Giving Voice to the Most Vulnerable Children
World Vision Advocacy: Giving Voice to the Mo Most ost st Vul V Vu Vulnerable ullnner er erab abl bblle C Children hililddre hil hi drreen iiccati attiions at onnss Team on Teeam Te am am Prepared by:WVDF Advocacy and Communications 014 14 14 World Vision Development Foundation Š 2014
Advocating for the rights of children is an integral part of our work, at the national and local level, to influence and promote policies that protect vulnerable children an in poor p communities, and to mobilize and educate publics about human and child rights. rights World Wo Vision’s advocacy on children’s rights is anchored on the United Nations Convention C on the Rights g of the Child ((UN-CRC), ) which is widely ratified by governments of various countries. (For a more comprehensive information on the provisions of the UN-CRC visit http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/CHILD_E.PDF)
Why do we advocate?
For World Vision, advocacy means giving voice to the world’s most vulnerable children, making their needs visible to those who can and should be meeting them. We believe that advocating for justice for children will transform their lives, their families and communities, our supporters and partners. Doing advocacy entails partnering, engaging and convincing publics to act on issues that affect the wellbeing of children.
WORLD VISION ADVOCACY Giving Voice to the Most Vulnerable Children Givin
Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
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Partnering with Child Well-Being Champions To further amplify our advocacy work, we engage child well-being champions at all levels. s. World Vision continuously partners with local and national government agencies to address child well-being and protection issues and deliver results. In 2013, World Vision responded to 38 child protection cases in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). We also work hand-in-hand with other like-minded groups to tackle various issues affecting children’s rights. World Vision actively participates as board member, lead convenor or member organization of these coalitions and alliances. Government Agencies
Networks & Alliances
Department of Education
Phil NGO Coalition on the UN Convention on the Rights of Child Monitoring
Phil Coalition of Advocates for Nutrition Security
Depar tment of Social Welfare and Development
Child Rights Network
Disaster Risk Reduction Network Philippines
Department of Health
National LCPC Consortium
Education Network Philippines
Department of Interior and Local Government
National Child Labor Committee
Aksyon Klima
Office of the Civil Defense
Global Call to Action Against Poverty
Council for the Welfare of Children
National Council for Social Development
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
Department of Labor and Employment National Child Labor Committee
World Vision recognizes that child participation is not only a right, but an essential aspect of well-being. Considering children as partners for development,World Vision integrates voices of children in the center of development, advocacy and disaster management work.
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WORLD VISION ADVOCACY Giving Voice to the Most Vulnerable Children
Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
Every chi ld has the right to
World Vision promotes equal access to education through the Education for All (EFA) campaign, which seeks to improve the quality of basic education of every Filipino by 2015. We advocate that children enjoy access to free and quality public education. With this, we take measures to ensure that: Primary education is compulsory and free for all General, vocational and higher education is accessible for every child Drop-out rates in schools are reduced and there is increased school attendance
World Vision calls on the Philippine government and other decision-makers to urgently take all necessary measures to ensure that primary education is universal, free of direct and indirect costs and accessible for all children. This also includes making concrete action to reduce drop-out rates in primary and secondary schools and address the reasons behind non-completion as well as ensuring the quality implementation of the K to 12 system. To ensure implementation, World Vision strongly advocates for a bigger national budget allocation to improve education especially the infrastructures (Safe Schools), educational materials, school facilities and teachers’ salary.
to t h g i he r t s a ild h h c y & Ever
World Vision works with families, communities, local and the national government to promote sound health and nutrition practices among children and their communities.
World Vision calls on the Government and all stakeholders to take up the challenge of endorsing, implementing, monitoring and taking accountability through scaling up of proven and cost-effective programmes to tackle malnutrition.
We are a firm advocate for addressing and overcoming malnutrition, particularly among the most vulnerable population – pregnant women and children under two years.
We continue to educate and mobilize citizens and community partners to enable them to engage local governments to improve health and nutrition services at stake.
