World Day News

Message from the Chairs: Reflection on Year 2011

At this time of year, when many are about to celebrate the birth of a child in a manger and accompany the year of 2011 to its end, it is appropriate to look back at this year from the perspective of A Day of Prayer and Action for Children.  This initiative, generously launched by the Arigatou Foundation, is still in its infancy and yet it seems from year to year to confirm that people of many faiths and of good faith appreciate that which the Day of Prayer and Action for Children stands for: a tool for engagement and commitment. We are looking for ways to manifest that the security and safety of children matters to us. We are looking for possibilities to join others in a common endeavour to provide space for children that they in peace can look to the future without apprehension or fear. 

Violence against children is a reality threatening children in many forms; it manifests itself not only in war and communitarian conflicts; it is shadowing the child in poverty and hunger; it is a devouring danger and threat to children in domestic violence and abuse, in that very space, where they should have been able to feel secure and safe. The theme for 2011 and for the years to come, “STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN,” is conveying the harsh reality for more children than we can imagine. Images and pictures from various walks of life and various situations in the world throw themselves at us.

The responses that the “Day of Prayer and Action for Children” elicit substantiate that we need channels to increase and expand cooperation between various actors in the world involved in safeguarding the rights of the child: religious communities, UN organizations and NGOS.

People throughout the world and in various constellations have increasingly taken upon themselves to respond to the call to celebrate the Day of Prayer and Action for Children. For some it has been a possibility to get together across religious communities to celebrate through prayer and reflection and some kind of common action their concern and commitment. For others it has opened ways ahead in concrete support of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. For yet others, it has enabled religious leaders to launch in unison and with some of the bodies involved in the work for children programs destined to alleviate poverty and ending violence against children.

The centre and network Sarvodaya in Colombo, Sri Lanka is these days the venue for a group of young adults of many faiths from around the world, all involved through the Global Network of Religions for Children, another initiative of the Arigatou Foundation. They have come to craft an action plan for how young people can be concrete in challenging the spectre of poverty in all its aspects. They are inspired by Sarvodaya, which, inspired by Buddhist teachings engages in concrete action for children, malnourished or abandoned, victims of violence due to war and conflict or abuse at home by parents and relatives. But they carried also with them to Colombo their memories and experiences, recorded through videos and slides, of their own celebrations a couple of weeks ago of the Day of Prayer and Action for Children, in places like Belgium, Uganda, India and Argentina. Their witness is convincing enough to affirm that this program has a potential of galvanizing the concerns of people of all ages for the well-being and safety of children.

While we accompany 2011 these last remaining weeks, we are grateful for the response that the Day of Prayer and Action has received throughout the world and we hope that we in 2012 will be able to solidify this enthusiasm towards even greater commitment and support.

Season’s Greetings

Kul Gautam and Hans Ucko

Chairs of The Day of Prayer and Action for Children  

In the Spotlight: Kenya, Nepal, Dominican Republic

These World Day partners in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean were among the first to report on their 2011 outreach:

In Kenya, planting trees and launching peace clubs were highlights from 14 to 20 November, to “Dignify Childhood” and “Stop Violence Against Children.”

At the Garissa Muslim Children’s Home, local sheikhs prayed for the 300 children there and children everywhere.   Participants including government officials reflected on children suffering from famine, disasters, and living on the Kenya-Somalia border due to two decades of violent conflict in Somalia.

Trees were planted at 10 primary schools in Kabarnet Division, after teachers engaged children on the theme of violence.  Climate change has worsened poverty levels in Africa, and tree planting alleviates the effects.

On 20 November, over 300 children, parents, religious and local leaders sang and danced at Kaptimbor Primary School in Kabarnet Town. They heard Islamic and Christian perspectives on violence and the role of parents and leaders. They issued school uniforms to 46 children. And they launched Ethics and Peace Clubs involving 11 primary schools, before planting trees to commemorate the World Day.

-- from the African Council of Religious Leaders-Religions for Peace and the Global Network of Religions for Children.

Another set of events in Kenya included religious leaders working with 200 children on 26 November to map out concrete strategies on child protection.  Machakos Interfaith Network in Eastern Kenya organized this along with an afternoon of prayer, fellowship and reflection.   Also, in Kisumu and Isiolo Counties, 100 religious leaders were convened on 20 November to orient and train them in advocacy for child protection and other children’s rights issues.

 -- from the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya and UNICEF Kenya.

 

In Nepal, a series of energetic events took place in mid-November through early December.

In Lalitpur, 142 teenagers from 20 schools and 31 adults prayed; practiced mindfulness with yoga, meditation and friendship games; and discussed “Learning to Live Together” modules.  World Day Chair Kul Gautam attended the conference as a special guest speaker.

In Kathmandu, 85 adults and 65 youth gathered in Shanti Sewa Ashram.  Leaders from Hindu, Buddhist, Islam, Christian, Jain, Sikh and Bahai religions prayed and committed to stopping violence against children.

In Dang, 50 students from five children’s homes competed in an art and poetry contest to lift up violence and other themes.

