A few months before the XX Ibero –American Summit of Chiefs of State and Government to be held December 3 and 4 in Mar del Plata Argentina, ALAS, The Organization of Ibero – American States, and the Spanish Bank BBVA, together with Latin American experts, Colombian government authorities and organizations from civil society and the private sector, established the joint and coordinated participation of all these sectors in the fulfillment of the 2021 Goals and its Early Childhood component, as a priority for the achievement of social inclusion through education.

The 1^st Early Childhood Seminar “Cultural and Social Contexts in Early Childhood: Minorities, Government and Civil Society” took place today in Bogotá, Colombia, in a multisectorial effort from ALAS, as a civil society organization, the Organization of Ibero – American States, as an International Organization, and BBVA, as a private sector organization. The Seminar developed under this multisectorial focus, where, Juan Antonio Pungiluppi, Executive Director of ALAS, spoke about the history of the foundation and its efforts to mobilize the different sectors of society in favor of early childhood, highlighted the efforts and contributions of BBVA for the realization of the Seminar, and invited more private sector companies to join this alliance to promote the care and attention of children from 0 to 6 years old in the region. Oscar Cabrera Izquierdo, president of BBVA in Colombia, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to support Colombia’s childhood through their Corporate Social Responsibility programs.

“We are here because we have a collective commitment with early childhood, and we are sensitive to their needs”, acclaimed Alvaro Marchesi, Secretary General of the Organization of Ibero-American States.  Marchesi emphasized in the need to focus in 2 main strategies: obtain the commitment of all the sectors with early childhood and have a collective project gathered in Educational Goals 2021.  Elvira Forero, Director of the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare qualified the Seminar as the perfect scenario to demonstrate that childhood is the best example of how different spheres of society can work together to accomplish sustainable development. Colombia’s former Minister of Foreign Relations and CEO of Fundación Pies Descalzos, María Emma Mejía, added that the idea is to invite the governments to risk more capital in budgets directed to education, understanding this as the fundamental key for development and social equality.

After this opening remarks, the first panel of discussion titled “Innovative Strategies in Early Childhood”, moderated by Alicia Marin, Deputy Director of ALAS, started with the intervention of Patricia Sarlé, Director of the Masters in Early Childhood of the University of Buenos Aires, who treated the topic of playing, games and esthetics from an academic standpoint as providers of entertainment, discipline and key components for the cognitive development of the children. On the other hand, Nathalia Mesa, Director of Fundación Carulla and its Early Childhood Program aeiotu, presented he topic of early childhood education in contexts of vulnerability with public-private cooperation, which innovation lies in creating teams that work hand by hand to expand and coverage and quality. Mesa affirmed that it is necessary that more actors join to benefit early childhood in a better and more cost-effective way.  In representation of the government, María Mercedes Liévano, Director of Early Childhood of the Ministry of Education, presented the Comprehensive Early Childhood Policy, launched by the Colombian government in 2007.

The second panel of discussion, titled “Social and Cultural Contexts in Early Childhood”, initiated with presentation of Luis Secco, advisor in economic policy for ALAS, who stressed on the importance of investing in this sector of the population given the countless benefits that it brings to society, such as the promotion of economic development, the promotion of peace within the community and the nation, the promotion of social equality and the reduction of political instability. This presentation was followed by Martha Liliana Huertas, Director of Prevention of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare; Moisés Medrano, Director of Populations of Colombia’s Ministry of Culture, who exposed about the need to attend minorities; and the Peruvian expert in indigenous topics Luis Lopez. This panel of discussion set the need of integrality in actions directed to early childhood addressing minorities under their cultural and social context.

Colombia’s Minister of Education, Cecilia María Velez White, closed the event highlighting the efforts of Colombia’s government and its openness to generate alliances to benefit early childhood, such as the one represented by this Seminar. “This is one of the most important topics, that has no reverse, not only because of the scientific importance it has been given, but also because we have been able to palpate  the results  in basic and middle education because of the basis that have been set since early childhood”. She thanked ALAS stating that it “has not only being accompanying us, but also prioritizing the topic in the public agenda of the Ibero – American governments, which contributes to generate a greater movement within the sector”, concluded.

This way, the 1st Early Childhood Seminar concluded, an association between ALAS, the Organization of Ibero – American States, and the Spanish Bank BBVA, as a prelude to the XX Ibero – American Summit, to be held December 3 and 4 in Mar del Plata, Argentina.