CHICAGO 2013 TRAINING REPORT
REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATIVE CHILD/YOUTH ACADEMY TRAINING IN CHICAGO 2013 SUBMITTED BY PAUL PHILIP IWOK, EVENT FACILITATOR FOR THE AKWA IBOM STATE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AFFAIRS & SOCIAL WELFARE AND CHANGING CHILDREN’S WORLD’S FOUNDATION (CCWF) USA
The Akwa Ibom State Government of Nigeria being in the fore front of promoting child protection outcomes in Nigeria, was specially invited for an International Integrative Child and Youth Development Training Academy in Chicago USA. The government being proactive and committed to child friendly outcomes; approved the event and assigned some strategic officers to be represented in Chicago with the Changing Children’s Worlds Foundation (CCWF) as the host organization. The one week training by Changing Children’s Worlds Foundation (CCWF) in Chicago was designed to be in two parts: First in the US and the final in Uyo for other stakeholders to benefit. started on Monday the 18th November 2013 at the Kroc Center in the West Pullman Community of Chicago, a youth center owned and managed by the Salvation Army. Participants were drawn from different cultures to come and share experiences based on their countries and communities approach to child development. On arrival to the center, participants were reliably informed that, several areas of Chicago are plagued with violent and crime prone cultures, often due to high rates of poverty and unemployment. This situation in West Pullman necessitated the establishment of this extraordinary center aiming to support neighborhood families, and thereby curb youth restiveness and violent crime in the area. The training was segmented into two components
(a) International Integrative Youth Development Program.
(b) International Child Development Program.
Training Schedule
DAY 1:
The one week training tour by Changing Children’s Worlds Foundation (CCWF) in Chicago started on Monday the 18th November 2013 at the Roy and Joan Kroc Community Center in the West Pullman Community of Chicago, a youth center owned and managed by the Salvation Army. The focus of the first day training on Monday and Tuesday with Derek Peterson centered on international integrative youth development using Dr. ROY G BIV model enabling people throughout the world to understand the benefit of remembering the web of support our young people need, and for all of us to see ourselves and our lives in full color. The concept of the rainbow was introduced; building a supportive web including, The Rule of 5 anchor adults for each youth was a revelation.
DAY 2:
On Tuesday, 19th November 2013, Derek Peterson continued to train the group on Integrative Youth Development, based within and supporting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, with series of illustration and activities for easy understanding to the audience. It was such a remarkable experience with him on the topic.
DAY 3:
On Wednesday, 20th November 2013, the training program took another dimension on the International Child Development Program, focusing on how child protection and family (parent & child development) professionals can support government obligations to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child through interpreting current and projected national accomplishments, programs and priorities into an effective monitoring and reporting process to comply with the UN CRC Articles and General Comment 13 focused on the Child's Right to Freedom from Violence, and the Committee on the Rights of the Child's Concluding Observations.
DAY 4:
On Thursday, 21st November 2013, the training was hosted at the Fairfield Marriot Inn & Suites Conference Hall, and was facilitated by Dr. Kimberly Svevo-Cianci, the founder of Child Protection Consultancy International and Mrs. Joyce Larnyor from the International Child Development Program (ICDP) Ghana. The experiential training approach was done in a purely interactive way to allow each participant to learn from one another’s culture as the Hon. Justice of Akwa Ibom State Family High Court; Hon. Justice Joy Unwana shared her experience about the gains in the establishment of the family court in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. Also, she said “the state Chief Judge was nursing the desire to establish a family court long before she came on board and made it happen” and that, the idea of Child Advocacy Centers was extremely interesting for Akwa Ibom State in the nearest future. Deaconess Christy Obot of EARCOM in her contribution, spoke generally on the giant strides made by Chief (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio’s administration in every aspect of development and seized the opportunity to distribute copies of EARCOM’s Magazine (Ibom Today) to the participants.
After the in-house training, the participants were taken on a Study Tour to the Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago to join a Chicago-based professional meeting and training (Strengthening Chicago's Youth) with Kathy Groves, a Clinical Supervisor of Youth Service Project, to discuss the intersections between Restorative Justice and Trauma-Informed practices and working to create not just trauma-informed but healing and resiliency-enhancing spaces for children and families globally. The day’s event ended with a dinner for all the participants.
DAY 5:
Friday 22nd November, 2013. We resumed training at the Changing Children’s Worlds Foundation Conference Hall with all the participants in attendance. Dr. Kimberly Svevo-Cianci made the training on the International Child Development Program very interactive, based on adult learning principles and even self-assessment exercises of participants. Opportunity was given to each participant to talk about the advantages of Empathy Based Family Approach to Violence Prevention.
Mr. Paul Philip Iwok, the Nigerian event facilitator shared his experience using the root cause of the communal clash between Nto-Otong Community, a small village, and Afaha-Obong Clan of 23 villages both in Abak Local Government Area as a case study. An appalling situation where many families and children were internally displaced, rendered homeless, due to the activities of some recalcitrant youths who turned both communities to a pandemonium stage, which was attributed to negligence of parental responsibilities in time past. The group also discussed an action plan for future educational cooperation in bringing the CCWF Programs for Families, Parents, Youth and Children to Akwa Ibom State in June 2014, possibly to showcase the training for other States within the region as well. The morning session ended at 12:00 noon.
The training preceded the study tour to the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center later in the evening by 4:00 PM in the down town Chicago where participants were introduced to the American model of working in an interdisciplinary approach with abused and neglected children, to avoid adding to the trauma they experience, and as well as on the issue of prosecuting those who abuse them. DAY 6:
Saturday 23rd November, 2013.
Free Day for Certificates Presentation.
Delegation
The following individuals attended the training and were certified accordingly,
1. Hon. Justice Joy Unwana, Judge of the Family High Court.
2. Mr. Paul Philip Iwok, Event Facilitator.
3. Mrs. Veronica Edet Okon, Director Child Development, Ministry of Women Affairs
4. Mrs. Christy Obot, Chairman Ethical & Attitudinal Re-Orientation (EARCOM).
It was later resolved that, Mr. Paul Philip Iwok (The Nigeria Event Facilitator) should see that those who could not make it to the training in Chicago should make payment of $2250 each to the Changing Children’s Worlds Foundation (CCWF) Bank Account as part of the next training phase in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. Other unused funds should be refunded to the state government’s purse for probity and accountability.
DAY 7:
Sunday 24th November, 2014.
Participant’s departure to Nigeria.
It was a Wonderful week of exchanges and learning with 4 government officials from Nigeria, (1) ICDP-Ghana Director, (1) Nigerian-American colleague from Detroit, Michigan and also our friends; colleagues in West Pullman: Kroc Center, St. Titus Church, the CCWF Staff and Partners throughout the Chicago vicinity.
SIGNED: Paul Philip Iwok
Copied:
1. CCWF Chicago
2. Child Protection Consultancy International USA
3. Ministry of Women Affairs, Akwa Ibom State
