GNRC Forums

About the GNRC Forums

Since the first forum in May 2000, when religious leaders, grassroots workers, and young people from around the world came together in Tokyo, Japan to inaugurate the GNRC, members and partners, like UNICEF and UNESCO, have continued to gather every four to five years. At the forums, which are supported by Arigatou International, GNRC members and partners take stock of the Network’s progress, share best practices, and chart the future course for global, regional, and national initiatives.

In each of the second, third and fourth GNRC global forums, a new global initiative emerged, growing to take on a life of its own with the continued support of GNRC members and Arigatou International. They are:

• Ethics Education for Children (Geneva, 2004)
• Prayer and Action for Children (Hiroshima, 2008)
• Interfaith Initiative to End Child Poverty (Dar es Salaam, 2012)

The initiatives together seek to fulfill the three commitments made by Rev. Takeyasu Miyamoto, President of the Arigatou Foundation, when he spoke on behalf of the GNRC at the United Nations Special Session on Children in 2002.

At the GNRC 5th Global Forum, held in Panama City in 2017, over 500 participants unanimously adopted the Panama Declaration on Ending Violence Against Children, making 10 specific commitments to end all forms of violence against children.