Child advocacy in action: perspectives from the UN.

As ACEI's United Nations representatives and as child advocates, we have become increasingly aware of how the world's problems are reflected in the daily lives of today's children and teachers. The past century has been filled with violence, wars, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, the expansion and influence of both the media and communication technology have resulted in a broader global context for understanding education. The ACEI community shares the hope that now, and in the future, we will educate children to create sustained world peace.

NGO Forum

Last May, ACEI played a major role in organizing the NGO (non-governmental organization) Forum at the UN. During this forum, which was sponsored by the Working Group on Education in collaboration with UNICEF, a panel of educators presented international perspectives on early childhood education. The event began with a video on early childhood education in remote areas of the Philippines, where mobile teaching units have been established. These units give teachers access to rural communities, where they can teach children and families literacy skills and health care education.

The Forum's panel of speakers also presented a global framework for early childhood education. Fay Chung, Chief of the Education Group at UNICEF, provided an overview of how children learn and how UNICEF develops programs for families. Elaine Furniss, Senior Education Adviser at UNICEF, then emphasized that care in early childhood education is the new initiative at UNICEF. She spoke about several model early childhood education programs that have been developed by NGOs. These programs include teachers, parents, and children, as well as the general community, and have been implemented in Honduras, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. UNICEF operates these programs with a comprehensive approach to early childhood development, respecting traditional practices that have been substantiated by education research. Furniss concluded her presentation by reminding the audience of the need to continue securing funds for early childhood education programs.

Leslie R. Williams, from Teachers College, Columbia University, shared her inservice teacher education experiences in South Korea, Russia, Greece, Jordan, and Brazil. She described the need to understand and appreciate the cultural differences in young children. Traditional definitions of early childhood education are changing to address each locale's evolving culturally specific trends. Williams said that the purpose is to engage teachers in a dialogue at critical points of decision-making and to promote quality growth, development, and learning. She raised the question of how to define "fundamentally culturally compatible or incompatible points of intersections and beliefs." In a global context, teachers and teacher educators can articulate these cultural traditions.

Miriam Westheimer, from the National Council of Jewish Women, spoke about the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (H.I.P.P.Y.). This parent-empowerment program has been translated into four languages and is now serving the international community. The program is designed to be home-based; it supports and encourages parents to participate in their children's education. Trained paraprofessionals visit the home and share their expertise with parents. In many instances, role-playing facilitates a parent's self-esteem, and well-planned lessons build confidence and success in parenting, thus strengthening the family as a whole.

Efforts Toward Peace

The emphasis on social responsibility in education, and the concern about violence in our schools, has resulted in a passionate interest in conflict resolution workshops, books, and training programs. The UN has planned the 1999 Hague Peace Conference. The goal of this world conference is to outlaw and eliminate war. Youth participation will be essential.

In addition to the Peace Conference, the International Criminal Court is currently addressing issues of national and international law regarding terrorism. Obviously, these international efforts toward peace have a direct impact on our children.

Childhood education and peace initiatives certainly are intertwined in our hearts and minds. The solutions are not simple, are not glamorous, and cannot be easily predicted. As ACEI's UN representatives, we consider ourselves privileged to share what we have learned with ACEI members, and we welcome everyone's local and global collaboration.

- Eileen Bayer and Nancy Brown, ACEI United Nations Representatives