Breastfeeding saves lives
World Vision affirms the joint policy of UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNAIDS that breastfeeding should be promoted, protected and supported over the use of infant formulas in developing countries. 6
WORLD VISION ADVOCACY Giving Voice to the Most Vulnerable Children
Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
Child Health Now Campaign
Child Health Now (CHN) is World Vision’s first global advocacy campaign on a single issue – to curb preventable child deaths, and contribute to Millenium Development Goal 4, the reduction of child mortality. A main hurdle is that low-cost, simple interventions are not made equitably available and accessible, resulting in 19,000 children dying every day in 2011. While the leading causes of under-five deaths are infections and diseases, more than a third of these are attributed to undernutrition (UNICEF, 2012). •
Commit and follow through on the Scale Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement to create an enabling political environment, stronger leadership, and cohesive partnership with nutrition-focused civil society organizations.
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Intensify support to breastfeeding by refusing amendments to the Milk Code (Executive Order 51), and instead, strongly enforce EO 51.
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Fully engage civil society and communities in the planning, monitoring and quality assurance of health and nutrition services.
Against this backdrop, CHN’s campaign in the Philippines draws upon World Vision’s partnership with government and civil society working in the area of Nutrition, in order to influence policy change. Local advocacy for child health is happening in five of its partner communities through a community-based advocacy approach. Citizens themselves are capacitated to work towards making their local government accountable for health services intended for the community. Social Mobilization against Tubercolosis Tuberculosis (TB) remains among the top 10 causes of death in the Philippines. In addressing TB, World Vision responds through awareness-raising, detection and supportive treatment. World Vision advocates at the national and local levels to ensure that preventive and curative mechanisms are accessible in the communities. HIV World Vision works with faith-based groups to respond to tough development issues that affect their communities. We advocate for the prevention, early detection and proper treatment of HIV while promoting compassion and dignity among people living with HIV and AIDs.
t to h g i r e h N O I d has t T l i A h P c I y C r Eve & PARTI
ION T C E T O R P
As a child-focused agency, World Vision has obliged itself to protect all the children it serves in all areas of project implementation and influence. We partner with the Government at the national and local levels and other civil society organizations (CSO) to influence policies that keep children safe. In 2013, World Vision responded to 38 child protection cases in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Intervention to reported cases ranged from advocacy, referrals and counseling, to financial and legal assistance. ABK3-LEAP The ABK3-LEAP project is an initiative to reduce child labor in sugarcane areas and aims to assist 52,000 households in 11 provinces in ensuring access to social protection, education and livelihood assistance. Along with other CSOs, World Vision continues to work with the Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment and Local Government Units in implementing this project.
ABK3-LEAP Project Partners: ChildFund Philippines, Inc.; Educational Research & Development Assistance Foundation, Inc. (ERDA); the Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc. (SIFI); the Community Economic Ventures, Inc. (CEVI); and the University of the Philippines Social Action and Research for Development Foundation, Inc. (UPSARDF).
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Reduce child labor by providing direct education, livelihoods, social protection, youth employment assistance and linkages to support services. Strengthen policies and capacity to address child labor, education, sustainable livelihoods and social protection. Raise awareness to reduce child labor and its root causes, emphasize the importance of education, social protection and decent work for children/youth of legal working age. Support research, evaluation, collection and dissemination of reliable data on child labor, its root causes, and/or effective strategies. Promote long-term sustainability of efforts to combat child labor and improve livelihoods
Barangay arangay Council for the Protection of Children The Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) is a council organized at the barangay level that ensures the promotion and protection of child well-being.
According to a World Vision study on BCPC Functionality in 2012, 23 out of 36 covered barangays with the most number of reported abuse cases were found to have organized councils but not yet functional. World Vision has committed to collaborate with the DILG in facilitating BCPC training programs for council members at the provincial, municipal and barangay level, and performance monitoring of BCPCs in World Vision’s covered areas in the Philippines. Positive and Non-Violent Discipline Act Together with the Child Rights Network (CRN), World Vision pushes for the enactment of the Positive and Non-Violent Discipline Act that explicitly prohibits corporal punishment in all settings.
