“Raising Children of Peace” ECPC launches new lectures series at Yale
Can how we raise our children lead to a more peaceful and sustainable world? What science says.
by N. Shemrah Fallon, ECPC News —03 May 2023
NEW HAVEN, Conn — Can how we raise our children pave a path to a more peaceful and sustainable world? Are our destinies solely determined by our DNA? Or, does the environment in which we live and grow, play a role? How exactly does early childhood development link to peacebuilding? Has this theory of change been tested in the field and if so, what are the results? Do research findings show promise for a better future, fit for children? For answers to these important questions and more, take a look through the lenses of empirical science and practice.
The good news is that research findings published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and tested by exemplary early childhood development (ECD) services and programs in conflict and post-conflict world regions, show promising results.
The mission of the Early Childhood Peace Consortium (ECPC) to share these findings with academia and members of the global community, gave rise to the new lecture series “Raising Children of Peace” that launched on 27 April 2023 at the Child Study Center, Yale University. The inaugural lecture was attended by in-person and virtual audiences.
A video recording of the live launch event, featuring presentations by Yale Professors James F. Leckman and Rima Salah, and ECPC experts Eduardo Garcia Rolland (ECD in Emergencies Specialist, UNICEF) and Dr. Siobhan Fitzpatrick (Director, International Network on Peacebuilding for Young Children, N. Ireland), has been made available to the public and can be viewed below.
[Learn more about the ECPC, a global movement of United Nations agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, academia, practitioners, and the private sector focused on sharing scientific and practice based evidence on how investment in early childhood development (ECD) can contribute to sustainable peace, social cohesion, and social justice.]
“Raising Children of Peace” Lecture Series · #1
“Science heralds a new era, asserting that Early Childhood Development is a vital opportunity to promote a ‘Culture of Peace’, building a strong foundation for resilience, social justice, and social cohesion.”
— Rima Salah, PhD, Chair ECPC
Presentations · Speakers
►Download the Lecture Event Flyer · Agenda · Speaker Biographies · Recommended Reading
“Pathways to a More Peaceful and Sustainable World: The Transformative Power of Children and Families”
By James F. Leckman, M.D., Ph.D. is Neison Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center, and as Chair of the ECPC Research Division. He has regularly been selected by his peers as one of the Best Doctors in America and is author or co-author of over 500 original scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals. He and Yale Professors Catherine Panter-Brick and Rima Salah are co-editors of the revolutionary volume entitled, Pathways to Peace: The Transformative Power of Children and Families, published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press in 2014.
The lecture series was officially inducted by Professor Leckman who provided opening and closing remarks as well as moderated the inaugural lecture’s panel discussion. He underscored the goal of the Early Childhood Peace Consortium — to create a legacy of sustained peace drawing on the transformative power of early child development. The global community must address root causes of violence and conflict, so that children and families can be agents of change for peace.
“Building a World of Peace: The Promise of the Early Childhood Peace Consortium”
By Rima Salah, Ph.D. ECPC Chairperson, Assistant Clinical Professor in the Yale Child Study Center, Former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Served on the United Nations High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, Former Deputy Executive Director for UNICEF
Millions of children are trapped in situations of war, conflict, displacement, occupation, and violence. Science shows that adversity has a detrimental effect on the physical and emotional development of young children. It also heralds a new era asserting that Early Childhood Development (ECD) is a vital opportunity to promote a Culture of Peace, building a strong foundation for Resilience, Social Justice, and Social Cohesion.
The presentation demonstrates that we have every opportunity to make a transformative shift and raise the voice of science to join the voice of “We the People“. The Promise of the Early Childhood Peace Consortium (ECPC) is to join forces with the International Community to advance Global and National efforts to prevent Violence and build a World of Peace.
“Evidence to Give Priority to ECD in Emergencies: Towards a More Peaceful World, One Child at a Time, for Every Child”
By Eduardo Garcia Rolland. ECPC Secretary; Early Childhood Development in Emergencies Specialist, UNICEF HQ; Humanitarian worker with experience in child protection, water and sanitation, gender, HIV/AIDs, education and early childhood development in emergencies, civil wars and natural disasters
In the last years, a paramount shift has happily happened in the humanitarian world. The wrong assumption that the youngest children are resilient and, therefore, not a priority in emergencies, does not stand the examination of science and reality.
In this presentation, we examine the summary of hundreds of years of research pointing at the cruciality of the early years of life. Moreover, we examine how this evidence has been translated in the field to create frameworks to give priority to the youngest children systematically in every emergency.
“Case study · The Power of ECD in Conflict and Post-Conflict Societies: An Example from Northern Ireland”
By Siobhán Fitzpatrick, M.B.A., M.Sc., C.B.E. ECPC Regional Vice-Chairperson; Chair ECPC Governance & Finance Committee; Director International Network on Peacebuilding for Young Children, Northern Ireland; Former CEO Early Years — the organisation for young children, Northern Ireland
The positive impact that high quality early childhood care and education can have on families and communities impacted by conflict. ECD should not be restricted to the sole focus of the child, but the international community must also adopt a “community development perspective” as well. This approach, particularly among communities impacted by conflict, can lead to greater cohesion and prosocial behavior among families and foster more nurturing environments and improve parenting practices.
This presentation explains how “Early childhood services operating from this community development perspective can also support and build resilience, promote social cohesion, and build and sustain connections between families and the wider communities,” especially in divided conflict affected societies.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Yale Professor L. Angelica Ponguta, Ph.D. for overseeing the virtual portion of the launch event, as well as the communications team at the Yale Child Study Center and members of the Yale Broadcast Center and Yale School of Medicine Audio Visual Services, whose contributions made this hybrid event possible.
“Raising Children of Peace” · Upcoming Lectures
COMING SOON — Forthcoming lectures in this series on topics featuring the work of ECPC experts from Yale and beyond, including discussions with special guests, will further focus on scientific research and field-based evidence, and how to take it to scale.
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About the Early Childhood Peace Consortium (ECPC)
Where all children are the stars of today and leaders of tomorrow!
The ECPC is a global movement of United Nations agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, academia, practitioners, and the private sector focused on sharing scientific and practice-based evidence on how investment in early childhood development (ECD) can contribute to sustainable peace, social cohesion, and social justice. We recognize that investing in ECD is a powerful and cost-effective strategy for reducing violence, poverty, and exclusion and for building peaceful societies.
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