Launch of the TOOLKIT

Nurturing the Spiritual Development of Children in the Early Years

A Contribution to the Protection of Children from Violence and the Promotion of Their Holistic Well-Being

About the Event

18 NOVEMBER 2022

LIVE FROM ROME

10:30 -12:15 CET

The International Consortium on Nurturing Values and Spirituality in Early Childhood for the Prevention of Violence is launching its Toolkit on Nurturing the Spiritual Development of Children in the Early Years – A Contribution to the Protection of Children from Violence and the Promotion of Their Holistic Well-Being.

The launch of the Toolkit will take place in Rome, during the International Day of Prayer and Action for Children. Register below to join the livestreaming.

JOIN US!

18 NOVEMBER 2022

LIVE FROM ROME

Days

Hours

Minutes

Program and speakers

Opening Remarks

Rev. Keishi Miyamoto

President, Arigatou International

Rev. Keishi Miyamoto

President, Arigatou International

Rev. Keishi Miyamoto is a strong advocate of interfaith cooperation for the well-being of children worldwide.

He directs the work of Arigatou International, an international NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Inheriting the spiritual lineage of his father, the late Rev. Takeyasu Miyamoto.

He serves as Leader of Myochikai, a Buddhist organization in Japan which established Arigatou International to build a better world for children.

Rev. Miyamoto also serves as International Trustee of Religions for Peace and as Board Member of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children. He served as the 5th Secretary General of WCRP Japan, and is currently Executive Board Member of the Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan (Shinshuren), Council Member of the Japanese Association of Religious Organizations (Nishuren) and Advisor of Religions for Peace Japan.

Dr. Rima Salah

Chair, Early Childhood Peace Consortium (ECPC); Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale Child Study Center; Former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations

Dr. Rima Salah

Chair, Early Childhood Peace Consortium (ECPC); Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale Child Study Center; Former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations

Dr. Rima Salah serves as Chair of the Early Childhood Peace Consortium and as Voluntary Faculty at the Yale Child Study Center. Her former positions at the United Nations include Member of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations; Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF; Assistant Secretary-General of the UN; and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, UN Mission-Central African Republic and Chad.

Her recent awards of distinction include the 2019 Recognition and Gratitude in Advocating for Children's Rights Around the World Award (Palestine), and the 2021 Peacemaker Award (Brigham Young University). She holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology.

Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children

Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children

On 30 May 2019, the Secretary-General appointed Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid (Morocco) as his Special Representative on Violence against Children. Dr. Maalla M’jid took her position on 1st July 2019.

Dr. M’jid, a medical doctor in paediatrics, has over the last three decades devoted her life to the promotion and protection of children’s rights. She was Head of the Paediatric Department and Director of the Hay Hassani Mother-Child hospital in Casablanca.

Dr. M’jid was a member of the Moroccan National Council on Human Rights and founder of the non-governmental organisation Bayti, the first programme addressing the situation of children living and working in the streets of Morocco.

From 2008 to 2014, she served as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. Dr. M’jid also worked as an Expert-Consultant for national and international projects, strategies and policies relating to child rights’ promotion and protection. She has vast experience in the development of national policies on the protection of the child, and has worked with several governments, non-governmental and inter-governmental organisations.

She also worked as a lecturer in Moroccan and international universities on child rights’ protection, promotion, programming and monitoring, as well as social and development policies. A member of several regional and international non-governmental organisations and networks working for children’s rights, Dr. M’jid was also involved in the training of social workers, law enforcement, teachers, judges, and medical staff.

Dr. M’jid holds a Doctorate in general medicine from the University of Rabat, a specialization in paediatrics and neonatology from the University of Bordeaux II and a Master of Human Rights from the Human Rights Institute, Geneva. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honours for her strong commitment to protecting the rights of the child.

Speakers

The Impact of Violence Against Children on Child Development and in Communities

Ms. Stella Ayo-Odongo

Director, Pathfinding, Global Partnership to End Violence against Children

Ms. Stella Ayo-Odongo

Director, Pathfinding, Global Partnership to End Violence against Children

Ms. Stella Ayo-Odongo is the Director for Pathfinding Countries, Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children.

