PRESS RELEASE:
CEREMONY AWARD: FAMILY IN YOUR EYES
LAUNCHING THE SPREADING LOVE 2021 CAMPAIGN: EDUCATION WITHOUT VIOLENCE
Hanoi, October 16, 2021 – Management and Sustainable Development Institute (MSD) collaborated with the Children’s Rights Governance Network to organize the launching ceremony of the Spreading Love 2021 campaign and the ceremony award “Family in your eyes” with financial support from Save the Children.
Starting in 2017 with financial support from Save the Children, the Management and Sustainable Development Institute (MSD) and the Children Rights Governance Network (CRG) have created an annual campaign called ‘Spreading Love’. This campaign aims to make communication and advocacy efforts to end forms of physical and humiliating punishments of children both at home and at schools, alongside promoting non-violence educational methods. In October and November 2021, the Spreading Love 2021 campaign was launched with the theme of “Education without Violence”, focusing on (1) raising awareness among parents, caregivers, teachers, stakeholders, and the public about eliminating any forms of physical and humiliating punishments on children; (2) create a safe and positive environment for children to express their opinions and jointly solve problems related to them; (3) promote nonviolence education methods in raising children.
Sharing about the Spreading Love 2021 campaign, MSD Director Ms. Nguyen Phuong Linh said: “This year has been a challenging time for all of us because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Consequently, our children, whom we care about, whom we love, and whom we consider as our country’s future is the most affected. This pandemic has not only prevented them from running, playing, and going to school but also negatively affected their mental health. To be more specific, many children are victims of domestic violence as well as suffering from physical and humiliating punishments. Many parents condemn other parents for using violence against their children. For instance, lots of people voiced against a father who beat his 6-year-old daughter to death. However, many of them still find it normal to scold their own child, in the name of educating their children, as well as supporting unscientific views that encourage punishing children. The line between violence and discipline is thin, and if we, as parents and caregivers, cannot tell the differences between the two definitions, then we will fall into the side of violence.”
The Spreading Love 2021 campaign encourages positive discipline by providing information to parents and teachers about how to effectively practice disciplinary methods, the boundaries between Violence and Discipline or between Pampering and Child Development Support. From that, we expect parents can learn and practice to improve their behaviors every day towards helping children to be raised with love, in a safer environment so that they could maximize their potential in development. The main activities of this campaign have taken place on multiple platforms such as media publications, social media sites, talk shows, training, forums for children, or seminars and dialogues between stakeholders.
The Department of Children Affairs, Ministry of Labor – Invalids and Social Affairs is an important stakeholder that had many years of collaborating with the Spreading Love campaign. Representing the agency, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga – Deputy Director affirmed: “We are delighted to cooperate with the organizers of the Spreading Love campaign throughout most of the activities over the years. We appreciate the campaign’s efforts in building diverse and exciting activities and hope that Spreading Love will continuously spread meaningful messages and achieve many good results by cooperating and coordinating with government agencies, civil society organizations, and the active participation of families, schools, and communities.”
Before that, as a pre-campaign activity, MSD organized a communicational campaign with the theme: “Home = Safety + Love?” along with the drawing contest “Family in your eyes” held from August to September 2021 to raise awareness about family violence prevention and control and advocate for amendments to the Law on Family Violence Prevention and Control. In the COVID-19 returning and complicatedly developing, the campaign hopes to become to a gift, a source of spiritual encouragement for families to overcome the social quarantine. The contest has attracted the active participation of nearly 100 children nationwide, including 75 valid exams. The topics chosen by the children were extremely diverse such as: images of happy families, family violence from the perspective of children, and children’s dreams of a peaceful home. Based on the criteria of aesthetics, creativity, message content, and spreading love about the community, the jury selected excellent paintings, for which the first prize went to Nguyen Quang Gia Dinh – 11 years old from SOS Children’s Quang Binh Village. In addition, the program also announced the remaining prizes including 2 for second prizes, 2 for third prizes and 10 for consolation prizes.
