Torch of Peace Campaign

The Torch of Peace - symbol of the national campaign to combat violence against women and children - will arrive in the Western Cape on Friday, 10 March 2006.

KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Ms Ina Cronjé will hand the Torch of Peace to her Western Cape counterpart Cameron Dugmore during a special ceremony at the Breërivier High School in Worcester, at 12h00. MEC Dugmore is expected to hand over the Torch of Peace to the Eastern Cape on Wednesday 15 March.

Earlier, the Cabinet has called on South Africans to campaign against violence against women and children during the whole of 2006, because of high levels of violence of this kind in the country. Reports by the Medical Research Council, the Human Rights Watch and in the media have highlighted the seriousness of the problem.

The torch was lit during the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence on Women and Children in November last year. Cabinet earlier took a decision to extend the campaign from 16 to 365 days.

In response to the call by Cabinet, the Department of Education has then developed a programme in support of our Safe Schools Campaign. The Torch of Peace was first received by the Department of Transport as part of the Arrive Alive campaign.

The "Torch of Peace" forms a link between the 16 Days of Activism Campaign and other major national campaigns that support the thematic programmes that underpin government's national outreach activities.

The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and to ensure effective intervention strategies to prevent learners from being scarred by traumatic abuse through gender violence and violence against children.

The main focus of the campaign is awareness, education and prevention. The DoE is encouraging schools to facilitate programmes to help children and youth to develop refusal skills and reduce behaviour that may put them at risk.

The campaign is addressing societal attitudes that encourage gender-based violence and is encouraging young people to report any form of violence against them.

The campaign is giving each province an opportunity of hosting the Torch for a week, preferably in communities that are grappling with the issues of violence and crime in their areas.

Education Management and Development Centres (EMDCs) in the districts will take the campaign further by organising programmes to raise awareness about the scourge of violence affecting school communities in their areas.

Here in the Western Cape the Torch will remain for a day in each of the four metropolitan education districts, as well as in the Breede River/Overberg district.

For enquiries

Gert Witbooi
Media Liaison Secretary
Office of the MEC for Education
Western Cape
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Email : gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za
Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za