The coronavirus (COVID-19) has now spread across the globe and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a pandemic. The world has been affected in unprecedented ways. We are all saddened by the report that an increasing number of people, mostly the elderly but also including children, are losing their lives to this virus. We are praying for the suffering and the departed, and for an early end of the pandemic worldwide.
Although the mortality rate among children has been low so far, they are seriously affected by the impact of the pandemic. In many countries, schools are closed down and children are losing not only access to education but also their precious time to interact with their friends and teachers and in some cases food provided at school as well. Their lives may also be even more severely affected if their family members or caregivers become ill or lose their lives. We must keep in mind that children are very vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic, and we need to listen to their voices and stand by them. Arigatou International will continue to work with our partners and supporters to offer necessary support to children around the world in this difficult time.
This historic pandemic reminds us that in today’s world people are deeply interconnected globally. We are learning the valuable lesson that how even one person behaves affects others and that our collective actions have the power to change the situation around the world in any direction. This is the time when we need to encourage a sense of solidarity as one human community and act together to overcome this threat to humankind with empathy and care for the vulnerable people including children. Arigatou International will do everything in its power to contribute to the international efforts to end the pandemic.
Keishi Miyamoto (Rev.)
President, Arigatou International
Convenor, Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC)
During the upcoming weeks, Arigatou International and its initiatives will be working together to support you and all the global community in keeping children safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
We will share practical resources for parents and caregivers, as well as relevant reflections and tools for faith communities, including webinars, blogs and video messages.
We invite you to stay tuned to our social media to reflect with us on the ethical challenges presented by this unprecedented emergency and take concrete actions for the wellbeing of children around the world.
Hola, com esteu?
Us volem explicar que, des del passat divendres 13 de març i seguint les recomanacions sanitàries, l’equip de Quepo estem teletreballant i que, durant les properes setmanes, seguirem en marxa però ho farem des de casa.
Ahir vam celebrar una reunió d’equip al complet per tal de reorganitzar-nos i planificar tota la feina de les properes setmanes; l’objectiu principal és poder tenir cura i vetllar per tots els projectes en els que estem treballant plegades. Estem programant les reunions online necessàries per seguir avançant i farem tot el possible perquè els projectes es vegin el menys afectats possible. Seguirem treballant des de la perseverança i l’optimisme; però també coneixedores de la situació i les dificultats que poden afectar als calendaris dels projectes segons la seva casuística. Ho anirem parlant amb cadascun dels equips de projecte i estarem en constant comunicació.
Us volem fer saber que, tot i que la nostra oficina romandrà tancada mentre duri la crisi sanitària, us podeu posar en contacte a través del correu electrònic i, de forma excepcional, també dels nostres telèfons personals.
Som davant d’una greu crisi i cal que tothom actuï amb responsabilitat. Calen polítiques valentes per garantir la seguretat de les persones a tots els nivells: sanitari, econòmic i social. Aquesta crisi no la podem pagar les de sempre!
Animem a tothom a seguir amb els confinaments, a seguir les indicacions de les autoritats sanitàries i a participar en les xarxes de solidaritat i suport mutu que s’estan organitzant arreu del país.
Continuem oberts a rebre propostes i peticions de projectes com sempre; de fet, en continuem rebent el que demostra les virtuts del teletreball i la força amb la que, de vegades, la vida ens empeny a adaptar-nos i continuar.
No oblidem que som vulnerables i que la resposta sovint és col·lectiva. Cuideu-vos, cuidem-nos!
L’equip de Quepo
L'entrada Estem confinades, però la primavera no s’atura! ha aparegut primer a Quepo | Comunicació per a la transformació social.
El 16 de marzo celebramos el Día Internacional del Macaco. Muchas especies de macacos están en peligro y esto es lo que hace que este día sea tan importante. El día está pensado para crear conciencia sobre la disminución de las poblaciones debido a la deforestación, la caza para el consumo de su carne, la30
Arigatou International Geneva Office and United Religions Initiative (URI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance their working cooperation to foster children's well-being in the world.
From left: Mussie Hailu, URI Director of Global Partnerships; Mrs. Maria Lucia Uribe Torre, Director of Arigatou International Geneva; and The Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian, Jr, Executive Director of URI.
The agreement was signed on December 18, 2019 by The Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian, Jr, Executive Director of URI, and Mrs. Maria Lucia Uribe Torre, Director of Arigatou International Geneva.
The two organizations have agreed to the following preliminary and overarching areas of cooperation:
About URI
URI (United Religions Initiative) is a global grassroots interfaith network that cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences and work together for the good of their communities and the world. The purpose of URI is to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously-motivated violence, and to create cultures of peace, justice, and healing for the Earth and all living beings. URI has UN NGO consultative status with both the Economic and Social Council of the UN, and with the Department of Global Communications of the UN.
URI envisions a world at peace, sustained by engaged and interconnected communities committed to respect for diversity, nonviolent resolution of conflict, and social, political, economic, and environmental justice.
URI implements its mission through local and global initiatives that build the capacity of its 1,035 member groups and organizations in 108 countries, called Cooperation Circles, to engage in community action such as conflict resolution and reconciliation, environmental sustainability, education, women’s empowerment, youth and children’s programs, advocacy for human rights, and promoting a culture of peace and interfaith harmony.
About Arigatou International
Arigatou International is an international, non-profit organization committed to building a better world for children. Arigatou International is “All for Children,” and draws on universal principles of common good to offer compelling new ways for people of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds to come together to address children’s issues.
An initiator and sustainer of partnership-based initiatives to secure child rights and foster children's well-being, Arigatou International seeks to maximize the potential of interfaith cooperation, and always strives to empower and involve children and youth.
Holding special consultative status with UN-ECOSOC and consultative status with UNICEF, Arigatou International liaises and works jointly with UN agencies and other NGOs to foster cooperation within a rights-based approach to the profound issues faced by children and youth today. In 2008, Arigatou International and its Global Network of Religions for Children, in collaboration with UNESCO and UNICEF, launched Learning to Live Together – An Intercultural and Interfaith Programme for Ethics Education.
Learning to Live Together is a programme for educators (teachers, youth leaders, social workers) to nurture ethical values in children and youth that will help them strengthen their identities and critical thinking, ability to make well-grounded decisions, to respect and work with people of other cultures and religions, and to foster their individual and collective responsibilities in a global community.
Learning to Live Together has been implemented in more than 30 countries and benefited more than 400,000 children and youth. More than 1,200 facilitators have been trained on how to use the manual.
For further information please contact:
Arigatou International Geneva
Email: geneva(at)arigatouinternational.org
www.ethicseducationforchildren.org
With a concrete action plan and the commitment of implementing it along 2020, concluded the second annual meeting of the International Consortium on Nurturing Values and Spirituality in Early Childhood for the Prevention of Violence.
