Showcasing how girls care for the environment
Showcasing how girls care for the environment
9 October 2021
The Salvation Army World President of Women’s Ministries, Commissioner Rosalie Peddle, is to lead a prayer walk through centre of London on 10 October to commemorate this year’s United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child.
Rosalie, other members of the International Women’s Ministries team and staff from International Headquarters, have chosen a route for maximum visibility and impact which will see them pass some of London’s most familiar sights such as Shakespeare’s Globe, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye as part of the prayer walk.
It is one of two events the IWM team and the International Social Justice Commission (ISJC) have organised in recognition of the day with the Army's focus on the positive impact girls have on God's creation through its theme 'Restore: Girls Caring for the Environment'.
For each bridge crossed on the way, prayers will be lifted up for girls and young women in the Army's five international zones around the world – Africa, Europe, Americas and Caribbean, East Asia and South Asia. The prayers are to be read aloud from the specially prepared 'Restored' resource (which is available for downloading from sar.my/restored-prayer-resource).
The UN's International Day of the Girl Child was introduced in 2011 to be an annual focus on the challenges girls around the world faced and to promote their empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
Five girls from around the Army world were given the opportunity to share their thoughts in 'Restored'. The resource explains how the growing climate crisis affects girls explaining: "Girls are often the last to eat or be rescued in a crisis. They face greater risks to their health and safety as sanitation systems become compromised and they are burdened with increased domestic labour as resources lessen."
It encourages people around the world to appreciate the part that girls can play in changing the world for the better, saying that, while they are often "overlooked as pioneers, entrepreneurs and decision-makers, girls are key to building a sustainable future".
IWM team member Lauren Westwood said she hoped people around the world get involved by celebrating International Day of the Girl Child wherever they were: "The opportunities for participation are endless but could include using the 'Restored' material for group discussion or in a prayer meeting or prayer walk. Practical responses (such as a beach clean-up or litter collection event) to care for the environment could also have a powerful impact."
The ISJC will host a virtual commemoration of the day on Sunday, 10 October, from 8am USA Eastern Standard Time/11pm Sunday 10 October Australian Eastern Daylight Time during which girls from around the world will showcase their talents, using their voice, expressions and creativity to spread awareness of environmental concerns and share what they are doing to restore the world around them.
Information on lead-up events and the virtual commemoration are on the Facebook pages of The Salvation Army Women’s Ministries and the ISJC.
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