International Early Child Development

CED AND PARTNERS HOST INTERNATIONAL EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT FORUM IN THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS

Building on CED's domestic success with early childhood education programs, we are partnering with the Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings to bring the importance of early child development to the forefront of international economic debates. We believe that business leaders who publicly support early child development have an opportunity to be key stakeholders for economic growth in emerging markets. This project seeks to build a business constituency for reform that can support developing countries in growing early child development programs toward a healthy citizenry and vibrant economy.

The project’s first event took place in The Hague, The Netherlands and was attended by European business leaders, international early child development experts, and special guests including Her Majesty, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands and Her Royal Highness, Princess Laurentien of The Netherlands.

Key participants of the event included:

  • Antony Burgmans, Former Chair, Unilever NV and PLC
  • Tony Ruys, Former Chairman & CEO, Heineken NV
  • Dennis Jönsson, President & CEO, TetraPak Group
  • Gary Knell, CEO, Sesame Workshop
  • James Heckman, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences
  • Henrik Lorenson, Vice President, LEGO Group
  • Ambassador Mkhize of South Africa to the Netherlands
  • Jack P. Shonkoff, Director, Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
  • James Wolfensohn, Former President, World Bank

Formal Dinner and Conference

"Business Champions for Early Child Development -
Building a Healthy and Educated Workforce in Emerging Markets"
April 22-23, 2008
The Hague, The Netherlands

Brochure  |  Agenda  |  Press Release  |  Participant Questionnaire
 

Please check back soon. Planning for the next conferences in this series is underway. Locations will include: Washington, DC, USA and Cape Town, South Africa.

Our partners:

Bernard van Leer Foundation
Wolfensohn Center for Development
W. K. Kellogg Foundation

Media Coverage of The Hague Early Education Conference

Video
Thony Ruys


Interview with Thony Ruys, Former Chairman & CEO, Heineken (in Nederlands):
http://videoplayer.neos.nl/fd/index.php?item=940


Trude Mass


Interview with James Wolfensohn, Former President, World Bank; Dennis Jonsson, CEO TetraPak; and Mrs. Trude Maas, Chair, Bernard Van Leer Foundation (English):
http://videoplayer.neos.nl/fd/index.php?item=939


James Wolfensohn


Interview James Wolfensohn (English):
http://videoplayer.neos.nl/fd/index.php?item=937



With CED’s thanks to FDTV in the Netherlands for providing these video links.

Print

Financieele Dagblad
'Scholing allerjongsten verdient zich terug'
Translation: "Investments in our youngest children have high returns"
Written by: Tjabel Daling, Economie & Politiek/HFD, 23 April

Bedrijven moeten investeren in de ontwikkeling van jonge kinderen, zegt ex-voorzitter James Wollensohn van de Wereldbank
Translation: "Businesses must invest in the development of young children, says Former World Bank President, James Wolfensohn"

"We hopen dat de volgende president dit thema omarmt en het wereldwijd uitdraagt."
Translation: "We hope that the next President takes on this issue and supports it world wide"
(Charles Kolb, President, Committee for Economic Development)

Complete Article (Dutch)

Links

Dutch press photograph Mr. James Wolfensohn greeting Her Majesty, Queen Beatrix and Her Royal Highness Princess Laurantien outside of the Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel where the International Early Child Development Conference took place from April 22-23, 2008.
http://www.skoeps.nl/index.php?module=Item&func=show&id=34486
http://www.nufoto.nl/categorie/themas/koningshuis/

The International Business Leaders Forum:
http://www.iblf.org/media_room/general.jsp?id=124014

PRNEWSWIRE:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-22-2008/0004798095&EDATE

Brookings:
http://www.brookings.edu/wolfensohn/early-child-development.aspx

Bernard van Leer Foundation:
http://www.bernardvanleer.org/files/Kurhaus_Apr08.pdf

Speaker Presentations

"The Science of Early Childhood Development" by Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D., Julius B. Richmond Famri Professor of Child Health and Development, Harvard University

"We Invest in Early Childhood Care & Development" by the UBS Optimus Foundation