Save the Children…

 

Date of issue: 27 May 2013

Here I wish to share a nice stamp issued by Danish Post for the cause  “ Save the childdren from violence and let them grow in a happy environment”.The design of the stamp is very appealing. This is a charity stamp. The motif, which features the silhouette of a girl, is made up of crisscrossing words in different colors. If you study it under a magnifying glass, you will see that the words tell a child’s story.

Millions of children worldwide are hit, kicked, pushed, beaten, humiliated and threatened at home. In the average Danish eighth-grade class, one in five pupils has been the victim of parental violence.

The 2013 charity stamp supports Save the Children, which fights for children’s right to care, security and protection. Profits from the stamp will support Save the Children’s work to combat violence against children. Since 1986, the surcharge on charity stamp has been DKK 0.50. In order to raise even more money for charity, Post Danmark has decided to raise the surcharge per stamp to DKK 1.00.

Save the Children’s work

Save the Children, founded in 1945, is the world’s largest independent children’s rights organisation, and operates in 120 countries. Its work is based on the UN Children’s Convention, which aims to ensure that all children have rights on an equal footing with adults.
The core of Save the Children’s work consists of education and protection. The organisation provides emergency aid in response to disasters and conflicts, and works with children to fight child labour, poverty, bullying, violence and sexual abuse.
Mimi Jakobsen has been Secretary General of Save the Children for 12 years, ably supported by approx. 1,000 volunteers in 61 local associations across the country, and more than 17,000 members, donors and sponsors.

Stop violence against children!

Being beaten is one of the worst things that can happen to a child. Children who are exposed to violence or who witness violence in the home can be left physically and psychologically scarred for life. It is every adult’s responsibility to stop violence against children, protect them and guarantee their right to grow up in a healthy and safe environment. Everybody has a duty to react, no matter how difficult it might be.

Violence is taboo and can be difficult to talk about. But nobody should fail to act if a child is being abused. “Save the Children does not turn a blind eye, but gets actively involved in stopping violence,” Jakobsen explains. “We also do everything in our power to make a noise when children are exposed to violence. In particular, we must hold decision-makers responsible for ensuring that something is done about the problem.”

In addition to advising parents on how to interact with their children and bring them up without using violence, Save the Children provides information to teachers and educators on better ways of helping vulnerable children and their families if they suspect that a child is being physically abused.