International Contacts

International contacts

                Unfortunately, I have not been able to establish any international contacts.  Through my research however, I have found some excellent resources on the effects of poverty on young children throughout the world. I listened to a podcast of a recent symposium titled “Tackling Child Poverty in the Twenty –first Century “took place at the New School in New York City.  Two of the participants included Dr. Jo Boyden, Director of Young Lives at the University of Oxford, England and Professor Alberto Minujin from Equity for Children project at the New School addressed critical issues worldwide related to the effects of poverty on children.  Dr. Boyden opened the podcast by reviewing general issues we think of most often in terms of poverty and its effects on young children. She spoke from a world perspective stating that we have made strides in the areas of health and education that have been addressed in a straight forward manor. She noted that while gaps still exist, some progress has been made to address them. s.  She then went on to talk about those serious issues that are not presently in the forefront but are extremely damaging to children. Dr. Boyden used the term “child protection issues” which include child trafficking, violence in the home and exploitation of children through child labor (equality for children, 2012). I found her perspective very interesting.  She pointed out how complex these issues are because they are influenced by many things including cultural norms and belief systems.   Professor  Minujin  discussed the Young Lives project which is a longitudinal study conducted collaboratively by several major universities over a 15 year period in four countries- India , Viet Nam, Ethiopia and Peru. The purpose of the study is to effect policy by transforming the way we think about its effects on children (equalityforchildren, 20102).

                I found the discussion on the podcast very informative.  It presented a perspective on the underlying effects of poverty that I hadn’t thought about before.  It expanded my view on poverty and has made me more aware of the complex nature of understanding all of the effects instead of those factors that are in the forefront.  I realized how easy it is to become focused on the aspects of poverty in my community rather than taking a world view.  As an early childhood professional, I also realize how important it is take the next step outside of my own community and gain a world view.

Boydon, J & Minujin, A., (2012). Young Lives panel discussion at the New School. Retrieved from                      http://www.equalityforchildren.org/young-lives-panel-discussion-at -the-new-school