DE News September 2011

KADE (Kerry Action for Development Education) is offering this in-service training courseto increase adult basic skills/literacy educators' capacity to assist their students learning. The course will examine integrating DevEd theory and methodologies into adult education with participants facilitated in exploring the integration of these into their own work

Between February and May 2012 KADE will hold two sessions of its Global Citizens in-service training course. The course is aimed at adult basic skills/literacy educators and its objective is to increase attendees' capacity to assist their students learning through the integration of Development Education elements. Participants will examine DE theories and methodologies with a series of experts.

Session 1 runs from March 26th to 30th 2012, while session 2 runs from April 30th to May 4th 2012. The course is included on the EU Comenius - Grundtvig Training Database (#IE-2011-211-002) and a grant is available under the EU Grundtvig Inservice programme to cover travel & accommodation expenses and fees for the course.

The closing date for receipt of funding applications is September 16th.

Those interested in attending the course can find further information on the KADE website: www.kade.ie/globalcitizens or from KADE's coordinator, Mary McGillicuddy, on coordinator@kade.ie or +353 66 718 1358.

This training course has been approved and is included in the Comenius - Grundtvig Training Database, reference number (#IE-2011-211-002).

NYCI development education team is looking to gather examples of doing development education in youth work. We are looking for stories of development education in all types of youth work settings, and all over the country. Please contact us to tell your story...

To see previous examples of good practice in development education from youth work organsiations, see our publication "Going Global".

This course takes place over two residential trainings, both lasting three days and has an optional support day for completion of FETAC portfolios. Participants will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver quality development education, inspiring the young people with whom you work to act for a more just and equal world. The course fee is €300, and includes 6 days of the course, meals and accommodation. A course will take place in Autumn 2011 in Cork.

Final dates of the course in Cork will be confirmed soon.

Learning content:

• Understanding globalisation and global issues.
• Exploring perspectives and values in youth work.
• Examining interdependency and action.
• Developing facilitation skills relevant to Development Education

Designed for: Those with at least one years experience as a youth worker/leader.

Participants must have an interest in global justice issues and be at least 18 years of age. Participation in both residential phases of a course is a pre-requisite.

Numbers:Approx 10-15 participants

For more information, visit our site or contact Alan.

Check out latest international opportunities for young people - Youth democracy seminar (Netherlands), International Youth Pass (Spain), and Citizenship training course (Romania).

Note! VERY tight deadlines on these so please note application closing dates.

http://international.youth.ie/content/act-youth-democracy-contact-making-seminar-de-glind-netherlands-24-28-october-2011

http://international.youth.ie/content/international-youthpass-canary-island-spain-22-26-november-2011

http://international.youth.ie/content/european-citizenship-training-course-ectc-31-oct-6-nov-2011-romania

Contact international@nyci.ie for more information or call 01-4255945

Further information from the Network Migration in Europe is now available on their new Learning Centre on Migration and Human Rights.

The learning centre is a portal for human rights education in the field of forced migration in the 20th and 21st century in the context of European immigration societies. The learning centre targets trainers, teachers and human rights activists working in formal and informal learning settings: schools, universities, out-of-school education, human rights NGOs, adult-learning settings etc.

The centre provides learning modules on today’s challenges and historical fractions and continuities of human rights protection of refugees and migrants. Moreover, it gives new approaches and methods of human rights education in different formal and informal learning arrangements and contexts. Further, learning resources of human rights education activities in the framework of European citizenship education and life long learning projects are illustrated.

You can access the Centre on their information platform http://www.migrationeducation.org/33.0.html

DEEEP has launced the latest thematic dossier 'DEAR matters: Strategic approaches to development education in Europe'. The need to address development education and awareness raising (DEAR) in a systematic and strategic way is increasingly recognised by a broad range of state- and non-state actors in Europe.

The dossier documents various approaches to development education strategies, highlighting successes but also challenges. National strategies are discussed through the examples of Czech Republic, Portugal, Poland and UK. It contains a proposition for a European development education strategy and a reflection from Norway on the place of DEAR within the aid system.

DEEEP is a project funded by the European Commission to coordinate and manage the activities of the DARE forum (development education working group of CONCORD, the European assoicaton of development NGOs).

For more information, on DEEEP, DARE and CONCORD, and to read the new dossier, click here!
 

Current Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were elected by 43% of the European citizens. Unfortunately youth participation 9aged 18-24) is slipping lower. The European Youth forum has now launced a 'League of Young Voters' project to incrase young voters participation in the next European elections in 2014 and would like your input and ideas.

