05.11.19
UN Geneva, Geneva Peace Week - MMM had the privilege to represent the Early Childhood Peace Consortium at an event organized by Arigatou International on "Rethinking Peace theory and practice: enhancing peacebuilding initiatives with the integration of early childhood development".
The panel event, which took place in the context of the Geneva Peace Week 2019, brought together diverse experts on Early Childhood Development:
In her intervention, MMM Vice-President Valerie Bichelmeier presented the background to the ECPC, its mission and its different areas of work, and how MMM became involved in its work.
The Mother and Child Program (MOCEP) devised by ACEV, one of the ECPC’s founding partners, provided a concrete example of how empowering mothers with Child Development knowledge and parenting skills could change relationships within families and help reduce violence. MOCEP was implemented and evaluated in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, a very fragile context where violence is rampant.
The second part of the presentation focused on the importance of working with and supporting mothers and families – to empower parents and children as agents of peace.
“It is within the family unit that the values and beliefs that shape an individual are transmitted; that a child first experiences safety or distress, nurturing or violent relationships, as well as the joys and challenges of living with others; And it is also within the family that a child learns tolerance – or intolerance, as well as the peaceful – or violent – resolution of conflicts”, Valerie Bichelmeier insisted.
The Science is clear that enabling children to grow up in healthy, violence-free and nurturing families is essential for them to reach their full potential and to find their role in society – which ultimately is the foundation for lasting peace.
Most parents want the best for their children, but the reality is that they face many challenges – especially mothers:
All these issues also need to be addressed as part of any policy that aims at supporting ECD. They show that ECD touches many sectors, including health, education, social affairs, labour, family affairs, women’s rights and gender equality. This means that the answer should also be multi-sectorial.
Mothers are key players and they must be recognised as such. They should be informed and educated on early childhood development, on positive parenting and nurturing relationships, and on the importance of providing responsive and loving care. And they should be supported in this challenging but essential job.
Let us be careful however not to put too much pressure on mothers with the many challenges they face already… we must recognise that women also have other roles to play in society: as citizens, professionals, politicians and community leaders.
It is also absolutely essential that fathers are involved – a quadruple win: for the mother, for the child, for the father himself, and ultimately, for society as a whole – and peace.
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