World Vision Dominican Republic and the International Mission of Justice signed a multi-year agreement to promote the prevention and response to commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic.

September 19, 2018.– With the aim of promoting prevention and response to commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic, community awareness, case response, and the restitution of survivors’ rights and based on God’s call to rebuke the oppressor and protect widows and orphans, which is the same as protecting children and adolescents victims of these scourges, World Vision Dominican Republic and the International Mission of Justice ( IJM), signed an agreement that will reach children and adolescents under eighteen who live in conditions of poverty and social vulnerability in the territories prioritized by both organizations, actors of the public justice and protection system at national and local level, community actors including families, community and religious leaders, and grassroots community organizations.

Both World Vision and the International Justice Mission pledged to coordinate support actions for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking, prevention actions at the community level, including the design, printing, and dissemination of educational material, awareness campaigns, and initiatives of social mobilization and influence.

Juan Carlo Ramírez, National Director of World Vision and Juan José Gómez, National Director of International Mission of Justice (IJM), signed the agreement, with the presence of Jhonny Bidó, Director of Mobilization and Incidence of International Mission of Justice (IJM), and Marvin García, director of Operations of World Vision.

Similarly, actions will be organized aimed at strengthening the capacities of actors belonging to the protection system in terms of prevention, identification and attention to cases, as well as coordinating political advocacy actions aimed at bringing to light the problems associated with violence Affecting children, carrying out and publishing studies and research on the situation of children at risk of being treated for commercial sexual exploitation and related crimes, and strengthening the legal framework and guarantees of children’s rights , girls and teenagers.

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For these purposes, it is planned to identify the training needs of the staff of both parties and coordinate the implementation of the training actions and sources of financing for the implementation of the actions specified above.

With this agreement, organizations take a step in favor of the protection of children and adolescents in situations of abuse and injustice in the most vulnerable regions of our country.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian development organization, dedicated to working with children, youth, their families, and communities to reduce poverty and injustice. We are dedicated to working with the most vulnerable people in the world, regardless of their religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.