Banda Aceh, INDONESIA - 22 Dec 2006 -
The children of Aceh, Indonesia, may have suffered more than any other group in the aftermath of the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami. Their lives already disrupted by years of civil strife in their province, many lost family members, friends, homes, schools, neighborhoods – everything that was familiar to them – to the waves.
Immediately after the tsunami, the International Rescue Committee helped them to heal from the trauma of the disaster and set up “child-friendly spaces” where they could learn, play and regain a sense of normalcy.
Two years later, as the IRC is helping their communities recover and rebuild, children are being given the opportunity to discuss their problems and have a say in the future.
Children Lead the Way
Last month, more than 80 children from 21 districts met in the city of Banda Aceh to voice their concerns at the first ever Aceh Child Congress. The IRC organized the event with BRR (the Aceh and Nias rehabilitation and reconstruction body), UNICEF, Child Fund, Save the Children, the International Labor Organization, local nongovernmental organizations, and the Aceh Social Affairs Department.
To help children get the most out of the congress, the IRC set up a training program and led workshops in Aceh Jaya and West Aceh districts. “The workshops gave children a base of understanding about their rights and helped them analyze problems and solutions relating to those rights,” says IRC protection coordinator Ali Aulia.
During the Congress, the children elected their own representatives and discussed issues that concerned them, including the impact of the conflict in Aceh and the effect of earthquakes and the tsunami on their lives. Adults were on hand to facilitate when needed.
The children decided which issues they would present to members of Aceh’s adult provincial parliament on the last day of the congress. They included drug abuse, homelessness and the difficulties they faced in the wake of the tsunami, such as going back to school and obtaining birth certificates. “Many children lost their birth certificates in the tsunami, and many more of them never had one, as the cost to get the birth certificate is very expensive,” a 16-year-old girl named Nurhasanah told the parliament representatives.
A Dialogue Between Kids and Policymakers
The issues and concerns raised by the children will be forwarded to the Aceh governor and are expected to be included in the provincial child protection laws currently being drafted in Aceh.
The chair of Aceh’s Provincial Welfare Department, Jamaluddin Tumuku, encouraged the children to bring their recommendations back to their home districts, and said he would urge local regents and the local government to respond to their needs. He said he hoped that the dialogue between the parliament and children would continue.
“We are delighted that the dialogue with children was supported by parliament members,” says IRC’s Aulia, “and that the congress brought to the table the notion to always hear children’s views.”
The congress also trained 21 children to be “focal points” for their districts who would work to foster dialogue and friendship among children from different parts of Aceh by contacting each other and meeting regularly.
