Wednesday

Today was the first day of our World Forum Sessions. It is an incredible thrill to walk into the meeting hall and see the array of people who represent about 75 nations. Everyone is happy to be here and eager to talk, today alone I spoke with participants from Canada, Malawi, Rhode Island, New Zealand, Singapore, Nigeria, South Africa, and Poland. Many are doing work with vulnerable communities under stressful conditions.
There is an incredible sense of energetic, shared commitment to the issues facing children throughout the world.

Last night during the welcome ceremonies there was an interesting sequence in which the presenter, who was reporting on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child-now 20 years old—first noted that the US is the ONLY country that has not ratified the Convention. This was shortly followed by remarks—met by unanimous applause—about the potential for President Obama to change both the perception of and actions by the US. All those in attendance are concerned with issues of peace and social justice—and his election is a profound symbol of what is possible in the world.

(However, I have to also note that the at times mixed perception of the US might be due to the TV programming we export. On simultaneously this morning were: Judge Judy, a movie about a Texas prison, CSI, and The Simpsons. Enough said.)

We were busy the whole day today: first the opening plenary, then 3 workshops on multiculturalism, men in ECE, and international social justice projects. There’s barely time to process the information before heading to the next event, though they have been gracious enough to provide chocolate fountains and fresh coffee during the breaks.

Tonight we attended the international dance with participants dressed in their traditional finery jumping and gyrating to an eclectic collection of international pop music. The seats that lined the perimeter seemed ready for chaperones who had neglected to come to the party, but once we got over the feeling that we were suspended in some universe of forgotten proms, we had a great time!