Participants work together through local learning, joint social action projects and international exchanges with other Active Citizens' communities, and global civil-society conferences.
HOW IS THE PROGRAMME BEING DELIVERED IN BANGLADESH?
Then Programme is delivered in partnerships with local civil society organizations across the world. Since the inception of the Programme in Bangladesh in 2009-10, it was contextualized and delivered through The Hunger Project Bangladesh. From this year onwards another five organizations came on board to deliver Active Citizens in different parts Bangladesh - Centre for Communication and Development (CCD), Democracywatch, Human Development Organization (HDO), Shushilan, Young Power in Social Action (YPSA). There are two main areas of the Project:
Developed locally
Training
Upgrading knowledge of young leaders and volunteers about local community and networks, their understanding of sustainable development (including global interdependency and global citizenship) and effective working with diversity, project planning and implementation skills.
Social action projects
Participants together plan and implement projects to improve their community. This takes place under the guidance of experienced community mentors.
Shared globally
Exchanges with international communities
Exchange visits between Bangladeshi and UK communities encourage intercultural dialogue, develop approaches to tackling shared problems and promote global citizenship.
International conferences
These allow participants from all over the world to showcase best practice, share ideas on projects and strategies for participation and establish sustainable international professional networks.
CROSS-CULTURAL SKILLS AND BROADENING NETWORKS
Participants become global citizens who can communicate effectively across cultural and other boundaries. They return to their communities empowered to work with others in tackling the global challenges of the 21st century. Every participant increases his or her profile as a global citizen. They have:
1. A stronger sense of their own identity through engagement with other cultures
2. An increased understanding of how their local community works and its link to the rest of the world
3. A sense of commitment to improving society through sustainable initiatives
4. Greater respect for other and an ability to work effectively with difference
WHERE DOES ACTIVE CITIZENS TAKE PLACE?
More than 7,000 young people in Bangladesh have already received the opportunity to take part in Active Citizens Project bringing them into a global network already covering 36 countries.
Participating regions include South Asia, Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. This year we hope that another 4500 young people will get the similar opportunity and be part of the Global Network.
ACTIVE CITIZENS HIGHLIGHTS
Active Citizens project of British helps young Bangladeshis to become global citizens though learning and sharing with young people from other countries and in the process mobilizing them into community development activities.
Training of New Facilitators – British Council organized two Trainings of Facilitators for new Facilitators in the Active Citizens Project in July and August. These Trainings were conducted by Master Trainers from UK, Pakistan and Bangladesh. There are now more than 150 active Facilitators under the Programme who will now roll out Active Citizens Youth Leadership Trainings at various communities around the country. Apart from these, two facilitators also travelled to Mumbai in July to receive the Facilitators Training in a regional event which included participation from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Srilanka.
Community Level Training: Following the Facilitators Training, the facilitators go back to their communities and provide training to young people between the ages of 15-29 and explore identity, culture, dialogue, citizenship and social action planning. In 2011-12 approximately 4500 young people will be trained through six partner organizations. So far 578 young people from 15 communities in 14 districts of Bangladesh have been trained and the rest will be trained by December 2011.
Social Action Project: Following the Community Level Training, young people are encouraged to take up community based social action projects to make a positive impact through voluntary work. The facilitators, local mentors and partner organization staff provide continuous support to the young people to deliver these projects. We expect approximately 200 youth led social action projects will be implemented in 2011-12. Following the trainings, 34 Social Action Projects have already started in 15 communities.
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