Where: Amman, Jordan
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UNICEF estimates that 2014 was the worst year in history to be a child. Increased conflict and the lasting negative impact of violence on children, families, and communities is a matter of grave concern around the world. It is estimated that over 50 million people, primarily women and children who are refugees, are suffering through internal displacement and migration – this is historically one of the highest numbers ever. This workshop provides an opportunity to inform the global agenda on humanitarian work by highlighting the science of early childhood and interventions that have evidence of promoting peace and reducing violence.

This workshop will bring together two communities – early childhood development and peacebuilding. Through dialogue, the workshop will promote knowledge exchange and identification of opportunities to leverage investments in early childhood development to promote peace. The sessions will highlight different phases of conflict – prevention of conflict; acute and chronic conflict; and transition out of conflict; and participants will focus on solutions in each of these 3 phases with an emphasis on young children. The presentations will be based on the science, programmatic evidence and policy and faith-based dialogue and peacebuilding. While the focus will be global, selected country case studies will be used to anchor the discussions.

Workshop objectives

• Show examples of the impact of fleeing from conflict on young children’s health, safety, education, and nutrition; include the unique impact on children with disabilities.
• Highlight the science of early childhood, identifying this period of development as perhaps the earliest stage for preventing violence within a transformative shift from understanding children and women solely as vulnerable populations to agents of change.
• Share examples of the applicability and relevance of starting with early childhood to reduce violence and promote peace in conflict situations while addressing the underlying causes of the conflict, taking into account the stages of conflict and the socio-economic profiles of countries.
• Explore potentially effective models that employ tools such as intercultural and interreligious dialogue and conflict resolution to leverage the period of early childhood for peacebuilding efforts in regions experiencing conflict.
• Identify opportunities to contribute to the Humanitarian Summit discussion, building on the evidence and challenges of investing in early child development and peace building approaches.

For more information, contact Charlee Alexander:
Phone: 202-334-3024
Email: iYCG@nas.edu