BUILD meeting at Charney Manor 11-12 July 2007

Contents

Wednesday 11 July

Welcome – Nigel Thompson1

Future of UKOWLA – Geoffrey Findlay1

BUILD’s achievements so far – Nick Maurice1

What’s going on in Norway? – Tutu Jacobsen, Cristina Latini2

Where are we in the Commonwealth? – John Whitaker3

Where are we in the UN? – John Whitaker, Craig Owen5

Where are we in the UK? – Nick Maurice6

Health Links

Faith Links

Local Authority Links

Ethnic Minority Linking

Education

Corporate Sector

Report back from Groups9

CISCO – Jane Lewis13

Thursday 12 July

Practical Action “All you need to know about using the Toolkit” – Margaret Burr13

Discussion with Nigel Griffiths, Chair of APPG “Connecting Communities”14

Wrap up and reflections19

Participants20

Programme21

Nigel Thompson

Welcomed membersto the first meeting in a new phase of BUILD’s development.

  • BUILD has now achieved charitable status – and all the duties that go with it.
  • We now have a board of trustees, and Nick and Pepi will be working for us full time.
  • Trustees and staff will be accountable to the members for the governance and management of BUILD – and will consult on direction.

This annual member’s conference is important in fulfilling these duties. The agenda was developed with these duties in mind:

  • To give feedback on what has happened and receive comment on how work is going
  • To discuss ways forward in delivering our plans and receive advice on that.

We will look at the prospects for our three main areas of policy work –

  • with HMG (where we are fortunate to have Nigel Griffiths MP new chair of the APPG “Connecting Communities” to help us)
  • with the UN (where we will be exploring with Craig Owen the pilot Gold Star work in Wales)
  • with the Commonwealth (where we will discuss initiatives at CHOGM in November).

We will also be looking at the practical work we are doing to improve the quality of links; and at the ways that the APPG and BUILD can work more effectively together.

Future of UKOWLA – Geoffrey Findlay

BUILD is that it has been a victim of its own success. UKOWLA was the foundation for BUILD and Nick and Pepi have given notice that they are leaving UKOWLA to work full-time for BUILD. There is now an opportunity for another organisation or individuals to take on the work of UKOWLA. Proposals must be in to Chair of UKOWLA, Mike Smith by mid-August. .

BUILD’s achievements so far - Nick Maurice

Nick talked about the creation of BUILD to bring Community partnerships, Schools, HEIs, Local Authorities, Faith-based groups, Health care institutions, Ethnic minorities, Sport, Social and Cultural groups between communities in the UK and the South into the mainstream of life in the UK.

Three things done since 2002.

1.Mapping exercise, mapping community based links to a particular country. Covered six countries, Uganda, Ghana, Gambia, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and most recently Sri Lanka, each exercise ends in a conference. A concerns is the role of international partnerships in social cohesion in the UK. We very deliberately target diaspora groups from the country to attend.

2.Toolkit. Thanks to Margaret Burr who put in an enormous amount of time and energy in producing a “creed” which we could all sign up to. It is a global resource, as applicable to both ends of the link, North and South. Brilliantly launched by Archbishop Desmond Tutu on 29th June 2007 at Marlborough House.

3.APPGKevin Barron MP for RotherValleyset up the APPG “Connecting Communities” in 2003. It enabled us to have meetings with Charles Clarke when he was Sec of State for Education and Skills and we worked cwith DfES on their International Strategy. As BUILD we can claim some credit for that, as individual members of BUILD and also as a corporate body.

Meetings with Gareth Thomas, leading to input into the DFID white paper which commits the UK to support community based links. We are now in consultation period with DFID on their linking scheme.

In addition:-

1.We’ve been working with the UN on the Gold Star Communities after a meeting with Mark Malloch- Brown.

2.Commonwealth Work as a result of which the Commonwealth Education Ministers have encouraged every school in the Commonwealth to have an international partner for mutual understanding.

What’s going on in Norway? -Tutu Jacobsen, Cristina Latini

Representing FK (Fredskorpset) Norway = “Peace Corps” unrelated to American Peace Corps! Began 1963 reopened in 1999 as FK Norway.

Governmental agency, directly under Min of Foreign Affairs, Board appointed by Ministry, 27 full time employees.

