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Monthly Archives

October 2021

Hopeland Supports #ENDViolence Campaign

Hopeland is delighted to join the #ENDViolence campaign and to endorse the vital policy proposals. Together we aim to end all violence against children, worldwide.

Through the Together to #ENDviolence Leaders’ Statement, senior leaders from across sectors and continents are using the power of our collective voice to call for these game-changing policy proposals.

A message from Hopeland’s Co-Founder & CEO

We are proud to have joined more than 50 other leading names in the child’s rights movement including Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO and many others in signing the Leaders’ Statement and joined hundreds of other global organizations in supporting the policy proposals shown in the image below.

In support of this effort, Hopeland’s Co-Founder & CEO, Nicholas Evans said: “Hopeland’s mission is to create a world where every child lives in a safe, loving family – this cannot happen unless we #ENDViolence and so we are proud to endorse the Leaders’ Statement and vital policy proposals. By working together we can truly make change for children!”

One billion children worldwide face violence every year and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made this worse. Almost 2 billion children have had violence protection and response services interrupted by the pandemic. Furthermore the economic impact of this crisis has caused a “perfect storm” for violence against children – something we must work together to remedy.

This is a critical moment for the world’s children. Without acting urgently we risk losing a generation of children to the long-term impacts of violence and abuse that will undermine child safety, health, learning and development long after the pandemic subsides. We cannot let that happen.

Hopeland’s mission is to support efforts that allow children to live safe lives where they can thrive – that is why we have joined this campaign.

We urge leaders in government, the private sector, and all communities with responsibility for children to seize the moment and be champions of this agenda in their countries. Our leaders must prioritize protecting children by working together to deliver six game-changing actions to end violence against children:

Ban all forms of violence against children by 2030

Equip parents and caregivers to keep children safe

Make the internet safe for children

Make schools safe, non-violent and inclusive

Protect children from violence in humanitarian settings

More investment, better spent

You can read more about each policy proposal and what the End Violence Against Children Campaign is doing to help children at the links above.

Hopeland at the United Nations

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone around the world in many different ways from devastating, life-changing events to more mundane impacts on our daily lives.

One way the world changed in 2020 was with the cancellation of almost every major event happening in every corner of the globe. When gathering together in person became impossible we all lost something incredibly important.

Hopeland Co-Founder, Deborra-lee Furness addressing the High-level meeting on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2019 – events like these haven’t been possible since the COVID-19 pandemic began

At the height of the pandemic emergency we all had higher priorities, for example nonprofits and NGOs like Hopeland had to focus on supporting those who needed help the most.

Nevertheless, gathering at major events can’t be overlooked – it is vital for us to do our best work that we form partnerships, share knowledge, and work together to make a better future for children.

One positive impact of the pandemic has been, as events come back, the ability for people to attend virtually from anywhere on the planet.

Recently, Hopeland’s Campaign Director, Andrew Stone, had the pleasure of being able to contribute to discussion at two major UN events virtually, even though both took place in Switzerland.

Firstly on September 16th Andrew attended the Day of General Discussion, a meeting of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which this year was on the subject of alternative care.

This is an important day for organizations from civil society and other NGOs to influence decision makers and most importantly hear from the children themselves impacted by the choices we all make.

Hopeland’s ‘Child With Kite’ art installation placed in the Lobby of the United Nations to mark the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2019

Secondly, just this week Andrew also attended the UN World Data Forum virtually from Bern, Switzerland.

Since the inaugural meeting in 2017 the UNWDF has been an important forum for finding practical solutions to the world’s problems and efforts to deliver on the UN’s 2030 goals.

Hopeland has always advocated for equitable data being the key to delivering these goals – see our campaign from 2016 ‘All Children Count’ which called on the UN to change the way they approach monitoring the SDGs and led to the UN Secretary General calling for an increase in funding to developing countries for statistical collection.

We cannot deliver the SDGs unless every child is recognized, supported and given the safe, loving family they need to thrive. There were a wide range of events including sessions on the response to COVID-19, creating progress for the world’s most marginalized children, and Andrew directly participated in a session on modern slavery on Hopeland’s behalf.

Tackling modern slavery and orphanage trafficking is a key part of delivering Hopeland’s mission and we will continue to work diligently on this subject.

The closing session of the forum included a speech from UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed who had an important message about the importance of delivering the 2030 goals and how robust data is vital to this aim. Hopeland supports this mission and is keen to work with anyone who can help deliver these goals!