On 25 November 2025, the Ministry of Welfare organised an international conference in Valmiera entitled “How to Raise Children Without Violence: The Role of Environment, Professionals and Community”. The conference was dedicated to strengthening the competences of professionals working with families with children. It also marks the beginning of a new approach: similar thematic conferences will be organised in different regions of Latvia in the future in order to promote professional cooperation nationwide.
Efforts to promote non-violent child upbringing and violence prevention are closely linked to the core values of the European Union – human dignity, the protection of children’s rights and the prevention of violence. The conference took place within the framework of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) project “Support Instruments for the Reduction of Domestic Violence” and formed part of the project’s activities aimed at strengthening professional knowledge and developing preventive work.
The conference addressed the following topics:
the role of the environment and its impact on non-violent child upbringing,
the importance of individual professional competences in non-violent child upbringing,
the role of the community in supporting non-violent child upbringing.
Taking into account the diverse experience of conference participants in the social field, interviews with Latvian and international experts, insights from practical workshops, as well as examples of good practice and practical recommendations have been compiled. These focus on building respectful, safe and trust-based relationships with children – both within families and in professional practice.
Although the prepared informational material is available in Latvian, it serves as a valuable example of how conference discussions, expert insights and practical experience can be translated into accessible resources for professionals and families. As such, it reflects the project’s broader approach and can be viewed as an inspirational reference for similar initiatives in other contexts.
“Communication with a child must not be based on violence – it must be based on respect and love. International research shows that when a child grows up in a non-violent environment, they achieve significantly better academic results, are less likely to perpetuate violence in their own lives, are better able to build respectful relationships, and demonstrate greater psychological resilience. Children are our present, but they will shape our future.”
Diāna Jakaitė, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare
More about the project (in Latvian):
https://www.lm.gov.lv/lv/projekts/esf-projekts-atbalsta-instrumenti-vardarbibas-gimene-mazinasanai
Illustration: Johanna Lohrengela
#SocialProtection #EUFunds
