Projectbeschrijving
Rationale:
This project, Strengthening youth Activism on sustainable development using the Earth Charter as a tool for change is developed in responds to calls from young women and men leaders active organizations and groups for greater understanding and capacity to address of emerging issues, greater capacity to face challenges and barriers that prevent them to be empowered in their communities in the poor settings of Accra, Greater Accra Region In Ghana.
The project looks amongst other things at innovative ways to use radio and SMS, the most powerful media in the country, to support activism to understand the potential and impact on their rights.
Activities:
(I) The official launch and first discussion:
The project will be launched with a first discussion on volunteerism and leadership for selected students in one of the schools. The officials will be invited attend the launch: the department of primary and secondary education, the department of environment, the department of health, the advisor of the municipality and the directors of the schools involved The discussion and the launch will be covered by the local media.
(II) The interactive radio programme:
A new interactive and innovative Radio programme integrating SMS from listeners and reporting from the youth from the schools involved in the project will be aired starting January. The youth will be helped by a journalist and hold a discussion on the radio in local languages and French on the Earth Charter ethical principles; report on the discussions held in the schools on the themes of the Earth Charter and the projects they are implementing using the Earth Charter. They also expect to report on the issues affecting youth in the communities; interviews with stakeholders and State authorities and how they are addressing them.
The Radio programme seeks to give the young leaders the skills to use the technology for advocacy and empowerment. They will bring the voices of the marginalized and voiceless peers on air and also break silence and taboo on some issues. The project will podcast these radio programmes.
(iii) Discussions on the Earth Charter principles and themes
The project will organize discussions and exchanges on the Earth Charter ethical principles and themes in the 6 secondary and high schools with the youth involved. The discussions will cover ecological integrity, social justice and economy, democracy, peace and non violence. The subjects of discussions and sharing will be decided by the youth themselves through consultations with the project team and speakers who are professionals or activists, or even the State employees working on these fields will be invited to the discussions.
The discussions will also lead to the formalization of a Youth Clubs on the Earth Charter.
ECYG FOR SUSTAINAIBILITY AND PEACE GHANA will also provide to the youth donated books and also copies of the Earth Charter in English.
The discussions will involve 50 youth per school, for a total of 300 young in all the 6 schools.
(iii) Projects based on the Earth Charter
The project will support the best ideas that will emerge from the discussions on the Earth Charter principles and themes in the schools to enable youth to be agents of changes in their communities.
At least 6 ideas (1 or 2 per school involved) that need a critical seed support of no more than US$ 300 will be supported and implemented by the 6 Youth Clubs on the Earth Charter in the schools with the technical support of the project, and the school.
The earth charter that will be at the centre of the discussions in the schools and used as a tool to strategically engage youth in community action and activism.
The project team with the schools will develop and discuss with the youth criteria for project ideas, and also the ways to collect, present and choose the ideas. At all stage, the project seeks involvement of the Youth Clubs in the process. It is clear that only the projects involving youth actively in the process will be supported.
Project doelstellingen
*To raise awareness about the Earth Charter among young women and men leaders in Ghana.
*To strengthen youth leadership on sustainable development using the Earth Charter as a tool for change
*To build the capacity of young women and men leaders in the use of radio for activism and empowerment.
Project doelgroep(en)
Number of beneficiaries: 500 young women and men from 12 to 25 years old in the economically disadvantaged and poor areas of KUMASI,ASHANTI REGION in 6 schools.We will send invitation letters to 6 schools and each school brings 50 students to participate in this project hence getting the needed 300 youth. The age of the group is between 12 and 24 years. In estimation, we will say that about 2700 people will benefit in the long term. This is because it is assumed that each school has a total of 450 students so when we multiply this by 6,we have 2700.
It is the unemployment issues that affect the youth in our community and the discussion will by held by a renowned motivational speaker in Ghana and other well known speakers.
The discussions will be organized by us and with regards to the training session, we will arrange with a specialist to train these young leaders on how to use technology.
Op welke manier draagt het project bij aan het oplossen van armoede?
With the youth been taught on the principles and values of the earth charter,they will understand that how best resources can be used to reduce poverty in these areas.We will have youths from senior high school so the education on how poverty can be reduced will be passed on to their families who for some reasons are not able to attend school.The young leaders will have some sort of training. For instance, we will arrange for a four week computer training session with a specialist who will assist and train them. They will be trained on how to do graphic designing, webpage publishing etc and with this training, they can start a small business which will generate some income for the youth.
Duurzaamheid
If the need arises, we will establish a small business within the schools where for instance some of the trained youth will be running photocopying, printing as well as designing services to the youths and the community at large.And establish a local Earth Charter club in the 6 selected schools so that the whole students will enjoy it hence sustaining this project for the new students.We also believe that if such programs will be conducted every semester,it will benefit the students a lot.
