Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia
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Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia January 2020 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 1 23/01/20 20.45 United Nations Children’s Fund Regional Office for South Asia P.O. Box 5815 Lekhnath Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977 1-4417082 E-mail: [email protected] Websites: www.unicef.org/rosa www.facebook.com/unicefsouthasia www.twitter.com/unicefrosa www.instagram.com/unicefsouthasia Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 2 23/01/20 20.45 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia January 2020 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 3 23/01/20 20.45 UNICEF ROSA/ThomasNybo2015 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 4 23/01/20 20.45 Contents Background 02 Faith and Positive 10 Change for Children: Framework for action A global 18 perspective South Asia region: 22 Building momentum for CRC implementation and the SDGs Annex I: Country inputs 34 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 5 23/01/20 20.45 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia 6 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 6 23/01/20 20.45 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia 7 “…every religion preaches that every single person is God’s child and that we all are one big family.” Sri Lanka child participant in focus group for the global study on Faith and Children’s Rights, March–April 20191 This report has been prepared to inform discussions at the second meeting of the South Asia Religious Leaders Platform for Children on 28–29 January 2020 in Bhutan. The meeting will bring together delegations of religious leaders and scholars from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, together with UNICEF and child rights partners working at country and regional levels to exchange experiences, to share various religious perspectives on important challenges confronting children and adolescents in South Asia, and to advance the efforts underway by religious leaders to impact the lives and well-being of children, their families and communities throughout the region. Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 7 23/01/20 20.45 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia 1 01. UNICEF ROSA/ThomasNybo2014 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 1 23/01/20 20.45 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia 2 Chapter 01. Background Religious leaders have a unique and important role in advancing the rights and well-being of children. Because of their well-established and trusted relationships with communities, religious leaders are able to inform and influence the lives of the families they serve and to promote the care and well-being of children. They are also well placed to address inequity related to societal factors and social norms, and to facilitate efforts towards the realization of the rights of the most vulnerable. Religious leaders and faith-based and spiritual support that strengthens communities in South Asia social cohesion. The actions of faith-based communities may be directed towards In South Asia, the role of religious leaders is education, health care, child protection, social particularly significant because of the respect justice or life-saving humanitarian response. they command and because the religious In situations of conflict, the moral influence of leadership represents the community in matters religious leaders enables them to contribute to of faith and maintains a position of integrity mediation and reconciliation, and to advocate and moral authority. The influence of religion for the special protection of children and other permeates daily life. Faith-based groups and at-risk members of their communities. organizations help define the values of the family and community. Many religious leaders Given the importance of South Asia as a centre are skilled communicators who can reach out to of many of the world’s major religions, including their communities and promote child rights and Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and the protection of children. The work of religious Sikhism, there is a unique opportunity in the leaders is therefore influential in establishing a region to bring together diverse religious role model of care and compassion and setting denominations around common values, in the a standard for the benefit of the community. best interests of children, and to agree on an Furthermore, religious groups are often agenda that will help consolidate the necessary motivated by their faith and values to take support for children to reach their full potential, action in support of vulnerable members of and to safeguard them from violence and harm. the community, providing physical, emotional Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 2 23/01/20 20.45 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia 3 01.Background Map 1. Major religions in South Asia Jammu ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Afghanistan ! ! ! ! ! ! Kashmir ! ! Pakistan Nepal Bhutan Bangladesh India MAJOR RELIGIONS Buddhism Christianity Hindusim Islam Jainism Sri Lanka Sikhism Tribal/animism Maldives UNITED NATIONS The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on the map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties. Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 3 23/01/20 20.45 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia 4 01.Background Religious leaders shape social values and importantly, the religious values of South Asia promote responsible behaviours that respect reflect the central role of religion and faith in the dignity and value of all life. Because the lives of the people. The important role that of the expansive networks of faith-based religion plays in the region is evidenced in the communities, religious leaders serve as an many efforts religious leaders and faith-based important conduit of communication for social groups and organizations make in support of the change and transformation. Religious leaders vulnerable communities they serve, including provide spiritual support and stability, which can the following: help people in their daily lives, and contribute to psychosocial needs in the face of adversity and support for vulnerable children, including In Afghanistan children with disabilities. Religious groups also In 2017, in follow up to the regional meeting organize and facilitate events and festivals with religious leaders, UNICEF Afghanistan with community members that give meaning started to engage with five of the most to social interactions and can be effective in respected Islamic leaders on child-focused promoting behaviours for the well-being of advocacy. To date, approximately 10,000 children and families. In some cases, the role religious leaders from across the country have of religious leaders is combined with other been engaged in a range of activities, including functions. For example, in Afghanistan, many talks given during the Friday prayer, provincial- people have faith in the ability of religious level Islamic conferences on polio eradication leaders to cure health problems. Families may and immunization, and workshops on child seek remedy from religious leaders, provided protection and preventing violence against in the form of taweez – written verses of the children, ending child marriage, promoting girls’ Qur’an – to treat health concerns, while often education, and priorities in health, nutrition and seeking modern medical care at the same water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), with time.2 outreach to more than a million community members. Religious affiliation can come with increased risks. In India, the children and families of ethnic Management shuras or assemblies have been or religious minorities have increased exposure convened in 500 schools, with at least one to stunting, school dropout and other impacts of religious leader included in each shura. The poverty and exclusion,3 while cultural, religious school management shuras conduct monthly and other social norms can perpetuate son meetings, focusing on capacity building in preference and a lesser status of women and education, child protection, WASH, health and girls.4 In Bangladesh, religion has been found nutrition. to be an additional contributing factor to child marriage, for example, an imam interviewed A total of 460 religious leaders have directly during the research for the situation analysis benefited from training in polio immunization on child marriage explained that when a girl and a further 5,000 have benefited indirectly. “is only 12 or 13 years of age, in the Islamic This has included participation in eight provincial religious point of view she is of marital age.”5 Islamic conferences with over 700 religious scholars, and eight mobile teams of religious The dynamics of religious influence in South scholars working full time in support of polio Asia are intertwined with cultural and political immunization, as well as media debates on dynamics and are related to the colonial and radio and television. post-colonial histories of the region. And the histories of statehood in each of the countries is connected to the others, for example, in the case of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.6 Most Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia.indd 4 23/01/20 20.45 Engagement with Religious Leaders in South Asia 5 01.Background A cross-regional conference of religious The partnership with IFB is also building scholars, convened in April 2019, brought the capacity and skills of imams and female together 22 scholars from Afghanistan and teachers on community engagement, 22 scholars from Pakistan to discuss effective interpersonal communication, child rights, strategies in support of polio immunization and and social and behaviour change for children. eradication. Analysis has demonstrated that, while formal religious structures prioritise male leadership, informal leadership positions are often held by In Bangladesh women, such as female teachers in madrassas.