early childhood development in lebanon: towards a national strategy may a. ajram global leaders...
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Early Childhood Development in Lebanon:
Towards a National Strategy
May A. Ajram
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Background
• ECCD portfolio in Lebanon is taken care of by different community actors, ministries (health and Education), NGOs and the Higher Council for Childhood (HCC) under the Ministry of Social Affairs.
• Although there are a lot of initiatives in the country, they are not contextualized nor integrated under a proper framework.
• There is a big need to scale up some important success stories and launch a series of workshops that can provide us with baseline data and indicators.
• As Global Leaders, ECCD situation requires that we raise up high the advocacy on the ECCD issues with a champion in order to make the ECCD on the national agenda.
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Objective
• The goal we want to achieve is to push the ECCD forefront on the table of priority issues in the national policies of Lebanon for the importance it has on all the other sectors in the country.
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Outputs• 6 preparatory meetings• 6meetings with committees• National workshop• 6 Review and feedback meetings• Report: The Early Childhood Development, towards a
National Strategy• Draft Framework of National ECD strategy:
Completed and finalized
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Initial steps
• Identify partners (Governmental Involvement)• Identify national champion• Form the core committee (Global Leaders,
HCC)
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Pillars of action
• ECCD Strategy Framework• Raise advocacy on ECCD • Network with key players
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Implementation phases
• Assist in drafting the framework for the ECD Strategy• Consult with all committees of the HCC:• Prepare and write the first draft• Convene a National workshop • Include all comments and recommendations and prepare
second draft• ECCD committee for validation• Core committee to finalize• Identify, meet and sympathize a champion• Launching in press conference
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Action planSetting the ground Persons Involved Date
1 Meeting May, Abeer, Elie, Mariam
July 9th, Thursday, 2009
2 Meeting May and Abeer August 6th, Thursday, 2009
3 Meeting May, Abeer, Elie, Mariam
September 11th, Friday, 2009
4 Meeting May, Abeer, Elie, Mariam
October 13th, Tuesday, 2009
5 Meeting May and Rana October 19th, Monday, 2009
6 Meeting May, Rana and Elie November 7th, Saturday, 2009
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Action Plan Cont’dFocus Groups Persons Involved Date
7 Special Needs Committee
Rana and Committee members November 24th, Tuesday, 2009
8 Education Committee Rana and Committee members November 25th , Wednesday 2009
9 Culture and Media Committee
Rana, May, Abeer and committee members
December 10th, Thursday, 2009
10 Health Committee Rana, May and committee members
December 14th, Monday, 2009
11 Core committee meeting GL-HCC-Rana and Maysoun January 5th, Tuesday, 2010
12 Committee Protection Rana, May, Mariam, and Elie January 12th, Tuesday, 2010
13 Committee Legislative Rana, May, Mariam, and Elie January 27th, Wednesday 2010
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Action Plan Cont’dNational Workshop Persons Involved Date
14 invitation letter May January 27th, Wednesday, 2010
15 Report writing Rana February 8th , Monday 2010
16 Read and reflect Core committee February 12th , Friday 2010
17 Finalizing agenda, objectives and participants
Core committee February 17th , Wednesday, 2010
18 Sending Invitation and assuring participation
Mariam, May and Abeer February 18th , Thursday, 2010
19 National Workshop March 9th, Tuesday, 2010
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT: TOWARDS A NATIONAL STRATEGY
A NATIONAL WORKSHOPMARCH 9, 2010Objectives:
• The specific objectives of this one day workshop are: • To orient participants about the holistic and integrated approach to ECD• To present and discuss the draft results of the preparatory meetings• To draft the framework for ECD strategy in Lebanon
• Agenda• 9.00 – 10:45
- Registration and welcoming• Why this workshop Dr Mariam Ibrahim• Global Leader: A Message of Peace May A. Ajram• What and Why is ECCD Abeer A. zaki• Presentation of the report finding Rana Ismail• Address from the minister of social affairs Dr. Salim El Sayegh• 10.45 – 11.00
- Refreshments/ Break
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
• 11.00 – 1.00- Working Groups:
• Media George Chahine• Advocacy Amina Berri • Programmes and Services directed to the child Dr. Bernard Jerbekah• Programmes and Services directed to parents and care givers Dr. Amal Mansour• Legislation and laws Dr. Alice Keyrouz
• 1.00 – 2.00- Lunch Break
• 2.00 – 3.30
- Group work presentation Dr. Elie Mekhayel
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Action Plan Cont’dDrafting the framework
Persons Involved Date
20 Preparing first draft HCC March 27th, Saturday, 2010
21 Review May, Maysoun, Rana and Abeer
May 17th, Monday, 2010
22 Review meeting May, Abeer May 11th, Tuesday, 2010
23 Core committee meeting
May, Maysoun, Rana, Abeer, Mariam and Elie
May 19th, Wednesday, 2010
24 Core committee meeting
May, Maysoun, Elie and Mariam
May 22nd , Saturday , 2010
25 Core committee meeting
May, Maysoun, Elie and Mariam
May 27th, Thursday,2010
26 Core committee meeting
May, Maysoun, Elie and Mariam
May 29th, Saturday, 2010
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Strengths
• Global Leader ID• National global leaders team• The input and the collaboration of the HCC• The commitment of the Minister of Social Affairs• Build on previous efforts – not start from the
scratch• Use all possible resources and connections
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Challenges
• Time and effort involved• Collective approach
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Advocating for Global Leaders
• Global Leader ppp in Regional Conference November 2009
• Global Leader announcement in all committees meetings attended
• Global Leader ppp in Regional Workshop March 2010• HCC announcement on Word Forum 2011 to all ECD
committee members in May and a reminder in June• Global Leaders in newsletter
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Advocacy and Leadership
• Cater for your audience (adv)• Seize opportunities (adv)• Be flexible and accommodate for change (adv)• Have convincing tools (adv)• Involve as many people as you can (leader)• Delegate responsibilities• Be ready to do the job
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Conclusion
• Advocacy is an ongoing process which requires different skills according to different situations and audience
• Advocacy for ECCD in Lebanon is young and the journey is still long
• Keeping the momentum among different team members will be a challenge.
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
Overwhelming… but not impossible because:The most important cause to support is the cause of children and the most valuable investment to make is investing in their future.
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
The great Gebran Khalil Gebran in his book “The Prophet” said:
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
“Your children are not your children,They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.”
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010
So that they might have life and that they might have the future!
Global Leaders Reggio Emilia, Italy, September, 2010