On the 19th of November 2021, GNRC members in the Middle East and the North Africa (MENA) region were invited by Prayer and Action for Children to the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children celebrations in Dubai, UAE. The event, which was inaugurated by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence in UAE, was attended by about a hundred participants from the UAE government, international and local civil society organizations, interfaith organizations, and private institutions. The event was also attended by three Arigatou International Directors: Ms. Rebeca Rios Kohn, Director of Prayer and Action for Children; Rev. Fred Nyabera, Director of End Child Poverty and Dr. Mustafa Y. Ali, Secretary General of the GNRC and Director of Arigatou International – Nairobi. Faith leaders from all the major faiths and spiritual traditions across the world joined the event to offer their prayers during the interfaith service.
During the global hybrid (physical and virtual) ceremony, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, welcomed participants to the prayer and action ceremony and expressed his joy for having UAE host such a meeting through the Interfaith Alliance for Safe Communities. He noted that the government of UAE is keen to promote interfaith coexistence among the diverse cultures in UAE. Sheikh Nahyan pointed to the importance of protecting the wellbeing of children through ethical and religious disciplines. He added that the UAE strongly believed in religious diversity and affirmed its commitment to respecting human rights and promoting peace and valuing the other.
In his video message, the President of Arigatou International, and Convenor of the GNRC, Rev. Keishi Miyamoto, urged all people of good will, faith leaders, and faith communities to ensure all children return back to school even as the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic that has stretched the mental, social, and economic might of human beings. He called for urgent action by leaders worldwide to prioritize children’s mental health, emotional, and spiritual well-being. He noted that all children have a right to identity, education, health, protection and participation including those from underprivileged communities.
Attending the meeting virtually was the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, who encouraged members to invest in children from their earliest years and ensuring that we build a just, inclusive and safe society for them. She added that in order to build back better we ought to reach to all children especially those in vulnerable communities and integrate services for children, such as education and health.
In his speech the member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Dr. Benyam Mezmur, pointed to some of the problems in the developing world that have restricted children’s access to education including access to basic needs, lack of peace, and lack of quality healthcare and education. He implored to humanity to reach furthest to the underprivileged and vulnerable in the communities especially in the developing countries.
During the ceremony, the GNRC Secretary General, Dr. Mustafa Y. Ali, was invited to moderate a dialogue session on, “Prioritizing children’s social, emotional, and spiritual well-being in times of crisis.” The topic sought to analyze the challenges children and young people undergo, especially during the pandemic. Participating in the panel discussion was Ms. Muzoon Almellehan, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador; Dr. Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Peace Nobel Laureate; Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, JD. Vice Chair, The International Conference of Rabbis and Executive Vice President, The New York Board of Rabbis; Dr. Husna Ahmad, Secretary-General, World Muslim Leadership Forum; and Dr. Reham Abdullah Salamah, Al- Azhar University.
The World Day event culminated in the Wear My Shoes campaign award that aimed at highlighting grassroots efforts and actions to mitigate the global learning crisis. GNRC members in Ecuador, Cuba, Mexico, Myanmar and Serbia were awarded for their creative submissions.
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The GNRC AS Local Workshop for Children in Preparation for the GNRC 4th Forum was organized from 7- 9 February 2012. It was attended by 30 children and youth from various Schools and religious communities in Cairo. Participants were Muslims (Sunni), Christians (Coptic Orthodox, Arab Orthodox, Coptic Catholic, Roman Catholic, Anglicans, and Protestants). They aged 14-18 and the Workshop was held in the Church of Archangels for Arab Orthodox Community in Al-Daher Area, Cairo.
Members of GNRC Egypt Committee and representatives of GNRC Organizations were present throughout the workshop, as well as board members of the Church of Archangels for Arab Orthodox Community.
The three working days were facilitated by Miss Hind Farahat and Miss Rand Farahat
Continue reading Local Workshop for Children In Preparation for the GNRC 4th Forum, Egypt, February 2012
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An article presenting Arigatou International and its work, titled “How a Small Buddhist Movement is Teaching Children in the Interfaith World to Live Together” was published in The Interfaith Observer.
