The details continue to pour in to World Day’s New York office, but preliminary reports show that World Day’s global theme Stop Violence against Children was the topic of scores of community mobilization campaigns, workshops and seminars during the 2012 World Day of Prayer and Action for Children, which was celebrated on 20 November 2012 at over 100 activities in more than 55 countries. The World Day will publish details of the 2012 events in early 2013.
Ending child marriage, which is often associated with violence against girls, is a major goal of the World Day. This year, early marriage and violence against girls were the topic of a large number of World Day events. They will continue to be a central topic in 2013.
“No true religion can ever condone violence against women and girls,” said Anne Anderson, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations, on 14 December 2012 at a United Nations Stakeholders’ Forum for preventing and eliminating violence against women.
In November, World Day Co-Chair Reverend Dr. Hans Ucko spoke out against honor killings at a conference on “Violence and the Family” in Istanbul, which was organized by “The Journalists and Writers Foundation” a World Day Council member affiliated organization. (Honor killing is when a male member of the family kills a female relative for tarnishing the family image.) “Honor killing is murder and murder is never justified in the interpretation of religion or tradition. On the contrary, religions and traditions play a constructive role to build peaceful societies” Reverend Ucko explained.
To date, 100% of respondents to an on-line survey say that they will participate in the World Day again in 2013.
About the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children
The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children envisions a world where all children have a joyous childhood; where they can play, learn and grow; where they are loved and cared for; where their health, safety and rights are protected. The World Day is committed to ending violence against children. World Day partners believe that by working together, religious communities, governments and secular organizations can better protect more children from violence than they can by working alone.
The logo for the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children features a stylized image of a child painting a rainbow in the sky. The rainbow symbolizes the diversity of the human family and the child’s act of painting it represents people, including children and youth, working to build a better world for children.
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. – Confucius