UNICEF AND BANCA INTESA FOR SCHOOL WITHOUT VIOLENCE

The research initiated in elementary schools in Serbia showed that violence has been widely spread among schoolchildren and that it presented a serious social problem.

In 2005 and pursuant to positive experience in several countries, UNICEF, together with competent ministries and team of experts, initiated comprehensive education programme in schools, intended for children, teaching personnel, parents and the whole community. The aim of the programme named ‘’School without violence’’ is to strengthen all participants in the programme in order to identify violence, to react to it constructively and jointly create culture of non-violence in schools and the surrounding.

Banca Intesa ad Beogra and UNICEF started cooperation in 2006, when Banca Intesa was the first company which supported the campaign and made it possible for the elementary school ‘’Vasa Živković’’ from Pančevo to be included in the programme ’’School without violence’’.

Presently, 126 schools are included in the programme, what makes only about 10% of the total number in Serbia. There is still a great number of boys and girls who every day suffer from some kind of violent behavior in school and due to that reason UNICEF also this yaer has initiated new campaign for collecting financial funds for the programme ‘’School without violence’’. The aim of this campaign is to include other schools, that have been registered for the programmne, at the beginning of the following school year.

This year Banca Intesa and UNICEF expanded their cooperation and though inserting direct mails along with month bills to Banca Intesa credit card users, they jointly turned to all people of good will and invited them to support this programme.

Support to this programme will influence creation of safe and stimulating surrounding in which our children could achieve better school results, become happier and more confident.