Her areas of expertise are Child Rights, Child Protection, Social Policy expert and an advocate for social justice. Stella is a motivated leader and development practitioner with over 20 years of progressive experience in strategic leadership, development management and programme operations. She has extensive knowledge and experience advocating for vulnerable groups such as children, youth and the elderly.
Ms. Ayo-Odongois a visionary pan African leader as demonstrated in the founding of national and regional level movements for social justice such as the African Wide Movement for the children, Civil Society Organizations for Peace in Northern Uganda (CSOPNU) and the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children (UPFC), the Uganda Child helpline all of which have made significant contributions to voicing issues of the affected.

The Spiritual Development of Children as a Contribution to the Prevention of Violence and to the Flourishing of the Child

Prof. Anantanand Rambachan

Professor of Religion, St. Olaf University; Visitor Professor, Academy for the Study of World Religions, University of Hamburg

Prof. Anantanand Rambachan

Professor of Religion, St. Olaf University; Visitor Professor, Academy for the Study of World Religions, University of Hamburg

Anantanand Rambachan is an Emeritus Professor of Religion at Saint Olaf College, Minnesota. He was also Visiting Professor at the Academy for the Study of World Religions at the University of Hamburg in Germany (2013-2017). His scholarly interests include the Advaita (Non-dual) Vedanta tradition, Hindu ethics, liberation theology, and interreligious dialogue. The British Broadcasting Corporation transmitted a series of 25 lectures on Hinduism by Prof. Rambachan around the world.

Prof. Rambachan has been involved in interreligious relations and dialogue for over 40 years, as a Hindu contributor and analyst. He is active in the dialogue programs of the World Council of Churches, and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican. He serves as the President of the Board, Arigatou International - NY, a global organization advocating for the rights of children and mobilizing the resources of religions to overcome violence against children. He is a member of the Arigatou International Advisory Group and Co-President of Religions for Peace, the largest global interfaith network.

His most recent book is Pathways to Hindu-Christian Dialogue (Fortress Press, 2022).

Presentation of the Toolkit

Ms. Maria Lucia Uribe

Executive Director, Arigatou International – Geneva

Ms. Maria Lucia Uribe

Executive Director, Arigatou International – Geneva

Ms. Maria Lucia Uribe heads the strategic direction of the Ethics Education for Children initiative and oversees its operations, partnerships, and budget. She is responsible for strategy, positioning and resource mobilization to grow the organization’s impact, influence and reach.

Ms. Uribe is also in charge of Arigatou International’s engagement in child rights initiatives with UN agencies and mechanisms, and child rights-focused NGOs in Geneva.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Uribe was the Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator for Education and Fragility for the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) and served as Program Officer for Arigatou International Geneva.

She convenes the International Consortium on Nurturing Values and Spirituality in Early Childhood for the Prevention of Violence, and the Working Group on Children and Violence of Child Rights Connect. She is currently a member of the Executive Committee of Child Rights Connect.

Ms. Uribe holds a Master's degree in Peace and Conflict Transformation, a specialization in Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Finance.

Dr. Ilham Nasser

Director, Human Development Program, Senior Researcher, Advancing Education in Muslim Societies (AEMS), International Institute for Islamic Thought

Dr. Ilham Nasser

Director, Human Development Program, Senior Researcher, Advancing Education in Muslim Societies (AEMS), International Institute for Islamic Thought

Dr. Nasser is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, in Human Development and Child Studies. She has conducted teacher training and research studies on ways to promote education and development in social and political contexts.

Dr. Nasser served as an Assistant/Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University in Virginia for 12 years. Currently, she is leading a study on well-being in Muslim-majority societies.

Dr. Nasser has published articles and books on education and developed curricula for young children and youth in the Middle East.

