Dear Saligaonettekars,
dilip dacruz wrote:
As says Patsy, your letter is truly tragic. It explains to some extent
why there are, to the best of my knowledge, no cases of serious abuse
reported from our neck of the woods.
Generally, we in Goa and India, bring up our children in a
culture of subservience and silence. We too, M&M, can be quite
traditional in our child rearing ways, in spite of being very
liberal, overall. Even so, our children, do threaten us and
others with a call to 1098 when we tend to cross the line! We
dare say, there would be a lot less child abuse across the board,
if all children made that threat to us 'abusing' adults,
especially in schools.
Also, there *is* sexual child abuse going on in families,
neighbourhoods and schools, but the stigma and/or backlash of a
complaint either to institutional heads or to the police scares
victim's and their parents away from making one.
There are enlightened exceptions though: Gerard Delaney being a
shining one a few years ago (not in a case of sexual abuse).
His son Lester, now studying in Australia, (are you reading us Les?)
was left with a bloodied mouth and a few mobile teeth
after a school master assaulted him and a group of classmates
in St. Britto's (this after his mother Marianinha Delaney
being a teacher in the same school!).
As part of the Mapusa based, Child Rights Group,
Roland Martins persuaded Gerard to file a simple complaint
with the Mapusa police. Gerard did and the complaint was used
as a basis to take the matter up with the school.
Mario represented the Delaneys in the official enquiry
that followed with regular hearings that lasted a few months.
Result: the master was suspended and has not set foot in St.
Britto's again, thus saving generations of students expensive
dental treatment for life!
But then the Delaneys as a family are a different
breed, slowly going extinct (consider Ashley's invaluable
contribution to RP-21 work in Saligao recently; Gerard being the
contemporary president of the Saligao Civic and Consumer Cell;
Marianinha being responsible for saving the Salmon Spring from
the clutches of the Government way back in 1979,
by relaying timely inside information of the take over) .
I find your comments about the attitude of archbishop Filipe Neri to be
encouraging because the problem with these large organisations is not
the 'few bad apples' Quentin referred to in his sermon but the
organised, corporate cover-up that follows.
The cover-ups persist, in that cases are not allowed to reach the
criminal courts
to be tried by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which is the criminal
law of the land.
But 'departmental' action is taken, at least in recent times with
the "bad apple"
transferred to safer environs in an effort to stem the rot.
> And it is precisely because there is a cover-up culture that
there is a conflict of interest with
Childline. It is too closely linked to the church itself and that link
MUST be broken (without any aspersions of guilt or prejudice).
True. An independent, fearless and thoroughly secular NGO has to
perform this role. If all child abusers knew that they would be
up against a strong *Goa Children's Act, 2003*, we would have
many happier children in Saligao.
I hang my head in shame for the nothingness that I offer.
Well, you did spot that "...elephant in the room..." and are
leading a great discussion,
so the angle of the head should begin to change dramatically!
And with the following important suggestions you make,
you never know where it can lead!:
What does everyone think we can do to help establish the following in
Saligao:
1. An awareness in all institutions that deal with the vulnerable that
there are adult behaviours that are unacceptable.
2. Educating children as to what physical, emotional and sexual abuse is.
3. Adult education (wrt physical and emotional abuse) so they are aware
that there are red lines.
4. An information campaign that makes it clear to children that they can
safely escape abuse
5. Establishing that way out so they _can _escape.
6. Tracking and monitoring the size of the problem. (low numbers are far
more frightening than high numbers in a way)
7. Ensuring that all organisations that deal with the vulnerable
develop transparent agreeable policies that safeguard the vulnerable.
I am very happy to travel to Goa and lecture on the subject of abuse
but, quite disgracefully, I can only speak in English and that limits my
contribution significantly. Moreover, I would be seen as an outsider
getting involved in a very delicate area of society. I do have strong
links with the Rotarians in Mapusa and Porvorim ..... may be I could do
that through them....
Super! When you are down next, we could meet with the child
rights groups
(also Rotarians like Frank and Thresa's son, Savio) and work out an
awareness programme for Saligao...along with other interested
Saligaokars.
I am also very happy to contribute financially towards the establishment
of a well-run, fully-functioning, _completely independent_ and
responsive hotline if required.
Let us see what the existing NGOs say. Maybe, one of the secular
ones can take over
Childline and use your contribution to make it a 100% responsive,
24x7 hotline.
Warm regards and solidarity with that feeling of "shame" and
"nothingness"
(we too feel we should be doing so much more for Saligao, Goa and
the planet).
M&M.
--
................................................................
there *is* anOTHERgoa
at <http://www.anothergoa.blogspot.com>
& <http://www.youtube.com/anothergoa>
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
muriel & mario,
c/o "FULKAR",
6/22, sonarbhatt, saligao.
bardez. goa. 403511.
tel: 0832-2278276 / 2409999
<anothergoa AT gmail.com>
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
--
This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en
Please post regularly to keep the e-village active!
