Press Release
Committee for Children Hosts International Meeting on Violence Prevention
President, Ambassador Discuss Violence Prevention with International Partners
Seattle, Washington—His Excellency Valdas Adamkus, President of Lithuania, today praised the Second Step violence prevention program at Committee for Children’s sixth annual International Consortium in Vilnius. President Adamkus spoke about the importance of teaching social and emotional skills in general and the Second Step program in particular. U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania John Cloud and his wife Mary are also attending the meeting, which ends May 13.
The International Consortium brings together representatives of some of the many countries that have adapted the Second Step program to teach children how to interact positively with others and resist violence. The nations and regions represented at this year’s conference include Japan, Kurdistan (Iraq), Germany, Guatemala, Venezuela and the Philippines.
Joan Cole Duffell, Committee for Children’s Director of Partnerships, is greatly encouraged by the international enthusiasm for the SECOND STEP program. For example, King Harald of Norway recently visited a school in Norway to observe the enthusiastic implementation of Steg for Steg, the Norwegian version of the SECOND STEP program. “This gathering of world partners is a testament to the importance of social and emotional learning for children across the globe,” Duffell says. “Together, we take one step closer to our vision of safe children thriving in a peaceful world.”
Committee for Children’s SECOND STEP violence prevention curriculum teaches children social and emotional skills to help them succeed in school and in life. With empathy as a cornerstone, the program teaches children healthy ways to solve problems, manage emotions and communicate with words instead of aggression. The curriculum has been adapted for use in 21 nations and has affected the lives of more than 35 million children since its creation in 1989.
For almost 30 years, Committee for Children has created research-based programs to help children from preschool through middle school learn healthy ways to handle their emotions, address bullying and abuse, make friends and solve problems. Today they are helping 7 million children develop vital social and emotional skills to stay safe from violence, bullying and sexual abuse.
