First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi Prevention and elimination of violence and sexual exploitation of children – good practices and lessons learned First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi

What is the problem? Country statistic and facts whatever can illustrate the problem. In Macedonia, each year about 1,000 children (11-18 years of age) become victims of such abuse, imposed by their parents, friends or neighbours.

Describing the initiative or practice Describing the initiative or practice. It could be local, regional, national or international level. The practice and initiative could be concrete service for victims, campaign, advocacy effort or anything else from which we can learn and share. One of the toughest abuse and traumas over children is the sexual one. As a result of the increased number of pedophilia and incest in Macedonia, the First Children’s Embassy in 2008 increased the threshold of intolerance towards the rapists, increased the public opinion for the consequences that the children suffer and requested increase of the penalties for the perpetrators of this criminal act including the penalty of life imprisonment. The First Children’s Embassy convinced the decision makers through contractive argument thus forced them to change the Criminal Law to increase the punishment form minimum 15 years and to introduce chemical castration

Positive impact from the initiative or practice Advocacy and Lobby the sentence of a life imprisonment First Children's Embassy in the World in 2008 has started the combat against the pedophilia, family desecration and sexual abuse of children in R of Macedonia. Demonstrated many reactions, requests and responsibilities and written petitions to the Ombudsman, Public Prosecutor for disrespecting and violation of the children’s rights. The initiative for increasing of the penalties for a minimum from15 years of imprisonment to lifetime has been given for those types of crimes (pedophilia, family desecration and sexual abuse of children). All the effort for representing and lobbying for more severe penalties of the pedophiles were accepted by the Ministry of Justice in R of Macedonia and the penalties for children abuse were increased u to the minimum of 15 years.

Positive impact from the initiative or practice Advocacy and Lobby the sentence of a life imprisonment ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA, 14th February 2014 Strong advocacy and lobbying of The First Children's Embassy in the World Megjashi for harsher punishments of sex offenders, incest offenders, pedophiles, especially towards children under 14 years of age, gave results. Three out of four our suggestions have been accepted and I believe that now we have opportunity to put this pathological phenomenon under control especially with recidivism. Medicament therapy or so called chemical castration is among the things we advocated for and was accepted as well as 15 years of imprisonment. That way he will receive an assistance for not committing the crime again because The Children's Embassy Megjashi is advocating that repeated offenders should get lifetime imprisonment, complete isolation

Lessons learned from the experience Strong advocacy and lobbying of The First Children's Embassy in the World Megjashi for harsher punishments of sex offenders, incest offenders, pedophiles, especially towards children under 14 years of age, gave results. By advocating and lobbying for a particular purpose the Civil Society Organizations may make democratic changes in the society, changes in the policies and the system in order to help the concerned citizens for which they advocate. The CSOs have a great role in creating the public awareness and they publicly advocate for overcoming some of the problems which the citizens face every day. They articulate the needs of the citizens and the advocate for their resolution. In fact, advocating often starts with detecting and defining the problem or issue for which we want to promote, initiate and propose a change in policy, system and practice.There are many concrete steps which a CSO can undertake in creating changes in the public awareness and resolution of some of the problems that the citizens in a country face.Activities through organizing debates, forums, advocating for a certain case, collecting signatures, organizing petitions, public debates, public hearings, testimonies and campaigns can help the CSOs to gain and include more supporters and allies in the process of lobbying and advocating.

Conclusion CSOs advocate for making certain changes, if it is necessary to amend certain laws which will be of use and in function of citizens in overcoming their problems.But, CSOs before starting the process of advocating and lobbying should obtain the mandate and legitimacy by citizens, they should get support by them, only that way they have the power to conspire and advocate The world media about the chemical castration of pedophiles in Macedonia THE AMENDMENTS OF THE CRIMINAL LAW WERE ADOPTED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA CHEMICAL CASTRATION OF MACEDONIAN PAEDOPHILES These are only few of the articles published in the World Media which tell the story about Macedonia's struggle against the pedophilia. Associated Press, ABC News, Fox News, Zeit, Welt, RTL,Focus, The Guardian. Balkan insight, Journal Star, Times of ,India and Washington Post are only the few of the Media around the World which report about the change in the law against the pedophiles. Macedonia is the first country in this region which adopts chemical castration. The convicted pedophiles will be given the right to decide between voluntary chemical castration and shorter prison sentence or a life time imprisonment, it is written in the Jutarnji list.

Campaign CBS News SKOPJE, Macedonia - Macedonia's parliament has adopted a bill imposing chemical castration on repeat offenders convicted of sexually abusing children The Megjashi child protection group, which had campaigned for the procedure to be imposed on pedophiles, said the penalty should be mandatory even for first-time offenders. Conclusion

First Children’s Embassy in the World St. Kosta Novakovik No. 22a 1000 Skopje Republic of Macedonia phone. ++389 (02)2465-316 www.childrensembassy.org.mk sos@childrensembassy.org.mk