Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/global-leaders-for-young-children-stepping-forward-to-advocate-for-early-childhood/5016668/
The idea for a leadership program that would work across borders in our efforts to advocate for young children and their families first emerged during the World Forum in Acapulco, México in 2003. It was at that event, among so many leaders from throughout the world, that the call to improve our skills and build more public awareness of early childhood issues buzzed through the conference rooms, spilling into the hallways, and out into the sunshine.The World Forum seemed to provide a natural opportunity to bring together a smaller group to share and learn more intensely about public policies affecting early childhood development. What emerged is not just a leadership program, but rather a new dimension in the growing movement to improve the life chances and overall development of young children throughout the world.
This seed of an idea began to grow through the commitment of resources and support from the IBM Global Work/Life Fund, and through collaboration between the World Forum Foundation and The Children’s Project. Within months, the overall goals of the initiative were drafted and a selection process was established for identifying potential applicants from a number of countries throughout the world. Criteria for selection included: experience ...