The youth participation (18-24) in the 2009 elections dropped to 29% compared to the 33% in the 2004 elections. There was a difference of 21% between the 18-24 age group and the 55+ age group, 50% of which went to the polls.

• What reasons kept the young people away from the ballots?
• How can this trend be reversed?
• What are the most relevant issues for young citizens, and what are the best opportunities and tools to treat them?
• How should the 2014 European electoral campaign address the youth to better involve them in the EU debates?

These are just some of the questions that pushed the European Youth Forum (YFJ) to launch the “League of Young Voters” project.

The “League of Young Voters” aims at enhancing youth participation in the 2014 European Parliament elections. The League will accomplish this by raising awareness among young Europeans, inform them what is at stake for them in the elections and provide non-partisan information about the positioning of the different political parties. In addition, it will aim at informing political parties what young people's concerns are so that they can be included in their election campaigns, as well as influencing EU public policy through advocacy.

Your Support

We would love to hear your thoughts on this project! The key questions we would like to get a response to are:

• What reasons kept the young people away from the ballots?
• How can this trend be reversed?
• What are the most relevant issues for young citizens, and what are the best opportunities and tools to treat them?
• How should the 2014 European electoral campaign address the youth to better involve them in the EU debates?

Until the “League of Young Voters” can become fully operational in the run-up of the European Parliament elections 2014, different phases of the project are planned as follows:

• 2011
  • Feasibility study and preparation of the full project (July – October 2011)
  • Test phase in one country in mid-2012 (for example France, Slovenia, etc.)

• 2012-2013
  • Reparation for European Elections 2014

• Mid 2013
  • Kick off of the League one year before European Elections

• 2013-2014
  • The League campaigns for the EP Elections
  • Post-election: evaluation of results of the Campaign and of the League/preparation of next steps

Feasibility Phase

Currently, the feasibility study is ongoing. It consists of two parts - core youth issues and youth-friendly information. The study will explore:

• Which issues are of utmost concern for young people that would motivate them to participate in elections?

It will then look at data from the 2009 and 2004 European Parliament elections to see the level and quality of the   appearance of such issues in pre-election campaigns in order to test whether there was any effort for a content-related appeal to the young electorate.

The underlying research premise is that young people are not the main target group when it comes to the election campaign which results in the campaign not including youth friendly and youth-specific information

At the end of the phase, a full project proposal for the continuation of the project until 2014 will be developed.

In addition, if you have any suggestions regarding the research, ideas which organisations would be interested in this project (contacts) or anything else, please contact Valerie international@nyci.ie

Deadline for submissions: September 12th 2011

Help make this project a success!

20 years after the original Earth Summit, Heads of State will meet again in Rio de Janeiro in May 2012 for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. The issues to be discussed are the building of a green economy and sustainable development govern ance.

Sustainable development is defined by the Brundtland Commission as "meeting the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs".

Road to Rio+20 is the global youth mobilization initiative towards the UN Conference on Sustainable Development Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

For more, go to: http://roadtorioplus20.org/ and http://rioplus20somethings.ideascale.com/

Throughout 2011, NYCI is continuing to support all who participated in the exchange by providing fora for contact and ongoing invovlvement in youth work and development education with young people in Ireland and Zambia. An 'exchange corner' on our website is a place for those involved in the exchange to share their experience, views and feedback of their participation.

Each month an article will be featured by an individual or organisation involved in the exchange. This month's article is written by Chris Chiwela who was a Zambian participant in the NYCI Zambia-Ireland youth worker exchange in 2010. For more, click here.

Restless Development invites you to participate in the Tikambe: Voice of the Youth Radio programmes every Monday at 14:30hours (local time in Zambia). The radio shows will highlight the pressing issues for young people, and offer local and national decision makers a public platform to listen to and discuss with young people the changes that should be made to benefit Zambia’s youth.

These radio shows will be aired on Radio Phoenix every Monday at 14:30hrs starting 29th August 2011. You can listen to radio Phoenix by following this link online http://www.coppermedia.com.zm/?idu=1

“Building a Strong Union Voice & Defending the Community Sector” is a forum by SIPTU to discuss the current and imminent threats facing the community sector and how we can best unite to protect our projects, jobs and communities.  

Details of meeting details are posted below. The meeting is open to all workers (both union and non-union) and we are asking that at least one person from each project attended a forum.

