Sheldon Shaeffer/ Bangkok: Former Director of UNESCO‘s Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education / 

Chair of the Board of Directors at Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) 

9 October 2026 

It’s really not possible to add anything meaningful to the tributes that have already been sent concerning Youssef as a loyal, vibrant, kind, and generous friend and as another of the great pioneers in ECCD who contributed so much to both the concept and the strength of networking and the creation of actual global and regional networks (CG, ECDAN, ARC, ANECD) which still have an impact today.

It’s in the stream below where, but just over a month ago and in response to the invitation to join what has now become the CCECD, Youssef wrote:

“Though I am not really active in the field anymore, I am glad to be included in this exchange,

and to see that collective approaches are still on”.

His guidance in this new “collective approach” will be very much missed. But may his example and spirit, as well as Judith’s, continue to inspire us.