Maybe we can´t perceive clearly, but sometimes don´t seem that childhood is each day lesser? And what kind of adults will grow, if it´s true?

These are some of the questions worked by The Alliance for Childhood, a partnership of individuals and organizations committed to fostering and respecting each child's inherent right to a healthy, developmentally appropriate childhood.

Fundamental beliefs and concerns fo Alliance are:

· Childhood is a critical phase of life and must be protected to be fully experienced. It should not be hurried.
· Each child deserves respect as an individual. Each needs help in developing his or her own unique capacities and in finding ways to weave them into a healthy social fabric.
· Children today are under tremendous stress and suffer increasingly from illnesses such as allergies, asthma, hyperactive disorders, obesity and depression. This stress must be alleviated.

Focused on the general concept of the right to the childhood not in its aspect only material, the Alliance has interesting projects, as the discussion about effects of computers early using over children. In these times which developed an increasely computer presence on human lives, reshaping children's lives at home and at school, seems important to discuss what are its effects.

In Brazil, the Alliance begun as a movement of many education professionals, that are coworking giving lectures on schools and doing presentations on squares initially on Sao Paulo, bringing in a practical way, that includes songs, theater and art the purpose of childhood reincantation.

Site of the Alliance brings interesting articles, as a discussion over a recent study at the University of Indiana Medical School, as reported in a December 2002 UPI Science News article, that suggests that playing violent video games disrupts the normal function of the brain, making children less able to understand the effects of actual violence. There are articles too on High Stakes Testing Project, discussing its serious consequences for students, teachers, and schools.

Find more information on Alliance work and how to support it on http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/ .

Alliance has local offices. See below:

Germany
Alliance For Childhood, c/o Internationale Vereinigung der Waldorfkindergärten e.V.J.Flinspach/P.Lang/Dr.W.Sassmannshausen
Heubergstrasse 18
D-70188 Stuttgart
www.allianceforchildhood.de
Belgium
Alliance For Childhood, c/o Werner Govaerts
Lange Lozanastaat 117
B-2018 Antwerpen
internatalliance.childhood@online.be
Brazil
Aliança pela Infância, a/c Ute Craemer
Associação Comunitária Monte Azul
Av.Tomás de Sousa, 552
São Paulo - SP
05836-350
Tel: 5851.162O - 5851.537O
Fax: 5851.1089
utecraemer@monteazul.org.br - www.aliancapelainfancia.org.br
Spain
Alliance For Childhood c/o Heidi Bieler
Fund. Rudolf Steiner, Apto. 25
E-28230 Las Rozas - Madrid
USA
Alliance For Childhood, c/o Joan Almon
P. O Box 444
College Park, MD 20741
info@allianceforchildhood.net - www.allianceforchildhood.org
França
Alliance For Childhood, c/o Philip Reubke
77, Le Gazon
F-68910 Labaroche
England
Alliance For Childhood, c/o Christopher Clouder
Kidbrooke Park
Forest Row Ph19 5JA
Sweden
Alliance For Chilhood, c/o Geseke Lundgren
Dragonvägen 13
S-177675 Järfälla
Swiss
Alliance For Childhood, c/o Dr. Michaela Glöckler/Hans Herbert Holliger
Goetheanum, Med.Sektion
Ch-4143 Dornach
med.sektion@goetheanum.ch

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