The meeting will be addressed by local and national activists, SIPTU organisers and officials. There will also be an open discussion on the theme of the forum.

If you have any queries, please contact Darragh O’Connor at 087 250 1730 / doconnor@siptu.ie.

Cork

Thursday 8th September, 11am, SIPTU, Connolly Hall, Lapps Quay, Cork

Limerick

Friday 23rd September, 11am, Perys Hotel, Glentworth Street, Limerick City

Galway

Thursday 29th September, 11am, Carlton Hotel, Dublin Road, Galway

Dublin

Thursday 13th October, 11am, SIPTU, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1

Sligo

Thursday 27th October, 11am, Best Western Sligo Southern, Strandhill Road, Sligo Town

The first European Parliament hearing on Development Education will took place on Tuesday 30 August from 10.00 to 12.30. According to the CONCORD press release after the event,  a new European Development Education Policy should be advanced very soon from the EU.

The hearing was attended by the EU Development Commissioner Andris Pielbags alongside MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) and sector experts. The event was organised by the EU Parliament’s development committee.

• Currently several EU member states have development education policies Mostly recently, Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic set up national strategies, known as ‘Development education and awareness raising’ (DEAR). The aim is to ensure greater public engagement in development matters.

• While Europeans largely support development policy, personal active engagement for global justice remains low: 89% of Europeans attach a high value to development cooperation, but only 4% actively engage through volunteering. Read more here.

• The EU is one of the most significant funders of DEAR in Europe with €30million coming through EuropeAid, yet there is still no explicit strategy on development education. (Special Eurobarometer 352: http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_352_en.pdf)

Andris Piebalgs, EU Development Commissioner, speaking at the event said: “I believe our work in educating people to development issues is fundamental, and I believe we must step up our efforts in order to achieve not only general support for development, but also real engagement on the part of our citizens. I believe we can have a real impact on attitudes and perceptions, and I am willing to support actions that strive to achieve just that.”

For Rilli Lappalainen, event panelist and CONCORD board member, “the time is ripe for a European Development Education Policy. Getting European citizens to be more aware of global issues is fundamental; they need to know the story behind immigration, poverty and global inequalities. This hearing, the first of its kind, is an important next step in turning a European DEAR strategy into reality.”

MEP Filip Kaczmarek insisted that “Development Education plays a very important role in the eradication of poverty and promotion of sustainable development. It strengthens the support to the active engagement of citizens in local and global level to promote justice, human rights, and sustainable development.”

Further background@

1. EU institutional context on Development Education

Over the last few decades, the EU has gained political support for development education. The main steps towards reaching this objective are as follows: 1) The publication of the European Development Education Consensus (2007),  2) The European Development Education Multi Stakeholder Process (2006), 3) The EC “DEAR Study” was part of the structured dialogue process and produced a high quality analysis of DEAR in Europe and recommendations to the EC, 4) The outcome of the Structured Dialogue Initiative, which underlines and recognises the importance of DEAR, 5) The context in which an increasing number of Member States are setting up or revising their national DEAR policies and strategies

2. To learn more about CONCORD and DEEEP, and NYCI's role, click here

Raw Materials Resource Grab

Take Action! Stop the EU helping itself to developing countries' raw materials!

Many developing countries are rich in raw materials, such as copper, gold, and diamonds. For years they have exported these raw materials unprocessed, making very little money. The extraction of these raw materials by multinational companies has also resulted in significant environmental damage and the depletion of these resources. Now, many developing countries want to do it differently. But the EU’s new trade policy on raw materials is undermining the effort of the world’s poorest countries to develop their economies, eradicate poverty, and protect the environment.

This policy will prevent developing countries from sustainably managing their natural resources, and from ensuring they get a fair price for their raw materials. In September our MEPs will vote on a newly proposed EU strategy on raw materials.

Comhlámh needs your help to remind our MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) to stand up for the interests of the poor and the environment, and to keep the promises they made to us in 2009. MEPs should ensure that Europe’s trade policy allows developing countries to make their own economic choices for the benefit of their people and the planet. Comhlámh believes that Europe’s trade policy should support developing countries to trade their way out of poverty, rather than enslaving them to European corporate interests.

