Addressing diversity and inclusion in the early years in conflict‐affected societies: a case study of the Media Initiative for Children1—Northern Ireland

This article reports on the development and systematic evaluation of an innovative early years programme aimed at encouraging young children to respect differences within a deeply divided society that is emerging out of a prolonged period of violent conflict. The programme, the Media Initiative for Children—Northern Ireland, has been the product of a partnership between a US‐based organization (the Peace Initiatives Institute) and NIPPA—The Early Years Organisation, and has been supported by academic research and the efforts of a range of voluntary and statutory organizations. It has attempted to encourage young children to value diversity and be more inclusive of those who are different from themselves through the use of short cartoons designed for and broadcast on television as well as specially prepared curricular materials for use in pre‐school settings. To date the programme has been delivered through 200 settings to approximately 3500 pre‐school children across Northern Ireland. This article describ...