Patrus Ananias de Sousa, former Minister of Social Development and the Fight against Hunger of Brazil, talks about the Comprehensive Family Attention Program (PAIF) and the importance of mobilizing all social actors to combat the practice.

After the opening ceremonies of the event and the official launch of the Latin American Network against Child Labor, the Regional Forum to prevent and combat child labor. Contributions for the elaboration and implementation of public policies included a conference by Patrus Ananias de Souza, former Minister of Social Development and the Fight against Hunger of Brazil. Patrus spoke about the eradication of child labor by reducing poverty.

He said that the only way to reach the end of child labor is to raise awareness among parents and family members. "Pedagogical work must be done with families and with society so that this practice is no longer encouraged. Families are committed to the fight against child labor from the moment they understand the damage it causes to children and adolescents" . For the speaker, each parent or guardian must be shown that he has an important role to play, and that his action is directly related to the fate of the people of his town, of his homeland.

An example cited at the conference is the Comprehensive Family Care Program (PAIF), a basic social protection service developed in the Reference Centers for Social Assistance (CRAS), also known as "Family Homes". "These centers are located in the communities and serve the families who live there. They offer consultations with psychologists, training courses, activities to increase self-esteem, etc. This helps people to acquire a broader vision of the problem. since they participate in the eradication of child labor, "says Patrus.

But the effort must come from all social actors, who must organize and act together to solve the problem. "The State must give shape and action to what society considers important. But the action of society is also fundamental. The participation of businessmen, organizations, workers, churches, NGOs, universities is essential. It is important to mobilize everyone. in favor of improvements in public policies, "adds the former minister.

Patris still talks about the importance of maintaining collective responsibility and sharing experiences. And before the lecture ends, I would like to quote two phrases from Mahatma Gandhi: 'Let us make the changes in ourselves that we ask of others ...'.

Patrus Ananias, Former Minister of Social Development and
Fight Against Hunger of Brazil, during
the keynote conference