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At “World Cafés”, compelling examples of concrete work to create a better world for children were presented at the WCC-UNICEF seminar on Children's Rights held 19 November.
Chris Dodd, coordinator of the UK-based Churches Network for Non-Violence (CNNV), led one such World Café, or breakout session, and talked about how a church-led campaign seeks to end violence at the start with children by halting corporal punishment.
Some of the church leaders who gathered around Chris Dodd rued that they had been beaten for punishment while they were at school.
She told participants, “Ending corporal punishment of children is a very important way in which adults can protect the younger generation and help to end violence against them.”
“There is a mistaken belief that corporal punishment is effective in disciplining children and sadly many people do not view it as an act of violence. It has for too long been a common part of tradition and culture worldwide,” said Dodd.
She also spoke at a round-table panel during which she said “Our organization is very broad but focuses on ending corporal punishment for children, because we believe it is a key strategy to end all violence against them.”
That meeting was the first after the WCC and UNICEF signed an historic agreement to work together in September and was held a day ahead of the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 20 November.
Dodd explained that the CNNV was formed to broaden religious support for law reform to end corporal punishment of children and other cruel and humiliating forms of violence against them and to challenge faith-based justification for it.
“CNNV seeks to work with others towards developing a network of support, practical resources and information and to encourage people in all religious communities to play an active role in the movement for reform.”
The network has compiled a handbook for working with religious communities entitled, “Ending corporal punishment for children.”
The book is a project of CNNV, The Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment Against Children that was launched in Geneva in 2001 and Save the Children.
“We must acknowledge that our religious communities have not fully upheld their obligations to protect our children from violence,” states the introduction to the book, quoting from the Kyoto Declaration of 2006.
The resource includes Bible study, prayers, vigils, liturgies and reflections and can be used for private or collective use.
Read also:
WCC and UNICEF start implementing agreement giving a “Voice For Children’s Rights” (WCC press release of 26 November 2015)
