The Porto Santo City Council joins the initiative of the local Commission for the Protection of Children and Youth.

BLUE LACE

The Blue Ribbon Campaign started in 1989 in Virginia, USA when a grandmother, Bonnie W. Finney, tied a blue ribbon to her car's antenna "to make people question". The story Bonnie Finney told members of the community who turned out to be “curious” was tragic and about the abuse of her granddaughter, who had already brutally killed her grandson, by being beaten by her mother and boyfriend.

And why blue?

Because although blue is a beautiful color, Bonnie Finney did not want to forget the beaten and bruised bodies of her two grandchildren. The blue, which symbolizes the color of the lesions, would serve as a constant reminder of his struggle to protect children from abuse.

This campaign, which started as a tribute from this grandmother to her grandson, has expanded and today many countries use blue ribbons, during the month of April, in memory of those who died as a result of Child Abuse, and as a way to support families and strengthen communities in the efforts needed to prevent Child Abuse and Neglect. The blue ribbons are an awareness-raising initiative and are an opportunity to remember our collective and community responsibility for the prevention of ill-treatment.

Bonnie Finney's story demonstrates how the effect of a single citizen's concern can have on raising the awareness of the general public, regarding the mistreatment of children, their prevention and the promotion and protection of their rights.

Source: CPCJ Porto Santo

Photography: Fábio Brito