Children thrive and grow in trusting relationships with people who love and care for them. Sadly, it also cannot be denied that it is within those places that are supposed to be the safest for children where most abuses occur. Violence against children does not only violate children’s physical and emotional wellbeing but also their spiritual safety and development, as it breaks their connections with others and their sense of trust and respect for other human beings.
Raise awareness and provide information, among and with religious communities and leaders, on the impact of violence on early childhood, and share successful ways of supporting parents and caregivers in fostering ethical values and nurture spirituality in children.
Expand the knowledge base and research looking into the role of religious communities as well as the effectiveness of interventions in supporting parents and caregivers to foster values and spirituality in the development of children’s identities and in the creation of nurturing environments.
Advocate for transformation to work together with religious communities and leaders to challenge cultural and social norms that justify violence against children in the family context.
Integrate Holistic Approaches to prompt concrete actions and holistic interventions that foster a positive environment for children’s development.
This Consortium brings together civil society and faith-based organizations, religious communities, multilateral organizations, academia and individual experts to foster collaboration to foster the spiritual development of children in the early years, and share good practices and develop evidence-based and innovative approaches to end violence in early childhood.
Ms. Marta Santos Pais, Former UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children
08 July 2019
INSPIREd Faith Communities in Brazil – Fifth Roundtable on Nurturing Values and Spirituality in Early Childhood for the Prevention of ViolenceThe last of a series of Roundtable Discussions on Nurturing Values and Spirituality in Early Childhood for the Prevention of Violence was held in Brasilia on 24 June 2019, and brought together more than 70 participants from several religious communities, experts on early childhood and child protection coming from civil society and faith-based organizations, as well as government representatives.
04 July 2019
1st INSPIRE Implementation Jamboree – Leading Violence-Prevention Stakeholders Meet in UgandaUnder the theme “Advancing evidence-based action to end violence against children through INSPIRE dissemination, implementation and monitoring,” more than 150 professionals and representatives of organizations working to prevent violence against children met in for the 1st INSPIRE Implementation Jamboree in Kampala, Uganda.
04 July 2019
Nurturing Environments for the Wellbeing of Children and Their Family: Advancing Early Childhood Development at the 2019 ISSA ConferenceThe International Step by Step Association (ISSA), a network that connects professionals and NGO's working in the field of early childhood development (ECD), organized on 18-19 June 2019 their Annual ISSA Conference, which welcomed 396 professionals from 61 countries under the theme “Nurturing Environments for the Wellbeing of Children and Their Family.”