The Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC) and UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, signed on May 19th 2004 in Geneva an agreement that aims at researching and documenting resources on teachings, approaches, perspectives and practices in world religions vis-à-vis the individual child, children and young people.

A joint study project was embarked on aiming at assessing how the child, children and young people are portrayed in religious scriptures, are cared for, are ministered to and are treated in religious communities and how young people view themselves in their religious context. 

GNRC and UNICEF will develop a small and practical resource guide to help religious communities (e.g. religious leaders, faith-based organizations, people involved in interreligious relations and cooperation) promote the realization of children’s rights as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This guide will be based on the work of religious scholars of the major religious traditions, who individually and in their common meetings in Tokyo, Florence, and Marrakech reflected on the topic children in world religions.

The resource guide will reflect the connections between the various religious traditions and the core principles of the CRC. Such a resource will enable an interaction between religious communities and the CRC as well as promoting a dialogue with child rights organizations (e.g. UNICEF, Save the Children).

The 20th Anniversary of the CRC in 2009 and the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children provide good opportunities to raise visibility and awareness around the resource guide.

The resource guide will 
- illustrate various perspectives on the child as transmitted by religious traditions, to bring forth areas of cohesion between religious traditions and the CRC, notwithstanding differences and disparities between religious traditions themselves and in their relationship to the CRC.
- show connections and areas of common ground towards promoting interreligious cooperation for the sake of children.


Draft Outline of the Resource Guide:

   
The background work for the Resource Guide includes
- Three study team meetings 
- Individual contributions by study team members from their respective religious and spiritual traditions and their inter-religious “thinking together” on the four main foci of the study.
- A video highlighting some of the issues discussed by the study team during the meetings. Click here to view the video.

The Study Team

For more details about the Joint Study, please contact

Ms. Agneta Ucko
Director – Arigatou International
Tel: + 41 79 509 79 23
Email: ucko@arigatou.ch