International funds and some freedom to organise, have encouraged the growth of organisations; developing a voice for the poor, dispensing micro-credit, defending rights, building peace and reconciliation. These organisations provide a challenge to unaccountable and ineffective governments worldwide. Dialogue between accountable civil organisations and government institutions is essential to improving the lives of the poor.
The ‘Chevening’ postgraduate course
The overall aim of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded residential course ‘Government Relations with Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society’ was to examine the relationship between government and non-governmental organisations. Last year the course attracted a range of interests including; building the capacity of NGOs to provide a voice for poverty groups in Angola, developing the role of the non-governmental sector and strengthening their network in Burma, strengthening human rights and combating gender inequality and violence in Cambodia, coordinating youth development, including the needs of disabled and ethnic minority young people in Cameroon, the role of NGOs in forging a better relationship with the local State in China and improving dialogue between NGOs and the government in Pakistan. In addition to their lectures within the university participants enjoyed studying community development in Inverclyde with assistance from the Department of Adult and Community Education, discussing conflict in Northern Ireland with the Peace and Reconciliation Group, Derry, a visit to the Scottish Charity Regulator and learning about charity law, a visit to the Scottish Parliament and it’s committees, media workshops and two week placements undertaken with British NGOs and the Scottish Government.
Local governance in Iran
Two delegations of councillors and community groups have been to Glasgow to explore community development. Big city problems in Iran include family poverty, child protection, homelessness, unemployment and drugs. Councillors felt that stronger government-community relations could benefit Iranian cities and were interested in how the community might monitor and participate in city council decisions. Tehran has subsequently introduced public consultation into physical planning rules and funded an NGO exhibition, an idea borrowed from Glasgow. We raised funds for several visits to train local government officials. Tehran and Shiraz cities identified the rehabilitation of the ancient bazaar areas in both cities as the starting point for community consultation. Capacity building was planned with small action projects in between. Iran was to pay it’s own local costs. With the help of of SDM Consultancy and Queen Margaret University a course was developed covering; dialogue building, community engagement techniques, the role of planners, the identification of stakeholders and action project planning. Events following the disputed Presidential election results have so far prevented the course from being delivered.
Connecting rights with poverty, Ethiopia.
Rights are fundamental to poverty reduction. Governments make laws and provide services but unless people understand their entitlements and can seek redress, rights will not deliver improvements in wellbeing. The Organisation for Social Justice Ethiopia and the Active Learning Centre are partners in a project funded by the Department for International Development which is setting up legal advice centres in four cities of Ethiopia. Loosely based on a citizen’s advice bureau model, the project will work with locally recruited and trained paralegals to offer the service. In years three and four, different models of offering advice in rural areas will be piloted. Each centre is managed by a co-ordinator who has a legal training. Where necessary paralegals will refer cases to lawyers who offer free representation in court. Phone in radio programmes and drama series are being broadcast to raise awareness of rights. A training manual and guides to the law have been produced, a team of lawyers trained as trainers and the first batch of paralegals have been trained and are now working. Advisory committees attached to the centres are responsible for collating information on the issues that clients present and advocating for changes to bring about longer term improvements to the lives of poor and vulnerable people.
Advocating gender equality, Malawi
Operating in two areas of Malawi, Dedza and Mangochi, this project, which is funded by the Scottish Government, is a partnership with the British Council. It aims to promote a better understanding of rights, greater participation in decision making and strengthen national and local organisations in advocating for the implementation of Malawi’s gender policy. Representatives of gender equality NGOs, the Human Rights Commission, the National Initiative for Civic Education and the Malawi Government participated in the inception workshop. Active Learning Centre partnered the Malawi Law and Human Rights Commissions in training the trainers who are now conducting the programme, using a newly produced manual covering women’s rights, gender policy and advocacy. In the next phase of the project local community groups will mount small campaigns, which will link into the national Gender Co-ordinating Committee’s advocacy strategy.
Youth workers meet in Armenia
The Active Learning Centre supported two participants and one trainer to attend the week long ‘Gender Roles Through Time’ workshop organised by our partners, World Independent Youth Union in Armenia which was partially funded by the European Union. The aim of the course was to inform, motivate and enable participants to develop education activities on gender and, as well as academic inputs on gender and human rights, included an introduction to the board game, “Zoom In, Zoom Out.” This promotes understanding of the inequality of women using international statistics and research and the personal stories of 12 women from across the globe.
Managing projects, monitoring and evaluation, Nigeria
In Ekiti State NGOs and Government are collaborating on a range of projects focusing on citizen’s rights and access to justice. In September a course on project development and management was held at the centre with visits to Parkhead Citizens' Advice Bureau and Big Lottery Fund to learn about inviting and assesing proposals and the monitoring and evaluation of grant aided projetcs.
Publications
Fact sheets written at the time of G8 meeting in Scotland in July 2005 when 225,000 demonstrators encircled Edinburgh to demand the cancellation of the debts of the poorest countries and more and better aid.
The fact sheets were written in conjunction with Jubilee 2000 for use by the organisations invoved in the campaign. They record the promises made and what happened to them once the meeting was over.
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G8 Handout 1
Keeping promises
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G8 Handout 2
Aid
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G8 Handout 3
Trade Justice
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G8 Handout 4
Poverty Reduction not debt
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G8 Handout 5
Good Governance PDF Format |