Document
Resources and tools developed by churches, UNICEF or other WCC partner organizations, useful for the implementation of Churches’ Commitments to Children:
Commitment 1: Promote child protection through church communities
Commitment 2: Promote meaningful child participation
Other tools promoting awareness about children’s rights
Churches’ Commitments to Children: Open invitation to the WCC member churches and partners to address the needs of children as an integral part of the ecumenical commitment to the pilgrimage of justice and peace.
DOWNLOAD "CHURCHES’ COMMITMENTS TO CHILDREN"
Commitment 1: Promote child protection through church communities
1 a - Ensure a child-safe church environment
Resources developed by the WCC
- WCC Child Safeguarding Policy, WCC
- Helping Children Out of the Shadows and Into the Light, WCC
- Churches' support for children during the COVID-19 pandemic
- True Freedom - A New Global Course for Lent 2024, WCC and the Clewer Initiative
Resources developed by churches
- Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk, The United Reformed Church
- Child Protection Protocols for Churches in Barbados
- ''Let the Children Come to Me'' - Contextual Bible Study Manual on Young People, WCC Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy
- Anniversary of the National Apology to Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, Uniting Church in Australia
Resources developed by partner organizations and governments
- Child Safeguarding Policy and Child Safeguarding Guidance, ACT Alliance
- Developing and Implementing an Internal Child Protection Policy, BICE (Bureau International Catholique de l’Enfance)
- Framework and Standards, Safe Church Training Agreement developed by the National Council of Churches Australia
- Child Safeguarding Standards and How to Implement Them, Keeping Children Safe
- The 10 Steps to a Child Safe Organization, Save the Children Australia, Child Wise, and World Vision
- Child Safe Organisation - Toolkit, ECPAT
- Child Safe Organisations - Self Study Manual, ECPAT
- Creating Safe Environments for Children- A toolkit for safeguarding children and protecting them from harm, VIVA Network
- Quality Improvement System Child Protection, VIVA Network
- Safeguarding Children and Young People, UK Government
- Parent Toolkits by the US Center for Safe Sport
- Parenting Tips: A guide for church leaders, Parenting for Lifelong Health
- Fabo: member-driven learning community for CSO - Child Safeguarding module, ACT Alliance
1 b - Contribute to ending violence against children in society at large
Resources developed by churches
- 16 Days of Activism Campaign Overview
- Thursdays in Black
- Overview on UN Human Rights Mechanisms which can be used by Churches, WCC
- Children Are Unbeatable! Alliance
Resources developed by UNICEF
- From Commitment to Action- what religious communities can do to eliminate violence against children, Religions for Peace, UNICEF
- Hidden In Plain Sight: a statistical analysis of violence against children - Executive Summary
- Child Disciplinary Practices at Home
Resources developed by partner organizations
- Toolkit Nurturing the Spiritual Development of Children in the Early Years, Consortium on Nurturing Values and Spirituality in Early Childhood for the Prevention of Violence
- Ending all Corporal Punishment for Children Global Initiative
- Pledges - 30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Committee on the Rights of the Child - OHCHR
- Guidelines regarding the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Convention on the Rights of the Child
- INSPIRE: seven strategies for ending violence against children
- Ending Corporal Punishment of Children – a handbook for worship and gathering, Global Initiative to End Corporal Punishment of Children, Churches’ Network for Non-violence
- Ending Corporal Punishment of Children- a handbook for working with and within religious communities, Save the Children, Global Initiative to End Corporal Punishment of Children, Churches’ Network for Non-violence
- Inter-faith Initiative to End Violence Against Children in Swaziland, World Day of Prayer and Action for Children
- Channels of Hope for Child Protection, World Vision
- Learning from the Implementation of Channels of Hope for Child Protection in Malawi, World Vision UK
- Child-friendly Version CRC General Comment Freedom from Violence, World Vision
- 19 days of activism, Women’s World Summit Foundation campaign
- Speak Out - Be Protected, Plan International
- Ending domestic abuse: A Pack for Churches, by Restored
- Roots, Realities & Responses: Report by the Stop Child Witch Accusations coalition
- Recources by “We will speak out” coalition
- A Biblical and Theological Basis for Ending Violence Against Children - by World Vision, WCC and partners
- Ending sexual violence against children: “Out of the shadows” Index, The Economist Intelligence Unit
- Decolonizing Discipline: Children, corporal punishment, Christian theologies and reconciliation, Valerie Michaelson (Editor), Joan Durrant (Editor)
Global Partnership to End Violence against Children / INSPIRE strategy
- Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, INSPIRE
- INSPIRE: seven strategies for ending violence against children
- Webinar Video - Ending violence against children: how the INSPIRE technical package can help
- PowerPoint Presentation: How the INSPIRE technical package can help
- INSPIRE Promotional Video, developed by Childhub
1 c - Support child protection in emergencies
First point of contact for churches to coordinate emergency preparedness and responses (also for churches which are not members of ACT):
- ACT Alliance country forums: http://actalliance.org/about/forums/
- If no country forum exists please contact the ACT Alliance regional focal points: http://actalliance.org/about/secretariat/
Resource developed by churches:
- Petite Guide Solidaire (French), AGORA
Resources developed by UNICEF
- The Crossroads of Child Protection and Education in Peacebuilding
- Growing Up in Conflict
- Chapter 3 (in particular the section on Community Leaders) of Children and Truth Commissions
- Report “A child is a child: Protecting children on the move from violence, abuse and exploitation”
- #AChildIsAChild social media campaign materials, manifesto
Basic guidance documents of the Child Protection Working Group (CPWG)
CPWG is the global level forum for coordination and collaboration on child protection in humanitarian settings. The group brings together NGOs, UN agencies, academics and other partners under the shared objective of ensuring more predictable, accountable and effective child protection responses in emergencies. Find resources here.
- Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, Child Protection Working Group. More information and material here
- UN Secretary General, 9 Oct. 2003, Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (in particular Section 6 on the treatment of beneficiary communities by anyone working in a humanitarian setting)
Resources developed by partner organizations
- Webinar on Child Safeguarding in Humanitarian Settings , Child Safe Horizons
- Faith Over Fear, Religions for Peace
1 d - Advocate for children’s and adolescent’s rights through birth registration
Resources developed by churches
- Resources to encourage churches to assist families in overcoming obstacles to birth registration, International Anglican Family Network
Resources developed by UNICEF and UNHCR
- I am here, I belong, UNHCR
- A Passport to Protection - A guide to birth registration programming, UNICEF
- Every Child’s Birth Right - Inequities and trends in birth registration, UNICEF
- Toward Universal Birth Registration - A systematic approach to the application of ICT, UNICEF/IADB
Resources developed by partner organizations
- ABC for Action and Advocacy - A note on universal birth registration, World Day of Prayer and Action for Children
- Birth Registration in Emergencies, Plan International
Commitment 2: Promote meaningful child participation
2 a – Promote meaningful participation by children and adolescents in church activities and worship
Engaging children/youth in the implementation of the Churches’ Commitments To Children, WCC and UNICEF
We Care About Children - The Theopopettes, WCC
Resources developed by churches
- Feasts & Festivals: Pilots Worship Material 2017
- ROOTS Children & Young People resources
- Diddy Disciples: Worship and storytelling resources for babies, toddlers and young children
- Puppet animation explaining child rights and the ecumenical movement, for children aged 4-9 (Recording in French)
2 b – Advocate for the recognition of children and adolescents as actors of change in society at large
Resources developed by churches
Resources developed by UNICEF
- Every Child’s Right to Be Heard, UNICEF and Save the Children
- Child Friendly Schools Manual
- Climate Change: take action now! (guidance on child participation, regardless of the issue it is applied to)
Resources developed by partner organizations
- Learning to live together, Arigatou International, UNICEF, UNESCO:
- Learning to Live Together Manual
- Good Practices Series: massa-massar, the journey - Child Friendly Churches, VIVA Network (summary of the program)
- Child Friendly Churches Aims, VIVA Network
- Developing Child Friendly Churches Resource Pack, VIVA Network
- Doorsteps, VIVA Network
- VIVA Programme Portfolio, VIVA Network
- The Children’s Good Treatment Campaign, VIVA Network
- Child Participation Reference Guide, World Vision
- Self-Assessment Tool - Guidelines on child participation, World Vision
- Child-friendly guide to CRC Reporting
- Child Participation in the UPR Mechanism Video, World Vision
- Bible studies: Children of promise, World Vision
Commitment 3: Raise Churches’ voice for intergenerational justice, supporting initiatives for and with children and adolescents
- Cooler Earth - Higher Benefits (3rd Edition), World Council of Churches (WCC)
- Cooler Earth - Higher Benefits Poster, World Council of Churches (WCC)
- Climate Justice with and for Children and Youth in Churches, World Council of Churches (WCC)
- Halting the Climate Crisis - Letter to financial service providers (Template for customisation)
- Save Children's Lives: Responsible Banking Survival Guide, 2024
3 a Promote systems and behaviours that are eco-friendly and adaptive to the impacts of climate change within the church
Resources developed by churches
- Climate Change - The policy of the national investing bodies of the Church of England
- Self-assessment tool to become an eco-friendly church, Rocha UK
- Shrinking the footprint, Church of England
- Ryan The Rhino: A Sunday School Resource on Caring for Creation, Green Anglicans
- Let there be...stuff? A Faith-Based Program for Christian Teens, Greenfaith
- Resources for teaching children about "On Care for Our Common Home" (Laudato Si'), Catholic Creation Care
- The Next Generation Rises, by the Creation Justice Ministries
- CSI Green School Programme, by Church of South India
- Care for Creation - Manual for Confirmation and Youth groups, by Anglican Church of Southern Africa
3 b Advocate for systems and behaviours that are eco-friendly and adaptive to the impacts of climate change in society at large
Resources developed by LWF
- LWF Journey to Climate Justice
- Board Game
- Make a Difference
- Diddy Disciples: Samples of Worship and storytelling resources for babies, toddlers and young children
Resources developed by UNICEF
- UNICEF Messages on Climate Change and Children
- Why Sustainable Energy Matters to Children
- Climate Change - Children’s challenge
- How to Defend Child Rights Affected by Climate Change
- Video: Voices from the Climate Frontlines
- Video: UNICEF Zambia (COP20)
- Climate Change - Take action now!
- A Climate for Change: 2019 Young Ambassador Report - Child friendly version - UNICEF Australia
- A Climate for Change 2019 Young Ambassador Report - UNICEF Australia
Resources developed by partner organizations
- Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Center: Act to adapt
- Comunity-based Adaptation to Climate Change, International Institute for Environment and Development
- UNFCCC Youth Portal
- National Communications to the UNFCCC
- World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal
- Pope’s encyclical “Laudato Si” explained to children in animation, CAFOD (primary schools)
- Pope’s encyclical “Laudato Si” explained to children in animation, CAFOD (secondary schools)
- Faith Based guide for the World Environment Day
- Sustainable Development Goals Action Box, Foundation Elyx
Footprint calculators
Other tools promoting awareness about children’s rights:
Resources developed by UNICEF
Resources developed by partner organizations
- Guide for Alternative Reports to the CRC (including child-friendly version), Child Rights Connect
- Child-friendly Version CRC General Comment Right to Health, World Vision
- Biblical Reflections on Child Rights, World Vision
- Protecting Children, a biblical perspective on child rights, World Vision
