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Building awareness and understanding of development in the UK.. in Formal Education | .. in the Media | ... with business and trade unions | among faith communities | ...through the Development Awareness Fund | ...through regional visits | Public Opinion ResearchDFID's focus, as identified in the 1997 White Paper on International Development, is a commitment to the International Development Targets. Much of this involves direct poverty reduction work, through our development activities, and work with multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations and the European Union. But the White Paper also underlines the importance of building public support for development across the UK. The White Paper calls for increased public understanding of our global mutual dependence and the need for international development. It also calls for every child to be educated about development issues, so that they can understand the key global considerations that will shape their lives. Our 1999 strategy paper, 'Building Support for Development', sets out how we aim to make progress, and to measure its success. Under the heading 'Development Awareness', four priority areas of work have been identified:
In addition, we are also looking more widely at how we can achieve change across society, including through adult education and youth work. Monitoring public opinion and evaluating individual activities is central to measuring success in building support for development. DFID has undertaken initial baseline surveys testing the attitudes and behaviour of the UK public in relation to our work. This work will be followed up at regular intervals. We are also monitoring young people's attitudes, largely to measure our effectiveness in the formal education sector. The DFID publication 'Enabling Effective Support' sets out DFID's strategy of support for the global dimension in education. The Enabling Effective Support initiative has been specifically designed to provide teachers with more effective and sustained support to incorporate a global dimension into their teaching. It supports the development of locally owned strategies to achieve more comprehensive, high quality support to teachers for the delivery of the global dimension. Each strategy will focus on how global perspectives in the curriculum can be effectively delivered and supported, particularly through new partnership and co-operative ways of working; and also how to access resources that support work in this area. Enabling Effective Support is a partnership initiative developed and funded by DFID and supported by the education ministries and development education networks across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Back to Top... in Formal EducationOur main aim in relation to the formal education sector is to promote more effective and widespread teaching of development issues in schools. We are currently working with key governmental and non-governmental educational bodies across the UK to provide guidance on how teachers can incorporate development issues into their teaching. The first guidance document, for schools in England, 'Developing a global dimension in the school curriculum', was published in 2000; a second, for Scottish teachers, 'The Global Dimension in the Curriculum', was published in March 2001. Guidance covering the curricula in Wales and Northern Ireland is to follow. Another important part of our work involves ensuring that teachers have access to development education resources, both material, and human and organisational. In 1999, we commissioned an Audit of Formal Sector Development Education Resources to provide a clearer understanding of what is currently available. The Global Dimension website includes over 500 evaluated resources for teachers to use across the curriculum. Back to Top... in the MediaDuring 2000, a wide-ranging research project with major television companies sought to review attitudes to development issues within the industry, to analyse current coverage and development, and to test audience attitudes. The result of that project, 'Viewing the World', is available in summary and full versions. It is intended that the results of this project will lead to joint lesson-learning and help strengthen television coverage of development issues. DFID plans to review the case for similar work with other sectors of the media. DFID has also launched a Travel Bursary and Documentary Research Fund to assist television journalists and programme-makers in creating programmes on developing country issues. These funds are administered by the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, and details can be found on their website here. Back to Top... with business and trade unionsBoth businesses and trade unions place a strong emphasis on human resource development, and therefore provide a potential channel for raising public awareness on public development issues. And the UK Government believes that both of these sectors have a vested interest in understanding and communicating the effects of global interdependence. 'The Global Dimension: How business and trade unions can work with DFID', published in 2001, resulted from a research project to identify the extent of business and trade union endeavours to increase awareness of global development, and to assess the potential for using both as channels for awareness-raising among their employees and/or members, and the general public. DFID's Private Sector Policy Department and Enterprise Development Department have funds to assist companies to establish partnerships in developing countries. A publication, 'Trade Unions and DFID', provides further information. Strategic Grant Agreements (SGAs) are jointly negotiated agreements between DFID and new partners from within UK civil society, for whom international development is not their primary focus. SGAs aim to contribute to a stronger, better informed and more effective UK community for international development. Back to Top... among faith communitiesIn order to develop our dialogue with churches and faiths, and to explore the scope for joint activities, DFID commissioned a study assessing 'Faith Communities and the Development Agenda'. The consultation process helped to raise awareness of development issues among various faith communities and identified potential networks for future work. DFID has produced a number of joint publications, entitled 'Target 2015' on the International Development Targets. Versions have been produced in collaboration with Christian Aid, accessible here; with Catholic development agencies; with the Jewish community; with the Sikh community, accessible here, with the Muslim community, accessible here, and with the Hindu community, accessible here. Strategic Grant Agreements (SGAs) are jointly negotiated agreements between DFID and new partners from within UK civil society, for whom international development is not their primary focus. SGAs aim to contribute to a stronger, better informed and more effective UK community for international development. Back to Top...through the Development Awareness FundDFID principally supports activity outside the UK. However, as part of the process of building awareness and understanding of development issues within the UK, the Development Awareness Fund has been established to help civil society organisations whose work aligns with DFID's strategy paper, 'Building Support for Development'. Funding is available for discrete projects. Guidelines for the Development Awareness Fund 2005- 06. Please note that the Guidelines have been revised and the main changes are as follows:
Please click the appropriate year for a list of approved projects;
Guidelines for the Development
Awareness Fund Mini-Grants Scheme 2005-06 are available here.
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