Also, in the opening ceremony of the Spreading Love 2021, MSD held the awarding ceremony of the contest “Family in my eyes” and the seminar “Home = Safety + Love”. The event aims to create an opportunity for all parties to share their views and thoughts on the situation of domestic violence with children, as well as discuss potential solutions to not only end domestic violence but also build safer homes for children.
The talk show has participations:
– Mr. Khuat Van Quy – Deputy Director of Family Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
– Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga – Deputy Director of the Department of Children, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs
– Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha – Representative of parents
– Nguyen Vu Mai Anh – The contestant won the second prize in the contest “Family in my eyes”, representing children
The seminar was moderated by Ms. Nguyen Hai Anh – Project Manager (MSD).
As a person working in state management about family, and also a member of the jury of the painting contest “Family in your eyes”, Mr. Khuat Van Quy shared his thoughts on the reality of family violence which is reflected in the pictures submitted by children to the competition: “The children’s paintings, despite of innocent and pure, have creativity, painting ability, which also conveys very warm and friendly humanity messages as well as the dream of a happy family. Through the children’s paintings, I can see the wishes of children, which prompts state management agencies, organizations and stakeholders to take action toward creating a happy family like their wishes. On the side of the Family Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, we are making efforts to implement Directive No. 06-CT/TW 2021 of the Secretariat on strengthening the Party’s leadership on family building work and the drafting of the Draft Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, hoping to receive many comments from the parties towards the development of a complete legal document, comprehensively, contributing to building safe and happy roofs for children.”
From the perspective of a mother, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha expressed her thoughts: “In the process of raising children, I also refer to the way friends and colleagues teach my son. Personally, I realized when I scolded him, he often said that he was sad, which really made me think a lot. And gradually I also try to be more restrained and patient with my son.”
Being asked about her desire towards ending domestic violence and physical and humiliating punishments of children, Nguyen Vu Mai Anh said: “I believe that parents, teachers and other parties need to work together to solve the problem. First of all, I think parents need to understand and calm down when their kids make a mistake. It would be great if they can talk and listen to understand them better. Besides, teachers can set up meetings or workshops for parents to be aware of the concept of domestic violence and to discuss solutions to improve the situation. Also, children like us must have heart-to-heart conversations with our parents more often.”
Ms. Nguyen Hai Anh, Project manager MSD summed up, “The impartation’s children through the pictures are diverse, sometimes more mature than adults’ thoughts, making us think. I think it is very necessary to listen to children’s voices, to let adults reflect on themselves, and know how to accompany children most effectively, to realize that what children need most in their home is not material things, not memories of violence, this is parental time, Safety and Love”.
The Spread Love campaign will be carried out from now until November 15, 2021, with diverse activities such as: social media, talk shows, training, children’s forum, seminars, and dialogue between stakeholders. To find out more information and accompany the campaign, please visit the Fanpage Spread Love and MSD Vietnam.
Please watch this talk show again at this here: https://www.facebook.com/www.msdvietnam.org/videos/
List of winning prizes: https://bitly.com.vn/vsnovt
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About Management and Sustainable Development Institute (MSD) As a Vietnamese NGO, MSD strives to act for a favorable development environment for the development of social organizations and promote the realization of the rights of marginalized and marginalized community groups. vulnerable groups, especially children, young people, women and people with disabilities. Currently, MSD is recognized as a leading organization in coordinating, supporting and providing capacity-building, training and consulting services to civil society organizations in Vietnam. In addition, MSD is also a professional organization that effectively responds to the needs and protects the rights of disadvantaged communities, including promoting gender equality, through programs, projects and provision of services. services to support children, young people, women, immigrants and people with disabilities, etc. in Vietnam.
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Media contact:
(Ms) Chu Thu Ha – Event and Communication Manager
Email: event.manager@msdvietnam.org
Telephone: 024 62769056 – 0852577220
Address: 17T9, 1007 Room, Hoang Dao Thuy street, Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi
Website: www.msdvietnam.org
Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/www.msdvietnam.org
