Our Work in 2014
OUR WORK IN 2014
Over the last year we have worked with around 150 participants from 18 countries delivering 8 projects in 4 countries.
Act Global works with various International partners that work in the non-formal education field and aims to raise the awareness of various topics such as Climate Change, Social Cohesion, Poverty Reduction and Best Practice in Youth Work. Our projects have varied this year from hosting and sending volunteers to maintaining or regular activity on training.
As well as working within the UK and Indonesia was also started to specialise the work we are doing in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. This year we held 2 projects in the Caucasus region which also included other Eastern European Neighbour countries.
Training Courses:
- UK Reflections – Burnley, England 9th 16th March
- Raising environmental awareness in Eastern Europe and Caucasus region – Bakuriani – Georgia – 23rd – 30th March
- Linking EU Youth Organisations with Eastern Europe and the Caucasus – Azerbaijan 6th – 13th April
- Visual impairment Bala – Wales 15th 22nd December
Our first course in 2014 was in Burnley situated in North West England. The course was called UK Reflective and looked at the topic of Reflective Practice as a youth work methodology and process. The course brought together youth work practitioners from across the continent who shared best practice methodology from their own reality and learned a number of theories and methods that can be put into practice within the youth field. On the course the project also met with local based project based in Manchester to showcase some of the activities they are engaged in, and how they use Reflective Practice in their everyday work. Check out our video on this project.
Link: http://www.act-global.org/ukreflective
Video: http://bit.ly/1f24Dp7
In March we went to Georgia where we held a course about climate change. This course brought together a number of young climate champions to share the work they have been engaged in and learn best practice in terms of understanding the issues related to this topic in the Caucasus region. The project was hosted by Youth Association Droni and supported by the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN). Participants were able to look further at what were the contributing factors to continues change and gain a perspective to the adaptation that was happening in Georgia as well as how they are now managing climate refugees and as result of subsidence.
Link: http://bit.ly/1HpNZe8
By April we had moved to Azerbaijan were we delivered a partnership building activity for the region. The aim was to bring organisation from both EU and Eastern European nations to develop cooperation and share best practice in Non-Formal Education. The project was great but not without it’s challenges. Due to the political unrest that had started in the Crimean peninsula and the course having participants form Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine, political diplomacy was of its upmost importance. Social cohesion was reached standing testament to the people to people connections and our commitment to peace building. We still and continue to believe that connecting people through activities in Non-Formal Education build bridges regardless of the political situation.
As a result of our projects within Eastern Europe and the Caucasus we have become very skilled and knowledgeable about the area and are now able to foster greater cohesion between people from this region and EU nations. In this financial year we also sent 2 young people from the UK to live in Azerbaijan for 10 month on a project called European Volunteer Service. The service gave these 2 young people the opportunity to see how NGO’s operate on this side of the world and experience first hand life in this very different culture. Read their stories here.
Link: http://bit.ly/1Taqpqr
Video: http://bit.ly/1FQHhZe (Video by Nik Voit)
Our final course of the year was based in Bala, located in north Wales. The course was all about bring organisations together that are engaged in creating international youth projects such as youth exchange and support them to develop the tools to include young people with visual impairments. The course first taught the skills of engagement and support and then brought around 15 blind and visual impaired young people for a weekend of out door education.
Volunteer Service
This year volunteer service has been one of the main focuses especially within Indonesia where we hosted 20 volunteers from 8 different countries. We also had the opportunity to send Indonesian volunteers to Europe for service too. From the UK we also had the opportunity to send 3 young people 1 to Italy and 2 to Baku in Azerbaijan
Here are a breakdown of the volunteer projects we were involved in hosting and sending this year.
- Get Inspired for your Future (started in 2013)
- Youth Protect the Environment (started in 2013)
- Voices of Creativity
- Social Engagement Though Hip-Hop
- Radio Active EVS
- Mapping Solidarity (concluded in 2015)
Get Inspired for your Future was a 12 month opportunity for 1 young person from the UK to live and volunteer in Sardinia, Italy. Hosted by TDM 2000 the project gave a volunteer the opportunity to support the locally based NGO and engage in a range of international activities.
Link: http://www.act-global.org/get-inspiration-for-your-future
Blog: http://www.act-global.org/meet-thom
Youth Protect the Environment gave 2 young people from the south of England the chance to live and volunteer in Baku, Azerbaijan. The placement was all about environmental education and over the course of 10 months the volunteers created projects with local organisation and even got the chance to volunteer at the United Nations Offices.
Link: http://www.act-global.org/youth-protect-the-environment
Blog:
Ryan: http://www.act-global.org/meet-ryan
Tom: http://www.act-global.org/meet-tom
Voices of Creativity (lead by Estonian Based Organisation Seiklejate Vennaskond) was the first opportunity for Act Global in Indonesia to host volunteers. The project brought 4 young people from Spain, Estonia and Turkey for 6 months to support local schools and orphanages by delivering a range of non-formal education projects to support their development.
Link: http://www.act-global.org/youth-protect-the-environment
Blog: http://www.act-global.org/my-life-in-bali
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iScjyg8V-tw
Social Engagement Though Hip-Hop was an opportunity for 1 young person coming from the United States to volunteer his summer in Bali. The project involved teaching dance and hip-hop skills to a group of local young people. The result was a final video performance of a hip-hop choreographed scene.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3WCnbWNiYk
Blog: http://www.act-global.org/packing-and-preparation-2/
Radio Active EVS lead by UK Based Organisation Everything is Possible. This project took place over the course of 2 month. Each month we hosted 4 young people from Italy and the UK to deliver a one month project. The result of the project was a number of videos that the young people made. Check out some of these links.
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMATis2nPuk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEgtntxSVoM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10wJOallabc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjaS0HgvoP0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmwSkCsRzDo
Mapping Solidarity Led by Italian based organisation TDM 2000, started at the end of 2014 and continued though 2015. The aim of the project was to map NGO’s in Indonesia. Two Indonesians also went from the same project to Europe. 1 to France for 3 months and the other to Italy.
Development of Social Media
Social Media have been a big focus for us in 2014 with a reach of around 5,000 people engaging though out various platforms. As and organisation we are on….
Twitter – Facebook – Instagam – Soundcloud – Youtube and Google+
Keep following our projects and see what positives things we are doing with young people around the world.
Click here to view the video compilation of what we did in 2014. (This will open a link to Youtube)
