Amber Publications & TRAINING LTD

Why call it Amber?

Amber encapsulated EECERA at its inception. As a symbol for a new unity in early childhood across Europe, which EECERA was seeking, ‘Amber’ had many historical and mythological allusions. European trade in Amber predates the ancient worlds of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and the ‘Amber Roads’ and sea routes that linked the Mediterranean with the Baltic, were the precursors of a first European identity. Amber, is a ‘stone’ that has multiple organic identities. It captures sunlight, it burns, it is fished from the sea and it seems to be able to embalm life within it. To Northern Europeans the warm eye of an amber pendant could watch over children. To Greeks, amber was formed from the tears of the daughters of the sun god mourning the death of their brother killed by thunderbolt from their father. The Greek word for amber is ‘elecktron’, recognising the static attraction that is created when it is rubbed against clothing. Amber attracts.

Today Amber Publications and Training Ltd is an ethically grounded, limited company which wishes to be regarded as an electrifying force, caring for young children and linking the diverse communities of Europe and beyond with warmth and enchantment. It seeks to raise both the visibility and the quality of our provision for young children and families by delivering research and development opportunities for providers, policy makers and academics. .