Human Rights Education and Community Values Formation
People’s Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance (PREDA) Foundation
The Preda Special Human Awareness Rights Education (SHARE) and Lobbying project to the local government officials at all levels, in particular to the Barangay communities.
Human Rights and the dignity of the human person are still being widely violated. Summary executions and disappearances are common although decreasing somewhat. Children’s rights are the most violated and it is a hidden culture of abuse. The Preda Special Human Awareness Rights Education (SHARE) and Lobbying project to the local government officials at all levels, in particular to the Barangay communities. The education team holds training seminars for these officials, including police, teachers, parents and social workers on the rights of the child and the formation of the Barangay Committee for the Protection of Children.
The particular mission is to eliminate the “areglo” practice whereby local government barangay officials privately negotiate a compensation payment between the child abuser and the parents. Some officials take a percentage of the payment for themselves. The committee members and municipality social workers are given the Preda “hot line” number to send a SMS and request assistance and the residential care protection of children from abusers. The team also trains volunteer “Guardian at Litem” (CASA/GAL). Volunteers who are then to be appointed by the court to be legal guardians of children in need of legal protection and help. The team organizes rallies, marches, public forums, media coverage and discussion groups on human rights issues.