Photo F.Zabaleta

PROFILE Dr Claudine BRELET is a social scientist specialized in cross-cultural research on sustainable development (education and training in water, health, agriculture, environment, ethics and gender issues). Her experience includes field-work in Tropical Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe (real and felt needs evaluation; strategy, projects design, monitoring, implementation and assessment; institutional and participative management; budgetary planning; training). Former staff member of WHO (Education for Health). Former Head of the Information Services of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA/CGIAR/UNEP), Ibadan, Nigeria. Senior consultant for UNESCO/International Hydrological Programme and the Institute for Environment and Human Security / United Nations University. Scientific, Advisor, Museo di Etnomedicina “A. Scarpa”, Genova, Italy http://emdb.lettere.unige.it/museo/homepageING.htm Director of the series “Cultures and Medicines”, Editions L’Harmattan, Paris.

TRAINING & DIPLOMAS

1998 - Diploma of Research Director in Social Sciences, University of Nice Sophia/Antipolis, France.
1994 - Ph.D. in Ethno-Anthropology, University of Strasbourg: The United Nations and Applied Anthropology: a project for a new civilization. Awarded the highest academic distinction by the Jury.
1979 - D.E.A. in Social Sciences, Univ. of Strasbourg.
1978 - M.A. in Ethnology, Univ. of Strasbourg.
1962-66 - "Licence" in Ethnology, Univ. of Paris (Institute of Ethnology, Musée de l'Homme).
1966 and 1966 - Trainee, Institute and Museum of Ethnography, Sofia, Bulgaria (field-work on traditional medicine); scholarship from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

COUNTRIES OF RESIDENCE & FIELD-WORK

Benin, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Denmark, Eire, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, USA...

LANGUAGES

French: mother-tongue
English: excellent
Spanish: excellent
Italian, Portuguese: reading knowledge
Bulgarian, German: basic knowledge

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1991-2006 - UNESCO/International Hydrological Programme
• Designed "NETWA", a computerized Network on Water Anthropology - a pilot-project for engineering and socio-cultural interaction, presented at the 3rd World Water Forum, Session on "Water and Cultural Diversity", Kyoto, March 2003, and during the Session on “Water and Cultural Diversity. Mediating for Sustainable Development”, 4th World Water Forum, Mexico, March 2006.
• Authored various publications on Water and Ethics, Water and Education, Water and Women, Water and Health, and a series of Radio Programmes aimed at Women for Broadcasting Stations in Africa.

1997-99 Field Faculty Advisor, M.A. in Integrative Education, cyber-campus of the Institute for Educational Studies, Oakland, California.

1996 Head, Information Services, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria. Executive Manager of 60 Nigerians & 2 expatriates: Public Affairs & Media; Publications, Graphics & Audio-Visual Unit, Conference Centre, Reference Library. Regional and national needs evaluation; strategy; projects design, monitoring, implementation and assessment; institutional and participative management; budgetary planning; staff training.

1992 Advisor, the President's Office, Media Campaign for the World Summit on Poor Rural Women, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Rome, Italy.

1990-92 Lecturer, Institute of Political Studies, Univ. of Paris (From politics to planetics with the UN system: from "progress" to "development"). Chargé commissioned by the French Delegation to International Civil Servants, Prime Minister Services, Paris.

1987 Media Division, DPI, International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva.

1980-90 Information Officer, Grade P-4, World Health Organization, Division of Information and Education for Health (Geneva, New York, Copenhagen) :

• Editor-in-Chief and Manager of "The WHO Newsletter Appropriate Technology for Health" (promotion of primary health care, water and sanitation), published in Arabic, English, French and Spanish. 
• Designed the package Our Planet... Our Health for the World Health Day 90 and the Earth Summit, Rio, 1992; negotiated Edgar Mitchell's and Valentina Tereshkova's signatures for the related booklet preface; fund-raised for its the production. 
• Spokeswoman/PIO, WHO Liaison Office with the UN Secretariat, New York, UN's 40th Anniversary (1985-86).  
• Information strategy and fund-raising.  
• Advisor, Ministry of Health, Lima, Peru: national campaign on primary health care (1986). 
• Assessment & strengthening of public health services and health educational programs.

 
MEMBERSHIPS

1998  Board Member, Society of Euro-Asian Studies, Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France.
1995  Full Member, The Scientific & Medical Network, Scotland.
1994   The Shapers of Education International Network, The Netherlands.
1993  Société d'Anthropologie de Paris, Museum d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France.
1992  The International Lawrence Durrell Society, NewYork, USA.
1988  Honorary Member, International Advisory Pannel, The American Foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, San Francisco, USA.
1981   Société des Gens de Lettres de France, Paris.


AWARDS

1976

• Laureate of the Académie française for her book Sacred Medicines / Médecines traditionnelles sacrées.
• Silver Eagle, Best Educational Book for Children, International Books Fair, Nice, France for her book Tell me, how was I born? / Dis-moi, comment je suis né ?

LECTURES

1977 to present authored 14 books and manuals. : in English and French on Education and Sustainble Development: health, water, women, food production and agriculture, cultural diversity, ethics, human rights... for universities, media, research institutes, hospitals, NGOs... in Benin, Cameroon, Canada, Denmark, France, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Switzerland, USA...

PUBLICATIONS (see annex next page)

1975 to present: authored 12 books and manuals.

1979-82: Editor-in-Chief of the French version of CoEvolution Quaterly.

1967 to present: free-lance journalist, radio and TV + articles, investigations, interviews, reports in Mazingira, Revue du Planning familial français, Elle, L'Express, Le Monde diplomatique, The UNESCO Courier, l'Evénement européen... and other media in Canada, Italy, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Swizerland, U.K., USA....

1970 to present: Translator from English and Spanish to French: 7 books and a number of scientific reports and articles.