Culture of peace
Effective against violence
In addition to prevention work and victim counselling in the field of domestic and sexual violence, the partner organisations of terre des hommes schweiz in southern Africa are also particularly concerned with the problem of child marriages - a violation of the fundamental rights of young girls, which is still widespread in Mozambique and Tanzania.
Breaking the wall of silence
In the programme countries South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania and Nicaragua, terre des hommes schweiz has experienced that violence against women and girls can be combated particularly effectively if the entire village community is involved. When neighbours, local authorities or religious leaders take responsibility and intervene, the wall of silence is broken in the long term. Especially where state structures and contact points are lacking, changes must be initiated from below. For example, religious leaders in Mozambique have been persuaded to speak out against child marriage and to reject it permanently. This has achieved a great deal.
Experiencing an alternative to violence in youth groups
In the programme countries Colombia, Brazil and El Salvador, terre des hommes Switzerland supports projects in which young people work for peaceful coexistence. Through creative actions and community projects, young people succeed in breaking the spiral of fear and mutual distrust in neighbourhoods affected by violence. In youth groups they experience that there are alternatives to criminal youth gangs. Their initiatives show: it takes little to break the vicious circle of violence. Because the will to change is great.
Desk
