ACN Malta thanks 8000 Maltese children who participated in Prayer for Peace on 18 Oct

ACN Malta would like to thank all the children, schools and organisations who joined in the Prayer for Peace event by reciting the Rosary on 18 October. Special thanks goes to the school heads and teachers for all their hard work and efforts to ensure the success of this event.

In all over 8000 children from schools all over the Maltese islands took up the appeal to join over 1 million children worldwide on 18 October in praying for peace in the world and especially in the Middle East. The aim of this event is to spread the message of praying for the inner peace of each human being, as well as for the unity and peace of the family, the country and the whole world.

This year’s initiative is linked to an appeal for peace to be restored and the war to end in Syria by a million Syrian school children that was co-ordinated by ACN. For the past few weeks, children at more than 2000 schools all over Syria have been drawing and writing messages to the political decision makers of the European Union and United Nations under the motto “Peace for Children”.

The children’s campaign for peace arose from an initiative of the international pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Since the conflict began in March 2011, the charity has been active in supporting the victims of the war and providing financial support, in particular for families who have lost their homes, have been forced to flee within the country or have been displaced.

Aid is primarily granted to projects that secure the immediate survival of the people, and especially of children and babies. A sizable amount of the financial aid is used to procure accommodation for what are in general large families with many children, to supply essential foods and medicines as well as baby formula and diapers, warm winter clothing and heating oil and electricity. It is also being used to ensure that children can attend school.

The aid is provided directly to the families in need, irrespective of their religious affiliation, through Catholic bishops and local church structures. Since 2011, ACN through its benefactors including those in Malta, has provided emergency aid amounting to approximately 13 million euro.