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Today 650 early childhood professionals from 76 nations are meeting at the 2009 World Forum on Early Care and Education. In the Opening Session, Sasa Milic from Montenegro challenged delegates....

"Violence grows in numbers and forms while degrading the social heritage of a contemporary human being. We hear (or do we?) the cry of the modern world for the respect of the rights of women, children, disabled persons, refugees, and the rights of every single person which are being denied from day to day. Even the basic right to live. These rights are being denied to those that have the weakest power of voice, but speak the wisest words of all — the children.

"The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child would be needless if only we knew how to listen... to listen to our children, to listen to the child we used to be and we never stopped being. If we could only see with our heart, as the Little Prince could, as all children do. Maybe we could understand then. Children demand their right as soon as they are conceived, when they are not able to judge according to the color of the skin or the abilities, as adults often do. That is the very moment they raise their voice against discrimination! They demand their right for the proper information — when they seek answers to their numerous questions, when they drag our sleeves seeking ’impossible’ explanations; they demand the protection from abuse whenever somebody raises their hand; but, above all, they remind us of their right to be loved.

"When speaking of the concept of human rights and the rights of the child, we have to mention the phenomenon of globalization. The temporal and spatial condensation of the world, as the heritage of the globalization, makes us more and more similar. The movies we watch, the books we read, the food we eat, the clothes we wear... these and similar attributes become less and less distinctive features. Having in mind this very fact, we have an increased need to be valued equally here and there, to enjoy the very same rights here and there, and to have those rights respected and recognized equally and properly.

"As the wise F.M. Dostoyevsky once said, the essence of pedagogy should be embodied in the task of loving children for their angelic purity, because they are here to make us happy. For the sake of their and our happiness, let’s provide them with the right to be loved."

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If you are unable to attend the 2009 World Forum on Early Care and Education, we have a way for you to have a virtual WoFo experience. We have limited number of CDs, The 2009 World Forum Compendium, that were given to all World Forum delegates which capture presentations from the 2009 World Forum, other resources made available to World Forum delegates, and updates on World Forum projects on AIDS, Peace, Men, Nature, Global Leaders, and Teacher Education.

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