Blog

Read the selected insights, thoughts and experiences of our staff and partners.

What happened when Neha, 14, attended the Habitat III conference

Published November 2, 2016

Namaskar! I am Neha, a 14-year-old girl from a slum in Narela in India’s capital New Delhi. I am one of the six child leaders of Humara Bachpan Campaign who… Read more

How we made the documentary 'The Beginning of Life'

Published October 25, 2016
Documentary 'The Beginning of Life' - Bernard van Leer Foundation

I’m part of a team of filmmakers who believe in the power of films to transform the world. With that mission, we begin every film we make by asking ourselves:… Read more

Beyond Urgency: The Need to Support Young Children Living Through Conflict

Published September 27, 2016

A recent commentary published by The Lancet confirmed the unfortunate truth that children continue to disproportionately bear the physical and psychological burden of conflict. War and violence not only put… Read more

A trip to remember – My experience of Surabaya, Indonesia

Published September 14, 2016

I am Malathy Yadav, a child Advocate from Gautam Nagar slum in Mumbai. Recently I was selected to participate in the third session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom3) of the… Read more

Whole Family Approaches: Reaching Parents and Children Together

Published September 13, 2016

One of the first principles that one learns in studying child development is the importance of an ecological approach. This approach assumes that child development is most directly influenced by… Read more

"Mini Thinktank" explores refugee children's needs in the Netherlands

Published September 8, 2016

According to Rien van Gendt: “The Netherlands has a unique foundation landscape, in which most foundations have moved from traditional grantmaking to strategic philanthropy, characterised by a focus on impact… Read more

Marking a New Era for Young Children and Families Around the World: Early Childhood Matters 2016

Published July 25, 2016

September is the first anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals. For the early childhood field, it has been a year filled with activity: new champions for young children have emerged,… Read more

Interview Gabriel: children's rights, a law to ban physical punishment, and becoming president

Published July 20, 2016

On 10 December 2015, Peru became the ninth Latin American country to pass a law against any kind of physical or humiliating punishment for children. This achievement marked the culmination… Read more

Winning the Hero Award

Published July 6, 2016
Winning the Hero Award - Blog - Bernard van Leer Foundation

I am Rupak Kumar Gouda, a 17-year-old child leader from Humara Bachpan Campaign. We are a child-led movement of 35,500 children who advocate for better living conditions in low income… Read more

Time to Think Scale

Published June 30, 2016

In Jamaica, over 90% of 3-5 year olds regularly play, read, or sing songs with an adult in their household and over 80% of them have access to pre-school, sowing… Read more