Comhlámh wants your help by:

1.    Signing our postcard. Request one or more postcards by email (Alfred@comhlamh.org ), or download them by clicking here. Sign and detach the first part and send it to your MEP by Monday 5th September 2011. Then send back the second part to us to let us know.  You can find out who your MEPs are by visiting www.europarl.ie/view/en/irish_meps.html . To learn more about our campaign, please go to www.comhlamh.org/campaigns.html . Let us know by email or post (Ballast House, Aston Quay, Dublin 2) any response you receive, or if you would like more postcards to be sent to you for your friends and family.

 2.    Taking our e-action (http://www.comhlamh.org/eu-eaction-august-2011.html). The European Commission is drafting a new policy on trade and development, and has launched a public consultation on the issue. Many business groups will lobby hard to ensure this policy benefits them, so that they can continue to profit from developing countries’ raw materials. It’s vital the Commission hears from lots of concerned citizens like you, that developing countries must have the right to get the full value of their raw materials through trade. The consultation closes on Sunday 18th September, so take this action now and together let’s tell the European Commission to stop the EU’s new resource grab!

3.    Tweet & Facebook your friends & family. Join our online campaign on facebook and twitter, by following us at facebook.com/comhlamh and twitter.com/comhlamh and by sharing and retweeting our posts and tweets. Join in the conversation on twitter using #resourcegrab.

Join Campaigners across Europe and take action now!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocBfXqjCGCU&feature=player_embedded

Africa Centre wishes to invite you to their 9th Annual lecture on the 21st September at 6pm. The theme for this year’s lecture: “Development Policy, Aid and Poverty reduction: Multiple views from the South”. For all those who are interested in the Aid debate, this is something you don’t want to miss, especially if you want to hear from an African and someone from one of Irish Aid's recipient countries (Uganda).

The guest speaker for this year’s lecture is Prof. Augustus Nuwagaba (PhD) a lecture at Makerere University and a consultant with REEV Consult International. Based in Uganda, Prof. Augustus Nuwagaba PhD is Ugandan economist and academic. Currently, he serves as an Associate Professor of Economics in the Department of Social Work & Social Administration, at Makerere University, the oldest university in Uganda. Dr. Augustus Nuwagaba also works as the Managing Consultant at REEV Consult International Limited, a private consultancy firm, incorporated in Kampala, Uganda. Dr. Augustus  obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Economics (BA.Econ) degree from Makerere University in 1989, he also obtained his Master of Science in Economics (MSc) degree from London School of Economics and the field of specialization for his doctorate degree was Poverty Eradication from Makerere University.

Time: 6-8pm (wine and food reception from 8pm)

Venue: TBC

Cost: FREE, but you need to register by email to education@africacentre.ie to attend on or before the 16th September 2011.

The Irish Red Cross Youth Department is taking part in"Positive Images", a pan-European project led by the British Red Cross aimed at raising awareness of development and migration issues.  They provide courses which give youth leaders an opportunity to explore the themes of the project and take part in activities they can then use in their own youth groups.The next training course is Saturday 10 September, Cork. Further courses will take place in Limerick and DUblin in the coming months.

The aim of the Positive Images Project is that awareness is improved, positive attitudes and support developed, and capacity built through raising awareness of development and migration issues amongst young people, decision makers, influential stakeholders and development education actors across Europe.

The programme will include:

• Introduction to Positive Images
• Working with the Positive Images Toolkit
• Ideas for Activities and Games
• Developing and Planning Action Projects

The training is open to anyone working with youth who is interested in delivering the project and raising awareness within youth groups and amongst their peers. will also be organizing training in Limerick and in Dublin in the coming month or two.  The cost of training is €55 which covers the cost of the venue, materials, lunch and a training pack which contains worksheets that can be photocopied for use with youth groups. There will also be training in Limerick and in Dublin in the coming month or two.  The cost of training is €55 which covers the cost of the venue, materials, lunch and a training pack which contains worksheets that can be photocopied for use with youth groups.

Here you can download more information and a booking form for the course in Cork on 10 September.

To find out more, and make a booking contact Louise (Project Officer - Positive Images, Youth Department) or call the Irish Red Cross on (0)1 642 4600.

Wassa wassa provide a range of educational (& fun!) musical and art workshops to organisations & schools nationwide. They offer specific programmes tailored around development in Africa which focus on African Culture, Music & Heritage.

Previous clients include Irish Aid, Concern, Dublin City Council &  Trocaire Human Rights Summer School. All informative seminars are accompanied by visual aids & all are sandwiched between hands on activities such as drumming, dance or art workshops. 

