ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a critical discussion of constructions of childhood and children’s identity in the global South from a policy perspective. It argues for the centrality of recognising how children are to be encouraged to construct and shape their own identities in the society in which they live. The chapter outlines the case for prioritising children from a policy perspective, as exemplified through the findings of a funded international study of early childhood development (ECD) and peacebuilding in the East Asia and Asia Pacific region. The social and economic case for prioritising young children and ECD, as the term is commonly used in the global discourse, is well evidenced. The importance of ECD is also widely acknowledged by the international community as a transformative social agenda. The chapter examines the multi-dimensions of children’s role as represented in the global advocacy and policy discourses, through a systematic review of existing policy and research literature derived from targeted secondary databases.
