Your work is wonderfully unique, relevant to your context, and not quite like any other World Day partner’s. Our movement is exciting precisely because of the diversity of stories, reports and news that can inspire others, worldwide. And when you read someone else’s story here, it can spark a new creative thought or approach for your own setting – even though that partner might live many miles away. So may these stories inspire you. And don’t forget to post your news for the World Day Map!
Global Network of Religions for Children: Catalytic role since 2008
The Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC) is the leading interfaith worldwide network dedicated to children. It has also been a tremendous World Day partner since the World Day was born at GNRC’s international forum in 2008. In 2012, in Colombia, the GNRC engaged with religious communities to address domestic violence and promote positive parenting and birth registration. In India, interfaith workshops and school-centered campaigns focused on preventing child marriage. In Tanzania, major campaigns were mobilized to urge the government to keep its commitments to stop violence against children. (For more, see the World Day website.)
Thank you, all of our GNRC friends around the world!
Photo: 2012 World Day Celebration in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Courtesy of Pastoral da CriancaPastoral da Criança, Brazil: Assessing child rights for joint action
The Pastoral da Criança, in Brazil, mobilizes over 260,000 volunteers to meet the health and education needs of children (0 to 6 years), their families and communities. A World Day partner since 2009, the Pastoral is expanding its activities this year to assess the rights of children in their communities and develop strategies to address their unmet needs. Pastoral is advising its leaders, coordinators, church and local community representatives to coordinate “conversation circles” and raise key questions based on a “children’s rights” checklist. These include:
- What children’s rights are not being achieved in the parish or city?
- What sort of support may be given by the coordinators, parishes, churches, congregations, religious traditions, and other groups so that children may achieve these rights?
Following group discussions, leaders will fill out a registration form and use it as a reference for joint actions throughout the year. Their findings, along with proposed actions, will be disseminated on the project webpage of the Pastoral da Criança www.pastoraldacrianca.org.br. By broadly sharing the needs felt by the communities to a greater number of people, Pastoral hopes its leaders may identify collaborative solutions.
Arigatou’s new Kenya office partners with clinic for child health care
Soweto village in Kibera, Nairobi, is a region beset by poverty and malnutrition. This November, Arigatou International’s new office in Nairobi will provide care for 100 children between seven and ten years old and their parents, in partnership with Chemichemi Ya Uzima Clinic. At this event to be held at Soweto Baptists Primary School, parents will hear about positive parenting and birth registration, while their children will receive treatments for skin infection and deworming, and a hemoglobin check. Refreshments and food supplements will be provided. We welcome Fred Nyabera, who directs the Inter-Faith Initiative to End Child Poverty.