“One thing is certain, there can be no sustainable development without promoting democracy and, thus, without respect for human rights.” (Former UN secretary-general P. Boutros Ghali).

From the dawn of civilization, we have now attained a digitally monitored and technologically tuned era. Our dear Earth has witnessed many happenings. The question remains whether we actually see and hear what really goes on around us? Let’s see. Do you know the latest statistics about child abuse?

The latest UNICEF report on ‘Under 5 mortality ranking’ shows that Mauritius is 130th with 19 deaths per year. It will be helpful to compare other figures, for instance: Seychelles: 17 cases, UK: 5 cases and so on. More facts? Still according to the same organization, more than a million girls are killed yearly because they are born women.

Amnesty International (2000) also provides deadly figures. About 14 to 15 million children die every year before they reach the age of 5 and more than 35,000 children die daily from “silent emergencies caused by poverty, illiteracy and lack of basic lifesaving technologies”.

The latest statistical report published by the Ministry of Women’s Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare (August 2003) reminds us that there are 2,010 females and 1,814 males registered at the Child Development Unit. Just a reminder of the kind of “problems” affecting these children: 453 girls suffer from psychological problems and 273 boys from behavioural ones. 182 boys have been battered by parents and 82 girls suffered sexual abuse; 20 girls were victims of incest and 57 boys abandoned. Should we go on? What is even more appalling is the fact that these children represent only the tip of the iceberg. They are the “known” cases – what about the unknown ones?

Ironically, we have become so accustomed to violence, torture, pain, and discrimination that we are actually blind and deaf. We learn more and more of incest, rape, sexual and physical abuse, neglect, child killing - THIS IS CHILD ABUSE! Entrapped in our daily quest for a better status, a better standard of living, a better revenue - do we have the time to bother about a better life for many children?

It is chilling when we see that in the US, 50,000 children die each year. In many parts of the world, child labour and exploitation is a daily reality. Have we really become that insensi-tive? With paedophilia and other dangers becoming more and more of a threat to our children, we cannot relent.

We must not tolerate injustice done to any child. Even emotional abuse is a form of child discrimination and our sophisticated humanity should not close its eyes to this trauma.

The next conferences will be The ISPCAN 15th Inter-national Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect (Sept 2004); The 9th International Conference on Family Violence (Sept 2004); The 15th International Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (April 2005).

World leaders and delegates discuss this issue over and over. Yet, it is clear that we have not managed to eradicate this plague from our lives. The question remains as to what each one of us could do? Our children’s suffering should not be left unanswered. What can you do?

<B>Pamela Arasen-Lilette

Reference: www.child-abuse.com</B>