Petition against Violence in all its Forms

Petition against Violence in all its Forms

Dear Sir or Madame,
The participants in the Study session Social and political Reasons for Women, Children and Youth Violence, September 16th- 19th, 2004, Plovdiv, Bulgaria would like to present the following petition for your consideration. We feel it is an issue long ignored and not seen as the crime it is. Violence takes on all forms of abuse, beatings, verbal, sexual, emotional, the most horrendous is permanent disability or death of the victim. All victims and their families are left with permanent scars, most invisible, some times the victim never recovers.
Sir or Madame, no one is ever completely or totally healed. We learn to live with the scars.


You should be aware of the following facts:

1. Violence is not a myth. It could affect anyone of us.
2. Domestic Violence is the least shares and reported form of gender based discrimination, which victims are mainly women and children.
3. This is the violence that is most difficult to prove.
4. This is the crime that has the lighter punishments in legislation of most countries.
5. This is a violation of human rights, but in the same time one of least discussed issues from the State actors and institutions, with the argument that it is part of the private sphere.
6. Domestic Violence and Trafficking are typical examples of gender based discrimination and are the most common forms of violence against women and children.
7. Domestic Violence is a prerequisite for the development of trafficking in women: girls that have been victims of violence become easily victims of trafficking.
8. Both Domestic Violence and Trafficking are violation of human dignity, and the economic situation of the country additionally victimizes those who suffer.


We feel that all persons have a right to exist without fear on this earth. If you agree and would like to help in our effort to fighting against violence in all its forms, please, sign the petition below. Your signature along with those of other concerned individuals and organizations will be forwarded to Bulgarian, American and EU institutional representatives.

Thank you for helping to make the world a safer place.

September 19th, 2004