Cardenal Cisneros University College

The Centre for Child Protection (CCP) of the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome is one of the most important Catholic references in the prevention of sexual abuse and, in general, in the protection of children in the world.

At the beginning of 2017, FMSI signed a cooperation agreement with the CCP to impart the programme “Protection: our commitment” in the Marist universities and provinces of the different continents.

The goals of this programme are: to promote the protection of children by promoting prevention against sexual abuse and other kinds of abuse, and to increase awareness of the importance of creating healthy and safe environments.

For this reason, the Cardenal Cisneros University College in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, began a course on Oct. 1 for 97 Marist teachers, counsellors and directors from Spain, Portugal, Romania, Greece, France, Hungary and Lebanon.

The course is developed in a semi-face-to-face mode. They follow a series of readings and evaluations through a virtual platform and hold face-to-face sessions to discuss and reflect on the topics with specialists in the field.

The contents of the course include: good treatment, culture and childhood, risk factors and protection from abuse, signs and indicators in sexually abused people, domestic abuse and its consequences, among other topics.

It is very likely that the Cardenal Cisneros University College will be followed by other Marist organisations and universities such as the PUC in Paraná (Brazil), the Marcelino Champagnat University in Lima (Peru) and the Marist University of Mérida (Mexico).

This is a very concrete way of putting into practice the call that, once again, the XXII General Chapter made: “Commit ourselves firmly to promoting and defending the rights of children.”