SOS Children's Villages

Last updated
SOS Children's Villages
Formation1949;75 years ago (1949)
Founder Hermann Gmeiner
Type International NGO
Legal statusActive
Purpose Humanitarian
Headquarters Innsbruck, Austria
President
Dereje Wordofa
Website www.sos-childrensvillages.org

SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit international development organization headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. The organization provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to families facing difficulties and supports children and young people without parental care or at risk of losing it. The organization also protects their interests and rights around the world. [1] [2] [3] [4] Today, SOS Children's Villages is active in more than 130 countries and territories worldwide. [5] [6]

Contents

SOS Children’s Villages offers alternative care options for children and young people.

Additionally, SOS Children’s Villages advocates together with – and on behalf of – children and young people who have lost parental care or are at risk of losing it.

SOS Children's Villages relies on contributions from governments and private donors. [7] In 2017, the organization's 350 institutional partnership contracts totaled more than €31 million in institutional funds implemented. Funding from foundations and lotteries totaled nearly €48 million, and corporate partnerships provided more than €49 million in support for SOS Children's Villages globally. [5] The organization was awarded the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize [8] in 2002, and the Princess of Asturias Award of Concord in 2016. [9]

History

Children at SOS Children's Villages in Kandalaksha in Russia SOS Children's Villages.Kandalaksha.jpg
Children at SOS Children's Villages in Kandalaksha in Russia

The Second World War resulted in many children becoming homeless and orphaned. Hermann Gmeiner (23 June 1919 – 26 April 1986), who himself participated in the war as an Austrian soldier, founded the first SOS Children's Village in Imst in the Austrian Federal State of Tyrol in 1949 together with Maria Hofer, Josef Jestl, Ludwig Kögel, Herbert Pfanner, and Hedwig Weingartner. [10] Originally, the SOS Children's Village was established to look after the orphans of the Second World War. But later the organization eventually started looking after other children who had experienced abandonment, neglect, and abuse. [10]

SOS Children's Villages in Argentina Aldeas-sos-mdp.JPG
SOS Children's Villages in Argentina

In the second half of the 20th century, the organization spread all over Europe. In 1959, SOS Children's Villages national associations were established in Italy, France, and Germany, and in the same year, the first SOS Children's Villages Youth Facility was founded in Innsbruck, Austria. The first caregiver for SOS Children's Villages was the Austrian Maria Weber (1919–2011). This first patron was Béatrice von Boch-Galhau (1914–2011). She financed the first SOS Children's Villages programme in Germany (Hilbringen / Saar) with her private assets and she used her political and business connections to promote the idea. As the organization grew, the umbrella organization SOS-Kinderdorf International was established to oversee all the national associations in the world in 1960. In the same year, the first SOS Children's Villages organization in South America was founded in Uruguay. In 1963, the organization reached Asia with the first programmes established in North Korea and India. Seven years later, the organization founded programmes in Africa in the Republic of Ivory Coast, Kenya, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. [10] In North America, the first programme was established in 1991 in the United States. Today, there are now more than 570 SOS Children's Villages programmes present in 135 countries and territories. [11]

In 2006, the "Colegio Internacional SOS Hermann Gmeiner", in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, re-opened as the United World College of Costa Rica, becoming the 11th United World College and the only UWC in Latin America and the Caribbean. Although no longer operating under the auspices of the SOS Children's Villages, the college continues to have a relationship with the organization, including a program of full scholarships for SOS Children's Villages students, with more than 50 SOS Children's Villages students having attended and graduated from the school. [12] [13] [14]

Hermann Gmeiner was the SOS Children's Villages president until 1985 when he was succeeded by Helmut Kutin. Helmut Kutin, born in 1941 in Bolzano, Italy, who was one of the first children admitted in SOS Austria, led the organization SOS Children's Villages International for 27 years after which in 2012, he was succeeded by Siddhartha Kaul, born in 1951 in Pilani, India. [15] [16]

Governance

Each 118 national SOS Children's Villages association carries out the international organizations’ missions, protocols, and policies. Regional offices guide this work and provide fundraising, marketing, and technical assistance to country offices as needed. Overall management and administration of the organization takes place at the headquarters in Innsbruck, Austria. The highest decision-making body is the General Assembly responsible for electing the President, Vice-President, and other members of the International Senate. Guiding and monitoring of all SOS’ work is the responsibility of the International Senate made up of 22 members. They establish policies, formulate policy changes, and procedural guidelines. The International Senate's work is coordinated by the Management Council, comprising eight representatives from member associations chaired by the President. The Management Council makes recommendations for Senate decisions, approves work plans developed by the Management Team, and defines the federation's targets. The General Secretariat comprises the international offices in Austria, and other regional offices responsible for implementing strategic decisions, developing and monitoring the organization's quality standards, and representing the organization in international communications and forums.

International frameworks

SOS Children's Villages Hermann Gmeiner Academy, Austria SOS Kinderdorf Akademie.jpg
SOS Children's Villages Hermann Gmeiner Academy, Austria

The organization follows three international frameworks that serve as guidelines for their work. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) adopted in 1989 is a human rights treaty that sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health, and cultural rights of children. The UN Guidelines for Alternative Care of Children adopted in 2009 provides a framework for governments to acknowledge and deliver alternative care to children growing up without adequate parental care. [17] And the UN Sustainable Development Goal adopted in 2015 and valid until 2030 in which SOS Children's Villages work focuses mainly on children and families living in vulnerable circumstances.

