Development Talk

Youth Changing the World

 

May 10, 2011

Youth implementing solution to problems concerning their communities.Photo: Development Works,Flickr

Last month was Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), the largest service event in the world that mobilises the million of youth and children who are dedicated to the improvement of their communities through service and service learning.

This American initiative was established in 1989. It was organised by Youth Service America and its Global Youth Service Network and consists of international partners, sponsors and volunteers.

Every year, more than 100 countries and millions of children and youth work together with schools, youth organisations, nonprofits, community and faith-based organisations, volunteer and national service programme, government agencies, faith communities and other individuals to tackle the world’s most critical issues and change their communities on Global Youth Service Day.

According to gysd.org, during the weekend of April 23-25, 2010, millions of youth took active part in thousands of service and service-learning initiatives in order to solve problems concerning their communities.

Check out some interesting stats from the website:

 Volunteers participated on 6 continents.

 3,091 projects registered on GYSD.org.

 648 grants disbursed to youth, nonprofits and schools, totaling $716,000.

 Thousands of media placements with close to 2 billion media impressions.

 1,165 local, state, and federal government officials with 35 state proclamations; 27 co-sponsors for the U.S. Senate resolution; 44 co-sponsors for the U.S. House resolution

Get involved!

Filed under: campaign,CBOs,children,civil society,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,development,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,initiative,NGOs,NPOs,Training,Uncategorized,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:32 pm

Celebrating World Book Day

 

April 29, 2011

Books are the most powerful tools that add value to one’s life. Consuming literature broadens our mind, helps us to make formed decisions, and gives us access to knowledge we would normally be unaware of.  The information they provide is then transferred from generation to generation, communities, societies and even individuals all over the globe.

In the last decade, we have seen a shift in the publishing industry with the emergence of electronic books and digital media. People are straying from hardcover literature and newspapers and turning to free content found on the web.

For that reason, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is celebrating the World Book and Copyright Day on Saturday 23, April. Their aim is to protect the copyright law and to encourage young people to see the importance of reading. Through this event, a 20% discount on any book bought on this day will be donated to the Equal Education Campaign (EEC) (http://www.equaleducation.org.za/).

“Books can be purchased and donated in the shop for collection by EEC the following week. Support this worthwhile cause, and help us to celebrate the Book along with the rest of the world by promoting literacy in our country,” according to UNESCO.

The staff at Creative Consulting & Development Works are book feins and love sharing insightful literature. Click here to check out some of our most recent book reviews, found on our quarterly newsletter, Development Talk.

Filed under: arts,Book,campaign,civil society,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Uncategorized,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 10:51 am

TIMES: Apartheid-style neglect of kids continues

 

March 25, 2011

Check out this interesting article from The Times following a report made by the UN and the SA Human Rights Commission. The article discusses South Africa continues to neglect its most vulnerable, in particular, children, as they are negatively impacted by a lack of a proper home, health care and schooling.

Some of the report’s troubling findings include:

• 64%, or 11.9million, of the country’s 18.6million children live in poverty. Many of them are Aids orphans – about 5.5million people have HIV/Aids in South Africa, more than in any other country

• Only 54% of the HIV-positive children who should be on antiretroviral treatment are receiving it;

• More than 270 babies and their mothers die after birth on average a day, mainly due to HIV/Aids, and the maternal mortality rate has increased by 80% since 1990;

• 582000 children who should be attending high school are not – 28% don’t have the money for fees and 15% because “education is useless”;

• Of 56500 children who were victims of violent crime in 2009-2010, 27417 were raped or molested. Of those, 29% were aged between 0 and 10.

Read the full article below:

***
The Times: Young,hungry,helpless

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article986417.ece/Young-hungry-helpless

UN,USA

Filed under: access to health care,Awareness,basic human right,children,civil society,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Employment,Government,healthcare,HIV/AIDS,Homeless,Hope,poverty,South Africa,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 4:47 pm

Cape Town Celebrates Human Rights Day

 

March 23, 2011

March 21st marked Human Rights Day on the South African calendar — a day where people commemorate the struggles suffered by those fighting for equality and justice. It also marks the anniversary of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in 1996, an organisation dedicated to continuously fighting for human rights.

We rejoice this day by appreciating the rights we have, which include the right to dignity, equality, education, and expression.

This year’s Human Rights Day brought a large number of people to participate in events hosted by the Equal Education (EE). The event’s main intention was to hand over a memorandum to the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, requesting her to ensure the Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure is signed into law, as promised in last year’s policy gazette. The memorandum is also similar to the National Policy for the Equitable Provision of an Enabling School Teaching and Learning Environment (NPEP).

Unfortunately, Motshekga wasn’t present to take the memorandum, but Dingani Ngobeni, the Chief of Staff in the Basic Education Ministry, accepted it on her behalf. There was a great turn-out at the event, including a number of youth who were also advocating for advancing their education.

According to the Cape Times, Yoliswa Dwane, Equal Education spokeswoman, was quoted as saying, “Young people in the province showed today that they have an interest in their education. They came in numbers and wanted their voices to be heard.”

(Note: A similar march is planned for March 31, to the Union Buildings in Pretoria)

Aside from Parliament, other areas in Cape Town were also celebrating Human Rights Day, but this time in the form of arts and performance. Gugulethu residents and surrounding areas enjoyed the rhythm of the Cape, as the Amy Biehl Foundation, in association with the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Musicians Association and the Department Cultural Affairs and Sports presented the Cape Township Jazz Festival.

The likes of Amy Biehl Youth Bands, Yolanda Yawa, Mtika, The Tribe of Benjamin and the Milton Academy Jazz Band played at the event. The admission was only R5, giving an opportunity for people of all areas to attend the event.

Through political lobbying, speeches, and performances, it was clear that Cape Town made a statement in the on-going fight for human rights. Though we celebrate our achievements, it’s equally important to focus on the future and continue paving the way for justice and fairness.

Human Rights Day is incredibly important in reminding us that despite our differences, we are at the end of the day, all human.

Filed under: basic human right,campaign,children,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Government,Parliament,rights,South Africa,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 10:59 am

Technology: educating youth in South Africa

 

February 4, 2011

In the past, crime and corporal punishment dictated the schools in South Africa, but security has made it so students can now receive an education in a safe and protected environment. Now, the emphasis is on educating students through life skills and technology. Doing so has decreased the volume of teenagers getting pregnant and abusing drugs (such as Tek). This sort of education and raising awareness is largely due to the efforts of Love life and HIV/AIDS campaigns found in communities such as Khayelitsha, Langa and Gugulethu.

Modern technology has allowed people to improve their lives and become more educated on issues such as Medicine, education, and current affairs.

Some say that internet access in South Africa has increased the knowledge of today’s youth, so that by the time they enter university, they are familiar with a lot of the school subjects.  10 years ago, it was not as easy for youth to learn materials as they did not have many resources or examples to reference. Instead of using the internet, a student would have to go to a library and tour an area in person in order to fully comprehend an idea.

These days, if a student is unsure about a topic, they can search on various websites and in class, a teacher can project material onto a big screen for all students to utilize.

Long time ago, students could only access computers when they attended higher institutions. Currently, we have juniors and high schools offering computers, both practically and theoretically.

Once a student understands a computer and learns how to utilize the internet, they become more self-sufficient, which in turn, gives them more knowledge and learning opportunities. The use of internet also helps a student succeed in University and most importantly, it allows them to think larger and live open-mindedly.

References:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/813305/

how_far_has_modern_technology_improved.html

Photo: flickr

Filed under: CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,internet,social transformation,Software,South Africa,web 2.0,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 2:28 pm
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