|
Violence in the community -
street children |
Every city in Europe has street children. They
are visible - they live and work in the streets - yet there is no reliable
data regarding their numbers, their identity, making it extremely hard for
authorities to ensure that they receive vital health care or education and
are kept safe from harm. They are also invisible because many people
choose to ignore these children who are the physical embodiments of the
worst kind of failure in our societies. The problem is global and it is escalating
- brought on by poverty, family disintegration, abuse, abandonment, neglect
and
social unrest. Street children are vulnerable. Prostitution, trafficking,
crime, drugs, gang violence, even police violence - all of these are real risks for many,
already reality for others. |
"Building a Europe for and with children" and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe -joint work on street children |
The objective of the joint
project is to examine what is currently being done at local level throughout
Europe to help street children, identify good practices and their
transferability and ultimately draw up a series of recommendations aimed at
local representatives. |
Points of view |
Speech by the Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio on 27 March 2007 at the Congress debate on street children |
Speech by Irmeli Henttonen, Committee of Social Cohesion, 27 March 2007 at the Congress debate on street children |
Legal texts |
Recommendation 253 (2008) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on the social reintegration of children living and/working on the streets |