| (Guayanbo, PR)- Resident Commissioner, Luis G. Fortuño, announced this morning the start of an educational campaign directed to the prevention of domestic violence in an activity celebrated at San Patricio Plaza in Guaynabo. The campaign, which was designed to contrast the attacks toward women and children because of the social deterioration of Puerto Rico, looks to strengthen the family entity by educating moral values in the home and schools; to encourage an active and responsible interaction of the parents in raising their children as well as in their duties of the home.
With the slogan Your values count! (¡Tus Valores Cuentan!), the educational campaign looks to create a conscience about the importance of living the six pillars of an integral person: being respectful, trustworthy, fair, generous and a good citizen. These characteristics are vital to protect the family and society from the violent and abusive wave that covers the Puerto Rican people.
“I am encouraging the citizens, especially the males, to break with the circle of domestic violence and also, to educate children about the values that make an integral person” said the Resident Commissioner as he noted that “it is a duty of society to preserve and protect the Puerto Rican family”. Around 52 women daily are victims of domestic violence. It is estimated that every twelve days a woman is killed in Puerto Rico because of domestic violence. In the year 2004, the percentage of women murdered because of domestic violence was 51%. Regarding children abuse, it is estimated that the reported cases to the Family Department should surpass the 50,000 this year.
Studies show that the children who have been victims of violence or have been witnesses of abuse in their homes could have, in the long haul, physical and emotional problems and learning disabilities. They can also suffer from aggression, depression, sleeping and eating problems, hyperactivity and anxiety.
The campaign Your Values Count! Was adapted from an educational campaign realized in the United States by a non-profit organization known as Character Counts!, which has been implemented in hundreds of public and private schools throughout the nation. Among other things, this campaign looks to incorporate the education of values within the curriculum in the schools in order for the six pillars to be empathized in every aspect of our children’s lives, starting with the preschool years until High School.
The second aspect of the campaign, Man’s Promise, is based, also, in the national campaign of the US Justice Department that encourages men to promise to never do, tolerate or keep quiet domestic violence.
“Our campaign emphasizes the decisive role that parents have, especially the father figure, in the development of the values and their children’s character. The moral and educational values should be integrated in the schools curriculum but the teachers should not be held entirely responsible for the development of a sane character in their children. It is our responsibility as parents to teach our children to value themselves as respectful and fair people in society,” mentioned Fortuño.
During the months of October and November, the office of the Resident Commissioner will be distributing around 5,000 postcards with the Man’s Promise to citizens interested in participating in the campaign. Non-profit organizations, municipalities and organizations from the private sector are invited to participate in the campaign.
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