CSF Supported Advocacy Dialogue Symposium on Child Protection Perspectives Conducted in Northern Barh el Ghazal State on 27th July 2022.

Community Initiative for Partnership and Development (CIPAD) in close collaboration with Northern Bahr El Ghazal State’s Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare have successfully conducted advocacy dialogue symposium on child protection perspectives in the state with financial and technical support from Civil Society Facility.

This dialogue symposium brought together 30 ( 11 females) different child protection stakeholders across Northern Bahr El Ghazal State who included representatives police service, prisons service, legal administration, bars association, traditional leaders, youths, women, Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Education, Aweil Municipal Council, Payam Administrators, Civil Society Organization, State Assembly, Human Rights Commission, religious leaders and traders union.

The dialogue built holistic approach and action of the stakeholders on child protection and as well enhanced the protection of children in the communities by providing a platform of different child protection stakeholders to dialogued on how best they are working to protect children in their various institutions and how best they should improve on what they are doing to promote and protect the children in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

During the discussion, each representative from the invited child protection stakeholders above had a chance to present/talk about how best they are working to protect children in their various institutions and how best they would want to improve on what they are doing to promote and protect the children in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State. There was adequate time allowed for presentations, questions and answers in order to enhanced a feedback mechanisms in form of evaluations, recommendations, suggestions, and appreciation during the discussion on who did the best job, how improvement can be done and who are the major actors in the child protection.

As the results, the dialogue promoted an improved experience sharing, collaboration and referral mechanisms among child protection stakeholders invited as discussion was very fruitful.

Among other benefits of the dialogue, the relations between CIPAD, community and authorities has improved as demonstrated by participants who came from different government institutions because of the quality and relevancy of the work done (dialogue symposium) since it meets the needs of the community.

Since the dialogue was made possible with financial and technical support from Civil Society Facility (CSF), many participants appreciated CSF and its donors for the greater support. Thank you CIPAD and CSF for the support, our Ministry is not able to design and implement this kind of activity because of financial constraints, but you made possible for us to invite partners for the dialogue, said Joseph Madut Mou, Acting Director General for Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare.