Transforming Children at Risk

Guided by the importance of sustainable peace in different communities, I studied the opportunities and challenges for changing the behavior and values of street children. I analyzed attitude, behavior and the context of street children with the aim of helping them to make a positive contribution to peace and development in their communities. This study helped children to address issues such as discrimination and abuses which profoundly affect their lives; the goal was to find ways to help channel their energies into activities that are socially valuable and potentially contributive to peace. Without peace, there is no development and positive peace is not possible while a group of people are excluded from contributing to its achievement. For peace to prevail in any community everyone must feel included to its contribution. Community violence cannot be reduced as long as street children maintain a negative attitude vis-à-vis the community and their minds are depressed, hopeless, mistrusting, and withdrawn from their surroundings. Promoting activities to help them move from despair to hope can also prevent them from engaging in violent activities and help them to become 'agents'.