Province Brasil Sul-Amazônia
On August 22, in the Catholic Pontifical University of Rio do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, the Marist province of Brazil Sul-Amazonia launched the Marist Centre for the Promotion of the Rights of Children and Adolescents.
The meeting consisted of Marist Brothers, representatives of local authorities, official agencies,teachers and students. The provincial of Brazil Sul-Amazonia, Brother Inacio Etges was also present, as well as the rector of PUCRS, Brother Evilázio Teixeira.
Aligned to the calls of the XXII General Chapter which invites us to walk with the children and adolescents, the initiative seeks to devisenew methodologies and tools to provide subsidies for the formation of academics, professionals and the community in general. The Centre will be involved on two fronts: training and investigation.
Starting from a multidisciplinary performance, it seeks to contribute to a committed society dedicated to the integral care of children and adolescents. Topics such as sexual violence will be approached, as well as school inclusion, indiscipline and mental health.
In his speech, the coordinator of the Consultancyfor the Protection of Children and Adolescents of the province of Brasil Sul-Amazonia, Brother Sandro Bobrzyk, stressedthat the Centre would follow thefirmpurpose that motivated Saint Marcellin Champagnat to initiate the mission 200 years ago.
"The defence of rights should be aguideline for all", he affirmed. "Inspired by our founder, we hope to promote initiatives so that we can reflect on the topic in a collective way ".
The province of Brazil Sul-Amazonia, as well asthe other administrative units of the Institute, has in place institutional policies for the integral protection of children, adolescents and youth that are the basis on which people in the units act.
As well as promoting educational campaigns and having the Marist Centre of Promotion for the Rights of children and of Adolescents, the institution possesses the channel (Our Values), a place that presents the code of behaviour and the ethical parameters that drive the Marist mission . Using the platform of the internet, everyone involved with the Marist mission can communicate, in a safeand anonymous way, their concerns, doubts and suggestions.