The International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) will speak at an interfaith gathering being held in Rome on Thursday and Friday for the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children 2022. Thai Buddhist nun Ven. Maechee Jutipa Tapasuthi will represent INEB at this symposium and offer a Buddhist perspective on child well-being.
International delegates will gather in Rome from 17–18 November as part of observances for the annual World Day of Prayer and Action for Children 2022. The event has been convened by the international NGO Arigatou International and is co-hosted by Pontifical Gregorian University in collaboration with more than 18 organizations, including INEB, UNICEF, UNHCR, World Vision International, Religions for Peace, to address the unprecedented rise in the global displacement of children.
Ven. Jutipa is the founder and administrator of the Dhamanurak Foundation for Children and Youth based in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. She will represent INEB in a special panel discussion at the symposium titled “Launch of Toolkit on Nurturing the Spiritual Development of Children in the Early Years.” The panel will be held on 18 November at the following times:
Auckland: 12:30pm, Friday, 18 November
Canberra: 10:30am, Friday, 18 November
Seoul, Tokyo: 8:30am, Friday, 18 November
Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei: 7:30am, Friday, 18 November
Bangkok, Jakarta: 6:30am, Friday, 18 November
India Standard Time: 5am, Friday, 18 November
Moscow: 2:30am, Friday, 18 November
Central European Time: 12:30am, Friday, 18 November
London: 23:30am, Thursday, 17 November
Eastern Standard Time: 6:30pm, Thursday, 17 November
Pacific Standard Time: 3:30pm, Thursday, 17 November
Ven. Jutipa has dedicated her life to the development and well-being of children. She holds a PhD in Education Administration and Counseling Psychology, and has years of experience in family and child law and as an active advocate for the rights and well-being of children and families.
Click here for more information about the symposium and to register
The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children is celebrated each year on 20 November, which is also the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and World Children’s Day. The annual event promotes spiritual and religious ceremonies and a range of year-round actions and initiatives, aiming to bring together children and adults of all religions and cultures to advance the well-being of children and advocate for the protection of their rights. The occasion also serves to connect religious and spiritual communities and civil society organizations to advocate for a world that prioritizes children’s rights and that lets children flourish in caring, empowering and protecting environments.
World Day of Prayer and Action for Children 2022 Program of Events
Arigatou International, an international NGO with special consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and consultative status at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), launched the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children in 2008. Arigatou’s aspiration was to create an interfaith opportunity for people to come together to pray and meditate, and to take positive action for children’s rights and well-being.
Founded in 1990 by the Japanese Buddhist organization Myochikai, Arigatou International is headquartered in Tokyo, with offices in Geneva, New York, and Nairobi, and works with diverse religious leaders and faith communities, international agencies, civil society organizations, governments, children and young people in more than 80 countries. Arigatou International’s work is directed through four global initiatives: the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC); Ethics Education for Children; Prayer and Action for Children; and End Child Poverty.
In a statement on the aims and aspirations for World Day of Prayer and Action for Children 2022 interfaith symposium in Rome, Arigatou International shared:
In 2022, the estimated number of people forced to flee conflict, violence, human rights violations, and persecution has now passed the milestone of 100 million for the first time on record, nearly half of those who have fled their homeland are children. In addition, by May 2022, 10.5 million children were orphaned by COVID. “We are experiencing an unprecedented global humanitarian crisis,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. “World leaders must take action to promote peace and address all causes of forced displacement,” he added.
In response to the call by Grandi, Rev. Keishi Miyamoto, President of Arigatou International called upon the faith community to convene in Rome to identify solutions to these challenges during the World Day of Peace and Action for Children. “To reverse this trend, the only answer is peace so that innocent children are not forced to flee their homeland, said Miyamoto. “Faith leaders have an important role to play in bridging the divides between nations, races, cultures, and religions,” he added. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Muzoon Almellehan, a former Syrian refugee will be leading a conversation with children and youth.
This year will be also the occasion to celebrate for the first time, the newly established U.N. General Assembly Resolution proclaiming 18 November as the World Day for Preventing and Healing Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, Violence.
(Arigatou International)
The International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) was formed in 1989 by the prominent Thai academic, activist, and social critic Sulak Sivaraksa and a group of Buddhist and non-Buddhist thought leaders. Connecting socially engaged Buddhists around the world, INEB works promote understanding, cooperation, and networking among inter-Buddhist and inter-religious groups, and to actively address urgent global issues such as human rights, conflict resolution, and environmental crises. Headquartered in Bangkok, INEB has established a wide range of social projects and outreach programs aimed at overcoming suffering and empowering vulnerable communities through the practice of the Dharma and engaged Buddhism.
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International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)
INEB – International Network of Engaged Buddhists (Facebook)
Prayer and Action for Children
World Day of Prayer and Action for Children 2022
Arigatou International
World Day of Prayer and Action for Children (Arigatou International)
Prayer and Action for Children (Facebook)
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