SYNERGY BETWEEN TRAINING, ACTION-RESEARCH
AND DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE
The strength of the International Children's Centre lies in the combined
effect of its three modes of action. Training, action-research, and dissemination
of knowledge are mutually enriching and complementary with each other.
Training
ICC has developed training activities at postgraduate level for professionals
responsible for children and health, chiefly those who are institutional
decision-makers or trainers. This training is not intended to replace national
educational systems but to complement, update, or refresh the knowledge
of the professionals concerned, and to build or strengthen local teams who
are in a position to plan, implement, and evaluate programmes adapted to
local needs.
ICC offers different types of training: international courses lasting from
one to three months and held in Paris, shorter sessions at national or regional
levels, and distance training in preparation for certain of its courses.
In cooperation with universities, ICC also elaborates training activities
leading to a diploma and suited to the local contexts (this is the case
in Brazil and Ecuador).
ICC provides training modules to other institutions, which enables it to
'lexportll its methodology as well as to enhance its value.
It also receives postgraduate students and trainees and provides them with
guidance for their scientific or documentary studies.
Action-research
Field studies, whether epidemiological or multidisciplinary, always include
operational goals. The reliability and scientific quality of data are important
to ICC, since they will be used for training programmes and as measurement
criteria in programme evaluation. These studies lead ICC to furnish technical
assistance to local administrations and researchers for the planning,
the implementation and the evaluation of numerous action programmes on the
field, including pilot studies. Constant vigilance makes it possible to
identify problems as soon as they arise and thus to define new directions
for work, as has been the case for the socio-economic aspects of Aids.
Action-research programmes are usually carried out with the cooperation
and financial support of international organizations, national administrations,
or agencies providing cooperation. These institutions also request ICC participation
in a large number of advisory consultant visits.
Dissemination of knowledge
ICC has available a library, a documentation centre, and a data-base on
all subjects relating to children.
The public concerned, and especially research workers throughout the world,
thus have access to 18,000 volumes, 500 periodicals, 1000 theses, a large
number of unpublished documents, and a computerized data-base containing
130,000 bibliographical references from seventy different countries. This
data-base is kept continuously up-to-date and is published periodically
on CD-ROM. It enables bibliographical references and abstracts to be provided
to individuals and organizations.
ICC produces several publications: a journal (Children in the Tropics),
bibliographical digests (Children and television; Children and City Life;
Aids, Children and Families) and methodological or training manuals, as
well as proceedings of the seminars that it organizes. Together with the
publishing firm Syros, ICC has created a series entitled llEnfance et Societes"
(l'Children and societyll), to which it contributes several titles a year.
As a meeting-place for discussion, ICC holds seminars or symposia several
times a year on subjects of concern to professionals dealing with children.
Subjects recently covered include: adoption, children and play, street children,
refugee children, sick children and the medical environment, and breastfeeding.
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