WCC News: Standing up for children in war means tackling root causes

During the capstone event for the Stand Up for Children in War campaign on 24 September, children and religious leaders drew together to demand from the world: stop fighting and start healing. 23 May 2022, Taganrog, Russia: A woman lays her hand on a young boy's shoulder at the Romashka sports and recreation complex in Zolotaya Kosa, southwest Russia near the border to Ukraine. Romashka hosts several hundred refugees from the Donbas region in Ukraine, most of them children from orphanages in the Donbas region of Ukraine, evacuated as military tensions grew and Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 26 September 2025 Hironari Miyamoto, chairperson of Myochikai, a Japanese lay Buddhist organization, and a member of Arigatou International's Board of Directors, opened the session by calling for faith leaders to raise their moral voices. “Let us remember, each of us, wherever we are, can make a difference—every act of compassion, every word of healing and solidarity, every effort to protect human dignity,” he said. Children’s voices—as they have been featured throughout the campaign—were again emphasized during the online gathering.  Ananya, from Nepal, described how she vividly remembers the fear she felt when an earthquake struck her community. “I still am reminded of that,” she said. “It was a bad experience and I can’t even imagine how children in war must feel. We need to prioritize children and we all deserve a better, peaceful society." Chinmayan, from India, said that there are numerous wars taking place even as he speaks. “Every single day, these children wake up to the sounds of silence instead of school days,” he said. “They hold trauma, not toys.” And these children didn’t start the war, Chinmayan noted. “But they still pay the highest price,” he said. “Those who sit at the table of power, every single government, every single decision maker—we demand peace,” he said. “And if you truly care about the future—we are the future.” Childhood is joy, not survival, he concluded. “Let us stop fighting and start healing,” he said. Philip D. Jaffe, from the Committee on the Rights of the Child, reflected that the most insidious damage from wars on children is not physical or psychological—it’s that the children can no longer trust adults.  “They watch cruelty televised and excused, and they wonder: if this is how the world works, why should we care more than adults?” he said. “I am trying to share a warning, not a lamentation.” Source: Forchildreninwar.org Many speakers offered brief reflections about children in terrible situations and how faith-based groups are helping.  Frederique Jean-Baptiste, head of Education, Child Protection, and Youth for Catholic Relief Services, spoke about children in Haiti. “We can see how children are often the first affected by humanitarian crises,” she said. “Here in Haiti as well we see the same thing.” She shared that armed groups are increasingly recruiting minors in Haiti, where more than 1.3 million people are internally displaced. "Over half of those displaced folks are children,” she said.  Ayed Abu Eqtaish, Defence for Children International Palestine Accountability program director, reflected that for children in Palestine, their right to life has been violated for well over a decade. “Tens of thousands of Palestinian children have been injured and they have permanent disabilities,” he said. “They are suffering from the lack of food, water, shelter, houses.”  At the close of the event, Frederique Seidel, WCC senior programme lead for Children and Climate, read part to the call to action from the campaign.  The message reiterates the call, among other actions, to respect and protect education and healthcare facilities, and refrain from their use for military purposes.  The call also urges the world’s leaders and all people to “address the diverse root causes of violent conflict, including but not limited to those linked to resource scarcity, displacement, global warming, and sociopolitical or economic factors.” Seidel, who has been organizing training and resources to that show climate justice is a moral imperative for churches, said: “I would like to personally underline the urgency of tackling root causes. Let us work together in implementing this important statement.” Dr Kezevino Aram, president of Shanti Ashram, an international institution founded in 1986 on Mahatma Gandhi's vision of Sarvodaya (progress for all), offered closing remarks.  “Today, as we all gather here for this campaign to which we have lent our voice, to which we have lent our cooperation, may we remember that conscience that will hold us accountable for what we can live up to,” she said. “This is a moment to rededicate ourselves to the theme of the International day of Peace 2025: Action Now.” The Stand Up for Children in War campaigns will be a reminder of what we can do—but also a source of solace and strength, added Aram. "We have to do it for our children,” she said. “May this campaign be a reminder of the power of the collective and the power that comes from doing something—but also thinking together and praying together for a peaceful world.” In standing up for children’s rights, WCC urges “our task is not only to protect children but to sustain the future” (WCC news release, 24 September 2025) Joint Statement – Stand Up For Children In War Learn more about the Stand Up for Children in War initiative See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland