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HARNESSING RELIGIONS ADVANCES WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN
Kul C. Gautam
FEBRUARY 2008 (IPS) - Though all the world's major religions consider childhood sacred and needing special protection, they do not use their power and influence adequately to advance the well-being of children, writes Kul C. Gautam, former assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, and deputy executive director of UNICEF.
The Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC) was established to do precisely this. Founded by a visionary Japanese Buddhist leader, GNRC's mission is to harness the deepest moral and spiritual beliefs and teachings of all the worlds religions for the well-being of children and for the defense of their rights.
In May 2008, GNRC is organising a major world forum in Hiroshima, Japan, that will deal with the three current major ethical imperatives: ending violence against children, ensuring that no child lives in poverty, and empowering children to protect our planet. A partnership among the world's religions, governments, and civil society and international organisations is probably the most powerful key to creating a child-friendly world order that has eluded us so far.
/NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, NEW ZEALAND, CZECH
REPUBLIC, IRELAND, POLAND, UNITED STATES, OR UNITED KINGDOM/ (END/2008)
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