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

Network Notes COORDINATORS’ NOTEBOOK, ISSUE 22
Earlier in the year (February 10, 1998), IADB organized a
Conference related to what is known about brain development. The
title of the conference was Early Childhood and the Brain: A Pathway
to Learning and Health and Well-being Throughout Life, presented
by Prof. Fraser Mustard.
The invitation to the Conference stated: Early child development
has an impact upon the ability of human beings to learn, to maintain
health, and to develop to their full potential throughout their lives.
Recent discoveries in neuro-science are opening new opportunities
for early child development and thus become important elements in
the efforts to improve human capital. Emotional intelligence, management
of chronic stress, early sheltering, stimulation, and affection
are important topics within this field.
In 1982, Fraser Mustard created the Canadian Institute for
Advanced Research. The Institute is a research network that studies
complex problems in the sciences and social sciences involving over
200 researchers in Canada, the United States, Europe, Israel and
Japan. The programs include areas such as Cosmology, Evolutionary
Biology and the Determinants of Economic Growth. The output from
these programs has influenced policies in the public and private sectors
in such areas as science and technology, economic growth,
health and human development.
In his presentation, Prof. Mustard shared his experience in linking
research results with practical interventions in the critical areas of
economic and social development. Some of his thinking is reflected in
the book by Robert Evans, Morris Barer, and Ted Marmor, “Why Some
People are Healthy and Others Not: The Determinants of Health of
Populations”, an approach to Epidemiology where the benefits and costs
of health services are compared with other factors influencing health.
Fraser Mustard’s presentation included a series of charts that dramatically
represent the impact of early deficits on later development.
For copies contact Ricardo Moran at IADB.
World Bank
The World Bank has published a Manual for Web Site Users for the Early
Child Development KMS homepage. This publication was distributed during
the World Bank training week in early March 1998. The World Bank is
in the process of distributing copies of the Manual to friends of
<strong>ECCD</strong>. If you are interested in receiving a copy, kindly forward your
address to: eosbourne@worldbank.org, or contact Euna Osbourne at
(202) 473-0837.
The Bank has been undergoing a re-organisation process, which
has resulted in the following units:
Operations which contains the regional offices (Africa, Latin
America and the Caribbean, South Asia, South East Asia, Central
Asia, and MENA). These offices have limited budgets, but provide
technical assistance to country desks (at Headquarters), which control
much of the lending budget.
DEC—The division concerned with research and economic analysis.
EDI—The focus here is on training.
HD—The Division which has more content focus: Education,
Health, Social Protection, etc. (Mary Young is housed in the
Education section of this division.)
ISP—The Institute for Social Policy which is responsible for
Bank/NGO relations.
Activities
of the
Partners
70