Eurochild, NGOs and Structural Funds

Non-Governmental Organisations focused on children"s rights have a common ground for discussions on April 7, in Prague: Eurochild, a European federation of NGOs, organises a seminar on how structural funds are (not) used for the de-institutionalisation process across Europe. The transition from institutional to family care is more and more an issue on the European agenda, especially as a result of hundreds of thousands of children still at risk of institutionalisation across the continent. The rules set are too relaxed, and the recommendations made are weak. As a consequence, institutions for children are present, and particularly children with special needs are easily placed in impersonal, abusive environments all over the world. There is a greater danger: based on Europe"s example, the entire world could consider institutionalisation as a reasonable way of caring for children. With this in mind, Eurochild and member organisations will furthermore strive to prevent this aberrant form of so called "care" for children from spreading even more. The capacity of NGOs could be buit to have a stronger role in the administration, in the delivery and also in the monitoring of European Union funds. On many occasions, these funds are spent on projects which do not dramatically improve children"s lives. In contrast, there is nothing more important to a child than life in a family environment. European Funding could increase children"s chances to live their childhood in a family. If NGOs have the capacty, the power to engage in an on-going dialogue with the government and the European Union, than there are more chances to make sure children"s lives are not traumatised by institutionalisation from early childhood.

In a nutshell, this is what the Eurochild Prague Workshop is all about.

On How Paint and Refurbishment Can Be a Reason to Keep Institutions Going

We all know by now, I hope: institutions are bad for children. They destroy their emotional balance, are impersonal and abusive. However, once refurbished, renovated and rehabilitated - they seem to become acceptable, as money was spent on improving them. What about the psychological needs children have? What about the blatant neglect they suffer in institutions? And how do we measure the impact of the lack of affection and attachment they face there? It really does not matter if walls are newly painted or not, it really is irrelevant if new furniture and TV sets are brought in: kids are still ignored, they are still marginalised and isolated due to institutionalisation. Moreover, the renovated establishment will sentence children to more years of institutionalisation, as their "quality of life" is perceived as increased: after all, the colours of the walls are brighter! Renovated/modulated institutions do not improve children"s lives. They do not provide love, affection and community involvement to children.

They simply offer the best excuse to ignorance: people can ignore the absence of attention to children, the absence of activities, or interaction, as people"s sight is swallowed by bright painting and brand new TV sets. The principle is simple: what we can"t see, does not harm us. Actually, in children"s case, what cannot be seem, harms them most: the lack of individual attention, the lack of individual stimulation, the lack of love and the utter absence of a family environment will traumatise them immensely.

So renovated or not, refurbished or not, institutions are bad to children. Actually, there are very few things I imagine would be worse to children"s development than institutions.

The Corporate Social Responsibility Issue

The Aspen Institute in Romania organised a seminar focused on CSR. Some 15 representatives from NGOs and large companies were brought together, for a three-day debate on corporate social responsibility. Initially, I thought this would be yet another discussion, with good intentions and little outcomes, though I was aware of the quality of events intrinsic to Aspen. Such issues as risk management, what companies can do CSR and how, business benefits and return on CSR investments, reputation gains, impact measurement, social solidarity and partnerships - were the basis of our debates. The quality of the arguments was evident, and the conclusions drawn led to an action plan which could improve the relationships between companies and NGOs. One of the ideas worth following was related to the VAT issue: the companies lose 24% of what they give, as the NGOs have to pay VAT. This means that a quarter of anything that is raised for social projects, goes to the state budget. It is, actually, tax on charity.

We will make a common proposal to change this distorted fiscal law and allow the whole amount to go to social projects. In fact, it is the state that benefits fully from our joint efforts.

Completing Childcare Reform in Romania

It is time we set clear lines of action on completing childcare reform in Romania. It is time our country becomes free of institutions for children in state care. For too many years, abuse, neglect and violence have traumatised generations and generations of vulnerable children. Now, a Memorandum between HHC Romania and the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection sets the goal of closing all institutions for children in the next few years. This means that all kids in state care will be in a family environment, not an institutional one. In this way, abuse can be avoided, neglect can be set aside and attachment, affection and individual attention receive the relevance they deserve in childcare. All children need love to grow up as self-confident, healthy persons. By growing up in a loving, affectionate environment, they can learn to trust others, they see how long-term relationships are developed. Respect for other people, as well as self-respect are nurtured, and the premises for a good life are there.

The impact of the HHC/ARK Initiative for Romanian Children is hard to estimate. However, it will lead to the completion of the reform in the childcare system in Romania. We will focus on this over the next ten years.

Women"s Day in Romania

I walk on the streets, buying bunches of flowers for some of the most important women in my life: my wife, my mother in law, my sister, teachers to my children and one for my mother"s grave, as well. Around me, women begging with babies in their arms. Hungry, cold and crying babies. Further on, toddlers and young girls begging in the junctions, or washing cars" windscreens for a penny. Hard to consider women"s day a celebration as it should be. Difficult not to remember, all day long, and then dream about the crying babies and young girls begging at crossroads. Abused, exposed, exploited - they are tomorrow"s trafficked children.

There is still a lot to do to prevent such blatant abuse and to stop children"s awful exposure to risk and violence. HHC Romania will, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and ARK UK, promote a new Public Policy to prevent child abandonment in Romania. Hopefully, by the end of 2013, there will be less hungry babies on the streets. And fewer mothers to beg for them, or abandon them because of poverty or lack of support.