World Vision works with like-minded groups to intensify awareness-raising campaigns to sensitize and educate parents, families, guardians and professional working with and for children on the harmful effects of corporal punishment and promote the use of alternative and non-violent forms of discipline in a manner consistent with the child’s dignity. Juvenile Justice Law World Vision stands firm not to lower the age of discernment from 15 to 9 years old. We uphold the full implementation of RA 10630 or the act strengthening the juvenile justice system in the Philippines. WORLD VISION ADVOCACY Giving Voice to the Most Vulnerable Children
Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
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CITIZEN VOICE
Helping communities
What is CVA?
Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) is World Vision’s social accountability approach designed to improve the relationship between communities and government to improve basic services that impact the daily lives of children and their families. Since 2005, hundreds of local public services in other countries have been transformed by the hard work of communities using the CVA. In the Philippines, CVA was introduced in 2012 as a local advocacy methodology to tackle various issues that affect children such as malnutrition and disaster risks, among others.
AND ACTION
realize the power within
How does CVA work?
CVA works by mobilizing citizens, educating them about their rights and equipping them with simple tools to monitor public services at stake and facilitating a process to improve those services.
Communities Empowered for Better Health Services “I’m glad that there is a dialogue like this where opinions are heard. Our scores also reflect our hopes; that services will be rightfully provided especially where there is lack,� shares 22 year old mother, Rina during the community consultation session on breastfeeding services in Puerto Princesa city.
Anti-Trafficking in Persons World Vision advocates against human trafficking in post-disaster contexts through sustainable recovery of typhoonaffected people. To reduce disasterrelated trafficking vulnerabilities, World Vision implements increased livelihood opportunities and conducts Trafficking in Persons (TIP) awareness at household and community levels. This project is funded by the USAID.
Nationally, we call on the Government and all stakeholders to strengthen mechanisms to combat TIP in all contexts. Children Affected by Armed Conflict World Vision firmly holds that children in armed conflict should not be treated as children in conflict with the law.
We call on the Government to fully implement existing legislation on promoting the special protection of children involved in, affected by or displaced by armed conflict; and prohibiting and criminalizing the recruitment and involvement of children in hostilities. World Vision also promotes Local Capacities for Peace (LCP) that helps communities weigh the effects of conflict and learn how children can be agents for lasting peace. In local governance, World Vision supports the enactment of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Act which strengthens and streamlines mechanisms of involving the youth sector in nation-bulding. World Vision recognizes that child participation is not only a right, but an essential aspect of well-being. Considering children as partners for development, World Vision includes the voices of children in every aspect of its development, advocacy and disaster risk reduction and management work.
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WORLD VISION ADVOCACY Giving Voice to the Most Vulnerable Children
Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
DISA STER
RISK RED UCT ION
World Vision’s approach to increase resiliency of children children, families and communities includes mitigating measures, capacity building and advocacy. We work with the Government to ensure that disaster management policies are implemented at all levels. World Vision promotes children’s safety by training them to understand and care for their environment. Our Child-Focused Disaster Risk Reduction (CFDRR) capacitates both children and adults on environmental preservation and disaster preparedness. Children, along with adults participate in formulating and implementing a disaster preparedness plan. In Agusan del Sur, the disaster preparedness plan created through the CFDRR helped mitigate the impact of flashfloods in its communities. World Vision, together with the DRR Network (DRRNet) continuously advocated for Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act. World Vision served as the lead convenor of the DRRNet (2010-2012) and the sole faith-based CSO representative to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). WORLD VISION ADVOCACY Giving Voice to the Most Vulnerable Children
Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
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World Visi World W Vision s on o ccapacitates apac ap aaccittates e ccommunities om mmuuniti t es ti e tto o mo m monitor nito t r th to tthee functionality of local level Disaster Risk Ri skk Reduction Reducti t on o and dM Management anaggement Co C Council u cill and ot un other ther local policies and practices on disaster mitigation and climate cchange hange adaptation. World Vision also works with Aksyon Klima (AK), a network on climate-change adaptation, in formulating policy guidelines for the implementation of the People’s Survival Fund. We promote the revised Republic Act 10174 or the Climate Change Act that aims to mobilize survival fund to finance local governments in effectively addressing climate change. SAFE SCHOOLS World Vision promotes safe schools, which encompasses ensuring disaster-safe infrastructures, inclusion of DRR in school curriculum and child protection measures.