Ms. Caroline Arnold

Education and Early Childhood Consultant

Ms. Caroline Arnold

Education and Early Childhood Consultant

Ms. Caroline Arnold has 40 years of global experience. She was the Director of Education at the Aga Khan Foundation for 12 years, overseeing the education and early childhood portfolio across 17 countries in South and Central Asia, Eastern and West Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Before this, she spent many years living and working in the Asia-Pacific and East Africa. She has been a staff member of UNICEF, International NGOs (including Save the Children and Action Aid), and Universities in London and the Pacific.

She contributes to multiple policy fora and is the author of publications in the area of early childhood development, transitions, children’s learning, the meaning of learning, inclusion and exclusion, community-based rehabilitation, and state/non-state partnerships.

The unique contribution of the toolkit to early childhood
–Testimonies from organizations

Ms. Stella Ndugire

Technical Advisor - Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development at Division of Neonatal and Child Health (DNCH), Ministry of Health in Kenya. Representative, Africa Early Childhood Network

Ms. Stella Ndugire

Technical Advisor - Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development at Division of Neonatal and Child Health (DNCH), Ministry of Health in Kenya. Representative, Africa Early Childhood Network

Ms. Stella Ndugire is a Child Development Specialist with 19 years of experience in policy advocacy, high-level strategic communications and partnerships management. She offers technical support to the Division of Neonatal and Child Health at the Ministry of Health in Kenya.

Ms. Ndugire supported the establishment of the African Union Commission’s CESA ECED Cluster (2018), coordinated by AfECN; co-founded ECD Network for Kenya and is co-published on parenting, childcare and child development themes.

She has managed program design and quality across 20 African countries in East and Southern Africa; previously worked at Aga Khan Foundation-East Africa, Parenting in Africa Network, ICS Africa, and Global Press Institute. She graduated with an MA in Child Development (Integrated Studies) from Daystar University and a double BA from The University of Nairobi.

Sister Pauline Acayo

SCORE ECD Project, Catholic Relief Services

Sister Pauline Acayo

SCORE ECD Project, Catholic Relief Services

Sister Pauline Acayo works with Catholic Relief Services as the Regional Project Coordinator and supports the implementation of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation-funded project for Strengthening the Capacity of Women Religious in Early Childhood Development (SCORE ECD) with 32 congregations and five Associations (partners) in four countries; Kenya, Malawi, Ghana and Zambia.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education and Psychology from Pontifical University Rome, A Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Transformation from Gulu University and a Degree in Early Childhood Development. She is very passionate about ensuring that caregivers are equipped to provide spirituality, health and nutrition services, responsive caregiving and opportunities for early learning given to all children from conception.

She works to ensure that Sisters Congregations have policies in place, linked to potential stakeholders, and have adequate knowledge and skills for the sustainability of their organizations.

Maechee Jutipa Tapasuthi

Founder, Dhamanurak Foundation, International Network of Engaged Buddhists

Maechee Jutipa Tapasuthi

Founder, Dhamanurak Foundation, International Network of Engaged Buddhists

Maechee Jutipa's education and life’s work have been dedicated to the development of children and youth. Her educational background as a Ph.D. in Education Administration and Counseling Psychology, combined with her years of experience in family and child law contributed to her becoming a strong child and family advocate.

Maechee Jutipa is the founder and administrator of the Dhamanurak Foundation for Children and Youth located in Kanchanaburi, Thailand which has an orphanage and a school.

Dr. Nelson Arns Neumann

International Coordinator, Pastoral da Criança

Dr. Nelson Arns Neumann

International Coordinator, Pastoral da Criança

Dr. Neumann is a physician with a Master's degree in epidemiology, and a doctor in public health. He worked as a lay missionary in Maranhão (1988-89), the poorest region of Brazil. He is currently the International Coordinator of Pastoral da Criança (Child's Pastoral).

Pastoral da Criança has activities in Latin America (Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Venezuela), Africa (Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and Benin) and Asia (Philippines).

Commitments from Organizations to Implement Systematically

Ms. Neelam Fida

Head of Programme Quality, International Programmes Division, Islamic Relief Worldwide

Ms. Neelam Fida

Head of Programme Quality, International Programmes Division, Islamic Relief Worldwide

Ms. Neelam Fida has over 17 years of experience working in the humanitarian field. In her current capacity, she is strategically driving innovative approaches and systems to generate new evidence which supports and influences Islamic Relief Worldwide’s (IRW) global operations.

