Cauca is the most affected department in Colombia by conflict. Indigenous are 90% of civil victims of landmines. This picture is from Jan Egeland’s visit to Cauca a few months back. Photo: NRC/Tuva Raanes Bogsnes
Author: Hanne Eide Andersen – “10 years from now we will look back on this day. Those who endorsed will say ‘we should really have done this earlier’. Those who did not endorse will say ‘why did we not endorse it’”, said NRC’s Secretary General, Jan Egeland.
60 nations were gathered at the Safe Schools Conference in Oslo today. By the end of the day, 37 nations had endorsed the “Safe Schools Declaration” to protect education from attack.
“This is a long overdue declaration”, said Egeland, who was one of the speakers at the Safe Schools Conference earlier today.
A recent tragedy shows the relevance of the declaration. On the 20th May a 7-years old school girl was killed by a landmine in a NRC supported school in Colombia.
“She stepped on a land mine placed in the school yard in Colombia’s conflict hit department Cauca. Two other children were injured in the incident, which happened when pupils were assembling outside the school at the end of the school day. All 46 students in the school witnessed the incident”, said NRC’s country director in Colombia, Christian Winsnes.
Attacks and recruitment
Colombia is among the countries with some of the highest number of attacks on schools. In most cases, no one is held accountable for attacks and perpetrators, usually, are not brought to justice.
“In general terms Colombian Armed Forces frequently use school infrastructure for military purposes, resultingin rebels attacking schools. Moreover, rebel groups target schools in order to recruit”, said Winsnes.
Cauca has one of the highest rates of conflict, crime and violence in the country. Non-state actors use landmines in an indiscriminate way in many areas.
“The situation here has been unstable since FARC suspended the unilateral ceasefire on May 23th”, said the country director.
Jan Egeland met local school children when he visited conflict hit Cauca in Colombia few months ago.
Photo: Tuva Raanes Bogsnes/NRC
Failing the most vulnerable
The school in Cauca is now closed while a search for explosive devices is carried out around the premises.
“This is an outrageous example of how the increasing military use of schools hits the most vulnerable of all, children in conflict areas.”, said Secretary General Jan Egeland, who visited the Cauca department few months ago.
“I visited one of the neighbouring schools of the school where the girl was killed. The parents and grand parents of the children where there, and they told me that “this school is our pride” and described how the school plays a crucial role in all parts of their lives and in their community “, said Egeland.
Edvard Yamil Orozco (9) with his best friend Andres Sebastian (9). The boys attended a school in Cauca when Jan Egeland visited the region. Eduard hopes there will be peace in Colombia soon.
“Peace is important so that people don´t die”, he says. Photo: NRC/Tuva Raanes Bogsnes
Trauma and fear
The incident has created fear among children and teachers who witnessed the explosion.
“The community is generally affected emotionally and some children express the desire to not return to school”, the country director, Christian Visnes explained
NRC, in coordination with local authorities, is assisting the local indigenous community to set up an alternative safe learning space in another location, and will be providing educational support including land mine awareness.
Visnes points out that high drop out of students and lack of teachers due to the risk are typical consequences of incidents like this.
“ The suspension of the school and education activities leads to vulnerability towards issues such as sexual violence and forced recruitment while out of school”.
Must be followed by immediate action
NRC has programs in all the countries that are most affected by attacks on education, and this is not the first time the organisation receives reports of attacks on schools or military use of schools in areas NRC is present. Syria and South-Sudan are other countries where incidents have taken place lately.
“We urge all governments to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration”, said Jan Egeland, Friday.
“The declaration is a milestone representing a big step forward, but must be followed by immediate action by all states ”, he added.
School children in Jambalo, Cauca, Colombia. NRC supports the building of a new room where the children can do homework. The Nasa people remain in the crossfire as fighting rages between the army and guerrilla forces.
Photo: Tuva Raanes Bogsnes/NRC
Read original article: www.nrc.no