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November 2007 - Deborah Morris-Travers
I started November by attending the Australasian Conference on child Abuse and Neglect, on the Gold Coast (29 Oct-2 November). While much of the focus of the conference was on social work practice and child protection policies, there were some good presentations about abuse prevention and some great examples of government departments working together. But the most important presentation came from the young delegates who made up ten percent of the conference attendees. They were all survivors of abuse and neglect, with powerful stories to tell. It made a significant impact on me to hear them share their stories.
While at the conference I co-presented a workshop on the role of Non-governmental Organisations in the campaign to repeal New Zealand's corporal punishment laws (Section 59 of the Crimes Act). I also had the opportunity to profile the Every Child Counts campaign to the full conference.
On return, it was straight back into my busy routine at home. I provided feedback on behalf of Every Child Counts on a draft policy for one of the political parties; set up sub-committees to prepare for the 2008 Every Child Counts conference (10/11 September); drafted a campaign plan for 2008; and continued my contribution to planning with the Families Commission.
Another important piece of work I participated in was planning for the release of the Child and Youth Health Indicators Report written by the Child Health Epidemiology Service and the Paediatric Society. I assisted with plans for the release and also drafted an Every Child Counts media statement about the report. I also wrote to a number of MPs to urge them to use the report in their policy development.
In November I met with officials from the Ministry of Social Development to discuss child impact assessments and how these might work to ensure that government policy was securing positive outcomes for children.
I attended a great workshop by Robin Grille, author of the book "Parenting for a Peaceful World." He talked about connections between parents and children, and how parenting shapes our world.
I also took 5 days off work in November - to have a rest!
