President Nelson Mandela
The Abuse of children has become a question worldwide in various forms. (Well my wife has given me instructions not to rob to much time of you and I depend very much on her so I must be very, very short.) One of the problems, as I think and I would like to mention here, is that many of the people who abuse children are parents, uncles and breadwinners and that the wife, although she knows what is happening, does not want to report this matter because it might lead to the arrest of the breadwinner.
And she therefore keeps quiet and the police can not get evidence that the child has been molested. That means, that the children themselves, no matter how young, if they are able to walk and to talk that if the child is molested, she must just walk to the police station and say I have been molested I want to be …. (and need support?).
But we cant succeed even in that if we don’t plan very well. It is necessary, that in every street, in every village, there must be somebody, preferable a child who is a guardian against the abuse of children and to whom children can go and confess. She can then go straight to the police and to report. But there is no use talking about principles without taking practical steps and I am sure, that when we fight against the abuse of children if the Government want the better with the communities, that in every street, there must be a child, who is intelligent, who is brave, who is going to make sure that she knows what is happening in her area and is able to report everything to the police.
Everybody should understand that the body of a child no matter how young she may be belongs to her and to her alone and it must be respect this. But in every community, in every village, in every street we must plan and make sure, that our plans are able to discover the abuse of children even when they are abused by there parents and the next of kin and the wife does not want to say anything because these people are breadwinners. Let us be sure, that we take precautions which are going to overcome the problem.
My wife and I attended the international conference of children and we where surprised be the maturity of the children there, who are able to address the United Nations intelligently, but they need our support, they need our care, they need our love. And what is important is that we must stop doing things for children. Let do children do it. Let us do things with our children. Take into account there views, before we make any recommendation.
And lastly (before my wife gets angry, she has called upon me to stop speaking) but I want to stress that the two most important factors in human relations are simplicity and humility. Those who are behind not to force themselves on the community, and the combination of those two factors of simplicity and humility is one of the greatest weapons that you can have to save your community. And I hope, that when we go back home I hope my wife will not going to give me a lecture to defied her instruction, I must therefore stop at this stage. Thank you very much.
Obrigado