Child protection ‘Looney Balloony’ festival concludes

AMMAN — The National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) and UNICEF have concluded the "Adventures of Looney Balloony" festival which aimed at raising awareness on violence against children by promoting positive parenting methods, a joint statement said. 

Having begun in September in Amman, the festival traveled to the northern, central and southern parts of the Kingdom though October, drawing over 40,000 visitors. 

Part of the national strategy to end violence against children in Jordan, the festival presented a series of educational and entertainment activities targeting all members of the family, sharing parenting messages via unconventional media such as an interactive play, storyteller and cartoon characters, as well as a photo exhibition, according to the statement.

“This family festival is part of a campaign incepted by the NCFA and UNICEF in 2017 to increase awareness about the dangers of violence through a series of events involving children and adults in Jordan that reinforce the values of communication and positive parenting among all members of the family,” said NCFA Secretary General Mohammad Miqdadi.

UNICEF representative, Robert Jenkins, added “every girl and boy in Jordan deserves to play and learn and grow up in a safe environment free from violence, so that they can reach their full potential. The tremendous response from the public to the Loony Balloony festival shows that children and families people are aware and are willing to partner the government and civil society in ending violence against children in the Kingdom”.  

He voiced appreciation to NCFA and all government institutions, NGOs, experts, media personnel and sponsors for their commitment and action toward creating a violence free environment for all children, stressing that "this momentum must continue, and UNICEF stands with the government and the people of Jordan in making every efforts to reduce physical violence against children by half by the year 2021”.

The festival also featured numerous gatherings and discussion sessions with influential Jordanian figures in the areas of politics, community, media and arts, underscoring efforts to create engaging and positive communication with participating families. 

It highlighted key issues related to children’s rights, modern parenting programmes including national systems, policies and agendas and the role of parents in providing a safe and sound environment for their children, in addition to discussing solutions for the main challenges families face in dealing with their sons and daughters, the statement concluded.