The IC 2025 officially launched with a vibrant Opening Ceremony, featuring local cultural performances and keynote remarks from Zambian government officials and child protection leaders.
The ceremony included inspirational and uplifting speeches from the Honourable Constance Nalishebo Muleabai (Mayor of Livingstone) and the Honourable Credo Nanjuwa (Provincial Minister – Southern Province); Antoinette Ngoma, the Country Director of Plan International Zambia and Chairperson of Joining Forces Zambia; Mme Beatrice Mutali, the UN Resident Coordinator; Florence Nkhuwa, the Executive Director of Lifeline Childline Zambia and our very own Helen Mason, Executive Director of Child Helpline International; and officially opened by the Honourable Doreen Sefuke Mwamba, the Zambian Minister of Community Development and Social Services on behalf of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, who was sadly unable to attend.
Finally, Dr Joan Nyanyuki, Executive Director of the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF), framed the context for the IC 2025 by exploring key global and regional trends impacting children and child protection systems.
We were also graced with special video greetings from Najat M’jid Maalla, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children; Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU); and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the World Health Organization. (Click on the images below to watch these videos).
We were entertained throughout by children and young people from Livingstone, who read out their pledges and promises, and gave a Vote of Thanks. They also opened the ceremony by singing the Zambian national anthem. Skills Emmanuel and B’Flow provided further musical entertainment and there was an amazing performance by Tusole Theatre and Youth Friendly Association.
After this strong Official Opening with a powerful commitment to child rights and protection, and following lunch, we had informative and engaging parallel sessions exploring:
- Social media & child protection, hosted by the Joining Forces Alliance, exploring how child helplines can harness social media and online platforms to strength outreach, prevention and response to violence against children and young people.
- A session exploring the experiences and impact of shrinking aid budgets on child protection in development and humanitarian settings, where we heard from panellists and participants on the mitigation and adaptation strategies their organizations are actively pursuing in order to ensure protection services remain available.
- Child helpline partnerships in the digital age: with a focus on accessibility, mental health support and online safety, the discussion considered how child helplines, tech companies and other key stakeholders coluld help ensure inclusive, responsive services for all children and young people.
- New partnerships and collaborations expanding our reach, and broadening our horizons.
The final part of the day saw a panel discussion outlining the cautionary tales of AI in the context of Child Helplines. AI ahd large-scale digital transformation are reshaping how child helplines operate, while raising critical questions around ethics, privacy and human connection. It was a fascinating discussion, lead by the ever enthusiastic Jim Fruchterman of our partner organization Tech Matters, who has been working in this space for four decades.
The day ended on a high with Tusole Theatre’s incredible dance & music at Mukuni Boma, with a feast to remember!