One of the main concerns raised by children who took part in a national consultation in Panama ahead of the GNRC Sixth Forum was being able to leave their homes and go to the mall or play in the street without having to worry about their safety.
Twenty-seven children from across the country participated in the meeting on August 24, 2024, at the Latter-Day Saints chapel in Panama City. Also present were GNRC members, partners, and religious and faith leaders, including Mr. Hamad Khatir, Vice-President of the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities ; The Right Rvd. Archbishop Julio Murray, representative of GNRC Panama and the organizer of the 5th GNRC Forum; and Frida, a youth who participated in the 5th Forum in Panama in 2017 and who is now part of the Children’s Advisory Group for the Sixth GNRC Forum.
Using the Learning to Live Together Manual, the children were guided through activities that helped them reflect on issues affecting them within the running themes of the GNRC Sixth Forum: safe, secure and sustainable. The need for safe spaces in their homes, schools and in public areas topped their list of concerns. The children also spoke on the need for supportive communities.