Other events reached 173 students in an interfaith awareness program; 80+ parents, children and others on “Positive Parenting and National Building”; 80 business students; 32 Ministry for Education officers; 25 national level educators;  and leaders at a national seminar on HIV AIDS.

-- from the Peace Service Centre, with support from  the Global Network of Religions for Children - Nepal, Youth Society for Peace, Hindu Vidyapeeth-Nepal, and Children’s Peace Home.

In the Dominican Republic , 30 religious leaders signed an interfaith declaration on violence against children.  They promised to promote non-violent values, monitor violence, and foster positive assertive discipline. For each signature, a child lit a candle to symbolize hope for a brighter future.  

This took place at their 17 November World Day celebration attended by 70 persons in the library of Santo Domingo’s major university. They also sent an interfaith supplication to NGOs and CBOs in children’s work republic-wide, to unite everyone in a moment of prayer.

Next, they presented their declaration to Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Violence against Children and a World Day Council member; and CONANI (National Council for Children and Adolescents).  They did this during the First Central American and Caribbean Event on Monitoring Recommendations of the UN Study on Violence Against Children, in Santo Domingo 1-2 December.  In this way they reached 250 senior government officials, media, international and civil organizations, and youth active in anti-violence work affecting children.

-- from the Global Network of Religions for Children, Muchachos and Muchachas con Don Bosco, World Vision, Volunteering for International Development, and the NGO Coalition for Children.

Rays of Hope from 2011 into 2012

Each year, since the founding of the World Day in 2008, greater numbers of people join the movement. In 2011, we have received reports of over 80 activities organized in 71 countries! 

This year was also the first in our three-year campaign to “Stop Violence Against Children” -- and we are clearly seeing a sharper focus on child protection. One of the emerging areas of interest is positive parenting to prevent corporal punishment.  Taking action against violence affecting children seems to be resonating globally with both faith-based and civil organizations.  To illustrate this from Africa and South Asia:

Uganda took on the challenge with a message from leaders of three faiths reaching 3,000 persons over a three day period in Kampala – then launched a national radio, TV and billboard campaign potentially reaching up to 30 million people in 112 districts of Uganda. The World Day has been a catalyst for building alliances and urging the legislature to pass a child protection bill that has been pending for seven years. Organizers are working to build a critical mass of child advocates or ambassadors against violence, and tie in World Day promotion with Convention on the Rights of the Child efforts as well. 

Timor-Leste found the World Day to be a great chance to raise awareness on topics they were already working on, as well as build new relationships with faith-based organizations. With the Bishop of Dili (whose Sunday Mass on stopping violence against children drew 500 worshipers) and the well-known Pastoral da Crianca, they are primed for establishing parent groups, raising awareness on child marriage, and promote birth registration as well.

In India through the leadership of the Ramakrishna Mission, 12 collaborating organizations organized its first-ever “Global Week for Holistic Welfare of Children” in Kolkata.  Workshops promoted the major themes of “Disciplining Children With Love” and “Positive and Purposeful Parenting.”  Health checkups for children were also given. 

However, a true movement is driven by people locally, from what they experience and feel is important.  So sometimes, themes other than the ones chosen by the World Day prevail. The Philippines for example, is calling for the end of armed conflict and the use of child soldiers by rebel groups.  They are also working to mainstream children’s issues into the peace agenda.  To create visibility, children are burying toy guns and planting seedlings at the World Day ceremony site.  They are also painting a collaborative mural in a central station park.

All of these examples show that stopping violence against children of course cannot happen all at once.  But it cannot happen at all without the prayers and action of caring people all over the world, creating frameworks and strategies that will stand the test of time.  Like trees planted for future generations, and like rays of hope for years to come, all World Day efforts build shelter and light for the safety and well-being of children.  And for this, we at the World Day are always grateful.

UNICEF Partners with Religious Communities to End Violence against Children

By Stephen Hanmer

NEW YORK, USA, 29, November 2011—Mohamed, a 15-year-old in Mauritania, used to be frightened to go to his Madrassa (Qur’anic school) because he was regularly hit by the teacher. “It upset me a lot… sometimes I was beaten up badly,” he said.

But now, Mohamed likes attending school and enjoys learning thanks to a ground-breaking fatwa (religious decree) issued two years ago forbidding violence against children. Previously, corporal punishment of children had been widespread in both Madrassas and non-religiously affiliated primary schools.

Reducing corporal punishment

The fatwa was the result of a study conducted by a prominent network of Imams with support from UNICEF which examined the Qur’an and other Islamic texts and found no justification for corporal punishment. The fatwa has been distributed to more than 2,000 schools and religious centres and supported by awareness-raising workshops.

“Those in charge of the Madrassas who read the fatwa acknowledged that its content was in full agreement with the teachings of Islam,” said Imam Hademine Ould Saleck. “Some teachers admitted they were mistreating children and most agreed to stop beating them.”

The fatwa was recently highlighted at a ceremony presided over by the Minister of Social Affairs and the UNICEF Representative to commemorate the third annual World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. Awareness-raising sessions that focused on further reducing corporal punishment were also held in the different regions of the country.

