The Caribbean Conference of Churches (CCC) will be represented at the Third Forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC), being held in Japan.

CCC’s  Programme Officer for Youth, Family Life  and Gender Affairs,  Karen Christiani left Trinidad May 20 for the May 24-26 forum being held at the International Conference Centre in Hiroshima, Japan. Forum theme is Learning to Share: Values, Action, Hope.

The Arigatou Foundation is organizing and funding the event including the travel and accommodation costs of participants.

During the forum a major worldwide ethics education imitative will be launched to fulfill a commitment made by the GNRC at the United Nations Special Session on Children in 2002.

A GNRC/United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF joint study entitled Children in World Religions will also be made public at the forum. Time has also been allocated for spiritual renewal, shared learning and action planning.

The GNRC is the only worldwide interfaith network exclusively dedicated to securing the rights and well-being of children and young people everywhere.

Its membership is made up of faith-based organizations, religious leaders, and grassroots community workers from 82 countries on six continents, and represents all the world’s major religions as well as many other spiritual traditions.

In all the work of the GNRC, children and young people are active participants alongside adults.

The outcomes of the meeting will be considered for integration into the relevant programme thrusts of the CCC.

This is especially in view of the fact that the CCC and the Latin America/Caribbean Office of UNICEF has already co-signed an official Memorandum of Understanding.