Day of Prayer and Action for Children 2008
GNRC Brazil
2008 Report on the Day of Prayer and Action for Children by the Religions of the World
November 20, 2008

1. Catholic Church - Children's Ministry (Pastoral da Criança)

National Level

Mobilization of the Children's Ministry's 27 state coordinating bodies and over 300 diocesan coordinating bodies.
Regional coordinating bodies were urged to say the prayer and to create spaces for reflection on November 20. They received letters and electronic messages giving them guidance for this.

Dissemination via electronic and print media

-Magazine of the Children's Ministry: the prayer was printed on the cover of the November issue of the magazine. 270,000 copies circulated, distributed by volunteers throughout the country.

Media "spot" with the prayer: recording of the prayer for the child (MP3) in the voice of young Isabela Prati, made available by internet and sent by e-mail to the volunteer communication workers of the Children's Ministry, who are active in the 27 states of Brazil and in contact with over 2,000 radio stations.
-Sites of the Children's Ministry and the Brazilian Network of Information and Documentation on Childhood and Adolescence (Rebidia)
(http://www.rebidia.org.br/imprensa2/noticias/noticias_0115.html)

A Prayer for the Child, 20th of November!

Lord of Life, may our children be as You desire!

Through our FAITH, help us to seek dignity and quality of life for the children of our community, our city, our country and the world.

Lord, in many places the idolatry of wealth is a threat to peace. Our planet is more exploited and contaminated every day, and children are the first ones to suffer when the lack of consideration for others takes over in the heart of the people. Give us courage to change this history!

Help us fight against the causes that promote impoverishment, injustice and the oppression of children and their families. Make us stronger to impede the exploitation of girls and boys, forced to work and to become involved themselves with drugs, to sleep and to wake up with hunger and thirst, without a school for study, a safe place to play, and dying from causes that could be prevented.

We seek the well-being of the child and respect for children's rights. We will protect the child during all its life, which is sacred. May Your Spirit illuminate us to care for the child from the womb of the mother, and to guarantee the rights of citizenship, vaccines and breastfeeding, adequate food, clean water, and the opportunity to develop fully.

Lord of Life, together with our children, in one voice, we give thanks for the goodness of many people of good will. You are our power, which strengthens us to build a world where the child can have life and have it in abundance!

Amen!

Mobilization of Catholic and other mass media
Radio and television stations as well as print media were notified about the proposed Day of Prayer and committed themselves to transmitting it to their listeners, audiences and readers. 737 news items about the 20th of November-the Day of Prayer for the Child- can be found on the internet in Brazil. Following is a brief summary of the news transmitted.

News Release sent to the press on the 10th and 19th of November, 2008

November 20th is World Day of Prayer and Action for the Child
Childhood is a Gift that should be Protected by all the world's Religions

The Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC) launched a World Day of Prayer and Action for the Child during its Third Global Forum, carried out this past May in Hiroshima. The proposal is to direct personal or group prayers and actions on that day to the protection of the rights and the promotion of the wellbeing of all children. The 20th of November was chosen because it is the International Day of the Child, the date on which the Convention on the Rights of the Child was proclaimed by the United Nations (UN).

The Children's Ministry (Pastoral da Criança), a member of the GNRC, is mobilizing its network of over 260,000 volunteers and 1.4 million accompanied Brazilian families in every state of the country. A prayer (see above) was prepared for the occasion, to be prayed during the 1.4 million home visits carried out by the Ministry's volunteers during the month of November; as well as in 42,000 Celebrations of Life, the day on which children are weighed in the communities.

In Latin America, the mobilization of the Day of Prayer and Action for the Child has the support of the Latin American Bishops' Council (CELAM) and the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI), in addition to global support from UNICEF and UNESCO.

At the national level, it has the backing of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) and the National Council of Christian Churches of Brazil (CONIC).

Childhood is a sacred gift that should be protected by all the world's religions!
Concrete Action
The volunteers of the Children's Ministry and others touched by the organization were invited to participate in a grand nationwide campaign for universal birth certification, from the 17th to the 19th of November, led by the Special Secretary for Human Rights of the Office of the President of the Republic. In Brazil, there are still many without a birth certificate; with the support of the churches, this can change.
 
