The first five years of a child’s life are a period of intense creativity, invention and growth. During this period, children rely on those around them to provide for their physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development needs to ensure their capacity to trust and become resilient adults. Distressingly, nearly 200 million children globally may not reach their developmental potential due to the effects of unhealthy environment and paucity of educational opportunities. Many of these children also live in stressful circumstances – caused by poverty, abandonment or violent conflict – and so face additional challenges in learning to trust. This session will investigate the factors impacting early childhood development and learn which interventions can prevent, mitigate or address the potentially lasting effects of toxic stress. If –as Nelson Mandela said –“there is no keener revelation of society’s soul than the way it treats its children,” then surely the legitimacy of a state rests at least in part on whether it meets its obligations to the young.

Randa Grob-Zakhary, Global Head of Education, Porticus

Peter Laugharn, President and CEO, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation (moderator)

Carolyn Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children

Deogratias Niyonkiza, Founder and CEO, Village Health Works

 

For more information about this event please visit: https://www.philanthropyforum.org/conference/gpf-2017/