Contributing to the European Consensus on Development

Public awareness raising, development education and campaigning - seminar for NGDO platforms of new member states, 19th February 2008, Brno

Rilli Lappalainen, Chair of Development Education Forum

The European Consensus on Development ...

... responds to 21st century challenges of:

the need for poverty eradication

the need for sustainable development

The European Consensus requires ...

A better informed European public: able to relate global issues to local change and personal behaviour

A better skilled public: able to support others’ and enact their own right to development

A better involved public: able to challenge practices that perpetuate poverty and hamper sustainable development

A contribution ...... to meeting these requirements has been developed by

NGO staffCivil servantsEuro parliamentarians and others with an interest in international development

Political commitments...EU council of development ministers resolution on DE 2001Council of Europe Maastricht Declaration 2002Brussels conference 2005DE/AR a priority in European Consensus on Development 2005Helsinki conference 2006DE/AR a priority in 18-month EU presidency programme 2007

Development education and awareness raising ...

... contribute to the European Consensus on Development by ...

enabling people to be aware of and understand global development concerns

enabling people to enact their rights and responsibilities as inhabitants of a changing and interdependent world in their own localities

Raising awareness of development

Informs about development, for instance through:publications, exhibitions, art, drama, TV, the internet

Engages people in support for development, for example through:

local eventsnational and global events:

Global Call to Action against Poverty

Development education promotes...

an educational response to ‘development’

investigations of global development issues and their European, national, local and personal relevance

a knowledgeable, critical, but positive public involvement in a changing world

However ...... current Development Education & Awareness Raising efforts need

more impactbetter integration in existing formal and informal education systemscollaborative strategies between EU, state and non-state actors

Suggested strategies would seek to...

Engage policy decision makers

Create dialogue between European, state, media and civil society actors

Build mutual support in learning to improve existing practice and in developing new ventures ...

and ...

Encourage cross European programmes and activities

Highlight the relevance of global development to European, national, local and public concerns

This requires joint work ...including between:

Educators, youth workers

Government Education and Youth departments

NGOs and other civil society organisations

European Parliament

European Commission ...

... to create ...

activities, projects and programmes:

from one-off involvement in public campaigning

to education and life-long learning that leads to sustained public interest and engagement in local-global relations

To make this work...The proposed strategy framework suggests:

challenges for NGOs, governments, and European institutions

and

an agenda for jointly tackling these challenges

With recommendations for ...The European CommissionThe European ParliamentEU member state governments and authoritiesNon-governmental and civil society organisationsMediaand others with a stake in life in a globalised, changing, and interdependent world

in other words: FOR YOU

Lessons learned so far…There is a momentum now !The European Parliament has showed interest.EU member states have signalled to the EC that it must take seriously.Presidencies good effect to put DE/AR higher up the political agenda.Leading role for NGOsMultistakeholder forum has created.

Next steps…Concretising the implementation of DE consensusLegal binging document ?Annexes to DE consensusGood experiences, lessons learnt databaseSlovenian DE conference, European Development Days 2008Coming presidencies

Thank you !

More information:rilli.lappalainen@kehys.fi

t.troll@deeep.org