Global Citizenship blog

Plan International has teamed up with Shoot Experience to launch the fifth annual Shoot Nations global youth photography competition.
Shoot Nations is free to enter, and is open to anyone between the ages of 11 and 25 with two age group categories, 11 - 16 years and 17 - 25 years. Each year thousands of youngsters from more than 100 countries take part in the online contest in a bid to be crowned the world’s best young snapper with a presentation to the UN headquarters in New York.
The project is being sponsored by MTV, Olympus, The Independent on Sunday, National Geographic and The Future Mapping Company.
For information on the photos already submitted visit the Shoot Nations 2010 website: www.shootnations.org and for further information on the competition contact Rachel Landman @ rachel.landman@plan-international.org & Facebook: facebook.com/shootnations & Twitter: twitter.com/shoot_nations

Preparing our students for life in an increasingly complex world requires compelling learning experiences that challenge perceptions and stimulate curiosity. Curriculum reforms across the UK have put the global dimension and skills for the 21st century firmly on the agenda. The 2010 Annual Conference for UNESCO Associated Schools in the UK will be an opportunity to get behind the headlines and develop concrete ideas for how teachers can meet curriculum requirements and take forward local learning and global citizenship in schools. Workshops include: Running a Model United Nations, Discovering Cultural Identities and Using Media Tools to Support Global Learning. The event is free and open to all schools. For further information, please visit www.unesco.org.uk or contact Anne Breivik at abreivik@unesco.org.uk to register.

Are you 18 to 21 years old and are ready for a challenge?

 Take part in the 2010 Young Citizens Learning Fellowship Programme in London organised by Plan UK! 

The 2010 Young Citizens Learning Fellowship Programme is a two week placement with Plan UK in London. During the two weeks in 31^st July - 15^th August, you will have the opportunity to engage and learn about Plan’s work in partnership with Citizenship Foundation on a collective learning project funded by the EU on climate change, Make the Link - Climate exChange. This project aims to increase public awareness of the links between climate change, poverty and child rights.

As Youth Fellows, you will take part in activities and discussions on the impact of climate change on young people’s lives.  We are looking for someone who is happy to make a long-lasting commitment to the project’s aims, who would like to join Plan on a longer-term role and play a significant role as youth advisers to Make the Link Climate exChange project.

 Living and working in London with 5 other young people, with all travel and accommodation costs paid for plus a daily allowance and a chance to see how an international NGO works, this is an opportunity of a lifetime!

The deadline for applications is Friday 7^th May 2010, 5pm

 All applicants must be able to travel during the month of August and be aged between 18 and 21.

Please contact Jo Dempster, Youth Engagement Officer at Plan UK for more information at:

Jo.Dempster@plan-international.org

www.plan-uk.org

Today was the big speech. Palms sweating, 3000 agitated young people watching and the proceedings were an hour and a half late – never a good way to sooth nervous presenters. Ruth and I were talking about how to support young people to have a positive impact on their community. Before we came out here we thought we would have a practical approach and one which the delegates would find relevant and useful. Two days in it seems that they have already nailed youth voice here.
The way in which they work out here uses models of quality circles used in industries and then they apply the model to schools. Students of a young age here learn about Gantt charts, cause and effect models and various data management and they use those skills to apply to the problem the have identified in the school and the way in which they plan to solve it.
The essence of it is very similar to our very own Youth Act, but the business link (to companies like Toyota who started the original quality circles for company improvements ) which the Asian quality circles employ, is perhaps what we could learn from. Very quickly Ruth and I were applauding the audience for their passion and enthusiasm rather than the other way round (!).
Having said that, people did seem enthused by our work at the Foundation. People found our projects an innovative approach to teaching young people about the law, politics and the economy. So much so one woman congratulated us saying her daughter attended a school in Hounslow, London and took part in the lawyers in schools programme and the mock trials – her daughter is now training to be a lawyer (our eyes lit up at this very ‘fundable’ anecdote as you can imagine). It just goes to show how far our programmes reach and the impact they have not just on communities, but also on individuals lives. This convention in India is making me constantly feel either proud of our own achievements at the Foundation, or in awe of what is being achieved globally. (Clearly it’s been a long day due to my cheesey sentiments)
To top it all off Tony has just cut the red ribbon on the opening of a Citizenship Foundation Pan – Asian office, much to Ruth and I’s surprise. This celeb status is really going to our heads now …
Over and out, Nicola

Last night we were treated to front row seats at the most spectacular show I think I’ve ever been to.  5,000 children and young people, dressed in the most elaborate costumes performed a series of highly choreographed dances to mark the opening of the 12th International Convention on Student Quality Control Circles (their equivalent to school councils).  The event had clearly been months in the planning and having once tried to get 30 primary school children to do a simple routine that involved moving in the same direction at exactly the same time I couldn’t believe how much rehearsal it must have taken to get 5,000 children to move as one – some of the children couldn’t have been more than 7 years old but they remembered every step, it was truly impressive and showed incredible teamwork.

This ability to the same thing as everyone else at the same time is something I’ve been having trouble with since arriving in India.  We have a very strict timetable and have escorts that accompany us everywhere to ensure we are in the correct place at the correct time.  Whilst this is clearly necessary to ensure the smooth running of the conference (and everything is like clockwork) it also seems to be cultural.  Having lived in other countries where being alone is considered highly undesirable and collective action always preferred over individualism it seems there is a similar feeling here.  It is only when I am forced to do as everyone else is doing that I realise how much of a product I am of the ‘Thatcher’ generation and how much I value my individual freedom.

However watching the beautiful synchronised movements of the children last night I wonder if there is something to be said for moving in the same direction as everyone else at the same time.