A/HRC/29/20 30. In 2013, the OHCHR office in Guinea Bissau supported and provided technical assistance to the national non-governmental organization Djinopi in the organization of an Islamic conference on combating female genital mutilation, involving Islamic professors from Egypt, Mali and Senegal. The conference resulted in a declaration on the abandonment of the practice by the imams of Guinea Bissau. To reinforce the outcome of the conference and the declaration, Djinopi published a “golden booklet” with short Islamic statements against female genital mutilation, which has been disseminated to neighbouring countries and countries with high prevalence rates. 31. In Mauritania, dialogues with religious leaders have led to the development of a model sermon and a collection of arguments against female genital mutilation based on religious documents, which was launched in February 2013 and distributed to 500 imams. E. Other initiatives to address societal attitudes and support for female genital mutilation 32. In 2008, the Government of Colombia, with technical assistance from the International Organization for Migration and UNFPA, initiated a project called “Emberá Wera” aimed at changing discriminatory social and cultural patterns of violence against women. The project resulted in a public rejection by Emberá women and community leaders of female genital mutilation as harmful to women and having no basis in culture. The project has enabled women, both in Emberá and among other indigenous communities, to be agents of change. 33. The involvement of older women who may themselves have undergone female genital mutilation in programmes to eliminate the practice has proved successful. German development cooperation has created intergenerational dialogues designed to empower target groups to change behaviour. The dialogues have been used in several countries. 34. In Mali, the “child-to-child and “child-to-parents” approach adopted by the organization Plan International has allowed girls to promote their rights with their parents and communities, through acting, drawing, poetry and songs. The “child-to-child” approach recognizes children as effective agents of change, since they communicate more effectively than adults, are often more literate than their parents and look after younger siblings. This has helped many girls to express themselves in public and share their experiences without fear and embarrassment.16 35. As fathers, brothers, husbands, community and religious leaders and politicians, men hold many of the decision-making roles that allow the practice to continue and can play a role in ending female genital mutilation and other harmful practices. Challenging dominant norms of masculinity is an important step towards ensuring that men and boys are strong advocates for tackling the practice and for changing attitudes and behaviours in communities and society at large. In Egypt, Plan International has used an innovative nonformal education programme called “New Visions” that encourages the development of life skills and increases gender sensitivity and reproductive health knowledge among groups of boys and young men aged 12–20. The same concept has been used for girls through a similar programme called “New Horizons”, to increase self-confidence and demystify and communicate essential information on basic life skills and reproductive health. These groups have helped to break the silence, promote attitudinal and behavioural changes among men and women, as well as reduce the social pressure that gives rise to the practice. 16 10 See http://plan-international.org/about-plan/resources/blogs/fighting-fgm-progress-hidden-behindnumbers-in-reports.