International organizations that are leading the way in promoting empathy and social emotional development in children are Ashoka, Roots of Empathy, International Play Association, and the International Child Art Foundation.
Ashoka is an international group of changemakers and entrepreneurs who are focused on creating change through empathy. The groups partners with and supports groups and programs that are committed to positive change for societies through fostering empathy and social emotional skills. The Start Empathy initiative focuses on “working with young people to make empathy a priority skill for all children”. In addition, they partner with empactico.org, and organization that connects classrooms globally to promote meaningful interactions between children of diverse cultures and communities.
Roots of Empathy is another international organization that recognizes the power of empathy. Roots of Empathy, and the children’s initiative, Seeds of Empathy, offers empathy based programs for children.The programs currently “help children develop empathy and emotional literacy in 11 countries”.
International Play Association is an “interdisciplinary non-governmental organization, providing an international forum and advocacy for the promotion of play opportunities”. The group is formed and based in Article 31 of The Convention of the Rights of the Child, which supports a child’s “right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child, and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts”. Through play children explore their world, relationships with others, and themselves: social emotional learning.
International Child Art Foundation aspires to grow “schoolchildren's imagination and empower them to democratize creativity and develop empathy universally for sustainable prosperity and lasting peace”. By connecting children from diverse communities through art, the foundation serves to unite children and communities through creativity, empathy, and inclusion.
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I completely agree with the importance of social/emotional development. We were actually talking about this at work the other day. Most people, parents and politicians specifically, don't understand that a child's social/emotional development is the foundation of the learning process.
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