Connecting Futures Beyond Borders - Youth Leadership Programme
Beyond Borders is a Connecting Futures project of the British Council providing a platform for young people from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the UK. It is all about sharing, learning and networking initiative for young people from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the UK. This project involves a range of activities designed to explore identity and developed in consultation with young people for the young people. British council took this initiative after attack on America on September 11 2001.
The focus is to establish a regional/UK contacts and communication so that experience and knowledge is shared through life skills Programme in each country. Young people in all countries will be engaged with issues of active citizenship, social responsibility and identity.
Democracywatch has been providing vital and high quality 'Life-Skill Training Programmes' to the young people since 1995. This includes training in English language, computing, secretarial & management issues and current world affairs. These training Programmes are aimed at enhancing their future career to keep pace with the ever-changing and competitive world.
The "Youth Leadership Programme" of Democracywatch intends to develop/enhance the leadership qualities among the youth of Bangladesh who will work Beyond Borders. The Programme is designed such a way through which the target group will be able to learn and know about contemporary issues such as Diversity and Tolerance, Gender Equity, Environment we live, HIV/AIDS, Consequence of Drug abuse, Culture & Heritage, Governance and Democracy in interactive manner. They will share their experience with others through workshops. And field trips exposure encourage them to raise the inequalities to the experts from the Government office as well as private sector.
More than 80 young participants from Dhaka and 30 from Mymensingh are taking part in various activities starting from sports, drama and rally, campaign as well as raising their voice to authorities when needed. The participants also organized a debate festival from 10th February to 17th February 2005, which are being well attended by teams representing best Universities & Colleges of Dhaka.
Democracywatch with the support of the British Council organized an International Youth Summit from 20th February to 22nd February 2005 where participants from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan shared their experience through different media such as debating, cultural Programmes, forum theater and other means of interactive sessions during this summit. These types of activities are part of regular training we provide at Democracywatch to shape a better Bangladesh.
To add a few more four young participants went to India to attend the Beyond Borders India Fair '05 at New Delhi from 3rd - 4th February 2005. Where they shared their experience with others representing India, Sri Lanka and Scotland.
Another group of four participants went to Pakistan to attend the Beyond Borders Pakistan Festival '05 held at Karachi and Rawalpindi from 5th - 7th March 2005.
In both occasion participants got enough opportunities to know about the activities and initiatives took by their fellow young partners. Which is definitely help all to develop certain elements to promote youth activities beyond the borders
Democracywatch's vision through this leadership campaign is to develop a Parliament for the youth community. As today's youth will take over the tomorrow's leadership they should be able to practice proper democracy as well as plan for their own future through the Youth Parliament. Democracywatch already started planning for such with the help of Scottish Youth Parliament.
This project started to create positive impact, because in this part of the world our young people have enough potentialities but lack opportunities.
Participants'
reflection
"Youth Summit was a process of learning through
entertainment. Aimed to develop leaders who will drive
the world tomorrow. We learned about punctuality, mutual
respect through different Programmes."
"Better mutual understanding means to know the
world from world perspective. This guides to feel the
humanity in most diverse situation. We need a common
platform to create mutual understanding between young
people beyond the geographical borders. I know we can
do the job right through music, creative writing, recitation
and documentaries."