Philosophy confronts two existential crises: the threats to its existence from scientists like Stephen Hawking who claim that philosophy is dead; and the threat to life itself from catastrophic climate change. The essay's first theoretical part critiques Nietzsche's claim that philosophy's primary function is to guarantee the future of life. The…

The Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA) has been working to improve conditions for San communities since 1996. San communities in Namibia have an extremely high dropout rate compared to all other populations in the country, and one of WIMSA's most important areas of focus is education. Early Childhood Development…

Over the last decade, Papua New Guinea (PNG) has pursued educational reform in elementary teacher education. Because elementary teachers and teacher education are central to the reform agenda, there is a need to gain empirical evidence about how PNG teacher trainers' understandings about learning and teaching impact on their practice. The study…

A discussion of the development of an early childhood education program in American Samoa focuses first on the creation of a televised series. The show, directed to children under six, deals with familiar Samoan village life and includes original songs, rhymes, and stories. At the same time, the concept of learning centers in each community is…

The monograph addresses, from an Australian perspective, strategies to help disabled youth make the transition from school to work. The first chapter discusses underlying philosophy and principles (normalization, independent living, self-determination, the role of education in the transition process, and the role of work in adult living). Issues…

Describes the four levels of the early childhood education system in Cuba. Includes information on home visit programs for new parents, child care programs, preschool programs, programs for 5-year-olds, and primary school programs. Emphasizes that parents, relatives, teachers, and the larger community share the responsibility of educating young…

Community-based early childhood education and development programs can serve a geographical community, but may also serve a group not necessarily from the same community but who have a deep interest in one or more community-based schools. This set of booklets provides a proposal and program characteristics for a community-based early childhood…

During the 1987 World Health Organization's Regional Assembly, the Ministers of Health of the African States launched the Bamako Initiative, an effort aimed at reorganizing the health system to ensure universal, permanent accessibility of maternal and child health services. Three conditions were initially seen as necessary for success: improvement…

To become effective health promoting establishments which achieve the maximum impact on children, young people and families and on the local community, schools and pre-school centres need to operate within a strategic framework developed at the highest levels within their local council and community area. Effective councils are committed to…

In 1977, the Bernard van Leer Foundation began supporting a project in Colombia that had the objective of improving the quality of early childhood care and education in a small village. The Costa Atlantica project offered an approach to development that was based on community organization, social management, participation, cooperation, popular…

In 1977, the Bernard van Leer Foundation began supporting a project in Colombia that had the objective of improving the quality of early childhood care and education in a small village. The Costa Atlantica project offered an approach to development that was based on community organization, social management, participation, cooperation, popular…

The University of Guelph Rural Development Outreach Project (RDOP) as it was conceived, organized and utilized in rural communities in Ontario is the major focus of this document; the concluding sections describe some of the problems of Outreach implementation and suggest some possible courses for continuing and expanding the project. There is…

This report describes early childhood development (ECD) in Africa and the Bernard van Leer Foundation's strategies for early childhood programs in African nations. Chapter 1 examines the context in which Africa's children are growing up, focusing on the hardships that many children face, as well as the efforts made by families, communities, and…

How education has been used for rural development in the People's Republic of China since 1949 may have important lessons for other nations, particularly in the area of nonformal schools. Responsibility for all education lies with the commune. Educational programs, enthusiastically received by the people, support local needs and development rather…