Peace Building — The Power of ECE

08/27/2007

Peace Building — The Power of ECE

Thought flows in terms of stories - stories about events, stories about people, and stories about intentions and achievements. The best teachers are the best storytellers. We learn in the form of stories.
Frank Smith

We are proud to announce Exchange’s latest publication, From Conflict to Peace Building: The Power of Early Childhood Initiatives. This inspiring book is the work of the World Forum Foundation’s International Working Group on Peace Building with Young Children. Editors Paul Connolly and Jacqueline Hayden with Diane Levin, worked with members of this committee from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chad, Colombia, Nepal, Northern Ireland, Palestine, and the United States to capture their stories of how children and families were impacted by armed conflict. More importantly, they also share their reports of how early childhood programs have been effective in healing children and bringing communities back together.

In the story of Kishor Shrestha, he relates how families were impacted by the conflict in Nepal — how many children were orphaned, how many families were displaced, and how it created for children a climate of constant fear. Finally, he discussed how children have had their access to education restricted: “... schools have often been taken over by both rebel Maoists and government forces for meetings and shelter. For some children, schools are no longer seen as safe places; and it will take some time for them to regain their confidence and feel comfortable going back to school. Drawings sketched by an eight-year-old child reveal some of the alarm he has been experiencing in the school. His drawing of the school before the conflict showed it as a fun and happy place. He and his peers could play outdoors with play materials in a free and fearless atmosphere. However, his drawings of the school after the conflict showed how clouds of gunfire were shadowing it with no play materials available. There are people with guns around the school and the community. Interestingly, in the second picture he shows that even the sun is being covered by the clouds.”

From Conflict to Peace Building is now available for purchase at the Exchange web site. All proceeds go to the continued work of World Forum Foundation’s International Working Group on Peace Building with Young Children.

Individuals in the Asia and Pacific regions can order the book from September 21 Enterprise Pte Ltd in Singapore. Telephone: 6 256 0226/ 6256 6046. Email: [email protected]
Website: www.september21.com.sg

Signing (ASL) & Music for Early Learning
Foster deeper learning and memory retention for core educational concepts: ABC’s, Numbers, Colors, Rhymes, Animals and more by combining American Sign Language and Songs.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.