GNRC Fourth Forum
"Mobilizing Faith-Based Resources to End Child Poverty"
Partnerships specifically addressing child poverty must go beyond the 2015 target year of the Millennium Development Goals. They must go beyond conventional economic approaches for addressing poverty. For these partnerships to be sustainable and effective, they must address not only the systemic structures but also the roots of the problem in the human heart, greed, ignorance, hatred and fear.
The overall objective is to establish a long-term global initiative that will contribute to ending poverty by addressing economic injustices at their core.
And so today, at the Global Network of Religions for Children Fourth Forum, we launch a global initiative that will emphasize spiritual awakening to address the root causes of poverty. This initiative will challenge the unequal distribution of resources, war and violence, poor governance and corruption. It will utilize interfaith advocacy and grassroots action to overcome poverty.
As we launch this global campaign which seeks to bring together children and young people, religious leaders, faith communities, civil society organizations, United Nations agencies, educators, governments, development banks, businesses, media, and all people of good will we rededicate ourselves to building a world where no child will live in poverty.
Dar es Salaam, June 18, 2012