The Arigatou Foundation convened the first meeting of the Planning Committee for the Day of Prayer and Action for Children in Tokyo, Japan on March 19-20, 2009. The Committee’s mandate is to prepare for the official worldwide launch of the Day of Prayer and Action on November 20, 2009, and then to follow up by planning for the Day in 2010. November 20, 2009 is the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Rev. Keishi Miyamoto, Representative of the Arigatou Foundation, opened the meeting by conveying his high hopes that this initiative would grow steadily around the world and bring together people of all walks of life in “prayer and practice for children.”

Chaired by Dr. Kul Gautam, former Executive Director of UNICEF, and vice-chaired by Rev. Dr. Hans Ucko, a renowned expert in interreligious relations, the Committee spent two days refining the vision and mission of the Day, discussing potential partners, and making plans for advocacy and outreach. They also suggested a shared global theme for 2009 of “child poverty.” 

Participants represented a broad range of key constituents, including many of the world’s religions, UNICEF, UNESCO, the GNRC regional networks, and the Interfaith Council on Ethics Education for Children. More details on the membership of the committee are available here.