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THE FOUNDATION'S FIRST OPEN DAY
"Priority for the dignity and safety of children in Europe", was the central theme of the first open day organised by the Foundation for the Child and the Family, on the 17th June at the Zappeion Palace.
As part of the collaboration between
the Foundation for the Child and the Family,
the European Office for Missing and Exploited Children - a non-governmental foundation for the study, research, awareness and prevention of the abuse, disappearance and exploitation of children, and
the Fondation pour l'Enfance - a socially oriented private French foundation concerned with the problems of childhood -
Greek and foreign specialists discussed the problem of the abuse, disappearance and exploitation of children, at a European level.
In the course of the open day the Greek and foreign speakers :
- discussed the violation of the inalienable right of children to dignity and safety,
- described the extent of the problem of criminality aimed at children, at a European and Greek level,
- presented the actions taken by the European Union to confront the disappearance and exploitation of children,
- spoke of the role played by the Council of Europe and its contribution to the solving of this problem,
- analysed the high-risk family and social factors and the exploitation of children,
- referred to the role of international police cooperation through Interpol and Scotland Yard, and to inter-university cooperation in the field of research.
The opening speech was made by Mrs Marianna Vardinoyannis, President of the Foundation for the Child and the Family, while the panel was mediated by Mrs Lucia Mousourou, Professor of Sociology at the Panteion University.
The speakers were :
Andre Bossard, Doctor of Law, Analyst of International Criminology, President of the European Office for Missing and Exploited Children
Marie-Paule Poilpot, Director of the Fondation pour l'Enfance and offical representative of the European Office for Missing and Exploited Children
Calliope Spinelli, Professor of Criminology at the Law School of the University of Athens, former President of the Committee of Examiners of the Council of Europe
Eleni Agathonos, Doctor of Psychology, Director of the Department of Family Relations of the Child Health Institute
Patricia Gregory, Senior functionary of Scotland Yard and representative of the vice-president of the European Office for Missing and Exploited Children, Mr. de Jong
Ioanna Bekiari, Police Inspector of the 2nd Directorate for the Protection of Minors, Interpol official for matters concerning minors
Emilio Viano, Professor of Criminology and general coordinator of the International Centre of Criminology in Paris, Professor of the American University Washington and vice-president of the European Office for Missing and Exploited Children.
The workings of the open day were attended by representatives of the political world, and of public and private institutions concerned with children's problems. The considerable interest aroused, the various interventions, the exchanges of views and the publicity which the open day attracted, all finally led to an optimistic message :
IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, MUCH CAN BE ACHIEVED TO MAKE TOMORROW A BETTER DAY FOR CHILDREN
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