Two tasks:

  1. To finance and give advice to partners in 61 countries in the South, approx 230 professions represented, exchange employers for 1 year. Understand the need for development in South as well as in the North – about mutual learning.
  1. Oslo very international, one school has 150 countries represented. FK emphasises the positive aspects of this. They hold an international week in the municipalities. Meet mayor, head of admin, head of education, head of integration, international matters, churches, NGOs etc. The exchangees from the South in Norway and the RVs are trained to go into schools, talk about MDGs and their experience of the exchange. A practical example with students. They are asked to empty their pockets of dinner money, then go through the theory of MDGs and poverty and what can be done, UN mentioned etc in very practical way. At end of lesson they are asked what do we do with this money? Some want their own back, some to share it equally, others to donate to an NGO, and see that money/resources are a big problem in the world. Future workshop; 2hrs want the students to decide what they want their municipality to look like in 2015. Come up with many practical ideas. Looking at municipality’s place in the world and also at the world in the municipality. Emphasise the positive aspects of multiculturalism. At end of week, have international party.

Have 350 partners all over the world every second year they are all invited to Oslo. Ministers of Norway are invited; this is to make people understand that they are very important. Those that have applied for funding from FK Norway, it’s a good way of bringing people together.

230 different professions involved in the exchanges. 300 exchanges in each year. Started in 2001 and now have had 2500 exchanges. Have a budget of 165m Krona.

There is a gap between UK and Norwegian involvement in linking. In Norway it is fundamental to their international strategy.

No money is paid to the exchangees, FK pay for salary and accommodation only. It’s a two way learning, FK partners have been involved in more traditional aid which they felt didn’t work as well as the partnership exchanges, both North and South. All exchangees have to share experience and knowledge on return.

Are you talking about institutional partnership as well as individual ones?

People can be recruited from their own staff or advertise in newspaper. Those that recruit within their own organisations gain more as they can share the knowledge within the organisations. Sometimes when the exchange is over the partnership continues. Capacity building is one of the main things that FK emphasise.

How long have FK been doing the work in municipalities?

Started in 2003 and visited nearly 70 so far. There is a total of 340 municipalities in Norway

Does an individual apply or institution?

Institution applies, they have to find their partner in South then both apply for funding together. FK Norway pays salaries in North and South.

Do you have any formal systems for assessing the impact of the work?

Reports are written every six months and the partners meet. FK were evaluated by another organisation in Norway, about 95% was positive. But some inside the evaluation team worried that the work in Norway was effective. FK is only 6 years old and they are still building their work. Evaluation is some times difficult.

Commonwealth Teachers would exchange, job and house would be lived in by the partner.How does it work?

The money is given to the partner in the South for their accommodation, they will be living and working in the same conditions as your partner. Some people bring their families with them. Very modest accommodation. If people exchange jobs, it is up to the employer in North or South to find the accommodation. 3 weeks training with FK.

Also exchange South to South, funded the same way.

Where are we in the Commonwealth?– John Whitaker

Commonwealth work is part of the third plank of BUILD’s work. The Commonwealth provides opportunity for connections between countries and communities. Every two years CHOGM meets, before that there is a Commonwealth People’s Forum where the NGOs and Civil Society organisations meet. In Malta BUILD promoted the concept of linking and encouraged the fostering of links. Then worked with Peter Williams at the Commonwealth Education Mins meeting in Dec 2006, commitment from Ed Mins to promote linking in schools.

Links are not just something that rich North people have with the South, South/South are just as valuable.

Important to get the heads of government to sign up to linking. 19-22 Nov 2007 CPG in Kampala. Running workshop at the forum one run by Peter Williams and one by BUILD. We need ideas for the workshop.

Will have southern inputs and southern partners in running workshop, not just people involved in BUILD.

Theme for CPF is “releasing potential”.

Submission to “realise potential through common-health and well-being” focussing on health and faith links.

  • Infectious Diseases Institute at University of Makerere
  • THET
  • Help the Hospices
  • Diocesan links between Bristol and Winchester
  • Uganda Council of Churches

A communiqué from the CPF to CHOGM should recommend linking, using as a spring-board the schools links commitment, but extend to health and faith links and also to a range of other potential community links.

Although there are different sectors, there are cross-overs between the sectors. In Uganda 40% of health care is delivered by faith organisations, they are also involved in education.

