To: South African Presidency
Appeal to the South African Presidency, as stated in the VIA Foundation UN Stand Up and Take Action campaign
19 October 2008.
Dear SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT,
Visionaries In Africa Volunteer Foundation (VIA) is appealing for global support to stop child pornography in South Africa, where children are being directly sexually abused to produce child pornography, or suffering indirect sexual abuse from exposure to pornography on public TV! South African rapists as now as young as 8yrs old!
Yes, parents and society do have a role in protection of children, but the government has allowed the gross violation of children's rights by South African media which frustrates the efforts of parents, teachers and caregivers. We therefore welcomed Films and Publications (FPB) Amendment Bill under the Department of Home Affairs, which sought to amend the law to prevent further abuse of children.
Given the impact of this bill on the protection of our children, the VIA Foundation has been mobilising public support for this new law, for the past two years, and successfully participated in the Parliamentary Public Hearings in May 2007. Yet a year later, the Bill still awaits the signature of you, our President whilst millions of children suffer in silence - at the mercy of broadcasters, internet service providers, mobile operators and banks.
Mr President, we are petitioning for local and global support to urge you to stop child mortality (United Nations MDG 4) by stopping child pornography - by signing the FPB Amendment Bill into law!
To Save One Child is to Save All Children!
Visit www.volunteer.co.za for further information and
View our "Pain Behind Child Porn" campaign video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBnf1zK7o0s