Protecting Environment and Children Everywhere
ECPAT Sri Lanka is a founding member of the ECPAT campaign and the local counterpart of ECPAT International (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes). ECPAT International is a network of organisations that is solely focusing on ending the sexual exploitation of children. Our organisation is identified as ECPAT Sri Lanka /Protecting Environment and Children Everywhere (PEaCE).
ECPAT Sri Lanka is a dedicated organisation that strives to combat the sexual exploitation of children in Sri Lanka. The organisation’s main focus lies in a number of areas where children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. By addressing these issues, ECPAT Sri Lanka aims to protect children and create a safe environment for them.
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A sensitive approach is crucial when talking to children who have been exploited and abused sexually. It is best to allow them to tell their story and show our empathy. We become the audience that listens to their experiences of pain, hurt and emotional changes.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Survivors of abuse and sexual exploitation are often hesitant to socialize with others. They may feel that the trauma they have endured is too sensitive for the public to understand. We try to understand and help them overcome their social phobia and assist them in getting back to society and rebuilding their lives while slowly infusing a sense of confidence in themselves.
Help is provided through our awareness programs for communities, officials and children themselves. We provide counselling, financial assistance for survivors and contribute for the revival of their lives.
Our Vision
To create a society that protects and promotes the rights of every child and form an environment in which the safety and security of every child is assured.
Our Mission
PEaCE actively contributes, primarily, to the elimination of sexual exploitation of children and strives to promote the protection of children from all forms of abuse and exploitation.
Our Values
Adhere to the principles of Rights of the Child, which is at the centre of our concern irrespective of creed, religion and gender.
Our activities as an organisation are centred around four pillars that form the foundation of our work: awareness raising, capacity development, research, and advocacy.
Awareness Raising
The first pillar, awareness-raising, involves educating the public about the issue of child sexual exploitation and the various forms it can take. The organisation conducts campaigns, workshops, and community outreach programmes to raise awareness and promote understanding of the problem. This includes disseminating information through social media, newspapers and other communication channels to reach as many individuals as possible. ECPAT Sri Lanka effectively utilises the potential of social media by implementing extensive social media campaigns and consistently sharing content on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These campaigns are designed to raise awareness about the issue of violence against children in a multilingual format.
Training and Capacity Development
The second pillar which is capacity development, focuses on building the skills and knowledge of stakeholders who work with or have the potential to work with children, victims, or survivors of sexual exploitation. ECPAT Sri Lanka provides training programmes to professionals in fields such as law enforcement, social work, education, and healthcare. These trainings aim to enhance their ability to identify, respond to, and support child victims, while also equipping them with tools to prevent future cases of exploitation.
Research
The third pillar which is research, plays a vital role in understanding the prevalence, causes, and dynamics of child sexual exploitation in Sri Lanka. Research helps ECPAT Sri Lanka identify the gaps in existing services and develop evidence-based strategies to address the issue more effectively. By conducting studies, surveys, and collecting data, ECPAT Sri Lanka advocates for specific policy changes or interventions that will protect children from exploitation.
Advocacy
The final pillar, advocacy, is centred around influencing policymakers, legislators, and other key stakeholders to take action against child sexual exploitation. ECPAT Sri Lanka engages in advocacy through meetings, consultations, and partnerships with government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and civil society groups. We work to create a supportive legal and policy framework that safeguards children’s rights and ensures perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes.
In order to combat sexual exploitation of children, we work at various levels such as individual, societal, corporate and policy levels.
- At the individual level, we focus on empowering and educating children, youth, families and communities to recognise and prevent child exploitation. We conduct workshops, training sessions and awareness programmes to equip individuals with the necessary knowledge and tools to identify and report instances of exploitation. By fostering a sense of responsibility among individuals, ECPAT Sri Lanka aims to create a protective environment for children. We also offer legal assistance to survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation as well as to their families. This assistance takes the form of legal counselling from qualified PEaCE professionals. Our team represents survivors in court proceedings, ensuring their rights are protected throughout the legal process. In addition to legal aid, we also provide educational support to children who have been expelled from school due to being victimised by others. These children often face unfair treatment and stigma, which is beyond their control.
- Societal-level activities involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including local authorities, village child development committees, community leaders, and non-governmental organisations. ECPAT Sri Lanka works closely with these partners to implement programmes and campaigns that challenge social norms and attitudes that perpetuate child exploitation. Through advocacy and public awareness initiatives, we strive to change societal perspectives and engage communities in creating safer spaces for children to grow and thrive.
- Engaging with the corporate sector is another critical aspect of ECPAT Sri Lanka's work. We actively engage with businesses, tourism companies and stakeholders in the hospitality sector to promote responsible tourism and prevent sexual exploitation of children in these industries. ECPAT Sri Lanka collaborates with companies to develop and enforce ethical codes of conduct and guidelines that ensure the protection of children. We provide training to employees and raise awareness among travel and tour operators about child protection issues, encouraging responsible behaviour and reporting any suspicious activities.
- Additionally, ECPAT Sri Lanka works at policy level to influence and advocate for stronger laws and policies to combat child exploitation and abuse. We engage with government agencies, lawmakers and international organisations to raise awareness about the issue and push for legal reforms. By advocating for the implementation and enforcement of effective policies, ECPAT Sri Lanka seeks to create a legal framework that protects children and holds perpetrators accountable. Our holistic approach aims to create a safe and secure environment for children in Sri Lanka.