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Media Release

9 March, 2006

Torch of Peace campaign

The Torch of Peace - symbol of the national campaign to combat violence against women and children - will arrive in the Western Cape tomorrow (Friday, 10 March 2006).

The South African Cabinet has called on South Africans to campaign against violence against women and children during the whole of 2006, because of high levels of violence of this kind in the country.

Reports by the Medical Research Council, the Human Rights Watch and in the media have highlighted the seriousness of the problem.

The national Department of Education has launched the Torch of Peace Campaign in response to the call of the Cabinet.

The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and to ensure effective intervention strategies to prevent learners from being scarred by traumatic abuse through gender violence and violence against children.

The main focus of the campaign is prevention. The DoE is encouraging schools to facilitate programmes to help children and youth to develop refusal skills and to reduce behaviours that may put them at risk.

The campaign is addressing societal attitudes that encourage gender-based violence and is encouraging young people to report any form of violence against them.

The Torch of Peace Campaign seeks to create safe schools that do not tolerate violence of any form, especially gender-based violence and abuse of children.

The campaign is giving each province an opportunity of hosting the Torch for a week, preferably in communities that are grappling with the issues of violence and crime in their areas.

The Torch will arrive in the Western Cape tomorrow and will remain for a day in each of the four education districts in the Western Cape, as well as in the Breede River/Overberg district.

Ms Ina Cronjé, MEC for Education in KwaZulu Natal, will hand the Torch to the Cameron Dugmore, MEC for Education in the Western Cape, during a special programme at the Breërivier High School in Worcester tomorrow at 12h00.

Speakers will include the MECs, Ron Swartz, the Head of Education in the Western Cape, and the Director of the Gender Equity Unit of the DoE, Ms M Ramagoshi.

Education Management and Development Centres (EMDCs) in the districts will take the campaign further by organising programmes to raise awareness about the scourge of violence affecting school communities in their areas.


Issued by:
Gert Witbooi
Media Liaison Secretary
Office of the MEC for Education
Western Cape
E-mail: gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689

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