Tuesday, 17th September 2024
Calvià against bullying: zero-alcohol youth party and transversal roundtable against bullying
The areas of Social Services, Youth, Education and Events join forces against school bullying
Statements:
- Simón Fuentes, Events' councillor
- Néstor García-Muñoz, IMEB's manager
- Quintina Quiles, Coexistence coordinator at IES Calvià
- Toni Ballester, researcher in Education, teacher and advisor in Educational Innovation
Calvià stands up to bullying with a series of practical initiatives and awareness events amongst young people. The first step is the Calvià Youth Festival 2024 this Saturday and the creation of a transversal Roundtable to exchange experiences and unify protocols against school bullying in the municipality's IES (Secondary Education Centres).
The closing of the Calvià Council for Childhood and Adolescence for the 2023-2024 academic year last June left various proposals on the table. One of them, aimed at improving the climate in the transition from primary to secondary school, is a clear commitment to combat bullying. The proposal includes a presentation guided by the institute by the councillors of the Council for Childhood and suggestions to create a welcome manual.
This idea arose from a work for the Children's Parliament on safe environments, where they presented the transition to the IES as more hostile compared to schools. The proposal was sent to the ESO head teachers.
Calvià has three IES (Calvià, Bendinat and Son Ferrer). The centres are actively working on preventing bullying. The Social Services Department of Calvià Town Hall is working on the creation of a joint Board of the three centres to establish protocols and measures agreed upon between them. The Board will also coordinate with the IMEB —Municipal Institute of Education and Libraries— and the Events and Youth areas.
The Town Hall intends to promote a cross-cutting anti-bullying policy in all areas.
As a first recreational-festive step of the anti-bullying commitment, the Calvià Youth Festival 2024 will be held on Saturday 21st September from 5 p.m., an initiative promoted by the Town Hall through the Youth and Events areas with the aim of creating a safe, healthy and motivating leisure space for the municipality's young people, especially aimed at people born between 2006 and 2010. The fight against bullying is, along with zero alcohol consumption, the leitmotiv of the event.
The event, which will take place at the Galatzó fairgrounds, will offer a wide variety of free activities such as live performances by renowned DJs such as Young Kendi, Óscar Romero, Tapo y Raya, and Lor3to. The festival also aims to raise awareness on the school bullying problem with a special campaign under the slogan "Stop Bullying", which includes a spectacular staging with visual effects.
"Without drugs and without alcohol, the party sounds better" is another slogan of the Calvià Youth Festival, to highlight the importance of having a good time without harmful substances and to promote a positive and safe environment for young people.
El Molino fairgrounds in Santa Ponça will also have attractions, games and workshops such as face painting and badges, and a photocall to immortalise the best moments of the festival. Also worth mentioning is a large selection of food trucks and the alcohol-free bar. To facilitate access, free transport will be offered to the site, to ensure that no young person is left without the opportunity to have a good time at the Calvià Youth Festival.
