NGOs promoting Global
Education – a case study
of Cyprus
Citizens’ Activism in the
promotion of Global Citizenship
Louiza Hadjivasiliou, NGO Support Centre
UNIDEV Summer School, Dublin 2014
Presentation outline
• Global Education: definition
• National context: Cyprus
• Development Co-operation & Global Education in
Cyprus
• 2004-2014: NGOs promoting Global Education
• Current realities & citizens’ activism
• Strengths & challenges
• Suggested reading & useful links
Global Education
• Global Education & Development Education: terms often used
interchangeably
• North-South Centre of the Council of Europe:
“Global Education is an education that opens people’s eyes and minds
to the realities of the world, and awakens them to bring about a world of
greater justice, equity and human rights for all. Global Education is
understood to encompass Development Education, Human Rights
Education, Education for Sustainability, Education for Peace and
Conflict Prevention and Intercultural Education; being the global
dimension of Education for Citizenship.”
(The “Maastricht Global Education Declaration”, 2002)
The context of Cyprus
• Numbers: 9,251 sq; 1.1 million population
• Key dates: 1960 independence; 1974 Turkish
invasion; 2004 EU accession
• Economy: one of the Eurozone’s smallest
economies
• March 2013: 10 bn-euro bank bailout –
resolution of second largest bank & 'haircut' in
uninsured deposits
Cyprus(Aid): Development cooperation
• Cyprus has not always been an aid donor country
• 1994-2004: 1155 scholarships as part of the “Technical
Assistance Scheme for Foreign Countries”
• 2006: development projects through Delegated
Cooperation – Silent Partnerships
• ODA: from 0.09% to 0.23% to 0.11%
• Development has never topped the foreign policy
agenda
Cyprus: Global Education
• One of the founding members of the North-South Centre
• Key stakeholder: Ministry of Education & Culture (Global
Education Week, Inter-sectoral Committee on Global
Education, Pedagogical Institute)
• Pedagogical
Institute:
National
Strategy
on
Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable
Development
• Other stakeholders: Teachers, universities, policy
makers, CSOs
NGOs promoting Global Education
•
•
•
•
•
•
The main actors implementing Global Education projects/activities
Activities include publications, events, campaigns
Main source of funding: DEAR Call (EuropeAid – EC)
Three 'groups' of NGOs:
DEAR-funded, non-DEAR funded & humanitarian/charity
Creation of NGDO Platform and CYINDEP (CONCORD & TRIALOG
memberships)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jswfmw-ZbXQ
• Key dates: 2012 EU Presidency, EYD2015
Current realities & citizens' activism
• Newly-appointed Commissioner for NGOs &
Voluntarism
• New organisations are created eg. 'Politia'
• Many citizen-driven initiatives and informal
groups appear eg. 'Ellovos'
• Active citizenship eg. First Cyprus Pride 2014,
'Let's Do it Cyprus' cleaning campaign,
MYCYradio
Strengths
•
•
•
•
•
Small society & young civil society
Economic (& socio-political) crisis
Individuals' interest & motivation
Expertise within the CSO sector
Range of fields: human rights,
environment
• NGO Law reform
migration,
Challenges
•
•
•
•
•
Small society & young civil society
Economic (& socio-political) crisis
Funding & sustainability; project-driven
Lack of research opportunities
National context in terms of policy-making &
government support
• Long-term citizens' engagement
Suggested reading & useful links
• unidev.info
• deeep.org
• 'A reflection on Global/Development Education in the
context of Europe and Cyprus', Kerstin Wittig, NGO
Support Centre
• 'Journeys to Citizen Engagement: Action Research with
Development Education Practitioners in Portugal, Cyprus
and Greece', Amy Skinner and Sandra Oliveira, DEEEP