Advocacy messages on peer violence from youth - regional conference of the REVIS project

In the frame of the REVIS project's final conference held in Budapest on 8-9 March 2023, young people from Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia had the opportunity to deliver a key advocacy message identified by them during the project implementation in each country on the responses required to combat peer violence in their views. These messages were immediately addressed by the present national stakeholders and experts from the field of education.

Croatia started the line with

"Be a friend, don't follow the trend, make the violence end."

The Croatian young people received three responses to their message. The stakeholders agreed with them that it is very important to create places where young people can feel safe and freely share their experiences and concerns about bullying. Regular workshops were also considered as a good way to continue working towards a violence-free future.

"All of us are different and unique and have the right to be accepted and included in a safe environment school."

- was the advocacy message of the Bulgarian youth. They received a response from the Director of Inclusive Education Direction of the Ministry, who said that one of their main goals is to eliminate inequalities in education, whether it is ethnic or minority discrimination.

In their advocacy message, the Romanian delegation addressed the importance of communication, saying:

"Together through communication, we can bring change."

The response came from a school inspector, who first of all said that all children are equal and therefore deserve to be treated properly and live a life free of violence. She also added that together we can change the old patterns, so it is very important to continue working together. She underlined - in agreement with the youth's message - that communication is the most important key of this.

Last but not least, the group of young people from Serbia shared their advocacy message, which was

"We want the topic of peer violence in the regular school curriculum."

In their response, the stakeholders talked about the importance of prevention and called on young people not to tolerate any kind of violence and always ask for support. Talking about feelings has a huge role of prevention as well that is why they think that the major key is to be proactive and not to be reactive.

The REVIS project is co-funded by the European Union's Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020).