ACTIONS:
Since the beginning of the movement in 1960, the
world has undergone considerable changes. Remarkable
advances in science as well as progress in public
health have meant that infantile mortality has been
halved and the world life expectancy rate has increased
by 20 years.
As from 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the
Child has been signed and ratified by most countries,
which means that the fundamental rights of children
are now legally recognized.
However, one of the shortcomings of this convention
is the absence of effective sanctions against entities
and individuals who violate its articles, or who are
in charge of applying it but neglect to do so.
Now that the world is no longer divided between two
antagonists and that new communication technology
has spread so widely, the globalization of exchange
has expanded, bringing about a two-tier society.
As a result, as we reach the turn of the millennium,
the wage gap is now at its highest level in the last
100 years.
All over the world, the social role of public authorities
is being questioned, due to the necessities of profits
and budgets. An increasing number of governments reduce
their social programs and delegate certain tasks to
non-governmental institutions or individuals or withdraw
from others.
At the same time, developed countries reduce their
budgets for development aid.
Under the pressure of their demography rates as well
as due to other unfavorable factors, the economic
results of the majority of nations in the southern
hemisphere and in the former east block are still
very weak.
Conflicts originating from a mixture of identity
differentiation are increasing in numbers world-wide.
Entire regions of the planet disregard law. The number
of refugees or displaced persons, most of them being
women and children, is increasing. Several criminal
organizations reached multinational dimensions.
In spite of the progress made in public health and
research, access to health services and care is non-existent
or insufficient for the most needy. Over 350 million
children still suffer from famine. Each year, 12 to
13 million children under 5 die (55% of malnourishment,
3.6 million from acute respiratory infections, and
3 million from diarrhea). More than 350,000 children
die from AIDS. More or less the same number become
orphans, due to this disease.
The number of children abandoned, living in the streets,
traumatized either physically and/or psychologically
by violence, enslaved, victims of dealing, mistreated
or sexually abused, is horrific.
Given the know-how accumulated by the Foundation
and a comparative analysis of the respective talents
of NGOs with similar missions, Terre des hommes concentrates
more than 90% of human and financial resources of
its programs in three main fields of intervention:
Mother and child health / nutrition.
Promotion of children’s rights / juvenile
justice, struggle against child traffic, social integration
of alone-standing / single mothers.
Abandoned children / street children, children
placed in institutions, orphans, victims of psycho-traumas.
