COLOMBO: The ‘Walk For Real Change’ a key event of the recently launched campaign to end corporal punishment in Sri Lanka received an overwhelming response with people from all walks of life and different communities and cultural backgrounds participating with great fervour on 30 September.
The first phase of the campaign – End Corporal Punishment in Sri Lanka – Vision 2020 (ECP2020) – is dedicated to eliminating corporal punishment in schools. The campaign, which was launched on 1 September 2018, is organised by Stop Child Cruelty (SCC), a Colombo-based social organisation in collaboration with the Presidential Secretariat, ‘Daruwan Surakimu’ and the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, and is supported by leading personalities in the capacity of Patrons, as well as an Alliance of Professionals.
The ‘Walk For Real Change’ was one of the highlights of the lineup of events and activities aimed at raising awareness of cruelty to children in schools and the need to end this inhumane practice. A petition that was organised online and a wide-ranging proposal were handed over to the event’s Chief Guest, President Maithripala Sirisena by the patrons of the Alliance of Professionals, Ms. Otara Gunawardena and Mr. Sidath Wettimuny respectively. The ‘Pentagon Proposal’ aims to secure a commitment from five key stakeholders responsible for child protection to work collectively to end corporal punishment. A feature of the walk was the symbolic burning of canes.
Among other leading personalities who participated in the event were Higher Education Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Chairperson of Stop Child Cruelty, Dr. Tush Wickramanayaka and Dr. Tara De Mel, former member of the Presidential Task Force on Child Protection and Advisor to the President, and former Secretary, Ministry of Education.
Dr. Wickramanayake told Global Sri Lankan that the walk, which began and ended at Independence Square, was “a huge success”, and that her organisation planned to hold similar events to raise awareness as part of the ECP2020 campaign.
“People from all over Sri Lanka – North, South, East, West and Central – and from all ethnic groups and from different professions, joined us to show their solidarity with this campaign. Even parents who heard about the walk on radio brought along their children who were victims of corporal punishment, to the event. They were desperately seeking psychological support and counselling. Further, I received so many enquiries the day after the walk, further underlining the success of the event.”
(See exclusive interview with Dr. Tush Wickramanayaka)