Campaigns

No Child Should Grow Up Alone

In 2017, the organization launched the No Child Should Grow Up Alone campaign which aims to emphasize research showing that 1 in 10 children (220 million) worldwide is growing up alone. The campaign is based on global research called the 'Care Effect' claiming that children growing up without adequate parental care are particularly vulnerable to different forms of human rights violations such as child labor, violence, and sex trafficking. [18]

The report concluded that:

"If we provide care for today's children in vulnerable circumstances, giving them the foundation they need for learning and developing life skills, we stand a better chance of building a better future for the world” [19]

Care For Me

In 2012, the organization launched the Care For ME! Campaign to encourage research and assessment on alternative child care and to advocate the need to protect the human rights of children from various violations committed against them. Participating countries need to assess whether their national alternative care system complies with the UN Guidelines for Alternative Care of Children. [20]

I Matter

In 2009, the organization launched the "I Matter" campaign to improve legislation surrounding the practice on leaving care. The aim is to support youth ageing out of care in their transition toward independence. [21]

Regional and national network

SOS Children's Villages is present in over 130 countries and territories around the world. These are listed below by region. SOS Children's Villages organizations in these countries provide active support to children, young people and families. Exceptions are countries marked with an asterisk (*), in which SOS Children's Villages maintains representative offices which focus on fundraising and building awareness. [22]

Africa [23]

Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria Flag of Angola.svg Angola Flag of Benin.svg Benin Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso Flag of Burundi.svg Burundi Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon
Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Central African Republic Flag of Chad.svg Chad Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Côte d'Ivoire Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Democratic Republic of Congo Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt
Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg Equatorial Guinea Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya
Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho Flag of Liberia.svg Libera Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi Flag of Mali.svg Mali Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco
Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia Flag of Niger.svg Niger Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone
Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia Flag of Somaliland.svg Somaliland Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa Flag of South Sudan.svg South Sudan Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan Flag of Eswatini.svg Swaziland Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania
Flag of Togo.svg Togo Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe

Americas [24]

Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg Bolivia Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Flag of Chile.svg Chile Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia
Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti Flag of Honduras.svg Honduras Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico
Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua Flag of Panama.svg Panama Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay Flag of Peru.svg Peru Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay Flag of the United States.svg United States Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela

Asia [25]

Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladeshi Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia
Flag of India.svg India Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia Flag of Israel.svg Israel Flag of Japan.svg Japan Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait
Flag of Kyrgyzstan (2023).svg Kyrgyzstan Flag of Laos.svg Laos Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia Flag of Nepal.svg Nepal Flag of Oman.svg Oman Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar
Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan Flag of Palestine.svg Palestine Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka Flag of Syria.svg Syria
Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates * Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam

Europe [26]

Flag of Albania.svg Albania Flag of Austria.svg Austria Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia & Herzegovina Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark * Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia Flag of Finland.svg Finland Flag of France.svg France Flag of Germany.svg Germany Flag of Greece.svg Greece
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland * Flag of Italy.svg Italy Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg
Flag of North Macedonia.svg Macedonia Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands* Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg Northern Cyprus Flag of Norway.svg Norway Flag of Poland.svg Poland Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal Flag of Romania.svg Romania
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia Flag of Spain.svg Spain Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden * Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland* Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom *

Oceania [27]

Flag of Australia (converted).svg * Australia Flag of French Polynesia.svg French Polynesia

Controversy

In January 2018, the branch of the association in Ethiopia was accused of supporting Islam, including forcible conversion of children. [28] The organization denies the allegations but does admit that a mosque (now closed) had been built on SOS land, contrary to policy. [29]

Prominent supporters

The first prominent supporter was the German-British businesswoman Béatrice von Boch-Galhau, wife of the largest shareholder of the ceramic manufacturer Villeroy & Boch. She became friends with the at-the-time unknown Hermann Gmeiner. In 1959, she employed some of her private fortune to pay for the first Kinderdorf in Germany located in Merzig Hilbringen. She also used her husband's political connections to promote the SOS Kinderdorf idea which was first meeting resistance from the local majors.

Prominent supporters include Nelson Mandela; the Dalai Lama; international footballers Kakha Kaladze, Andriy Shevchenko, Vincent Kompany, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cesc Fàbregas and Javier Zanetti; opera singer Anna Netrebko; writer Henning Mankell; Belgian tennis player Kim Clijsters; French writer and actress Anny Dupérey; Sarah, Duchess of York; English Child Actress Georgie Henley; former model Princess Salimah Aga Khan; actress and singer Cher; businessman and television host Mike Holmes; Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and entertainer June Carter Cash; and Johnny Cash whose memorial fund is towards the work of SOS Children's Villages worldwide. [ citation needed ] The organisation received the 2002 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. [30]

SOS Children's Villages also receive significant funds through Genworth Financial's Putts4Charity initiative, which they run on golf's European Tour. In November 2012, the initiative reached €1 million in total money raised since 2007.

See also

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