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

Network Notes COORDINATORS’ NOTEBOOK, ISSUE 22
no system has been set in place for monitoring the implementation of
the plans; in most countries there is no existing data base on young
children, which means that it is extremely difficult to measure
progress; although the policy was universally approved, the regional
offices have not been empowered to act on behalf of CARICOM to
push implementation; no budget has been set up to support the
process; and the policy is not adequately linked to national goals
related to poverty alleviation.
The network, and in particular the Caribbean Child Development
Center (CCDC), have been called on by diverse international agencies,
by governments, and by UNICEF and others to provide technical
assistance in addressing the situation of young children through
programming, and to set up a resource centre for the region.
However, they are experiencing a need for funds to support their
infrastructure, in particular to cover staff salaries. This is a good example
of a place where a network needs to be strengthened in order to support
activity on tasks on which governments, development agencies,
and practitioners have already reached agreement. The expertise
exists within the region, but it needs to be funded to do the work set
out by the joint planners.
National activities in a number of Caribbean countries are going
forward, but central to these is a request for technical assistance by
governments to UNICEF, (who has, in turn, requested this service of
the Network), and others.
Arab Resource Collective:
Ghanem Bibi
Arab Resource Collective
P.O. Box 7380
Nicosia, Cyprus
Tel: 3572-766741; Fax: 3572-766790
E-mail: arccyp@spidernet.com.cy
The Network of Arab Countries is organised by the Arab Resource
Collective (ARC), which works in Lebanon (including the Palestinian
refugee camps), Palestine, Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and
Yemen. They are reaching out to NGOs in Tunisia, Syria, and Iraq as
well. ARC’s activities include ECECD (Early Childhood Education
Care and Development), Child to Child, Child Rights, “Better
Childhood in the Arab World”,Youth projects, and Women’s
Empowerment. They are working to integrate these themes throughout
their activities, and within the organisation of their cooperative efforts.
The network functions as a cooperative, working to educate and
evolve their “collective mind”. Key values include holistic integrated
programming, participation and the empowerment of participants,
partnerships, and parent involvement. They work hard to make sure
that each participant develops an active and shared understanding of
these concepts, beyond mere rhetoric. The collective is engaged in
documentation, including collecting and disseminating materials in
ECECD (in Arabic and English), putting together a data base, writing
country profiles of ECECD provision within each country, developing
a training manual in ECECD which details a process for training
Activities
of the
Secretariat
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