World Day of Prayer and Action for Children
For news, planning guides, and resources on the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children in 2009 and later, visit:  www.dayofprayerandaction.org

Overview
The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children seeks to bring together people of religion and goodwill to safeguard the integrity, rights and dignity of children and promote their wellbeing. It is made possible by a partnership among the world's religions, faith-based groups, secular organizations and people of goodwill committed to building a world fit for children.

The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children takes place every year on Universal Children's Day, November 20, which is also the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. On that day, all over the world, in every community, and in all places of worship, prayer services will be accompanied by one or two common, measurable actions for the survival, development and protection of children.

The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children offers an opportunity for people of goodwill from all religious and secular backgrounds to recommit themselves every year to working together to achieve internationally agreed goals for children such as the Millennium Development Goals.

The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children is a day of solidarity among all who share the vision of a world that everywhere allows children to grow up to their full human potential.

Get the full Vision and Mission statement for the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. Shorter versions are available for use here.

To Get Involved, Contact: 
Secretariat for the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children
845 Third Avenue
Sixth Floor
New York, NY 10022

www.dayofprayerandaction.org

Meg Gardinier, Director
mgardinier@dayofprayerandaction.org

Masue Suzuki, Program Officer
msuzuki@dayofprayerandaction.org

Tel: +1-646-290-5171

History

Originally Proposed at the GNRC Third Forum in Hiroshima in 2008
At the GNRC Third Forum in Hiroshima in May 2008, GNRC members agreed to encourage all religions and faith-based groups to join in a worldwide Day of Prayer and Action for Children in every house of worship in all communities to protect the rights and promote the well-being of children, both through prayers and practical actions, to help achieve internationally agreed development goals for children. The formal proposal from the Forum is available here.

The formal launch of the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children took place in 2009. The Planning Committee, representing many of the world's religions, UNESCO, UNICEF, the GNRC, and the Arigatou Foundation, held its first formal meeting in Tokyo in March 2009 and met again in September 2009. Read all about the Day of Prayer in 2009 at www.dayofprayerandaction.org. 

November 20, 2008 -- GNRC Hosts Pilot Events and Celebrations Worldwide: Full Reports Available Here
In 2008, several GNRC regions started celebrating the Day with a variety of regional and local prayer events and activities. Read a news overview here, or explore full reports on all the events, organized by world region.

Below are some resources and a historical record of plans and events from 2008. For full reports, visit this page.
  • GNRC Europe: View or download a pamphlet about activities in Europe in PDF format here.
  • GNRC Latin America and the Caribbean: Read about activities, or see a pamphlet in Spanish. See the video.
  • GNRC South Asia: Read about activities throughout the region here.
  • GNRC Africa: The Day of Prayer was celebrated in various activities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, as well as smaller towns in Zanzibar, Kenya and Somalia.
  • GNRC Israel: Open House, Ramle, and the Spiritual Center at Neve-Shalom\Wahat al Salaam held a special session at Open House on the Day of Prayer with the teenagers from 'The Journey,' or, in Hebrew and Arabic - 'Masa\Masar''. The event included a discussion on human rights and a prayer. 
  • GNRC Central Asia and the Caucasus studied the teachings of two 14th century poet-minstrels who upheld the values of pluralism (one Turkish, one Indian), and engaged in a variety of other activities.
  • GNRC Arab States celebrated the day of prayer in several different countries.