Outline of the GNRC
(Proposed in May 2000 by the Arigatou Foundation)
Purpose
The Global Network of Religions for Children has as its purpose to assemble religious people who share the same wishes for children to offer sincere prayers and to reach mutual understanding and agreement.
Guidelines for Action
- To have meetings of religious people who are conducting grassroots activities to obtain mutual enlightenment through exchanges of views and, as religious people, to try to find solutions for the problems affecting children.
- To rally the love and compassion of people to pray for children who have lost their lives at a premature age and for those who are suffering.
- To accumulate and share information concerning activities supporting children conducted by religious people in order to promote each activity.
- To promote dialogue and cooperation from the standpoint of religious people with UN agencies such as UNICEF, government organizations and NGOs that are promoting activities for children.
- To advocate the importance of the problems faced by children all over the world and to motivate people’s interest in activities for children, disseminating information by actively using the Internet home page of GNRC and other media.
Structure
GNRC Forums
In the GNRC Forums, religious people who share a common purpose gather together to pray and to obtain mutual understanding and enlightenment through exchanges of views, and to devote themselves to the renovation of their activities. The First Forum will be the formal launch of the Global Network of Religions for Children.
Global Network
It will be a place facilitating the exchange of information by the active use of Internet and other media to promote a smooth communication among individuals and organizations involved in issues related to children. It will be also a place where the participants in the Forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children can exchange their views.
Working Groups
We recommend that those participants in the Forum who share a common interest should on their own initiative establish Working Groups in order to take concrete actions and exchange views. The Global Network is a useful tool for the development of these Working Groups
Members of the GNRC
Participants in the GNRC Forum and other religious people and organizations who are working for children are eligible to be members of the GNRC. The GNRC is also open to participation by those who are not religious, but who are interested in children’s issues. Members of the GNRC will be able to utilize the GNRC homepage to exchange opinions as well as to obtain information on children’s issues.