Full details of programmes are available on their website www.wassawassaworkshops.ie

If you'd like to hear more, don't hesitate to contact Aoife or by phone on  045 845160/086 3551461.

Launch of the Pathways to Parental Leadership Toolkit - September 13th, 2011 - by Immigrant Council of Ireland.

Guest Speaker (provisionally confirmed):

Prof Nihad Bunar - Department of Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University and National Police Academy.

Venue: Wood Quay Venue, Dublin City Council Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8.

Registration: 09:30am

Launch: 10:00 -12.30 followed by light lunch

RSVP – admin@immigrantcouncil.ie or 01 674 0202 by September 8th, 2011 

This event is co-funded by the European Programme for Integration and Migration – an initiative of the Network of European Foundations

The Pathways to Parental Leadership project was launched in September 2008 and its main objective is to promote migrant parents’ involvement in the school life of their children.

ALA in conjunction with NUI Galway and City of Galway VEC are running a 6 weekend Theatre of the Oppressed course starting 1 October 2011. The course will be held in  NUI Galway. Among the tutors will be Julian Boal, Adrian Jackson, Cardboard Citizens & Gavin Crichton, Active Inquiry.

ALA also has a new website: http://ala-ct.ie/ where you can find information on all

The Course Director is Sarah O’Toole, Actor, Director and Lecturer in NUIG, who trained in Moscow in the Stanislavski and Michael Chekhov techniques, worked in Dublin, Glasgow and London

Final arrangements are presently being made but if interested in receiving further information on the course, please contact  alagalway@gmail.com  or on 086 846 1270. One of the course objectives will be to create links with other individuals/ organizations who use this method in their communities. It will be an opportunity to share knowledge and may be cooperate in other ways like performing in other communities.

ALâ  ( Adult Community Theatre, Arts and Education )
Ballybane, Galway City, Ireland

• Deirdre Dooley (Chairperson)
• Louie Maguire (Treasurer)
• Adedotun Adekeye (Integration Officer)
• Kevin O'Shea (Minute Secretary)
• Jim Aherne  (Project Director)

ALâ, founded in 2004  is a personal social and community development organization, catering for adults of all  nationalities and ethnic groups, which uses theatre and education as developmental tools. Workshops are run on a weekly basis September to June each year from 7.30 to 10pm in the
Ballybane Community Resource Center, Galway.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001627331340#!/profile.php?id=100000684455530
 

Theatre of the Oppressed

The Theatre of the Oppressed was developed by Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal during the 1950's and 1960's. In an effort to transform theatre from the "monologue" of traditional performance into a "dialogue" between audience and stage, Boal experimented with many kinds of interactive theatre. His explorations were based on the assumption that dialogue is the common, healthy dynamic between all humans, that all human beings desire and are capable of dialogue, and, I would argue, that dialogue with sounds, gestures, and words was the central activity whereby pre-humans became human.  In turn, we create ourselves and others help create us through dialogue.  Given this one essential feature of human nature, all other natures being derived from dialogue, Boal asserted that when a dialogue becomes a monologue, that is oppression. Theatre, in which dialogue with sound, gesture, and words are essential, then becomes an extraordinary tool for transforming monologue into dialogue. While some people make theatre, says Boal, “we all are theatre."

From his work Boal evolved various forms of theatre workshops and performances which aimed to meet the needs of all people for interaction, dialogue, action, critical thinking, and fun. The performance modes of the Theatre of the Oppressed include Forum Theatre, Image Theatre, Cop-In-The-Head, Invisible Theatre, the vast array of the Rainbow of Desire, and the astonishing new form, Legislative Theatre.  All are designed to bring the audience into active relationship with the performance.  In turn, the workshops are virtually a training ground for action not only in these performance forms, but for action in life.

Concern KiteFest & SARI Soccerfest 2011: 10 – 11 September, 10 am – 6 pm, Garda and Camogie Grounds, Pheonix Park, Dublin.  The KiteFest will see kite flyers from around the world coming together to display and fly their brilliant kites, free kite workshops to raise awareness issues affecting the developing world particularly hunger.  The Soccerfest will bring together over 40 teams of men and women, from a wide range of nationalities, in the largest intercultural football tournament in Ireland. 

Admission free.  As approximately 5,000 people are expected to attend, the event provides a great opportunity for organisation’s to promote their cause.  If you have an exciting, fun and educational activity to bring to the festival please contact Lizzy Noone, E: Lizzy.noone@concern.net, T: 01 4177740.