By Tush Wickramanayaka –
Tush Wickramanayaka
Stop Child Cruelty Trust (SCCT) and Child Protection Alliance (CPA) comprising thirteen credible organizations committed to protect and promote the rights of children have appealed to The President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the newly elected Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) to elevate child welfare to the heart of national governance ushering a new dawn firmly focusing on the true beneficiaries of the future, our children first.
Although Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the National Peoples’ Power promised to put children first in their political campaign, it was deeply disappointing that a specific policy on promotion and protection of child rights was not prioritized in the warmly applauded tagline ‘Pohosath Ratak, Lassana Jeevithayak/ Rich Country, Beautiful Life’. Despite forwarding three letters to The President on 4 November 2024, 10 December 2024 and 26 December 2024 requesting a meeting to discuss the national child protection crisis, his office has failed to even acknowledge the correspondence, instantly violating Section 3.8 of Chapter XXVIII of the Establishment Code: Any communication received from a member of the Public or another Government Department should be replied to promptly. An interim reply on Form General 108 should be sent within one week of the receipt of the communication if it is not possible to send a final reply by that time. If further delay is unavoidable, all interim replies should be sent from time to time explaining the action that is being taken and stating when a reply may be expected.
Thus, The President’s Office delivers the first blow to douse the highly anticipated ‘Punarudaya/Renaisance’ but we continue to extend our support in hope to benefit our young citizens who have no voice, no vote and remain valueless.
SUMMARY PROPOSAL FOR THE PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF CHILD RIGHTS – A DAWN OF A NEW ERA
On 10 December 2024, commemorating International Day on Human Rights, the ‘Summary Proposal for the Protection and Promotion of Child Rights – A Dawn of a New Era’ was submitted to The President, HE Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The proposal highlights that citizens under the age of 18 years constitute 25% of Sri Lanka’s population. Although Sri Lanka ratified the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1991, child protection has become a national crisis in our paradise island. The proposal defines the objectives that GOSL should focus on as Short term (0 – 6 months), Medium term (6 months – 2 years) and Long term (2 – 4 years).
All of the leaders of the main political parties including Anura Kumara Dissanayake from National Peoples Power (NPP) signed a proposal to put child protection at the heart of the national political agenda in 2022. However, it was deeply disheartening to note the lack of a specific policy proposal for child welfare during the Presidential and General Election campaign of all parties in 2024. SCCT hopes that this summary proposal will provide direction for the new government to deliver sustainable changes to really focus on our children first beyond the rhetoric.
The key objectives of the ‘Summary Proposal for the Protection and Promotion of Child Rights’ are:
SHORT TERM – 0 months – 06 months
▪ Appoint Presidential Task Force for Women and Children
▪ Provide additional budget allocation for education and child welfare
▪ Conclude the legislative process to ban corporal punishment in all settings
▪ Revise the 2016 Circular banning corporal punishment in schools to update guidance to better address strategies for eliminating corporal punishment and different types of violence in schools
▪ Nationwide capacity development for teachers on “positive discipline techniques” and 21
skills to prevent and respond to violence in schools, building on lessons learned from existing initiatives
▪ Update child protection laws and regulations
MEDIUM TERM – 06 months – 02 years
▪ Make the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) an independent institution as per Act no 50 of 1998
▪ Implement the legislative plan to abolish corporal punishment in all settings with responsible stakeholders
▪ Implement the National Child Protection Policy approved by Cabinet in 2019
▪ Establish a Children’s Act consistent with UN Convention of the Rights of the Child
▪ Establish separate courts dedicated for children
▪ Establish a tagging system for suspected child abusers on bail to expedite the legal process
▪ Establish a confidential register of convicted child sex offenders
▪ Provide compulsory safeguarding training to everyone dealing with children
▪ Ensure everyone dealing with children obtains a special criminal record check
▪ Provide age appropriate Sexuality Education
LONG TERM – 02 years – 04 years
▪ Protect Women and Children’s rights in the Constitution
▪ Implement the Children’s Act
▪ Ensure wide reforms on institutionalized child care
▪ Plan to end period poverty
CHILDREN FIRST – A DEEP DIVE INTO THE NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION AUTHORITY
The Summary Proposal was accompanied by ‘Children First – A Deep Dive into the National Child Protection Authority’s Role in Child Protection in Sri Lanka’, a comprehensive report of the Authority to shed light on its performance and identify areas of improvement. The historic first report of its kind was authored by iProbono, CPA member organization. IProbono is a global group of social justice organizations and affiliates with a mission to enable people to access their rights in pursuit of a just society.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the National Child Protection Authority’s (NCPA) performance, iProbono conducted a thorough review of the Authority’s annual reports, the findings of the Auditor General, and key statistical data spanning the period from 2014 to 2022. This analysis revealed several areas where the NCPA could significantly enhance its operations. The findings suggest that the Authority is not fully leveraging its mandated powers, hindering its ability to effectively address child protection issues. To optimize its performance, the NCPA requires a substantial increase in resource allocation, improved data sharing mechanisms, strengthened inter-sectoral collaboration, and the implementation of robust monitoring and evaluation systems.
SCCT and CPA launched the hugely successful #NOguti campaign in 2022, which achieved palpable progress by obtaining Cabinet Approval for the Bill on Legal Reform to Abolish Corporal Punishment on 29 April 2024. This was further endorsed at the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Bogota on 07/08 November 2024 when the GOSL pledged to implement the Bill by mid-2025. SCCT and CPA will launch #InOurHands, another innovative National campaign in January 2025 encouraging people power to hold the public representatives accountable and ensure that the above Summary Proposal and recommendations of the NCPA Assessment Report are implemented to put CHILDREN FIRST. SCCT invites all citizens, especially professional organizations working on child related issues to join the public campaign. For further details please visit www.stopchildcruelty.com or email info@stopchildcruelty.com
*Dr Tush Wickramanayaka, Chairperson, Stop Child Cruelty Trust and Co-convener, Child Protection Alliance
Lasantha Pethiyagoda / January 4, 2025
It is not surprising that a brownie acting the “White Saviour” not possible in England has helicoptered down to the native island to make a splash if possible. Sri Lanka is presently undergoing a cultural revolution that includes dismantling the corrupt apparatus that relegated women and children to chattels and elevated criminal accumulation of wealth acceptable. The status of the vast majority of people (the poor) is being elevated to make representative democracy a reality, perhaps for the first time in post-independence history. The era of flaunting Colombo 7 credentials to rule over poor people is over. There are an unprecedented number of female members of parliament, who themselves have children and came from disadvantaged or marginalized communities. They would be eminently suitable to address the culturally sensitive subject of children’s rights without the holier than thou expatriate interference and grandstanding of brown sahibs.
/
sonali / January 4, 2025
Mr Pethiyagoda has said all I wanted to say. This woman, Tush Wickramanayaka, is a devious schemer. Her motive is self-aggrandisement. Her article is a cut-and-paste job that she has used many times before, with the original plagiarised from various well-known original sources.
/