The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, participated today in the Ninth Conference on Health, Well-being, Education and Children’s Rights.
According to her, despite progress, improvements and achievements during this period, children still face many challenges.
“Therefore, children’s rights are one of the areas where the gap between what is written and what is implemented is seen very quickly. Children do not ask for impossible things. They ask to feel safe. Not to be humiliated. Not to be excluded. Not to be stigmatized because of their family’s poverty. Not to be left without help when they face difficulties in speech, behaviour, learning or mental health. Not to be told ‘it will pass’ for something that requires professional care”, said Acting President Haxhiu.
She further stated that one of our biggest mistakes as a society is that sometimes we expect a child to overcome something on their own that even adults would not be able to overcome.
“We expect them to be strong, calm, obedient and successful, in other words, we expect them to adapt. But a child also has the right to be afraid. They have the right to be confused. They have the right not to know how to explain what they feel inside. And above all, they have the right to receive timely support. This is where our responsibility begins. In the ability to listen to the child before they speak through a crisis. In the ability to support the parent without judgment. In the ability to provide the teacher with the tools, turn laws into services and services into equal access for every child”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu.
According to Acting President Haxhiu, Kosovo has built an important legal foundation for the protection of children; however, according to her, the system is not measured by the number of documents it produces, but by what happens when a child needs help.
“Does the family know where to turn when there is a need? Does the school respond in time? Are there enough psychologists? Are there accessible services in the municipality? Is the child’s opinion heard? Is the child treated with dignity? Is the child protected from violence at home, at school, on the street, or in the digital space? These are very concrete questions, and precisely for this reason, your work is important. Psycho-social research, clinical experience, work with families, work with children, work in schools and in the community, all of these help the state to see more clearly and to act more appropriately”, stated Acting President Haxhiu.
She stated that data, research, professional assessment and field experience are working tools for a more responsible state.
“Our state is also reflected in where a child learns that his or her voice is heard. Where violence is not called education. Where seeking help is not a source of shame. Where school is a place where a child grows, not a place where a child is afraid. Where the state does not appear as a distant structure, but as a close, caring and trustworthy presence. And for this, I assure you that work is being carried out continuously and with full responsibility”, stated Acting President Haxhiu.
Acting President Haxhiu stated that 1 June should be a day of joy, but also a day of responsibility, especially for the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo.
“Children need 365 days of attention, protection and care”, said Acting President Haxhiu.
She thanked the Center for Psycho-Social Research and the “Empatia” Clinic for organizing this conference and for their continuous work in a field which, according to Acting President Haxhiu, requires professionalism, sensitivity and perseverance.
“I thank all professionals who work with children, often away from public attention, but very close to the real needs of society! I hope that this conference will produce useful ideas, concrete proposals, and collaborations that will continue even after its conclusion! In the end, the best wish for children on 1 June is that today, tomorrow and every day thereafter, we become more responsible and always remain close to them”, stated Acting President Haxhiu.