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WORLD VISION ADVOCACY Giving Voice to the Most Vulnerable Children ldren
Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness. s. Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
Fam i
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Live
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World Vision enables family resiliency to provide for the basic needs of children including food, health and education. We work with communities to improve household and economic resilience through livelihood and economic development opportunities. World Vision’s policy advocacy on economic development centers upon the stricter implementation of the Organic Agriculture Act or RA 10068 at the local level.
WORLD VISION DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION. INC. C. Who We Are zation World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reachh their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.
World Vision serves people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender. Where We Work Globally, World Vision helps transform the lives of millions of children in nearly 100 countries.
Locally, for over 55 years, World Vision’s focused programmes on children’s well-being have improved the lives of more than 100,000 children in the Philippines. Priority Issues
Health
Nutrition Education
Child Protection
Disaster Economic Management Development
How We Serve Through child-focused and community-based development programs World Vision helps thousands of vulnerable children, families and communities to overcome poverty and be self-sufficient in the long term
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WORLD VISION ADVOCACY Giving Voice to the Most Vulnerable Children dren
Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
We work wi with ith t sp sponsors ponsors and donors, corporate partners, the Government, community groups, ne networks etworks and the children themselves to plan and carry out changes towards improvingg the lives of the children. We place children, especially the poorest and the most vulnerable, at the heart of our ministry. Our development approach addresses the needs and issues of children in the areas of education, health and nutrition, child protection, economic resilience and disaster risk reduction and management. To learn more about World Vision’s programs and its impact,
visit our website at www.worldvision.org.ph
OCACY V D A Vision d er l r y o a W r P f
o y r t s i Min ce n e u l f and In
For World Vision, advocacy is a ministry of influence using persuasion, dialogue and reason to obtain change. Advocacy, to different degrees, becomes the goal of our work, the heart of our work and the way of our work. With prayer, we advocate on behalf of the most vulnerable children. World Vision’s advocacy works hand in hand in two levels: policy and people. We attempt to influence and shape policy and we work to empower citizens to work with change. We aim to uphold justice by engaging both the public (people
empowerment) and the authorities (policy influence) to create positive and lasting change. Our engagement is influencing through peaceful dialogue and effective partnership with all stakeholders. For World Vision, advocacy means upholding justice for the poor. To work for a just world means that advocates call for justice at all levels. We believe that justice is a God-given right for every person. It must be available to every person at every level of life. World Vision advocacy works towards that end.
“What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.” – Micah 6:8
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WORLD VISION ADVOCACY Giving Voice to the Most Vulnerable Children
Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
Message from the National Director
Josaias dela Cruz Everything we do in World Vision is anchored on our fervent bias for the children. Every day, we are reminded that whatever we do, however mundane it is, whether it’s on the field or behind our office desks, we are always reminded of the bottom line: the best interest of the child. Everything is linked to our advocacy that seeks to give justice to the poor and oppressed believing that all people are created in the image of God. In World Vision, we define advocacy as the promotion of justice through changes in policies, systems, structures, practices and attitudes, citizen mobilization and education about human and child rights. We believe that challenging the unjust systems and structures in the Philippines is fundamental to its vision of a full life for every child. Message from the Advocacy and Communications Director
Filomena Portales World Vision’s advocacy work focuses on partnering with different child well-being champions in promoting children’s rights, access to education, values formation; advancing sound health and nutrition practices among children and their communities; and influencing policies that keep children safe. In all these advocacy work, World Vision ensures that children’s voices are integrated in all aspects of engagement both at the local, national and international level. It is our hope and prayer that this Advocacy Portfolio will serve as our guide and inspire us to work together as agents of change to address the root causes of poverty and injustice by promoting child rights and child well-being. Let us continue to advocate for policies, programs and services that advance the best interest of Filipino children.
World Vision Development Foundation Inc. www.worldvision.org.ph 389 Quezon Avenue cor. West 6th St. West Triangle, Quezon City Philippines 1104 email: wv_phil@wvi.org land line: +632 374-7618 to 28
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