IRD Activities

• Ethics Education for Children

  Ethics Education for Children promotes values and ethics for children and young people within the framework of the child’s right to education as stated in the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child. It utilizes an innovative approach to interfaith and intercultural learning in a value-based, quality education program for children and young people. Part of this programme is "Learning to Live Together". It is an education program for teachers to nurture values and spirituality in children and youth—for them to learn to live together in diverse societies. It provides tools to help children and young people develop a stronger sense of ethics, critical thinking, respect for people of other cultures and religions and nurture the sense of belonging to a global community

• 2. End Child Poverty is a multi-faith, child-centered, global initiative that mobilises faith-inspired resources to eradicate poverty affecting children. GNRC aims to create a world free of child poverty, by addressing both the spiritual and structural root causes of poverty

• Peacebuilding

  The rising number of intra-religious, inter-religious and inter-ethnic conflicts particularly in Central, South and South East Asia, Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa has impacted quite negatively on the well-being of children in several countries and regions. These conflicts have also upset inter-religious and intra-religious relations, and have weakened or destroyed the fibre of society. Through the Community Resilience Against Violent Extremism (CRAVE) program, the GNRC aims to address violent extremism by using peaceful strategies, community mobilization and building a range of counter-narrative frameworks for countering it. Activities include round tables and workshops with children, youth, religious leaders and communities, formation of think-do tanks, formation of primary and high school peace clubs, research on curricula, round table discussions, inter-faith open doors and use of media including online platforms

• GNRC Forums

  Since the First Forum in May 2000, when religious leaders, grassroots workers, and young people from around the world came together in Tokyo, Japan to inaugurate the GNRC, members and partners like UNICEF and UNESCO have gathered every four years (now five) for a large-scale global forum. At the forums, which are supported by Arigatou International, participants assess progress, share best practices, and chart the future course for global, regional and national initiatives. The GNRC held its Third Forum from May 24 to 26, 2008 in Hiroshima, Japan. The Forum brought together 353 religious leaders and others from around the globe, including 42 children and young people. Participants came from 63 countries and 8 world regions, representing the Baha'i faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and many other religious and spiritual traditions. Also officially launched, together with UNICEF and UNESCO, was the curriculum resource for the Ethics Education for Children program, Learning to Live Together: An Intercultural and Interfaith Programme for Ethics Education.

Main Focus Countries of Activities

Afghanistan - Algeria - Angola - Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Australia - Bangladesh - Barbados - Belgium - Belize - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Brazil - Burundi - Canada - Cambodia - Chile - China - Colombia - Comoros - Congo - Costa Rica - Croatia - Cuba - Democratic Republic of the Congo - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Ecuador - Egypt - El Salvador - Ethiopia - France - Grenada - Guatemala - Guyana - Haiti - Honduras - India - Indonesia - Iran - Iraq - Israel - Japan - Jordan - Kenya - Lebanon - Liberia - Luxembourg - Madagascar - Malawi - Maldives - Mauritania - Mauritius - Mexico - Montenegro - Montserrat - Mozambique - Namibia - Nepal - Nicaragua - Nigeria - Pakistan - State of Palestine - Panama - Papua New Guinea - Philippines - Portugal - South Korea - Romania - Rwanda - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Senegal - Serbia - Sierra Leone - Somalia - South Africa - South Sudan - Spain - Sri Lanka - Sudan - Swaziland - Switzerland - Syria - Timor-Leste - Trinidad and Tobago - Turks and Caicos Islands - Uganda - UK - Ukraine - Tanzania - United States Virgin Islands - Uruguay - USA - Venezuela - Zimbabwe - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Brazil - Colombia - Democratic Republic of the Congo - Dominican Republic - Kenya - India - Mauritius - Romania - Rwanda - South Africa - South Sudan - Sri Lanka - Afghanistan - Algeria - Angola - Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Australia - Bangladesh - Barbados - Belgium - Belize - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Brazil - Burundi - Canada - Cambodia - Chile - China - Colombia - Comoros - Congo - Costa Rica - Croatia - Cuba - Democratic Republic of the Congo - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Ecuador - Egypt - El Salvador - Ethiopia - France - Grenada - Guatemala - Guyana - Haiti - Honduras - India - Indonesia - Iran - Iraq - Israel - Japan - Jordan - Kenya - Lebanon - Liberia - Luxembourg - Madagascar - Malawi - Maldives - Mauritania - Mauritius - Mexico - Montenegro - Montserrat - Mozambique - Namibia - Nepal - Nicaragua - Nigeria - Pakistan - State of Palestine - Panama - Papua New Guinea - Philippines - Portugal - South Korea - Romania - Rwanda - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Senegal - Serbia - Sierra Leone - Somalia - South Africa - South Sudan - Spain - Sri Lanka - Sudan - Swaziland - Switzerland - Syria - Timor-Leste - Trinidad and Tobago - Turks and Caicos Islands - Uganda - UK - Ukraine - Tanzania - United States Virgin Islands - Uruguay - USA - Venezuela - Zimbabwe - Japan - Switzerland - Tanzania