Inclusive ECCD: - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...

Network
Notes
Activities of
the Secretariat.......p.57
Activities of
the Partners..........p.66
New
Organizations .....p.75
Calendar..............p.77
Activities
of the
Secretariat
At our April 1997 meeting, partners of the <strong>Consultative</strong> <strong>Group</strong>
agreed on two broad lines of action for the coming years. First, to
promote regional networking among groups working to support
young children and families, serving as a forum for inter-regional
exchange. Second, to participate as a partner in Bernard van Leer
Foundation’s Effectiveness Initiative, a 3-year effort to look at what
makes early childhood programming effective, how, and why. (See
more extensive description on page 51). In addition, the <strong>Consultative</strong>
<strong>Group</strong> Secretariat will continue to:
■ promote inter-agency exchanges
■ gather, synthesize, and disseminate information on research and
practice related to early childhood in Majority World contexts
■ backstop its partner organizations in their <strong>ECCD</strong> development
and policy formulation
■ reach out to new organizations in a position to contribute knowledge
and experience to the growing knowledge base about what
can be done to support young children and families in Majority
World contexts
■
advocate on behalf of young children and families within international
fora
The <strong>Consultative</strong> <strong>Group</strong> Secretariat continues its metamorphosis
this year in response to our decision to focus more strongly on
regional networking. In addition to incorporating regionally-based
members into the Secretariat, we will move our administrative office
to The Hague, Netherlands. Judith Evans and Ellen Ilfeld will be
based there. Judith will be directing the Secretariat as well as overseeing
the Effectiveness Initiative sponsored by the Bernard van Leer
Foundation, in partnership with the <strong>Consultative</strong> <strong>Group</strong> and other
organizations.
Robert Myers will continue to work with the Secretariat on knowledge
synthesis and creation from his base in Mexico City, Mexico.
The regional members of the Secretariat will each be focused on
reaching out to key agencies and groups within their regions, creating
or helping to strengthen regional consultative processes. It is our
goal to create a strong team, based around the globe, which can
advocate effectively on behalf of young children, can pool knowl-
Network Notes COORDINATORS’ NOTEBOOK, ISSUE 22
57