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he first phase of the Global Xchange programme is called “Community Xchange”, which is an international professional development programme that engages community activists from around the world through a range of activities.
During their three-week stay in Durban, the 26 participants will stay with host homes and spend one week with a range of Durban-based NGOs: Phoenix Youth Centre; Phoenix Child & Family Welfare; INK - Ethekwini Municipality; the BAT Centre; SCOPES; WOW; Lake Havens Children’s Home; Inanda Community Radio; Umtapo Centre; Tim Omotoso Outreach, Hope Church, Clermont Community Resource Centre, Nowadays Poets and Wentworth Soccer Academy.
The aim is to build the skills of participants and encourage inter-cultural dialogue amongst people from different cultures. Global Xchange is a programme that brings people globally to live alongside each other and work together as volunteers, giving them an opportunity to share their learning with their host communities
The programme is being hosted by the cities of Durban (South Africa) and Belfast (Northern Ireland). British Council and VSO (Volunteering Services Overseas) are managing this programme with the help of two Durban partners: the BAT Centre - where the participants will be based during their stay in South Africa, and the Ethekwini Municipality.
The theme of this year’s programme is "Divided Cities", with the cities of Durban (South Africa), Kigali (Rwanda), Free Town (Sierra Leone), Belfast (UK), Paris (France) and Los Angeles (USA) being represented.
What all these cities have in common and what connects them to each other is that they have divisions which often appear insurmountable and keep communities from integrating with one another. Through this programme, communities from very different parts of the world will be able to explore their pasts, the cultural elements which define them and share best practice on how to ensure a more integrated future.
Participants will then travel to Belfast to start the Phase two programme from 7 to 27 March, 2010. This year Global Xchange programme consists of two main exchange activities: Community Xchange and Youth Xchange. The Multilateral Youth Exchange component will commence in August 2010 in Durban. |
