‘Learn Without Fear,’ Plan’s global campaign to stop violence in schools, lifts-off

(Left to right) Plan in Thailand Country Director, Plan CEO, youth representatives from Thailand, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of Basic Education Commission (MoE, Thailand), Plan in Asia Regional Director pressing the 'Stop' button to launch the campaign to end violence in schools

BANGKOK, Oct 7, 2008 – Plan united with students, teachers, members of the media, Thai celebrities, a high ranking education official in the government and other distinguished guests in Bangkok on Tuesday (October 7), in a historic gathering to officially launch Plan’s global campaign against violence in schools, called ‘Learn Without Fear.’

Plan’s CEO, Tom Miller, flew in from London to oversee the landmark event, as Plan released the most comprehensive report ever produced on violence inflicted against children in schools. The 84-page ‘Learn Without Fear’ report reveals the shocking reality that more than one million children are subject to some form of violence in school every day, including sexual violence, corporal punishment and bullying. Besides the Bangkok event, Plan also had regional launches in Nairobi, Kenya; Dakar, Senegal; and Cartagena, Colombia.

“Whether in the so-called developed world or the developing world, children are being abused in places designed to nurture them, by individuals trusted to protect them, or by classmates there to support them,” Miller said.

Fifty Thai students attended the campaign launch, and one of them, Ms. Thanchanok Chomrit, bravely spoke of the plight of the 350,000,000 students who, according to the report, are abused every day.

“Violence stays with children until they’re adults,” she implored. “So children need to be told that this is wrong, and schools need to be positive environments that offer a positive way of thinking.”

Plan is initiating a variety of actions to achieve the campaign’s goals. In Thailand, a petition to spur the Thai government and authorities to enact stronger laws against violence in schools is expected to gather at least 50,000 signatures. People at the launch signed the petition, where photo booths also captured pictures of guests, who were happy to offer their faces and signatures to support the campaign.

These photos, and more information about the campaign can be found on the 'Learn Without Fear' group on the online social networking website, Facebook, as well as the Learn Without Fear website, plan-international.org/learnwithoutfear.

At the event’s close, Plan’s Regional Director in Asia, Myrna Evora gave a rousing speech about the importance of this issue.

“The expression, ‘violence begets violence,’ is very real,” she said. “If we allow this cycle of violence to continue to be perpetuated during the formative years of today’s youth, then how can we expect this to ever end?”

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Read about the Learn Without Fear global report and research

For more information on Learn Without Fear in Asia please contact:
Warisara Sornpet
Regional Communications Manager
Plan Asia Regional Office
+66 2 204 2630-4