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

Activities
of the
Secretariat
in conducting action research. Each year they hold one regional
meeting of the ECECD network and a participatory workshop on a
key theme in ECECD. (This year it was on “<strong>Inclusive</strong> Education”.)
Although they have identified several long term themes they wish
to address (policy and the conceptual framework for <strong>ECCD</strong> actions),
the evolution of the network’s activities is organic, arising from the
interests and needs of the participants.
South Asia Network:
Caroline Arnold
Regional Child Development Adviser
Save the Children (USA)/Redd Barna
Box 2218 Maharajgunj (Behind Shivapuri school)
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: (977) 412598/412447
E-mail: carnold@scus.mos.com.np
This network has a number of different training activities for <strong>ECCD</strong>
partners, including the development and exchange of short papers on
particular topics; exchanges/training with partners in the region,
including site visits; the development of an e-mail bulletin board (the
Whole Asia Bulletin Board) for sharing training resources, regional
events, issues, and problems; and documenting successful efforts.
There is a strong linkage between this network and the one in South
East Asia; the two have coordinated exchange of information about
programmes and concerns, as is reflected in the joint Asian ECD
Newsletter.
Participation in the network at this point includes Save the
Children personnel, national NGOs, UNICEF personnel in the
region, and governments. In March, a week-long Workshop on
<strong>ECCD</strong> was sponsored by UNICEF in conjunction with an international
conference on Early Childhood for Health Professionals put on
by the Aga Khan University in Karachi. This dual event identified
some new participants for the network, and generated lots of support
and enthusiasm for UNICEF’s new emphasis on <strong>ECCD</strong>.
The network coordinators see one of their tasks as capacity-building
of community level personnel. In addition, there is a strong concern
about the low status of <strong>ECCD</strong> within the region, and the lack of
programme sustainability. Descriptions of effective programme
approaches in the region are being circulated within the network,
along with information on interesting action research projects, such
as the study in Bangladesh of how children of garment workers are
cared for by their families.
Network Notes COORDINATORS’ NOTEBOOK, ISSUE 22
61