08 March 2010
Community groups including scout troops, Women’s Institutes and church groups across Wales will be offered support to develop their links with communities in some of the world’s poorest countries, thanks to a programme launched today.
Gareth Thomas, International Development Minister, launched the Global Community Links programme at the Wales for Africa International Development Summit in Cardiff. The new fund will offer workshops and grants of up to £10,000 for not-for-profit organisations involved in a link with a community in the developing world.
Funding will enable participating community groups to use their links to increase understanding of global poverty in the UK and encourage their local community to act to reduce it. Participants in links are encouraged to use personal contact with the link group to find out more about global development issues and to share their learning with their wider community.
Examples of what the links could achieve include:
Global Community Links will receive £3 million over three years. The programme will be funded by UK aid from the Department for International Development (DFID) and managed by the British Council.
Gareth Thomas said:
“Creating links with communities in the world’s poorest countries is one of the best ways for people in the UK to learn more about the global issues that affect us all, forging personal relationships that span thousands of miles.
“The Global Community Links programme will give communities insight into the daily challenges faced by those in the developing world, and I’d urge Welsh community groups to get involved and join the fight against global poverty.”
Professor Mike Hardy, Programme Leader Intercultural Dialogue, British Council said "The Global Community Links Programme will strengthen closer and richer relations between communities in the UK and in other countries.
“Links between communities have huge potential to help increase people's understanding of the continuing struggle to eradicate extreme poverty, and of our collaborations with the assertive pursuit of the agreed Millennium Development Goals.
“I am delighted that the British Council is an active partner in this Programme and would urge UK community groups to take advantage of the support that Global Community Links offers."
Following the conference, the Minister visited Pontypridd to hear about the town’s link with Mbale, Uganda. The Pontypridd Overseas Networking Trust (PONT) was initiated in 2000 by professional and church members with an aim to build a long term link to help those in poverty in Africa, and now the town shares its health and education resources and expertise with Mbale.
In the past decade, PONT has:
Jayne Bescher, Head of Global Citizenship at Pontypridd High School, said:
“PONT has been a life-changing experience for all the children and teachers involved, both in Uganda and Pontypridd. Supporting friends and studying each other’s lives gives them real understanding of the wider world and the difficulties encountered by those in developing areas.
“The children of Pontypridd High School truly understand the meaning of being citizens of a global village.”
1. DFID is the Government Department that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty. www.dfid.gov.uk
2. For more information on the Global Community Links programme please go to www.dfid.gov.uk/communitylinks
3. Global Community Links is managed by the British Council, the Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo), the Inter Faith Network (IFN) for the UK and VSO.
4. The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We work in more than 100 countries worldwide to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people. We work in the arts, education, science, sport and governance and last year we reached over 128 million people. Our total turnover in 2007/8 was £565m, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government was £197m. For more information, please go to www.britishcouncil.org
5. VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Since 1958 over 33,000 volunteers have worked in over 120 countries. Today there over 1600 international volunteers working in 42 countries around the world.
6. iCoCo is a not for profit partnership which aims to build capacity at all levels and in local, national and international agencies to promote community cohesion.
7. IFN works to advance public knowledge and mutual understanding of the teachings, traditions and practices of the different faith communities and to promote good inter faith relations in Britain. It links in membership over 170 faith and inter faith bodies, including national representative bodies of the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities. You can find further information at www.interfaith.org.uk
For more information, please contact James Fulker in the DFID press office: 0207 023 0533; j-fulker@dfid.gov.uk
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