Same Difference
Same Difference is an exciting International Service project devised by
award-winning artist, Ross Georgeson. The project aims to use art and
creativity workshops to boost the confidence and self esteem of children
living with HIV/AIDS, conflict, disability and extreme poverty in each of
International Service’s programme countries. The idea is to make a series of
collaborative art exhibitions of children’s work, culminating in a large
touring exhibition in the UK bringing development awareness messages to the
public.
Click here to find out more.
Better by the Year
Do you think you could survive on less than $1
(60p) a day, feel constantly hungry and have no prospect of a job? Probably not,
but more than 1 billion people across the world do and over 200 million of them
are young people.
What is being done about this? In the year 2000 all 191 United Nations Member
states pledged to meet the eight Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) by the year
2015. Goal 1 aims to end extreme poverty and hunger in all countries by 2015.
The Better by the
Year? website looks at the challenges faced by five developing countries,
Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Mali and Palestine in South America, Africa and
the Middle East. The website explores how these countries are working to improve
the lives of their poorest citizens and examines what support they are getting
from richer countries.
My Village, My Life is International
Services global citizenship resource for Key Stages 3 & 4.
It gives pupils in the UK a chance to compare their ideas about what's
important with pupils in Burkina Faso. The resource brings to life some
of the real-life dilemmas faced by people in rural West Africa and gives
pupils a chance to decide what to do for the best. Follow this link to
learn more about My Village, My Life.
International Service is linked with the Yorkshire and Humberside
Global Schools Association, part of DfID's Enabling Effective Support
programme.
Check out their website for schools and teachers at
www.globalschools.org.uk
International Service wants to see people with
disabilities included at every stage of the development process. Since
2001 we have been working to raise the issue of mainstreaming disability
in every development programme and partnership.
There have been two international conferences on this theme. Read the
reports by clicking on the links below.
Disability: A Global Concern,
June 2001
Conference calling for a UN Convention on the right of persons with
disabilities
Left off the Agenda:
Mainstreaming Disability in Development,
November
2003
Conference calling for full participation at every level of people with
disabilities in the development process.
"It is not acceptable for a development
organisation to say, 'we are doing some nice disability projects and
some nice water projects'. It is time to see the inclusion of disabled
people as intrinsic to every project."
Jane Carter, Chief Executive, IS
Over 100 people attended the June 2001 Conference held in London at which international representatives of organisations working with people with disabilities called for a UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The Conference agreed the following statement:
We are all committed to a comprehensive convention on the rights of
disabled persons. Recognising those governments already supporting a
convention, we call upon all governments and the host UK government in
particular, to support a convention. We also commit ourselves to do all
we can through the channels available to us to campaign for a
convention.”
Since that Conference discussions have begun on a UN
Convention on the Rights of Disabled People.
For an update on the process and progress towards a Convention, visit
this UN website:
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/index.html
Click here for a full conference report
If you would like any further information or have any comments on IS Campaigns and Education work, please contact Development Awareness Coordinator, click here .