27th INFAD International Congress in Braga (Portugal)

Fortunately, in 1954, the United Nations Assembly, by resolution 836 (IX) of 14th December, recommended that a Universal Children’s Day would be instituted in all countries. Later, 20th November 1989, the same organization adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which gives impulse to INFAD and to the Research Centre on Child Studies (CIEC) of the Institute of Education of the University of Minho, in order to perform an International Congress, to respond to the requirements of the Convention when celebrates its 30 years. In the person’s life, there are crucial moments for their development, being the initials of his life we know that they will leave an indelible mark in their existence. If the physical food is important for growth, also stimulus, affection, education, family structure, social behaviours around individuals, security, etc., will be still more essential. Without these psychological supports, stable and positive development challenges will be huge. It is in this sense that our Congress intends to learn, contribute, investigate the outlines of these first years of childhood and adolescence and everything that psychology, education and society develops and researches in that sense. This International Conference provides a space where to provide the first and pioneering research and/or work in progress data, to compare contributions, opinions, suggestions and offer them to the scientific community. The Congress aims to synthesize a place where many researchers, bring us their work, new lines of research, enthusiasm, effort and above all much updating of knowledge, much validity of current issues of Science and mainly enthusiasm for sharing knowledge and bring new thoughts. This Congress promotes the approach and the relationship between the different professionals who participated in it. The theme of this Conference, on “Psychology and Health Promotion in Childhood and Adolescence” allows us to gather experts, present research and start a deep reflection about those early years of childhood and adolescence as distinct stages of human development.