Getting to Know My International Contacts Part 2

Global Children’s Initiative

As I explored this site I found out that the Center for the Developing Child is working toward educating policymakers around the world.  They have three strategic objectives:

1. To reframe public discourse about the early childhood period

2. To support innovative, multidisciplinary research and demonstration projects

3. To build leadership capacity in child development research and policy

They want to translate scientific research to educate international agencies on the science of child development that has been used in the United States.  A 3 minute video called Super – Cerebro which was translated from Portuguese is available to watch in different languages.  This video is about brain development and the effects of chronic stress and how family and community can play a role in outcome of a child’s life by changing the environment during the early stages of life.  There are many videos on this web site that offer great insight into the brain and how neuroscience is making an impact on the understanding of early development. 

In 2000, the world’s government set up Millennium Development Goals called MDG’s the goals are that every child in the world completes at least a primary age education, and to reduce child mortality by two thirds by 2015.  At a first time ever conference in Moscow called ‘World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education: Building the Wealth of Nations.”  Discussed the MDG’s, the director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard was the keynote speaker.  Dr. Shonkoff discussed brain development and the impact of early experiences on the brain.  I was able to listen to an interview with him and he talked about the circuitry of the brain, and simple skills build upon simple skills build complex skills.  This circuitry shaped by experiences are critical because when toxic or chronic stress is constantly high the body’s response system produces hormones and increases physiological reactions that if chronic can later cause health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure just to name a few.  One thing I found interesting is the hormone that can kill brain cells that will disrupt memory.  This excessive adversity is linked to the future outcomes of children.

Thirty governments have established national early childhood development policies and over 70 countries have some type of national commission to coordinate such programs. 

"The goal of the Moscow conference was to spur action by UNESCO member states by demonstrating that ECCE is about much more than preparing children for literacy or for school, said Dr. Mmantsetsa Marope, the director of the Division of Basic Education at UNESCO. “ECCE is an unshakable foundation for the development of the human capital required for higher value-added productivity, sustainable growth, competitiveness… and ultimately more equitable and politically stable societies.” Indeed, she said, providing high-quality, broad-based ECCE worldwide circles back to yet another MDG, because it offers “a real promise at enduring poverty eradication.”"

—Millicent Lawton

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/topics/global_child_development/moscow-conference/

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/topics/global_child_development/