Working together to improve ethnic-racial relations in early childhood education in Brazil
The field of Early Childhood Development is traditionally associated with scientific research focused on pedagogy, psychology and neuroscience. Porticus Latin America believes topics such as equity and ethnic-racial relations should be included in early childhood development science and practice.
In Brazil, Porticus has brought together seven organisations that are well-established in the topic of ethnic-racial relations and antiracism: Ação Educativa, Afro Cebrap, CEERT, Geledés, Instituto AMMA Psique e Negritude, Plan International, and Projeto Saúde e Alegria.
One of our partners, Suelaine Carneiro, Research and Education Coordinator at Geledés, explains: “We believe it is essential to address racism from childhood. To build strategies that guarantee rights and equality for all children. Especially important is that public policies aimed at early childhood development include the ways of being, the culture and the specificities of black, indigenous, quilombola children as well as of children from Afro-Brazilian religions.”
In addition to the work on the ground with local and national educational institutes and policy makers, the initiative will support research on diversity and ethnic-racial relations in the field of early childhood development.
If teachers, parents and pupils in Brazil understand how racial relations in Brazil developed over time, if they value the different childhoods and consider the contributions of the different peoples that make up the population, all children will feel included and able to contribute to the future of the country.
Porticus partners: Ação Educativa, Afro Cebrap, CEERT, Geledés, Instituto AMMA Psique e Negritude, Plan International, and Projeto Saúde e Alegria.
Especially important is that public policies aimed at early childhood development include the ways of being, the culture and the specificities of black, indigenous, quilombola children as well as of children from Afro-Brazilian religions.