Program World Update od BBC World Service odvysielaný 18. novembra 2019 obsahoval článok o nacistickej genocíde Rómov a Sintov v rozhovore s hlavnou kurátorkou Wiener Holocaust Library Barbarou Warnockovou. Hovorí o práci, ktorú vykonáva projekt orálnej histórie „Roma Stories“ skupiny Roma Support Group pri zbieraní svedectiev o skúsenostiach Rómov vo vojnových koncentračných táboroch .
I had the honor of attending the Heart in the Palm award ceremony, which is traditionally organized by the Nitra Volunteer Center. Volunteers from all over the region received well-deserved recognition for their selfless help that improves lives in our communities.
This year, our member and chairwoman of Sunray for Children, Dagmar Szabó, also accepted the Heart in the Palm nomination.
Our nominee has been volunteering in international family issues since 2015. During this time, she has helped 213 families long-term. She answers questions by phone or email. She organizes events, roundtables, lectures,. She donates an average of 80 hours of her time per month.
Heart is still making efforts to help reunite families. It fights against children wrongfully taken away abroad. It helps children return to their biological parents or relatives. Then return to their home country.
Our nominee’s life motto is: A CHILD is a GIFT, not a commodity
Today we participated in an international conference on social and legal protection of children with a topic also touching on international abductions at the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic
It was an honor for me that the initial meetings organized by Lúč pre Dieťa at a round table under the title: A CHILD IS A GIFT, not a commodity, led to the organization of an international conference.
Many experts spoke in the discussion panels not only from Slovakia, but also from Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom, but our neighbors from the Czech Republic and Hungary were also represented.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also plays an important role in international child protection through its embassies.
We learned about the exact system of procedures for transferring children, about abductions by one parent from the country of habitual residence. Each country has a different legal and social system.
The meeting at the Ministry of Culture with Martina Šimkovičová was full of information. Minister Martina Šimkovičová has been helping with the issue of illegally taken children abroad for a long time. I informed the Minister about the current situation regarding children and parents. I informed the Minister about our activities and what we do. Activities include preserving our traditions such as making handmade candles, embroidery, crocheting, painting eggs and bobbin lace. It was our first meeting after her appointment and I believe that we will soon be together again.
The family is the only institution that has been the safest for raising children since time immemorial.
Lúč pre Dieťa is the only organization in Slovakia that specializes in international cases and provides advice on assistance in the wrongful removal of children, on return procedures for minors to their country of origin. We work with families at risk, in which a child may be removed, and families in which a child has already been removed. We consider it crucial to preserve the integrity and continuity of a child’s life. Therefore, we strive to ensure that children do not have to leave their family environment at all, or that they can return to it as soon as possible. We provide assistance and advice to parents after a child has been removed. We support them in the difficult process of returning a child back to the family. We develop conceptual activities that encourage changes to the legislative framework with a direct impact on the social environment. Our effort is to improve child and family care by also amending legal norms and regulations. We communicate with the public. We openly communicate about the issue of the difference in life between countries (Slovakia and Western Europe). We create awareness and open a social debate. We try to eradicate ingrained prejudices and show the situation of taken children in a truthful light. We do all this in accordance with the Declaration of the Human Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Charter of Family Rights. Our goal is to unite families. Children have the right to live with their biological family, extended family and to know their culture. Our guiding idea is: “A child is a GIFT, not a commodity!” (Dadík)
Each country has its own laws and social system.
Abroad, children are taken at a possible risk, the deed did not happen.
An anonymous phone call that no one verifies is enough.
A child comes to school injured, has bruises, …, the parent does not explain what happened when handing over.
An injured child in the emergency room, where social services suspect injury to another person.
Unauthorized removal of a child is very simple, but has traumatic consequences.
Family breakdown in many cases.
The extended family is divided, ties are broken.
Children experience trauma, move to a substitute foster family. Difference in language use. Different meals, regimen. From day to day.
After children return to their parents, the family begins a complex process again.
Relationships are disrupted. Broken trust, where restoration is difficult.
Children become bedridden, have night awakenings,
blame their parents for separation, for being away from their family with complete strangers.
We show how patients are systematically manufactured.
Let’s support the publication of the book of short stories „True Stories from Our Practice“ by the charity “Sunray for Children”.
The charity “Sunray for Children” provides the connection, help and advice for people of Slovakian descent living in the UK. As a volunteer, I decided to publish a book of short stories in cooperation with the charity. Since the charity operates exclusively on volunteer basis, it is financially demanding to procure everything necessary for the publication of this book.
Let’s support the publication of the book together.
“Sunray for Children” is the only civic association that specializes in international cases and provides the vital advice for Slovaks in the UK in cases such as the return of minors to the country of origin of the Slovak Republic. While working within this charity, I decided to publish the book „True Stories from Our Practice“.
In the book, which you can also help me publish, there will be real stories that happened to Slovak children living abroad. You will not learn any funny stories, nor will you recognize the specific names of the people who survived the story. It is a glimpse into our environment, our work, which is about helping children and parents in their most difficult moments.
While working with Slovak mums living in the UK, I noticed that a common, although not exclusive, topic is to lose a child to the system, often not by a fault of the parents, but often the miscommunication plays a big role here, so I manage finding help at the right time for them. However, the planned book will also include short stories with happy endings, which you will be happy to read over a cup of coffee or tea.
I must thank my colleagues for creating the environment conductive to writing, my family that has endured my moods for years, and the social media platforms, thanks to which charity I volunteer for was advertised. In the book I capture the real emotions, mood and mobilization of forces to save children and their families.
I plan to publish the book in 500 copies and in a smaller format so that it can be read anywhere. For each short story, I approached an illustrator who would complete the overall atmosphere. It will also be accompanied by photographs.
How do I use your support?
As the author of the book, I do not claim any remuneration, but I need the help of professionals to print the book.
Therefore, the money from this campaign will go to language reduction, proofreading, graphic design, illustrations and printing.
In the event of any surplus after the payment of these items, the rest of the money will be used for the christening of the book public event, details of which will come later.
„The short stories were clearly created under the influence of life, to help children and parents and to help the charity which is helping them…this had a profound effect on me so that while editing them, I realized that most of them have an incredible power:
„Never give up… There is always a way!“
My motto is:
A child is a Gift, not a commodity!
The Winter suits the atmosphere of the book best, so the christening is planned in the Winter, which also makes it an excellent Christmas gift for those people who never give up.
We started the new year with a smile. Our students enjoyed it and did not forget to set resolutions. we believe and keep our fingers crossed for them to fulfill their commitment. We are looking forward to the next meeting. We believe that together we will learn something new and have fun at the same time.
