NIGHTMARES, DREAMS AND ACTIONS

The Story of the First World Congress Against
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
By Una Stevenson

I first became aware of child sexual exploitation after my husband and I visited New Zealand in 1989.  We were guests of Rev. Ron O'Grady and his wife Alison.  Ron had written several books on Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism. I read Ron's book Tourism in the Third World: Christian Reflections (copyright 1982), a hard hitting book which did not spare transnational corporations, governments, tour operators or even the tourists themselves from criticism, and then I felt the need to join with Ron in educating people about child sexual exploitation and trafficking.

Ron gave me information on the Center for Responsible Tourism (CRT) in San Anselmo, California and its Founding Director Virginia Hadsell.  I then began a working relationship with CRT.  I came into contact with ECPAT (End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism) when it was established in 1991 in Bangkok, Thailand.   

In 1994, I was elected Vice Moderator for Issues to the Presbyterian Women Churchwide Coordinating Team (CCT).  At the request of Rev. Ron O'Grady, I was invited to attend the "First World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children", in Stockholm, Sweden, in August 27 - 31, 1996.   In November 1996, Presbyterian Women went on a Global Exchange to Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines and the U.S.A, to learn more about children caught in sexual exploitation.   

In April 2004, I wrote two Resolutions, "Sexual Abuse of Children" and "Abuse of Immigrant Women and Children", for Church Women United (CWU) in Utah.  Both were approved and sent to the July, 2004, National CWU Common Council meeting in Phoenix, AZ.  CWU Common Council voted to approve both Resolutions with some changes. In November 2004, I was asked to chair the CWU Trafficking and Child Abuse Action Team.   

The First World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in Stockholm, Sweden on August 27 - 31, 1996, was opened by the Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr Goran Persson. He asked for a moment of silence for the children who were being exploited worldwide.

Among the 1,100 who attended the Congress were representatives from 122 countries, 18 International organizations, 83 Non-governmental organizations (NGO), 17 youth (four or five from the U.S.) and 25 organizers. The Official U.S. delegation, of 19 persons, was headed by Laurie Robinson, Assistant Attorney General of the U.S., also, there were 25 U.S. NGO’s in attendance.

The opening statement, signed by over 100 Nobel Peace Prize winners was read “We have to stop this sacrifice of society’s most vulnerable members, the children, for the sake of economic and sexual gratification of adults. We the undersigned Nobel Laureates, call for the Governments of all countries of the world to criminalize any form of sexual exploitation of children, and to comply with the (U.N.) Convention on the Rights of the Child which specifically calls for measures against inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual activity (art. 19) and against the exploitive use of children in prostitution (art. 34)...”

On Tuesday, August 27, 1996, the American NGO’s were invited to attend a meeting with the U.S. Government delegation at 5 pm to discuss the Congress. Laurie Robinson, chair of the U.S. Government delegation, asked us to focus on some issues which needed to be addressed.

The list of items discussed is as follows:

A second meeting was planned for Friday Morning. At this meeting we learned that every -thing we had discussed at the Tuesday meeting was going to be addressed by the different branches of the U.S. government. The U.S. Government officials invited us to Washington D.C. for more discussion in November.

A youth panel gave a report using skits. On the last day the young people gave a verbal report. “Our question for you is.: Can you fight the problems of today, so that they won’t be repeated tomorrow? Can you give us the better world that we all dream about? If you support us today, we will be able to support your grandchildren tomorrow...”

Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden closed the Congress by saying, and I quote “To me it is of great importance that the Declaration and Agenda for Action has been unanimously adopted. This document is based upon relevant articles in the legally binding UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by 188 nations. I am also pleased that you have agreed on a deadline for the implementation for the stipulated actions... Much work has been achieved during this Congress, but the most important work remains to be done. When you return home you must make the words of the Declaration and Agenda for Action come alive...”

The logo for the Congress was a hand superimposed on a child. If you take any action to end child sexual exploitation your hand is the hand of a protector, BUT if you do nothing about child sexual exploitation, you are as guilty as the perpetrator.

 

Una Stevenson lives in Longmont Colorado with her husband Archie. She works tirelessly to carry out the mandate of The Church Women United Resolution on Trafficking and Abuse of Children (2004): “…Church Women United members will continue to address the plight of trafficked persons” (CWU Social Policy Book 1941-2004, page 141.) She is also the Chair of the CWU Action Team on Trafficking and Sexual Abuse of Children for the National CWU Action/Global Concerns Committee. Her email address is: unast@netzero.net