With 150 attending at the Chamber of Deputies in the capital, the ceremony began with the National Anthem of Brazil. Then, Deputy Liliam de Sa gave the inaugural address explaining that November 20 was the Day of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, but also the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children adopted by the Global Network of Religions for Peace to encourage religious traditions to take on the commitment to mobilize resources and adopt interfaith measures to combat all forms of violence and practices that are harmful to children, adolescents and youth.

The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children took place on December 15, with the participation of 200 children and 180 adults and was an inter-faith celebration including Christian churches, Bahá'í  and Muslim Communities. However, related ethics education activities have taken place throughout the year.

The Day was celebrated at Holguin, Cardenas, Ranchuelo, Matanzas and Havana with interfaith events bringing joy and reaffirming the rights of children. November 20 has been incorporated into the annual calendars in churches, religions and faith-based groups throughout Cuba, including Christians, Muslims, Baha’is, Yoruba spirituality and non-practitioners. This has been possible in no small degree thanks to the committed leadership of Moraima Gonzalez, Christian Institute for Gender Studies, and Rev. Ofelia Ortega, GNRC coordinator for Cuba.

In Romania, the celebration of the Day of Prayer and Action for Children was organized as a follow-up of the event from 2011, when our efforts focused on diminishing violence in schools. This year, we decided to act further, on the causes of violence affecting children. Finding adequate alternatives of education and cultivate the children’s spirituality are the biggest challenges of the parents or for the ones who are working with them.

On Sunday the 25th of November, the Spanish Episcopal Reformed Church and the Baha’i Community of Spain gathered in the Cathedral del Redentor in Madrid to celebrate the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children.

The 20th of November is a significant date for the whole world because of the Anniversary of the Convention for the Rights of the Child and for the first time at the Sombor Education Center (Serbia) we celebrated the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. This was a significant step forward for the children living in Sombor.

Six christian denominations and practicers of Native Spirituality met on Sunday 18 November in Mexico City to celebrate the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children, convened by the GNRC.

A Statement of the Participants at the Interfaith Event held at the European Commission on the 19th of November 2012

A Statement of the Participants at the Interfaith Event held at the European Commission on the 19th of November 2012

“All Together to stop violence against children” was the name of the DPAC celebration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was organized by the GNRC Bosnia and Herzegovina and the “All Together” youth group of the Interreligious Council in B&H. The main topic of this year celebration was to Stop Violence against Children and the focus was on Promoting Positive Parenting.