Her department is responsible for developing the technical capacity of country office program teams to implement, measure and ensure ongoing improved quality of programs. She has also been responsible for implementing faith-inspired projects and programs for child protection to better understand and contextualize IRW’s work. In addition, she has responsibility for developing and taking forward IRW’s safeguarding framework and strategy.

Ms. Fida has a background in psychology, research, mentoring, Islamic counseling, social behaviors network therapy, organizational development, strategic planning, change management, and PSEA investigation.

Ms. Andrea Kaufmann

Director, Faith and External Engagement, World Vision International

Ms. Andrea Kaufmann

Director, Faith and External Engagement, World Vision International

Ms. Andrea Kaufmann is World Vision’s Director of Faith and External Engagement. She has worked in international development, humanitarian and advocacy work for almost two decades—serving in programme management, technical leadership, communications and movement building roles.

She is passionate about the role of faith and faith actors in development and humanitarian work and works to build cross-sector relationships to drive positive impact for children.

Dr. Kezevino Aram

President, Shanti Ashram – India

Dr. Kezevino Aram

President, Shanti Ashram – India

Dr. Vinu Aram is the President of Shanti Ashram – India, an institution founded in 1986 on Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Sarvodaya (progress for all). Shanti Ashram is an international center for learning, development and collaboration. It accompanies communities in their efforts to move out of poverty, address inequalities, build creative leaders and ensure sustained development.

Dr. Aram is deeply committed to the Gandhian spirit and convenes many initiatives that focus on community cohesion and active peace-building.

A medical doctor and public health practitioner, Dr. Aram received her Master of Public Health degree from the School of Public Health, Harvard University, with a double major in child health and international health. She received her Medical degree from the PSG Institute of Medical Sciences & Research and completed her training in Paediatrics at the Masonic Medical Centre for Children in Coimbatore, India.

In 2017, Dr. Aram founded the ICPH, an innovative model of integrating primary care with public health.

Dr. Aram served on the Experts Committee of the Government of Tamil Nadu in March 2020. In realizing this responsibility, she worked with the Ministry of Health, the Health Secretary, the Director of Health Services, and Public Health experts at WHO.

Over the last two decades, Dr. Aram has also collaborated with the Government of India in making several notable contributions to India’s Public Health landscape.

Dr. Aram was invited to serve on the World Economic Forum’s Advisory Committee on the Social Determinants of Health Platform. She serves as Co-Moderator and Executive Committee Member of Religions for Peace-International; as the Chairperson of KAICIID, and as the Vice Chair of the Advisory Board of Arigatou International. Dr. Aram is also a Trustee at the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.

Dr. Aram was awarded the 2021 Leadership Award in Public Health Practice by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, making her the first Indian to receive the award. She has been awarded distinctions by each of her alma maters.

Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne

President, Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement – Sri Lanka

Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne

President, Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement – Sri Lanka

Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne is the President of Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement of Sri Lanka. Sarvodaya is Sri Lanka’s largest non-governmental grass roots development organization.

Dr. Ariyaratne is a Medical Doctor and a Specialist in Community Medicine. Dr. Ariyaratne also serves at the Director General of the Sarvodaya Institute of Higher Learning (SIHL). He has extensive experience in community health, development, disaster management and peace building. Working both at the grassroots level and at policy level, Dr. Ariyaratne has promoted child wellbeing and protection.

Dr.Ariyaratne obtained Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) Degree from the De La Salle University in the Philippines, and Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree from the Johns Hopkins University U.S.A., Master of Science M.Sc. and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in Community Medicine from University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, U.K. and a Chevening Fellow at the Nuffield Institute of the Faculty of Medicine and Health of the University of Leeds.

In 2014, Dr. Ariyaratne received the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Schwab Foundation/World Economic Forum.