‘Violence does not discriminate’

Similar events took place around the globe to celebrate the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children, which has a new three-year theme: Stop Violence against Children. The campaign will mobilize faith-based and secular organizations to protect children from all kinds of violence.

The day is observed on 20 November to coincide with Universal Children’s Day and the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF supported activities in 37 countries and worked with religious communities to reach out across their vast networks and encourage their congregations to eliminate violence against children.

“Violence does not discriminate,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director. “It cuts across race, religion, class and culture.”

Prayer and action

One of the most important ways mothers and fathers can help their children is by practicing positive parenting. Parents play a critical role in providing the on-going care and support children need in order to survive and thrive and in guiding their development and behaviour; this can be done without resorting to violent discipline, which not only harms the child but is also ineffective.

Another key step to protect children is birth registration. This simple act establishes their existence under law and provides the foundation for safeguarding many of their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Unregistered children may face challenges in accessing health care, education and social assistance. They are the first to fall through the cracks in protection systems, and there is a risk that violations of their rights will go unnoticed.

The third most important focus of the World Day is child marriage, which affects girls disproportionately. Child brides are at greater risk of violence, abuse and exploitation and their health can be compromised due to early pregnancy. A multi-faceted approach and a long-term commitment to changing attitudes and behaviour is the need of the hour.

“To end such violence, we need to work together – across religious faiths, across political parties, across all boundaries – to raise awareness, to reach out in our communities and to strengthen systems that protect children,” said Mr. Lake. “Let it begin with a prayer and end in action.”

UNICEF-supported activities

Building on its long history of working with religious communities from all faiths on issues that affect children, UNICEF supported activities in 37 countries for the 2011 World Day of Prayer and Action for Children, including the following:

• Afghanistan- The Ministry of Religious Affairs conducted radio and television interviews with mullahs, other broadcasters provided child-friendly information about children’s rights, and mullahs used Friday prayers to highlight messages on violence against children.
• Nigeria- A national workshop with key religious leaders engaged them as advocates for universal birth registration. Their effectiveness will be assessed through regular on-site reporting using Rapid SMS technology.
• Panama - The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Panama celebrated a nationally televised mass on the importance of a violence-free early childhood. Various other religious communities also celebrated the Day of Prayer and Action for Children during their different religious ceremonies, while the First Lady led an event with children in a park in central Panama City.
• South Sudan-The Supreme Council of Imams of South Sudan and the Sudan Council of Churches urged the government, community leaders and all citizens to protect children.
• Timor-Leste- A televised address by the President and a Mass at Dili Cathedral led by the Bishop focused on the critical role of religious communities in protecting children from violence.
• Uganda- Religious leaders shared messages related to the theme of ‘Zero Violence against Children’ with their congregations through their radio shows and a prayer breakfast organized in partnership the government and religious and cultural leaders

Read the original article on UNICEF website.

World Day 2011 in the News (2)

Latin America and Caribbean Communication Agency (ALC)

World Day of Prayer and Action for Children celebration in Guatemala City

With an art and culture afternoon for children held on Sunday, November 20 in the Constitution Square, facing the Metropolitan Cathedral in Guatemala City, the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC) celebrated the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children, with the theme, “Building a Culture of Peace in the Family.”

At a press conference, details of the event were given by representatives of GNRC in Guatemala. Misael Méndez of the Christian Ecumenical Council of Guatemala, shared that the celebration ended with an interreligious prayer, in which the Baha'i Community, the Tibet House, the Church of Saint John the Apostle, and the Youth Christian Association took part, and who requested of the State that the rights of children and youth be respected, and that the necessary resources be designated for the well-being of these sectors of the population.  

Read more on the ALC website.

The Swazi Observer

Children campaign receives world recognition

THE World Day of Prayer is recognised the world over, says Deputy Prime minister Themba Masuku.
He was represented by Minister of information, communication and Technology (ICT) Winnie Magagula at the world Day of Prayer and Action for Children at Esibayeni lodge. “We would like to issue a warning against all perpetrators of violence and we are on a drive to clean all the country’s schools, churches and homes to fight this type of violence,” said the DPM who added that government wanted children to be safe at home, schools and in communities.

He praised faith-based organisations for their role in signing of a pledge for children at Ezulwini last year.

Read more on the Swazi Observer website.

Relief Web

In Uganda, world leaders focus on creating a safer future for children

World Day of Prayer

UNICEF joined the Uganda Parliamentary Fellowship and the Uganda Child Rights NGO Network (UCRNN) to organize the event, which commemorated the 22nd anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) under the theme ‘Creating a Safe Future for Children: Zero Violence Against Children in Schools.’

The message focused on putting individual differences and prejudices aside to pray for all children, and to challenge leaders at all levels to ensure children in Uganda grow up in a violence-free environment.

Uganda’s prayer day also corresponded with the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children’s launch of a new three-year initiative in more than 30 countries to protect children from violence.

Read more on the Relief Web.int