By signing the Manifesto of the “Childhood Without Violence” campaign, we joined a nationwide initiative supporting children. “We want culture to not only to speak about values, but also to put them into practice,” says Katarzyna Duma, Acting Director of European Capital of Culture Lublin 2029.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of children in Poland experience violence – at home, at school, and in their immediate surroundings. According to the research by the Empowering Children Foundation, 32 per cent of children in Poland experience violence from adults close to them, while as many as 87 per cent experience violence from their peers. Despite the ban on corporal punishment of children that has been in force since 2010, one in three Poles still considers it acceptable.
The annual Childhood Without Violence campaign aims to mobilize society to prevent harm to children and to take action towards building a safe childhood that empowers them. Hence the slogan of this year’s edition: “Violence takes away children’s power.”
A foundation for strong relationships and community
The symbolic launch of this year’s edition of the initiative in our region was the signing of the Childhood Without Violence Campaign Manifesto at the Voivodeship Office. European Capital of Culture Lublin 2029 was the only municipal cultural institution to take part in the event.
The Manifesto expresses a shared conviction that every child deserves a good and safe childhood. In terms of its values, it also aligns with Lublin’s ECoC 2029 bid book, particularly with its fundamental principles: building a community based on trust, cooperation and mutual respect, while also rebuilding relationships and agency and fostering safety, accessibility, education and well-being.
These principles are reflected, among others, in projects such as Kids’ Culture Lab (“Dziecięca eksperymentatornia”) and The Green Network: Forest preschools, Green Classrooms, Wild Kids Sanctuary („Zielone sieci: Leśne przedszkola, Zielone klasy, Rezerwat Dzikich Dzieci”). The Childhood Without Violence campaign and the idea of RE:UNION come together in the conviction that creating safe spaces is fundamental to strong relationships and communities.
A commitment to action
For us, ECoC Lublin 2029 is not simply an artistic programme, but above all a process of building a community and a responsible, open city in which everyone has the right to safety, respect and participation. Children hold a special place within this community.
Culture carries a responsibility that extends far beyond organising events. It has the power to shape social attitudes, break the silence, build empathy and make us more sensitive to the harm experienced by others. Through art, education, everyday relationships and collective action, we can influence how we perceive others, how we respond to violence and which values we consider important.
“We regard signing the Childhood Without Violence Manifesto as a commitment to action. We want culture to not only speak about values, but also to put them into practice. Responsibility for a safe childhood is also a responsibility of culture. And this is a responsibility we want to embrace today, together with Lublin’s cultural community and our partners,” says Katarzyna Duma, Acting Director of European Capital of Culture Lublin 2029.
The regional coordinator of the nationwide Childhood Without Violence campaign is the Sempre a Frente Foundation, a member of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children.
Translated by Aleksandra Górecka
Proofread by Gabriela Niewadzi
