SASPCAN
The
South African Society
for the
Prevention
of Child Abuse
and Neglect
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FINAL
REPORT
ON
THE
DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES
PRE-CONGRESS
WORKSHOP Table of Contents Introduction
The International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) is dedicated to the prevention of maltreatment and abuse of children, through research, publications, training events, regional conferences and international congresses. The international congresses are held biennially in various countries, throughout the world under the auspices of ISPCAN. The South African Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect won the bid to host the 13th International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect in Durban, South Africa. As this was the first time the Congress was being hosted on the African continent, it was envisaged that a large number of delegates from developing countries would be attending. Therefore, the need for the plight of the child in developing countries to be placed high on agenda was of paramount importance. The Pre-Congress Workshop for Developing Countries was of even more significance due to the locality of the Congress. Thus, issues relating to HIV/AIDS, coping with natural disasters in third world settings, street children and sexual exploitation as well as working with limited resources were topics that were included in the programme.
After much discussion it was agreed that the following theme was appropriate: “Children and Poverty: Our Challenge for the 21st Century.”
The primary objectives of the Pre-Congress Workshop for Developing Countries were aimed at:
The structure and format of the programme was specifically designed to meet the objectives of the Workshop. In planning the program the committee had to take into consideration the diversity of the delegates who will be attending. The programme had to cater for experienced as well as newcomers in the field. The selection of each invited speaker was made on the basis of their experience and skill in their field of work and in relation to the topic and its relevance to the theme. Each speaker was requested to relate her/his presentation to the Workshop as outlined above. Changes had to be made to the programme in view of the “last minute” unavailability of speakers. This resulted in added financial costs, which were not budgeted for, in respect of the speaker from Uganda. The replacement speaker had to be flown in from Addis Ababa and then back to Uganda at the end of the Congress. However, this is no way disrupted the programme. In order to ensure networking and the sharing of ideas, delegated divided into work groups to further explore the topics in relation to presentations that were made and to share personal experiences, ideas, programmes etc. Each delegate was at liberty to select which work group they wished to participate in. Delegates participated in the discussions and worked through a set of questions posed to them. These sessions were vibrant with the delegates being fully involved in discussion and debate. The collation of the papers is still being finalized – not all speakers have provided written copies of their papers but they have promised to do so by early next year. We plan to have 400 copies printed and these will be made available to delegates, national organizations and Funders. We also plan to make the report available on the SASPCAN website (http://www.saspcan.org.za). Evaluation forms were included in the folders that were handed out to all delegates. These forms were collected at the end of the two-day Workshop. Unfortunately, only forty six (46) delegates completed the evaluation forms. The evaluation forms have been collated and the following has emerged:
All the delegates who attended the Pre-Congress Workshop were made aware of the funding provided by the European Union through CWCI, as the banner was prominently displayed at the front of the hall where plenary sessions were held and verbal acknowledgement was given at the opening and closing session. Feedback was received from 35 of the delegates who received sponsorship from the European Union through CWCI. Some of these delegates (15) were the same as those who filled in the Developing Countries Evaluation form. Comments given support those already mentioned above. Delegates also gave feedback as to how they had benefited from the programme as well as to what efforts they have made to disseminate this knowledge (this was a condition of sponsorship – see attached copy of form.) While only 130 delegates pre-registered to attend the Pre-Congress Workshop, in total 219 delegates attended the Workshop. Whilst this created a dilemma in respect of teas and lunches, and some difficulty on the first day of registration, this was a positive sign, as it meant that more people were interested in learning about issues relating to developing countries. The organizing committee had a choice to either exclude those who had not pre-registered or try to accommodate them thus delaying the start of the programme. The latter option was chosen as it was felt that participation should be maximized and this decision was conveyed to the delegates. Whilst most delegates were from South Africa, it is important to note that thirty countries were represented at the Pre-Congress Workshop, including delegates from 19 African Countries. This was the first time in the history of the ISPCAN Congress that so many African countries were represented. This confirms the need for the Congress to be held in Africa and the valuable role of the Pre-Congress Workshop for Developing Countries. One other important factor is that delegates from developed countries also showed an interest in attending the Pre-Congress Workshop, which was previously only attended by delegates from developing countries. The organizing committee was of the view that it was important for delegates from developed countries to be exposed to issues relating to developing countries. (However, due to venue constraints this participation had to be limited – priority being given to the registration of developing country delegates). The Pre-Congress Workshop and the Congress itself generated a lot of publicity. SABC were on site daily and screened interviews and programmes linked and related to the Congress theme morning and evening for more than one week. The Opening Address at the Developing Countries Forum given by the Kwa-Zulu Natal Minister of Welfare was filmed by the SABC with the EU banner being prominently displayed in the room. As per our preliminary report a number of interviews were given and the European Unions’ sponsorship of the Developing Countries Forum was emphasized. The final compilation of the papers from this Forum is being completed and acknowledgement of the sponsorship by the CWCI Fund of European Union is contained therein. A copy of the final document will be made available to the Union in the new year.
In planning the Pre-Congress Workshop, the committee had to take into consideration a range of issues, including the various levels of the skills of the delegates, the current issues affecting developing countries etc. Every effort was made to ensure that the Pre-Congress Workshop for Developing countries provided delegates with an opportunity to learn, exchange information, network and to be motivated to face the challenges in their respective countries. This was the beginning of a process for each delegate and it is hoped that each one has returned home inspired and motivated and feeling ready to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. From the evaluation forms received and further post-conference follow-up with delegates through telephonic contact and the medium of the web-site it appears that the objectives set were met. Delegates from other African countries commented favorably on the programme and have recommended to the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect that the Forum continue at future conferences. Note: SASPCAN has committed itself in partnership with other national role-players to continue this training process and has secured funding for this purpose. An inaugural meeting to plan this training will be effected 19 January 2001. |
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Copyright SASPCAN 1999 -
2003. Last updated
19 August 2003
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