World Forum Foundation, headquartered in Redmond, recently joined world leaders at the 5th Annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), in New York City. Former President Bill Clinton, founder of CGI, presented this year’s action areas: harnessing innovation, strengthening infrastructure, building human capital and financing an equitable future.

Roger Neugebauer, president and co-founder of the World Forum Foundation, was among 960 invited guests from 84 countries, including world leaders, top CEOs, heads of state, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.

The World Forum Foundation, a non-profit organization, was founded by Bonnie and Roger Neugebauer in 1998 to bring together early childhood practitioners from around the world to address issues in delivering quality services to children in diverse settings.

According to Roger, this group includes “teachers and directors of child care centers, family child care providers, Head Start workers and trainers of these early childhood educators.”

Roger added, “What a tremendous opportunity—to be invited to be a member of CGI. Making connections is the goal of CGI, and that’s what I spent my week doing. On behalf of the World Forum Foundation, I initiated 40 partnerships with other organizations to build our global projects on connecting children with nature, immigration and young children, indigenous people, HIV/AIDS and young children, and global leaders for young children.”

We asked about the main problems facing children’s health and education worldwide and the biggest challenges for kids in Redmond.

“In developing countries,” said Roger, “the challenges children face area all about survival — impact of AIDS on them and their families, access to safe drinking water, pollution from indoor wood cooking, malnutrition, being caught in the midst of adult violence and access to basic education.”

“In industrialized nations and in Redmond,” he said, “challenges more relate to the loss of the wonder years — academic instruction being forced upon younger and younger children, untold hours spent watching TV and playing video games. As a result, children are becoming hyperactive and obese. They should be allowed to enjoy their childhoods, playing, running and exploring.”

This year, he reported the main themes explored at the Clinton Global Initiative were “climate change, safe water, supporting the well-being of girls and women, rethinking how we educate our children, the impact of the current recession on developing nations and investing to promote social change.”

Here in Redmond, the World Forum Foundation “brings early childhood people around the world to share ideas and develop new ways of addressing challenges,” said Roger.

“People in Redmond who care about the well-being of all the world’s young children (0-8) can get involved in our projects on AIDS and young children, peace building with young children, connecting children with nature, preserving indigenous cultures, children without homes, immigration and young children and play.”

For more information, call the World Forum Foundation at (206) 499-4830 or visit www.WorldForumFoundation.org.