MEDIA RELEASE "LET'S STOP THE VIOLENCE"

Rožaje, April 13, 2017 - As part of the campaign of UNICEF and the Government of Montenegro "Let's stop the violence", with the support of the EU and the Telenor Foundation, on Thursday, April 13, the exhibition "Museum of Family Memories" will be opened and public talks will be organized at the topic of the relationship between parents and children at two locations: in the Cultural Center in Rožaje at 10:30 a.m. and in the Cultural Center in Petnjica at 1:30 p.m.
On this occasion, the citizens of Rožajai Petnjice will have the opportunity to talk with experts from the Association of Psychologists, as well as the mayors of these municipalities - Ejup Nurković, the head of the UNICEF representative office in Montenegro, Benjamin Perks, and the coordinator of the SOS Parent Line and the NGO "Parents", Lepa Žunjić, about relations in family and good parenting practices.
Jasmin Jaško Nokić, president of the Association of Paraplegics in Rožaje, will also participate in the public talks as a friend of the campaign.
In accordance with the message of the majority of Montenegrin citizens (77%), who believe that parents should be provided with help in raising children without violence, these events aim to, through a conversation with citizens, recognize the support services that parents need at the local level and at which establishing a municipality can work together with the civil and private sector, experts and parents.
"From scientific knowledge and international experience, we know that education about good parenting practices, prenatal and postnatal home visits through the health care service and preschool education can prevent and mitigate the impact of violence and adverse experiences in childhood," says Perks.
On that occasion, the Museum of Family Memories will be opened in Rožaje, which all interested citizens will be able to visit even after the public discussion.
It is a unique exhibition created from family memories. Personal items tell stories about different family experiences of children, parents, grandparents, reminding of the importance of family in the life of every person, be it a child or an adult. Some objects talk about happiness, and some about pain and injuries from childhood.
All interested citizens can donate their stories and personal items to this Museum and thus join the conversation about family, childhood and parenting, and opening up the conversation about painful experiences from childhood. As part of the campaign, the museum will share family memories with citizens throughout Montenegro in the desire for every family to be a place with more support, love and respect for each of its members.
"It is possible to drastically reduce and break the intergenerational cycle of adverse childhood experiences. That is the most important message of this campaign," says Perks.
The "Stop the Violence" campaign is based on a nationally representative UNICEF survey from December 2016, which shows that society's tolerance for violence is generally high. Among other things, the majority of citizens (77%) believe that parents should not allow their child to question their decisions. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness that non-violent child rearing does not mean encouraging permissive parenting.
Through local events, the campaign "Let's stop the violence" invites the whole society, and especially experts, to unite with parents in search of solutions that will allow both parents and children to grow together.