring child's physical and emotional wellbeing through several factors: engaging the child in decision making process, promoting child’s best interest, fairly treating each and every child, and adopting a special policy that best suits children with disabilities”.
AL-ABED
Al-Abed talked on behalf of the school: “Childhood is living moment by moment without thinking about tomorrow and the exhausting future. It is honesty and kind heart, a white flower that smells like pure innocence. Childhood is the hope of present and the dream of a bright tomorrow. It is memories traveling in our imagination and leaving unforgettable impressions.
Today’s young are tomorrow’s adults and over them we count to build the desired society. Thus, our responsibility towards children is great and our duty is sacred. Therefore, as much effort we make to protect them, our society would bloom. It breaks our hearts to witness brutal crimes to which children are exposed and whose consequences are manifesting in the form of severe psychological diseases and deep wounds”.
He stressed that "the goal of launching a child protection policy is to provide safe environment for students and protect them from different forms of abuse, as well as to define rights and duties of parties engaged in the educational process. Such may contribute to creating a safe educational environment that promotes creativity and innovation among students and deepen the sense of belonging and mutual respect between teachers, students, parents, and other engaged parties.”
BAHANI
Hassan Bahani talked on behalf of Terre des hommes: “child protection is more than just a task that we have to fulfill or a burden to bear, it is rather a message of sacrifice and giving, in which we all take part. We aim to protect children anywhere, over thirty-four countries around the world. Wherever there are children requiring protection and assistance, we urgently respond to such needs that may result from states of emergency; such as natural disasters, armed conflicts or war. We initiated our activities in Lebanon 30 years ago and our mission is still going. The policy is an obligation to protect children from harm, and increase the number of people who are able to provide protection. As well, it offers a safe and positive environment, and measures and principals of child protection. We are pleased to cooperate with National Vision Association to develop their child protection policy, and we hope that this work will be a first step toward spreading the culture of child protection in cooperation with other influential actors.”
At the end, Al-Abed offered Seklaoui and Safa shields and then Safa presented a shield to Seklaoui. The attendees walked around expressive paintings about protection and the commemorative board was unveiled.