Date: 22 January 2025

As the new year began, Dr. John Lombardi, Director at Early Opportunities, and Fabiola A. Lara, Founder and Principal Consultant of EquaNurture, issued a compelling call to action titled “Action for Children 2025: Building Safer, Greener, and Peaceful Environments,” published in an EquaNurture blog post.

The call emphasized the critical necessity to enhance the conditions of children globally amid growing risks in 2024, foremost among them being conflicts and wars, climate and environmental degradation, and the compounded threats to children’s physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development.

To highlight the extent of the deterioration in children’s conditions at various levels, the call referenced global reports such as The Choking Futures: How Air Pollution Robs the Breath of Our Youngest and the World Health Organization‘s discussions on the impact of climate change on children. It also cited UNICEF, which pointed to the increasing number of children living in conflict zones or who have been subjected to forced displacement over the past year.

In this context, the call urged collective action to tackle these pressing issues, while also calling on individuals and communities to:

• Share and amplify stories of vulnerable groups.
• Advocate for child-sensitive policies that promote sustainability and resilience.
• Promote green education and nurture empathy in children.
• Prepare for emergencies with child-focused strategies.