As the sanitary crisis brought up by the Covid-19 pandemic forced almost 90% of the world’s children out of school, teachers are called now more than ever, to reinvent how learning takes place. Educators need to ensure that quality learning reaches children in inclusive and meaningful ways, addressing not only the curricular areas but also the emotional and mental stress that children suffer in these uncertain days.
To respond to this pressing need, Arigatou International Geneva, in partnership with UNESCO International Institute of Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) carried out a series of four webinars on “How Transformative Pedagogy and Fostering Ethical Reflections Can Support Teachers during Covid-19 for Resilience and Prevention of Violent Extremism.”
The International Consortium on Nurturing Values and Spirituality in Early Childhood for the Prevention of Violence, created in 2018 by Arigatou International with the participation of 22 partners and individual experts, is engaged in developing a toolkit on the spiritual development of children in the early years to foster their well-being and help prevent violence in child upbringing. The toolkit is aimed for organizations working with religious communities but will also be flexible enough to be used by others interested in the spiritual development of young children. The purpose of the toolkit is to develop capacity and capabilities of organizations, faith leaders, key actors, and community representatives that work with parents and caregivers, teachers and children.
Ms. Maria Lucia Uribe, Director of Arigatou International Geneva, was invited to participate in the panel discussion “Holistic Approaches to Early Child Development and Education”, in the framework of the 64th Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society – CIES 2020, which was converted to virtual format in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As the current pandemic impacts the well-being and development of children, Arigatou International, together with the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, ISPCAN, organized a webinar on The Emotional and Spiritual Impact of COVID-19 on Children: Faith and Spiritual Nourishment as Key Factors for the Protection and Resilience of Children.
This webinar, which was held on 23 April 2020, was attended by 370 participants from 71 countries, and it is part of a series of weekly sessions organized by ISPCAN to support professionals that work toward the prevention and treatment of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Arigatou International Geneva conducted three online meetings, to connect with Learning to Live Together International Trainers in the framework of the Covid-19 Pamedmic. The meetings resulted in an action plan to respond to the more pressing needs brought up by this unprecedented sanitary crisis, from the ethics education perspective, and in line with the Faith for Action Global Campaign.
