International Network on Peace Building With Young Children: Paper Two

The Peace Building Learning Group of UNA, the Global Learning Initiative on Children and Ethnic Diversity, is concerned with sharing and disseminating knowledge and expertise in relation to the development and delivery of early childhood programmes. It has a particular focus on the specific challenges and problems that arise from doing this in regions that are either experiencing significant armed conflict and/or are emerging out of armed conflict.

This is the second paper devised by the Peace Building Learning Group (Learning Group 2) of UNA and follows on directly from paper one which presented an overview of the key issues and challenges facing early childhood organisations when developing programmes in conflict affected regions. This second paper maps how the programmatic framework from paper one might be applied in practice in conflict affected countries around the world. Members of the International Network on Peace Building with Young Children have examined programmes with which they are involved in their own countries and these programmes have been put forward as examples of best practice from their regions.

These programmes represent both the northern and southern hemispheres and east and west and include the following countries: • Northern Ireland • Serbia • Iraq • Nepal • South Africa • Colombia • Lebanon • Georgia • El Salvador • Palestine • Chad 

Paper one, entitled Protecting and Providing for Young Children in Regions Affected by Conflict – A Framework for Practice also looked at the nature and impact of conflict on young children and their communities and the paper proposed a programmatic framework that can be used by practitioners to help focus their planning and development of such programmes.

The Peace Building Learning Group is co-chaired by Siobhan Fitzpatrick, CEO of Early Years in Northern Ireland and Marta Arango, Executive Director of CINDE in Colombia.