Global Leaders Off to Great Start

12/21/2004

Global Leaders Off to Great Start

"Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure." - Earl Wilson

Global Leaders Off to Great Start

The World Forum Foundation launched the Global Leaders project at Working Forum Belfast in November and it was a huge success. Global Leaders is a special initiative to support emerging leaders in early childhood education around the world. The initiative was created by Joan Lombardi, Director of The Children's Project, in collaboration with the World Forum Foundation. Funding for the project is provided by the IBM Global Work/Life Fund. The central goal of the Global Leaders for the project is to encourage participants to become more effective change agents and advocates for quality early childhood development services in their home countries.

The first group of seven Global Leaders to come together at Working Forum Belfast were from South Africa, Hungary, and Mexico. Their experiences at the Working Forum were memorable. For example several fellows commented:

"I feel priveleged to be part of this program ...our meetings energized me, the professional content of the conference and our meetings were great and the warm atmosphere and nice people made it more fantastic..."

"How can I ever explain what an experience the conference and global leaders was...never to be forgotten experience...I truely believe in what we are doing and will work hard at the committments we have undertaken..."

"I really had a wonderful time. It was a humbling and educational experience in many different ways. I will never ever forget it as long as I live. It greatly impacted on me especially with regard to my life's quest of contributing to children's lives here in South Africa, but also on the African continent as a whole."

For the 2005 World Forum in Montreal, a second cohort of Global Leaders from Argentina, India, Poland, Brazil, and China will be selected. To learn about selection criteria and procedures, for these openings, click here.

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