The following web sites carried news about the Day of Prayer and Action for Children, the GNRC and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (on some sites this news is still accessible)

* Site CNBB
http://www.cnbb.org.br/ns/modules/news/article.php?storyid=538
* Canção Nova
http://noticias.cancaonova.com/noticia.php?id=271547
* Rádio Vaticano http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/bra/Articolo.asp?c=243376
* Site Padre Reginaldo Manzotti
www.padrereginaldomanzotti.org.br/capela/index.php/oracao-e-conforto/oracao-pelo-dia-mundial-das-criancas
* Pauta Social
http://www.pautasocial.com.br/pauta.asp?idPauta=23060
* Agência Latinoamericana com e Caribenha de Comunicação
http://www.alcnoticias.org/interior.php?codigo_lang=12866_689
* Pio X Net
http://piox.net/not-cias/dia-mundial-de-a-o-e-ora-o-pela-crian-a.html
* Site Padre Isamel Carvalho
http://www.padreismaelcarvalho.com/noticias.php?id=81&cat=5
* Jornal A Hora http://www.jornalahoraonline.com.br/igreja/integra.php?id=5758&PHPSESSID=56c76e4168a98fddec39474edb90899b
* Site da Igreja Metodista
http://www.metodista.org.br/index.jsp?conteudo=7829
* Arquidiocese de Brasília http://www.arquidiocesedebrasilia.org.br/noticias/2008/noticia2008_11_10.html
* Jesus vem nos salvar
http://www.jesusvemnossalvar.com/nova/modules/news/article.php?storyid=193
* Coordenadoria Ecumênica de Serviço
http://www.cese.org.br/index.php?prefixo=inc&menu=ult_noticia
* Anjos de Jesus
http://www.anjosdejesus.com/start/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3540&Itemid=33
* Diocese de Blumenau-SC
http://www.dioceseblumenau.com.br/novembro_18_1.htm
* Arquidiocese de Londrina-PR
http://www.rcclondrina.com.br/noticias.php?id=301
* Diocese de Guarabira-PB
http://diocesedeguarabira.org/noticias_acao_crianca.html
* Paróquia Santa Luzia e Santo Expedito-SP
http://www.luzia-expedito.com.br/novidades.asp?cod=26
* Paróquia Nossa Senhora da Conceição-PB
http://www.catedralcg.com.br/noticias/tela_mostra_noticia.php?codigo_noticia=1202
* Igreja Presbiteriana de Vitória
http://www.primeiraigrejadevitoria.org.br/noticias/noticias-ecumenicas/330-dia-de-acao-e-oracao-pela-crianca-conclama-a-mobilizacao
* CatolicaNet
http://www.catolicanet.com/?system=news&action=read&id=50408&eid=298
* Catolicos.com.br
http://www.catolicos.com.br/lernoticia.asp?id=12756
* Família Cristã
http://www.paulinas.org.br/publique/cgi/public/cgilua.exe/web/templates/htm/fc2008/view_PUB-NOT.htm?user=reader&editionsectionid=7&infoid=40344
* Rede Vida
http://www.redevida.com.br/noticia.php?cod=191
* Rádio Santiago AM
http://www.radiosantiago.com.br/?pagina=noticia¬iciaID=294
* Jornal A Hora On-line
http://www.jornalahoraonline.com.br/igreja/integra.php?id=5758&PHPSESSID=8a7b867eae33e202428b1b8cc3f4c09a
* Jornal Meio Norte.com
http://www.meionorte.com/piaui,campomaior,O-dia-Mundial-de-Oracao-e-Acao-pela-crianca,67509.html
* Jornal Foco Regional-BA
http://www.jornalfoco.com.br/noticia-7239.shtml
* Projeto Amazônia
http://projetoamazoniarcc.blogspot.com/


2. Coordination in the Archdiocese of São Paulo
Mass in the Sanctuary of St. Jude Thaddeus
Ipiranga neighborhood, São Paulo
Date: Nov 20
Leaders said the Prayer for the Child, and it was transmitted by Radio "July 9"

















Chorus - 5 PM Mass - November 20 - Sacred Heart of Jesus


















Congregation - Mass in Sanctuary of St. Jude Thaddeus


3. Baha'i

Transmission over 230 radio stations
Radio stations transmitted the program Long Live Life (Viva a Vida) produced by the Children's Ministry with the prayer. Excelsior (Salvador), Bom Jesus (Bom Jesus da Lapa), Educadora (Caetité) and Santa Cruz (Ilhéus) stations highlighted the prayer by beginning their transmissions with it. Local newspapers also disseminated it.

Special High School Event
Our Lady of Mercy High School (O Colégio Nossa Senhora da Piedade) of the Ursuline order carried out a special event. The prayer was played over the school's loudspeaker system, with the young child's voice grabbing listeners' attention.


4. Jewish participation
Shirley Jungman reported that two organizations of the Jewish community in Sao Paulo read the prayer during their Sabbath ceremonies.