Early Childhood Development in Lebanon: Towards a National...

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.


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.


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


Planning meetings


Initial steps

•  Identify partners (Governmental Involvement)

•  Identify national champion •  Form the core committee (Global Leaders,

HCC)


Core Committee Meeting


Pillars of action

•  ECCD Strategy Framework •  Raise advocacy on ECCD •  Network with key players


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


Action plan

Setting 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


Action Plan Cont’d Focus 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


Protection Committee


Action Plan Cont’d National 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


National Workshop


EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT: TOWARDS A NATIONAL STRATEGY

A NATIONAL WORKSHOP

MARCH 9, 2010 Objectives: •  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


•  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


Action Plan Cont’d Drafting 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


May, Maysoun, Rana, Abeer, Mariam and Elie

May 19th, Wednesday, 2010


May, Maysoun, Elie and Mariam

May 22nd , Saturday , 2010



May 27th, Thursday,2010



May 29th, Saturday, 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


Challenges

•  Time and effort involved •  Collective approach


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.


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.


The great Gebran Khalil Gebran in his book “The Prophet” said:


“Your children are not your children, They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.”


So that they might have life and that they might have the future!


Thank you


Early Childhood Development in Lebanon: Towards a National...

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