ACEI must reach out to teachers around the world.

Some time ago, I received a letter from an ACEI member, a professor at a large university in Africa, expressing concern about the Association's future abroad, especially in developing countries. She questioned whether or not ACEI is really an "international" organization and sought to draw attention to the fact that many foreign members look to their colleagues in the United States and other developed countries for support and a sense of caring. She said that American members have "a duty to nurture membership from other countries," because these people "look up to them and hope to be helped up."

I was reminded of the letter this summer when a group of 13 teachers from Japan visited ACEI Headquarters in Wheaton. Yasuhira Chubachi, an ACEI member, headed the delegation. The study tour was arranged in cooperation with the Japan Travel Service of Washington, DC.

The purpose of their visit was to learn more about the Association and how a professional organization such as ACEI operates. It was truly an honor to meet with the group, knowing that they could have visited any number of other education associations in the metropolitan area. I think everyone, staff included, learned from the experience and exchange of ideas.

ACEI's representation in other countries is weak at best--certainly below the level it should be for an organization that describes itself as international. To suggest, however, that ACEI is uncaring or has little interest in membership development abroad is simply not accurate. ACEI's mission, in part, is to "promote the inherent rights, education and well-being of children." The Association's interest in children and the professionals who work with them has never, to the best of my knowledge, been limited by geographical boundaries. Even before the international component was formally recognized in 1946, ACEI worked for the betterment of children everywhere.

We are working very hard to increase international participation in ACEI, at least to the extent that our limited resources will permit. The Association is actively seeking new members and new markets for ACEI publications from around the globe. To be even more effective, especially as classrooms become more culturally diverse and the lines of communication between nations become more open, ACEI must reach out to children and educators from around the world. I can assure you the international dimension of this Association is important, not only because it helps set us apart from other organizations that lack international chapters, but also because of the opportunities to increase international understanding and cooperation.

Three years ago, ACEI's International/Intercultural Committee implemented a plan whereby ACEI members could sponsor a new member from another country by paying his or her annual dues. This program was developed to build international representation in the organization and help encourage active participation in events such as the Annual Study Conference. Granted, the number of sponsorships is small, but it is a start. To further facilitate international participation, ACEI Headquarters staff routinely sends letters of invitation to foreign members, inviting them to attend the conference. Moreover, we send letters, on request, to embassy officials asking them to help individuals obtain a travel visa.

I wish we could hold the Annual Study Conference outside the United States occasionally (in 1984 we did meet in Canada). Until we have substantially more members, however, this isn't financially possible. ACEI does sponsor a smaller Summer conference and tour abroad that is designed to give as many of our members as possible the opportunity to attend an ACEI meeting and learn more about education worldwide. In recent years the group has met in England, Taiwan R.O.C., Australia and Switzerland.

ACEI's efforts to reach out to our international members and to help underdeveloped countries is not limited to conferences. ACEI actively supports OMEP, the World Organization for Early Childhood Education, and we have a representative at the United Nations. In addition, the Association campaigned in support of the World Summit for Children, urging the United States to ratify the accord. ACEI also actively supported the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. All of these activities are designed to help improve the lives of children everywhere.

In July of this year, Renuka Sethi, a member of the Publications Committee, represented ACEI at a workshop on Children and Youth at Risk in Recife, Brazil, sponsored by the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development. ACEI will be represented in November at a joint U.S./China Conference on Early Childhood Education in Beijing. Stephen Graves, who helped organize the conference and leads the U.S. Delegation, and Ruth Clewell are among the ACEI members who will attend the meeting.

Probably the most effective means ACEI uses to improve conditions for children and help educators is our many publications. We strongly encourage manuscript submissions from international members. The 1989 Annual Theme Issue of Childhood Education, for example, focused on the topic, "Who Will Be Teaching the World's Children?"

With all of the news about domestic education these days, we must remember that many countries are going through similar processes of school reform and restructuring. In some parts of the world teachers are trying to help children who lack even the most basic resources, like food and shelter. Progress often comes at a painfully slow pace, and clearly there is work to be done. The best way for ACEI to improve conditions for children everywhere is to work together on an international level.