How Prayer Can Help Build a Better World for Children

Religious leaders gathered at the Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, a non-denominational
graduate school for religious and theological studies, to take part in a discussion organized by
Arigatou International – Prayer and Action for Children. The discussion was focused on the
importance of multi-faith prayers in bringing about concrete action to end violence against
children. Representatives from Hindu, Buddhist, Orthodox Christian, Pentecostal Christian, Sikh,
Muslim and Jewish communities spoke at the event.

The Reverend Dr. Hans Ucko welcomed the meeting as a bold step in interreligious dialogue,
stressing that: “At the heart of all religious traditions is prayer, worship, meditation … we
believe that prayer, in whatever tradition, and in whatever form, one prayer after the other
testifies to our concern that the plight of children matters to all of us. We will fill the heavens
and the earth with our cry, our sight, our hope, our trust that children matter veneration,
devotion, the liturgy for the sake of our children, not to make it an instrument or tool but to place
the plight of children at the heart of our faith.”

A multi-faith prayer service followed the discussion.