Save the Children launched a new book titled “Positive Discipline: What it is and how to do it,” in the Philippines and Fiji in September. The publication aims to help parents and guardians be better prepared for parent-child conflict and other challenging situations and to learn how to raise their children without physical and emotional violence. It provides concrete examples of how children could be disciplined without using any form of violence.
Fiji
Save the Children Fiji and Save the Children Sweden launched the Positive Discipline Parenting Guide in Suva. The launch was attended by representatives from the government, law enforcement, media, non government organisations, and a youth led organisation, Kids Link Fiji.
The Chief of Staff of the Fiji Police Force said the book is a useful resource for police force to not only learn more about positive discipline, but also to help them apply it to their children. He plans to train police posted in rural areas who could further train parents in communities.
Save the Children Fiji will translate the book into local languages and raise awareness on positive discipline in 17 communities in Suva and Labasa through a mobile playgroup.
In November, Save the Children Fiji and Save the Children Sweden will hold workshop to prepare facilitators to run group discussions with parents using the new publication. The workshop will be resourced by the author Joan E. Durrant and Dominique Pierre Plateau, Save the Children Sweden’s regional advisor on prevention of child abuse and exploitation.
Philippines
In the Philippines, 60 representatives from different international and local non-government organisations, government agencies, networks and media attended the book launch. These include organisations working on child protection and other children’s issues, legal reform advocacy, and those with programmes and services related to parenting education, family counselling, and crisis response.
Guests, including Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Alicia Bala, and Council for the Welfare of Children Deputy Executive Director Ma. Elena Caraballo, lauded Save the Children Sweden for producing a publication that responds to a very important concern of parents and organisations working with children and adults.
The launch opened new doors for future partnerships with organisations that can help further our campaign for a legal ban on corporal punishment of children and for the promotion of positive discipline in the Philippines.
Save the Children Sweden’s partner organisations will be integrating discussions of positive discipline in their awareness-raising activities such as the School Principals’ Convention in Davao City, two other areas in Mindanao, and various parts of the country. Save the Children Sweden will share copies of the manual to parents, partner organisations, networks and allies including legislators to gain their support to the campaign for a legal ban on corporal punishment.
Written by Wilma T. Bañaga, Save the Children Sweden's Programme Officer, and Lynette Petueli, Save the Children Fiji's Programme Manager