Concluding Remarks

Dr. Xiaoan Li

Senior Program Officer, Fetzer Institute

Dr. Xiaoan Li

Senior Program Officer, Fetzer Institute

Xiaoan Li, Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organisational Change, is currently a Senior Program Officer at the Fetzer Institute, a private foundation in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Since 2011, Xiaoan has actively participated in the exploration of building the spiritual foundation for a loving world, being responsible for the development of new project initiatives and the management of the full life cycle of the project process within the areas of k-12 and higher education.

For Xiaoan, the purpose of education is to develop the whole person, and the primary role of parents, educators, and society is to create an environment and conditions for young people to develop and explore spiritual awareness, personal character, and social and emotional skills. Besides that, Xiaoan has also grown his interest and expertise in global consciousness and the shared sacred movement.

Dr. Imam Rashied Omar

Research Scholar of Islamic Studies and Peacebuilding, University of Notre Dame - Kroc Institute for Peace Studies (USA) and Imam of the Claremont Main Road Masjid, Cape Town, South Africa

Dr. Imam Rashied Omar

Research Scholar of Islamic Studies and Peacebuilding, University of Notre Dame - Kroc Institute for Peace Studies (USA) and Imam of the Claremont Main Road Masjid, Cape Town, South Africa

Ms. Kimberly Parent

External Affairs Officer, World Bank Group

Ms. Kimberly Parent

External Affairs Officer, World Bank Group

Masters of Ceremony

Ms. Zvonimira Jakic

Young Leader, GNRC-Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ms. Zvonimira Jakic

Young Leader, GNRC-Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ms. Zvonimira Jakić is a youth leader from Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is the youth advisor of the Presidency BiH, Director of Paneuropean Union BiH and Project Officer of the Foreign Policy Initiative on a project of public reform in the Balkans. She is the Coordinator of Croatian elections in BiH in front of the Croatian embassy. Also, she is a youth representative of the Catholic Archdiocese and one of the coordinators of the Synod of the Archbishopric of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Zvonimira is the Youth Coordinator of GNRC - Bosnia and Herzegovina and a trainer of Arigatou’s Learning to Live Together program. She worked as the Main Assistant of the Former President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

Ms. Vera Leal

Head of Programs, Arigatou International – Geneva

Ms. Vera Leal

Head of Programs, Arigatou International – Geneva

Ms. Vera Leal is in charge of the programs department of Arigatou International - Geneva, which includes ethics education and child engagement programs and activities. She is supporting the programmatic management decisions and strategic management processes in close collaboration with the Executive Director.

She has over fifteen years of international experience and expertise in education and child participation. Prior to her engagement with Arigatou International, Ms. Leal was Secretary-General of the International Catholic Movement for Children and worked with various organizations in training in citizenship education and positive parenting.
Ms. Leal is moved by the passion to create better, safer and empowering experiences and spaces for and with children, where they can thrive and reach their fullest potential. She is a strong advocate for quality education.

She holds a degree in Psychology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resources with a Specialization in Training Management.

About the International Consortium on Nurturing Values and Spirituality in Early Childhood for the Protection of Children from Violence

The Consortium, convened by Arigatou International, brings together civil society and faith-based organizations, religious communities, multilateral organizations, academia, and individual experts to foster collaboration, share good practices, and develop evidence-based and innovative approaches to integrate values-based education and spirituality in early childhood for the protection of children from violence and the promotion of their holistic well-being.

Launch of the TOOLKIT

Nurturing the Spiritual Development of Children in the Early Years

A Contribution to the Protection of Children from Violence and the Promotion of Their Holistic Well-Being

About the Event

18 NOVEMBER 2022

LIVE FROM ROME

10:30 -12:15 CET

JOIN US!

18 NOVEMBER 2022

LIVE FROM ROME

Program and speakers

Opening Remarks

Speakers

Presentation of the Toolkit

The unique contribution of the toolkit to early childhood –Testimonies from organizations

Commitments from Organizations to Implement Systematically

Concluding Remarks

Masters of Ceremony

About the International Consortium on Nurturing Values and Spirituality in Early Childhood for the Protection of Children from Violence

Stay informed

The unique contribution of the toolkit to early childhood
–Testimonies from organizations