Summary:

The street children imprisoned around the world are the most compelling evidence of the impact of poverty in the lives of the most vulnerable and the failure of governments to protect and help them.

The G-Summit in Gleneagles, Edinburgh next month is dominating the headlines and you may ask what the decisions of the heads of the world industrial countries has to do with you or the state of the worlds poorest people and the children in prison around the world? The answer is everything. They hold the power of life and death because they own the food supplies and medicines and the wealth that can give life or withhold it.

They have made themselves into the Gods of Gold in this world but they are not the compassionate and loving gods that we revere and pray to. They too control many governments in so called sovereign states through the foreign debts.

It is hard to persuade these economic gods to grant favours and act out of compassion and care for the poorest. They make promises to cancel debt and help with more development aid but will they deliver? The only Golden Rule they follow is, "we have the gold and therefore we rule".

That kind of attitude has caused untold suffering and poverty driving millions to seek work abroad, abandoned children that have to live on the streets where they are arrested and imprisoned. The rich nations have dominated the world economy with policies that divide and conquer globalisation of trade rules that have favoured them and their industries.

The poor are crushed by the huge subsidies the rich give to their farmers. The poor cannot sell into their markets. That's why Fair Trade is the call of the committed. The death rate of the powerless starving masses is only recently a matter of concern for them as public opinion brings many people to stand up to question challenge and condemn their inaction and lack of compassion.

The street children imprisoned around the world are the most compelling evidence of the impact of poverty in the lives of the most vulnerable and the failure of governments to protect and help them. There are an estimate 20,000 children in prison in the Philippines through out a single year. They are usually falsely accused because they are homeless, vulnerable and cannot defend themselves. Some seal food form the market, are using forbidden solvents to ease the pains of hunger and loneliness. They are the victims of a unjust and cruel system of imprisonment that we are trying to change.

These children in prison are frequently mixed with adult prisoners and sexually abused in the over packed cells. Here eighty to a hundred prisoners squat for 24 hours taking turns at lying down so congested are the small cells. The heat and stench is overpowering, the food is only a few cents a day and disease, malnutrition and tuberculosis are the daily hazard suffered by the children.

Most are innocent of any crime and the youngest we found was 6-year-old children and as young as eight to 14 are common.

With the help of the supreme court, the rules of the family Court have been modified to allow the children to be released to a Children Home if there is one that can cope with them.

That's what is happening now. Preda has established one just to take the children out of jail and give them a new change to be free from abuse, hunger and disease and give the education and a new start in life.

This week Preda foundation in the Philippines and Jubilee Action in Guildford, Surrey England, launch a campaign to end the imprisonment of children in the horrific conditions not even fit for animals. The campaign supported by Lord David Alton and other leading British politicians is to persuade the United Nations to appoint a special representative and envoy for imprisoned children and to reduce the number of kids in jail by two-thirds by 2010. It will also attempt to persuade the Philippine President to certify the pending juvenile justice bill as urgent and to persuade the Philippine congress to pass it quickly.

Independent television broadcasts the condition of children in Philippine jails and what is being done to help them.

Changing the world by freeing the children and making this a decent world for them means we need more than ever our spiritual vision and conviction about the dignity of the human person, and protecting the children in poverty and jails. This is the freedom and dignity needed in the world, a dignity worth saving everywhere.

[End]

Previous News release items

• 27/07/2005: Watchlist Applauds UN Security Council Resolution on Protecting Children in Armed Conflicts, and Calls for Effective Implementation
• 27/07/2005: Security Council: Resolution Provides for New Monitoring and Reporting System
• 26/07/2005: UN Security Council establishes first comprehensive monitoring and reporting system to protect children affected by armed conflict (27 July 2005)
• 21/07/2005: Pinheiro talks to children and young people from East and Southern Africa
• 21/07/2005: SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Report on the Regional Workshop for Children's Media Initiatives to further Child Rights (21 July 2005)

Organisation Contact Details:

Preda Foundation
Upper Kalaklan
Olongapo City 2200
Tel: + 63 47 223 9629
Email: predair@info.com.ph, preda@info.com.ph
Website: www.preda.org

Last updated 28/07/2005 09:50:51

Please note that these reports are hosted by CRIN as a resource for Child Rights campaigners, researchers and other interested parties. Unless otherwise stated, they are not the work of CRIN and their inclusion in our database does not necessarily signify endorsement or agreement with their content by CRIN.

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jonne src=http://www.ni wrote on 17/09/2007:
This article is so true. The g