The Active Learning Centre was established in 1993 to work for democracy and rights by providing popular education. The Centre started work at a time when citizens around the world were demanding new political freedoms and an end to the frustrations of unaccountable, unrepresentative governments. The Centre’s aim was and still is:
“The advancement of education of the public, particularly women, concerning the development of democracy and the maintenance and observance of human rights”Initial activities were concerned with researching development needs and strengthening the emerging civil organisations and political parties in Hungary, the Baltic States and Romania. Projects built democratic organisation, involved women and young people in political processes, helped civil organisations to grow.
“Active Learning describes the educational methodology used in training – learning through participation.”–Annual Report 1999
Rights are essential to poverty reduction
The Active Learning Centre has always believed that strong civil organisations and accessible government institutions play an essential role in improving the lives of the poor. In the mid 1990s these beliefs were put into practice with a range of partners in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Ghana; training teams of educators to work with local government representatives, with women’s organizations and political parties, using a human rights approach.
“Building democratic societies and strengthening civil organisations are vital to the attack on poverty”–Women’s Participation Projects, ALC 2000
A sustainable educational strategy
Training members of civil organisations to become educators has been at the heart of many of Active Learning Centre’s activities, as this provides a sustainable strategy. By the year 2000 the Active Learning Centre had trained hundreds of educators in Eastern Europe, Africa and beyond.
“It was exciting to come up with our own training materials and the fact that we are now equipped to plan materials for any sort of training is what made the sessions very useful and rewarding.”–trainer, Uganda
These educators in their turn trained many thousands. For example, the team in Uganda in the 1990’s trained 1,200 councilors to challenge budgets, defend the priorities of primary education and health care, and lobby for the provision of water and electricity. By 2003 the team in Zambia had trained more than 11,500 on a range of rights issues, the team in Ethiopia in 2005 trained over 6,600 women to monitor and take part in elections. Women MPs in Malawi in 2006 researched and discussed issues of concern with 1,100 of their constituents.
“I never thought my vote would make any difference. I told my family to register... I informed all my relatives. I encouraged our neighbours to vote freely. I was so pleased to take part”
“It’s a contribution in the struggle towards freedom, speaking about rights without a gun, as a result we know a better life is possible.”–Comments from workshops in Ethiopia,
in the lead up to the May 2005 elections.
Partnership with other agencies
Over the years the Centre has broadened it’s work to include global conferences and courses, in conjunction with the British Council, on the democratic benefits of devolution and strategies for implementing the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Centre also worked with governments on gender mainstreaming and with DFID, UNESCO and New Zealand Aid, training their staff on poverty reduction strategies.
Poverty courses
- Why do some families live in poverty and what are its causes?
- How does globalisation affect the poor and how does international trade and debt contribute to the problem?
- What are the key elements of a national strategy to combat poverty?
- How can we monitor and learn lessons about the best way to deliver health and education to the poor and vulnerable?
These are some of the questions our three-day course discusses. We begin with the individual experience of vulnerability and link this to the way in which poverty is assessed and measured. We test ideas about causes, set problems to solve and scenarios to role play.
Partnership with the University of Glasgow
Active Learning Centre has been based in the University of Glasgow, with whom we conduct the Chevening Fellowships, for the past six years. The fellowships are awarded for three months to mid career, post graduates, from government departments, such as charity regulation and civil organisations working for rights, conflict resolution and democracy. The fellowships are funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Drawing on the working experience of course participants, the course examines the relationship between government and non-governmental organisations through the lens of equality and diversity. The course discusses the ways in which NGOs and civil groups influence government policy and how government funding and regulation structure civil society. The course includes:
- A lecture/workshop programme to examine the theoretical framework
- Talks and discussions with practitioners working in government and non-governmental organisations
- Visits to relevant organisations and institutions
- Round table discussions with key spokespersons from relevant organisations
- Workshops to enable Chevening Fellows to share learning during the course and undertake skills training together
- Placements for two weeks in a variety of governmental and non-governmental institutions
Extending our work
Since 2,000 we have extended our consultancy work to places as diverse as China, Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria. We have been developing exchanges between Iran and Scotland as well as working in Scotland with trade unions and NGOs campaigning around the G8 Summit.
The Scottish Executive funded the One Workplace Programme as part of their One Scotland Campaign, which focuses on the integration of diverse groups into the mainstream of Scottish life. What unions can do to ensure implementation of the law and best practice in achieving equality was the subject of the action research project conducted by the Active Learning Centre in partnership with the Scottish Trade Union Council (STUC). Union representatives from a number of different unions carried out mini research projects in their own workplaces to identify barriers to equality. Participants followed up their research with action through their unions.
In Syria the NGO sector is only just emerging. The Active Learning Centre designed and delivered a series of three workshops on strategic management, monitoring and evaluation. Newly formed organisations working on rural development, environmental issues, disability, women’s economic development and youth employment were among those that attended. As consultants to Interact Pakistan, the Active Learning Centre also worked with six consortia of NGOs responsible for the delivery of HIV/AIDS awareness. Many of these organisations are newly formed and struggling with issues of strategic direction, the development of boards of governance and the management of newly recruited staff. The workshops discussed a set of good governance guidelines which the consortia and their members intended to adopt.