www.warchild.nl

War Child

Programme Development & Methodology

04/18/23

Mission statementWar Child invests in the peaceful future of children and youth affected by war. 

War Child’s goal is the empowerment of children and youth, in and from war-affected areas, through: 

Psychosocial programmes applying the power of creative arts and sports to strengthen the children’s psychological and social development and well-being

Creative arts and sports programmes to reconcile groups of children divided by war, to build a peaceful society      

Creating public awareness and support on/for the plight of children in war zones

War Child is an independent humanitarian NGO assisting children irrespective of their religious, ethnical, or social background.

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War Child Holland• 11 War Child Programme Areas (WPA) (2007)

• 575.000 children and 119.000 adults (2006)

• 7 million Euro’s (2007)

• Headquarters staff A’dam: ± 50Programme Management, Program Development & Methodology, Communications, Marketing & Fundraising, Support Units

• Programmes staff in the field : ± 450

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Program areas (2006)

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War Child (cont.)vision, mission, and intervention strategies

• Direct assistance (workshops, fun days, events)

• Capacity building (training, management support)

• Awareness raising & Advocacy (campaigns, lobby) 

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1. Programs aimed at strengthening the psychological and social development and well

being of children;

2. Programs aimed at bringing together children from groups that are divided by

conflict;

3. Activities aimed at creating support

for the situation of children in war affected areas.

War Child programmes

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Type of activities

• Creative workshop sessions• Community events• Training of trainers / teachers• Material support• Recreational activities• Lobby / networking• Campaigning

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Basic models of operation

Supporting local organizations• Providing financial and technical assistance to

local organizations to implement programmes and projects

Implementing War Child projects• Setting up War Child teams to identify, develop,

finance and staff programmes and projects

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Supporting local organizations

• The Netherlands

• Ingushetia/Chechnya

• Kosovo

• Pakistan

• Israel + Palestine

• Colombia

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War Child implementing projects

• Sudan

• Sierra Leone

• DR Congo

• Afghanistan

• Uganda

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• Ecological model*, child in its environment

• Prevention*, aimed at healthy development

• Psychosocial* wellbeing, empowerment

• Resilience*, protective & risk factors

• Creative methods*, the power of creativity

• Child rights’ perspective, evolving capacities– Participation, non-discrimination, best interest

Some key concepts

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Ecological model

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Prevention

Curative approach

e.g.: small group

talk sessions

e.g.: narrative community theatre

e.g.: creative arts for

groups of children

e.g.: rehabilitation of schools

e.g.: individual /

small group counselling

e.g.: individual psychotherapy

Therapeutic response base d on pathology

Developmental approach

Holistic intervention based on resilience

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Psychosocial

Close relationship between psychological and social. One continuously influences the other.

• Psychological Those experiences which affect emotions, behaviour, thoughts, memory and learning ability.

• Social Those experiences which affect people's relationships with each other.

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A universal capacity, which allows a person, a group or community to prevent, minimize or overcome the damaging effects of problems.

Resilience

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War Child supports resilience...through strengthening 5 protective factors

1. Constructive coping mechanisms;

2. Adult support;

3. Peer interaction;

4. Sense of normalcy and future prospect;

5. Safety and peace.

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Child Rights’ perspective

Universal legal and normative framework• CRC, OP II, ILO 182, African Charter, Rome Statute ICC• UNSCR: 1261 (1999), 1314 (2000), 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003), 1539

(2004) and 1612 (2005)

Evolving capacities of the child

CRC Guiding principles

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CRC General Principles

• Non – discrimination

Every child is different, but equal• Best interest of the child

Need to assess impact of decisions on child• Participation

Child is active decision-maker in its own life• Survival and development

Child has “evolving capacities”

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Healthy Child Development

Protective Factors

• Coping mechanisms• Adult support• Peer interaction• Future prospect• Safe and Peaceful environment

Fundamental Principles CRC

Non-discrimination

Survival

and

Development

Best interest of the child

Participation

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Leading principles

1. Child Rights

2. Non-discrimination

3. Participation

4. Protective factors

5. Professionalism

6. Capacity building

7. Cultural diversity

8. Advocacy and Awareness raising

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Leading principles -selection-

Non-discrimination: Every child in the world is as important as any other child.

Operational guidelines:

-War Child operates irrespective of religious, ethnical, social or cultural background of the child.

-War Child actively seeks opportunities to work with children from all backgrounds and advocates the principle of non-discrimination.

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Leading principles -selection-

Participation: Contribution by key-stakeholders ensures that programs are tuned to people’s own perceptions and

definitions of the needs of their children, their priorities and resources

Operational guidelines:

-War Child involves key-stakeholders in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes.

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Leading principles -selection-

Protective factors: Important protective factors for the psychosocial well-being and development of children are:

1. Constructive coping mechanisms

2. Adult support

3. Peer interaction

4. Sense of normalcy and future prospect

5. Safety & peace

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Leading principles -selection-

Cultural diversity: Values and practices in child rearing, and ideas about child development and psychosocial problems

are to a large extent culturally determined.

Operational guidelines:-War Child aims to adapt its approach to the specific cultural situation and its particular ways of creative expression.

-War Child designs programs adapted to local practices, provided that those practices are in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.