Moscow will host the first UNESCO World Conference on early Childhood Care and Education on the 27th of September More than 1000 delegates from various international organizations, and UNESCO countries will discuss their common goal - formulating an efficient international strategy of preschool children upbringing and education. This issue is important for each and every country in the world, as concern for
children is concern for the future.
The international status of the Forum is high as it is held under the auspices of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The First Lady of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva, the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade and Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, will also attend.
The creation of an efficient education strategy, the exchange of experience and establishing a global informational network in the field are on the agenda of the meeting. Some of the issues, like common ways of preschool education in multicultural world and introduction of modern technology in the upbringing process, are controversial.
Aliyeva, performs her functions of goodwill UNESCO Ambassador. Her personal contribution to the UNESCO - Azerbaijan co-operation is enormous, and UNESCO publications pay special attention to her activities. The Heydar Aliyev Fund and Azerbaijani Culture Friends Fund, operating under auspices of Aliyeva also work in close co-operation with UNESCO. Mehriban Aliyeva's first major project was the development and support of Azerbaijani national music.
According to Aliyeva, the topic of education and care for children is vital for Azerbaijan as it is a young country that is only beginning to work out its national development strategy and ideology.
Aliyeva, addressing the International Scientific Olympics participants, said that "one's future is defined by their knowledge and experience obtained in the childhood". Indeed, the new epoch of globalization poses completely new tasks in the educational field. If a state can't bring its young citizens to respect the traditions and to follow moral standards necessary to withstand the baneful influence of modern civilization, it will have to deal with technically educated but irresponsible and careless citizens without any sense of duty or respect for traditional values in the future. And preschool education lays foundation for all future knowledge and morality and thus forms the "ideal future".
In one of her interviews with the Russian media Aliyeva touched upon the problem of the Karabakh refugee problem: "Ok, UNESCO has nothing to do with politics. We don't discuss issues of occupation, but some million people have to live in tent camps and their children do not receive proper education, and the state can do nothing about it. So that's UNESCO's problem. The children grow up without education - so the precious time for them is lost."
It seems that the call of the goodwill Ambassador was heard. Now the UNESCO World Conference on early Childhood Care and Education has to define the appearance of our civilization 30-40 years from now - hopefully, a better one.
Alexey Vlasov. Exclusively for VK.