Continue reading Arigatou International featured in The Interfaith Observer
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The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities among children, and an aspect where this is more evident is the children’s right to good quality education.
If children don’t have the same access to the internet, education during the pandemic cannot be the same for all. This was one of the main conclusions that children from Colombia and Cuba shared on Friday, November 5, during their participation in one of our guided tours to the virtual exhibition Faith in Action for Children.
More than 20 children from different rural communities in Colombia joined this interactive activity thanks to the support of local faith leaders who provided the location and the devices to make this dialogue possible.
Despite all the efforts, the online session was marked by difficulties in accessing the internet. Several children in Cuba tried to join the dialogue, but only one of them could make it, which led to the conversation about how the pandemic has made education harder for many children around the world suffering disproportionately from the lack of digital gadgets and access to the internet.
Ana Isabela, 8 years old from Santiago de Cuba, shared how she and other children in her community have been supporting their peers with limited technological access by providing educational information that they collected online and printed to give to their peers together with some school supplies. This child-led project was awarded by Arigatou International in 2020 and received a seed grant to kickstart it. Learn more here.
Children in Colombia have been gradually returning to face-to-face schooling, but as Laura, 11 years old, said “it is not yet the same as before”. Laura belongs to a rural community where access to the internet is scarce and limited.
During the dialogue, Laura and her peers had the opportunity to review the drawings, articles, and videos of other children from around the world about the impacts of the pandemic on their lives, and they reflected on how other children in disadvantaged regions have even more difficulties catching up with their studies as they cannot have online lessons or watch lessons on TV. In this scenario, parents and adults in general “should support children more, stay closer to us, and be more patient with us” recommended Ana Isabela.
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In Commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP), the End Child Poverty Knowledge Centre in collaboration with the Sarvodaya movement held a day-long event with over 110 pupils, teachers and parents at Unagaswela Primary School, Karandeniya, Galle in Sri Lanka. Realizing that the school was located in a rural area with limited educational materials and facilities and that most parents around there were low-income earners, the event aimed at meeting the educational needs of the pupils as well as motivating them to keep focusing on education.
Three computers, books and other learning materials were provided to the children in the school. It was revealed that most children in the school were unable to attend online learning due to lack of digital gadgets like computers as well as the lack of Internet.
“In this school, there are 40 students who need assistance for their education. Their parents can’t afford money for a Computer, Smart Phone or any other technical device for their children’s Education in Online. During the Pandemic time, few children were able to connect with the conducted classes and one smart phone have been shared with two or three children at the same time. Other children had to travel more than 6 to 10 kilometers to get connected for the classes with a device of a friend’s home.” recalled the school Principal, Mr. Anil Jayawardhana.
Children were also enlightened about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by Mr. Shehan Koshila Kannangara, a trainee from UNDP, Sri Lanka. He emphasized on the need for children to learn about the SDGs and Sustainable Development in general as that was a key pathway towards eradicating not only child poverty but poverty in general. Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, President of the Sarvodaya Movement also added his voice to the significance of the SDGs, saying:
“Arigatou International and Sarvodaya are celebrating IDEP in Sri Lanka which we challenge us to think and act for a sustainable development and sustainable life pattern to make a better future for our children”
The event ended with guests, parents and teachers being treated to song and dance, performed by the children. The parents also appreciated the event for nurturing them and empowering them with new thoughts and values. With regards to education of their children.
At Arigatou International – End Child Poverty, we believe that giving children quality education is a vehicle that would drive them out of poverty. It is for this reason that our Right to Education program aims to increase children’s access to equitable, quality education especially for those children affected by poverty and other vulnerabilities such as the COVID-19 pandemic, violent conflicts, forced displacement.
“This is a remarkable day in my life. I’m sitting in front of a computer. Now I want to come to school everyday and learn something new” – Child.
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