Faith and Positive Change for Children

UNICEF and COEPA’s (the inter-religious council of Panama) partnership has brought together diverse denominations in Panama to advocate for ending violence against children. The core of the initiative is to see enhanced cooperation among these groups, supported by UNICEF engagement, and reinforced by increased youth participation and empowerment so that young people are less affected by domestic violence and child abuse.

The partnership between Al-Azhar University and UNICEF Egypt initially started through advocacy in the 1980s. With an enabling government environment, the involvement of the Ministry has shown success in joint advocacy and policy statements in the last few years.

UNICEF South Sudan C4D is focused on sustaining community engagement. In the community, religious leaders are key influencers and their engagement must be sustained to create change and avoid the situation for child wellbeing reverting to the previous status quo. UNICEF works with religious leaders to provide messages and increase their knowledge of subjects mainly related to child health so that the religious leaders can integrate these messages into their routine sermons and community announcements.

Mponela, Malawi, 11-15 November, 2019

The Faith and Positive Change for Children Initiative conducted a week-long WorkRock in Malawi.

This event has brought participants together in joining efforts to tackle issues related to child protection, especially child marriage, as well as has given a new perspective of working for/with children to dig deeper into social norms and practices that are harmful to children – for generations to come.

Malawi Faith Actors represented by the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) drawn from the Malawi Council of Churches, Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), Anglican Council of Malawi, Baptist Convention of Malawi, Muslim Association of Malawi, Quadria Association of Malawi (OMAM) in collaboration with UNICEF and Joint Learning lnitiative on Faith and Local Communities convened the WorkRock.

From the 11th to 15th of November 2019, the participants discussed the theme Strengthening Partnerships For Faith Actors For Positive Change for Children in Malawi.

The statement below highlights the key outcomes of the WorkRock, signed by Rev. Dr. Felix Chingota, chair fo the PAC:

This draft theory of change sets out a framework to show how faith-based organisations and groups can contribute effectively to social and behaviour change. It forms part of the ‘Faith and Positive Change for Children’ partnership between UNICEF’s Communications for Development (C4D) in the Programme Division, Civil Society Partnerships in the Communications Division, the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI) and Religions for Peace (RfP).

UNICEF has a long history of working with faith-based organisations (FBOs). However, many partnerships have been short-term and focused on a single sector, rather than taking a more systemic approach, as required to effect change in complex behaviours and social norms. JLI is an international collaboration on evidence for faith groups’ contribution to local community well being and to ending poverty while Religions for Peace (RfP) is the largest multi-religious coalition globally. The partnership vision is to develop the capacity of UNICEF staff and their faith partners to support more effective approaches, specifically in relation to jointly identified priority results for children.

This Theory of Change will be updated following the six in-country workshops in East and West Africa.

This report documents the first Global Evidence Review and Regional and Country Planning Workshop held in Bangkok from July 10 to 12, 2017, to launch a new Partnership Initiative on Faith and Positive Change for Children: A Global Initiative on Social and Behaviour Change (FPCC), organized by UNICEF, the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities and Religions for Peace.

Over 100 participants from 20 countries across all regions of the world representing different religious congregations and faith-based organizations, long-standing and new partners of UNICEF, as well as UNICEF Officers from HQ, Regional and Country Offices shared their experience in faith-based programming for children in partnership and altogether committed to the global launch of this new partnership initiative.

View more about the initiative

The Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI) is working with UNICEF’s Communication for Development Section in Programme Division and the Civil Society Partnerships Unit in the Division of Communication on an initiative , titled the “Faith and Positive Change for Children: Global Initiative on Social and Behaviour Change.”

The project aims to generate knowledge on the specific roles, caveats, effective strategies, and demonstrated impacts of faith-based organizations in social and behavior change communications. The initiative will support faith engagement across sectors including health, development, protection, and empowerment of children throughout the life cycle, with a strong focus on the most marginalized.

View more about the initiative here

One of the most powerful influencers of individual behaviours, social norms and collective action at community and societal level is religion.
To maximize opportunities for more positive and impactful influence towards improving child and family wellbeing, UNICEF (Communication for Development Section and Civil Society Partnerships Unit in NYHQ), the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities and Religions for Peace in 2018 embarked on a new global Initiative on Faith and Positive Change for Children.

UNICEF and other child rights organizations* have a long history of partnering with religious communities of all faiths on a wide range of issues that affect children. Religious communities are uniquely positioned to promote equitable outcomes for the most vulnerable children and families. Their moral influence and extensive networks give them access to the most disenfranchised and deprived groups, those that international organizations and governments are sometimes less able to reach effectively. They are also grounded in philosophical frameworks that shape their call to community service into long-term commitments to achieving peace, justice and social equality.

Several key elements of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – the most widely ratified and comprehensive legal instrument for the protection of child rights – reflect values shared with the world’s major religious traditions. These include:

• A fundamental belief in the dignity of the child.

• An emphasis on the family as the best place for bringing up children.

• High priority given to children and the idea that all members of society have rights and duties towards them.

• A holistic notion of the child and a comprehensive understanding of his or her physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.

Aside from the potential benefits that religious actors bring to partnerships, spirituality and religion can have a profound influence on children’s development and socialization and have the potential to reinforce protective influences and promote resilience. The beliefs, practices, social networks and resources of religion can instil hope, give meaning to difficult experiences and provide emotional, physical and spiritual support. Impact can be far-reaching when child rights efforts are grounded in the protective aspects of religious beliefs and practices in a community.

In spite of the positive roles religious communities can play, it is important to acknowledge there are sometimes concerns about working in partnership with these groups. Although the fundamental values of all the major religious traditions uphold the dignity and right to well-being of children, some beliefs, attitudes and practices associated with religions promote or condone violence and discrimination against children. Whether these are actual religious tenets, or religion is misused to justify harmful beliefs and practices, they can violate a child’s physical, emotional and spiritual integrity. There may also be apprehensions that faith-based organizations will pressure aid recipients to convert or only provide aid to those with similar religious views.

* In this guide the term ‘child rights organizations’ refers to non-religiously affiliated NGOs and networks. Child rights organizations that are affiliated with religions are included here under the term ‘faith-based organizations

The guide is intended to:

• Provide a general overview of the nature and scope of violence against children that can be used for
  informational and educational purposes;
• Highlight the positive roles that religious communities can and do play in advocating for and contributing to the protection of children from violence;
• Stress the benefits of inter-religious coordination and collaboration in promoting children’s rights; and
• Guide discussion, planning and action around child protection issues within religious communities and in larger social settings.

The guide is divided into eight sections. Following this Introduction, section two provides topical background to the subject. Sections three and four provide brief overviews of violence against children and children’s rights. Section five discusses children, religion and spirituality. Section six addresses the role of religious communities in addressing violence against children and section seven – the importance of engagement with key stakeholders. Section eight provides the conclusion to the guide