'Together against child abuse' was the slogan of some two hundred children marching through the streets of Novesela commune in Vlora Southern Albania and Elbasan on the 19th of November the World Day on Prevention of Child Abuse, and November 20th, the International Day of Children's Rights.

The children wearing t-shirts with the symbol of peace went door to door sharing the message on child rights and urged the community to start developing mechanisms against child abuse. In collaboration with local government and World Vision the children organized an exhibition of posters and brochures on how to identify and prevent child abuse.

'World Vision is an organization committed to protect children and their rights, the children had an idea, we simply supported them in their efforts,' said Mireta Petraj education and child protection coordinator in Vlora ADP.

One in two of Albania's children experience physical violence at home and one in three at school, according to UNICEF. Based on the 2006 report of the Ministry of Interior, last year in Albania there were some four hundred cases of child violence reported and around 50 of them resulted in the child's death.

In a press conference organized on November 19th World Vision as a member of the coalition against child violence, a coalition of a dozen local and international NGOs, appealed to the Albania government to take rapid actions in ratifying the convent against child abuse and child labor.

According to the Women's World Summit Foundation, every year over 1 million children are pulled into the sex trade, some 180 million are exploited for work and over 120 million will never go to school.

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters]