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Global Education
A key part of challenging the policies and attitudes that create global poverty is to raise awareness of development issues. Global Education is therefore an integral part of the YfD programme. Volunteers are perfectly placed to act as a catalyst for positive social change and are supported in developing their own projects whilst overseas and in the UK.
Here are some examples of recent Global Education projects:
- Challenging inequalities in the Global Garment industry
Workers who supply many UK high street stores often work up to eighty hours a week, aren’t paid enough to support themselves and are denied union representation. A greater public awareness of the conditions in which our clothes are made will push for reform in the global garment industry. By linking her experience overseas with this issue YfD volunteer Lizzie Wiltshire used her project to bring the issue to life in the UK.
- Raising awareness of disability issues
Disability rights is an area that YfD has long history of involvement in. Read about YfD volunteer Steven Wynne’s project to find out how one volunteer used his experience to link together communities in Guyana and the UK and raise awareness globally.
- Promoting development awareness in schools
Encouraging awareness of development issues in schools is a key part of VSO’s Global Education work. YfD volunteer Rachel Pheonix used her placement in Mozambique to set up a school link with her local school in the UK. Through this, pupils challenged stereotypes and learnt about a number of development issues.
- Challenging Stigma and Discrimination around HIV & AIDS
Awareness of HIV&AIDS has actually fallen in the UK over the last few years, and Governments are failing to keep their promises of providing access to treatment globally by 2010. YfD volunteer Frank Harle used his project to highlight these issues and raise awareness in universities in Ethiopia and across the UK.
Support for Global Education projects
VSO’s Global Education team gives individual support to YfD volunteers throughout their placement, giving feedback before going overseas, whilst overseas and on completion of a project. The Awareness and Action pages contain handy Get Started Guides on everything from putting on an exhibition to setting up a school link. Grants are also available to help fund resources or materials that might be necessary for the project.
"To be serious about fighting poverty, we have to be serious about radical change in the North. This is a huge challenge. To meet it Global Education is crucial. Volunteers with their enthusiasm, energy and grounded field experience, have a key part to play in inspiring and spreading the informed and committed activism so vital if we are to succeeds"
- Robert Chambers
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