By Jennifer Ruppelt | Project Assistant
Empowering 4,000 adolescents in violence prevention in Uruguay: A Deal for Ideal Interactions: Your actions leave a mark
In 2014, the public awareness campaign, “A Deal for Ideal Interactions”, completed it's twelfth year in Uruguay. The campaign's theme, “Your actions leave a mark”, focused on the impact of both maltreatment and fair and caring interactions. The theme provoked reflection, among both adolescent promotors and adults, on the potential for each person's actions to positively or negatively mark those around us.
In Uruguay, 85% of adults say they have mistreated a child or adolescent. It is crucial that those who are most affected, children and adolescents, begin to advocate for the change they want to see – promoting fair and caring interactions in their homes, schools and communities.
In July, the campaign began with a kick-off press conference at the Uruguayan Presidency Office. Thanks to your support, three youth training camps and nine training days were held through out the country, with participation from more than 250 organizations, 250 adult sponsors, and 500 youth promoters.
Workshop participants learn about their rights, how to identify mistreatment and abuse in their homes and schools, and practical tools for peaceful conflict resolution. The teens took what they learned back to their organizations and, working alongside adult sponsors, they shared the concepts of fair and caring interactions within their schools, church youth groups, centers for at-risk youth, youth centers, etc. Through these efforts, more than 4,000 children and adolescents from 13 of Uruguay´s 19 departments joined the campaign.
After reflection and training within each organization, the public awareness activities began in the month of October. Adolescent volunteers mobilized and symbolically “vaccinated” over 70,000 thousand Uruguay adults against violence. These adults – by accepting the candy “vaccination” and signing the vaccination card – commit to treat children and adolescents well. They are encouraged to start living out their commitment with concrete actions within their own homes, for example, by pausing to reflect before reacting with violence.
Representatives of four Uruguayan government ministries, including the Vice-President of the Republic, were among the many supporters that were symbolically “vaccinated” by adolescent volunteers. Four of the major news stations and two radio stations in Montevideo donated advertisement time for the campaign's two ads.
Adolescents are often ostracized and criminalized, but in Uruguay, there are thousands of young people who are changing that image and looking for a different, violence-free future for their country. They have joined efforts to advocate for a different tomorrow, and are holding adults – politicians, teachers, and family members – accountable for their actions. Societal change is difficult, but if we begin with the small things, such as our own, everyday interactions, change is possible.
If you would like to continue to support this advocacy campaign, please follow us via
www.buentrato.org.uy or on Facebook: Campaña Buentrato UY
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