School partnerships more developed than other partnerships. We will hear from schools in Uganda through DGSP and LCD about the impact of the school partnerships from a southern perspective.

In middle of impact assessment programme and this will be an opportunity to hear the end of the first year’s results.

Civil servants meet before CHOGM and put in recommendations. Commonwealth associations have input to the Civil Servants, get them to endorse them. Get key Ugandan ministers’ ear. Need input in lots of places to have impact.

Peter Minhinnett – working with environmental health officer in Uganda. Min of Health want to be involved in the workshop in the area of preventative health care. Speak to Peter M further.

Feedback from group

KAMPALAWORKSHOP / WIDER INVOLVEMENT
Benefit / impact / Ugandan ministers
Cross-sectoral / Commonwealth organisations
Attract people’s attention, may get converted or no one or some with little experience of linking
What are we trying to achieve? Could get lots of feel good stories
Clarity of objectives – determines who you want to get to workshops
Use MDG themes relevant to health especially on the preventative side.
Releasing potential of Local Authority employees
Need sustainable evidence from the workshop for DFID. / Using FK model
Plug into CIVICUS and build up global society around linking – need civil society views, and social capital on MDGs. How do you use the issues to make professions all to come together to find solutions.
Two pronged approach, how can minority faith groups strength their links to build own capacity multi-national links.
In business work large multi-national relationships are common

At Education Ministers meeting there was this commitment, we are looking for that sort of commitment to broader partnerships. Don’t write communiqué now. Looking for an outcome of a genuine commitment by CHOGM to the promotion of quantity and quality of international partnerships within the Commonwealth.

Where are we in the UN? – John Whitaker and Craig Owen

Gold Star Communities idea was to have an international standard for links. Community links should be touching different aspects and could get accreditation. We met 2006 with Mark Malloch-Brown to sell the GSC concept. We were happy to pass this on to the UN to give it credibility and clout. Continuing discussions with the UN on taking it forward, but there are problems with the new regimes in the UN. Pilot taking place in Wales.

Craig Owen.

Background in advocacy and campaigning in Oxfam.

Welsh Assembly Government wants an international development centre in Wales. Linking is good for Assembly. GSC and the International sector and Assembly made a good fit.

MDG Task Force overseeing the pilot – what can linking contribute to achieving the MDGs? UN Gold Stars can achieve MDGs both in UK and partner community.

Core funding for project, £30k grant funding which projects bid into. Appeal went out in March in Wales to take part in GSC project, £5k grant available for the link to develop pilot.

5 communities are receiving funding all with very different links.

PONT – 5 yr link in Uganda, initial health link but now involving the wider community

Brimicome – Ethopia, initial health link

Brecon – Kenya – using expertise for helping HIV orphans and widows.

Hay and Timbukutu – broader cultural link.

Cronff – Lesotho – rural based link with agricultural knowledge.

Drawing in another half dozen community partnerships into the project.

Borderless project and integral part of the work BUILD is doing. Most of the projects will be learning from each other in Wales and learning from some of the projects BUILD members are doing.

Ethos of scheme is on community, civil society and social contributions to MDGs. Learning will be of value to international civil society e.g. CIVICUS.

The 5 communities will be getting support and advice in Wales and in the South with their partners. Initial aim, to get the integrity of the partnerships solid with £5k as a facilitating start-up grant. No cash next year, but there will be funding for other projects and hope other partnerships will take off and form a network of links.

Outputs for 2007

What is a community?

What framework for this pilot?

Best practice for meeting MDGs

Website development – key area, “what is needed, what is already there?”

Impact evaluation in March 2008. WCVA has in-house monitoring and evaluation team, should it be monitored by experts in Cardiff of the communities in Africa?

New community linkswant to get involved – how should the learning be developed into new criteria?

Links should be long term, community driven, development focused, partnership not charity, community focused. Is there another level of involvement for short term sustainable projects.

Comments

  • Kofi Annan has moved on – what has been achieved and what might be achieved? In Africa schools are at the centre of the community. We should build on school links and use technology to help communicate.
  • One of the original concepts was that the GS status would be awarded only if it qualified on both sides of the partnership is that still true? The focus on MDGs means that some of the criteria have changed, strong emphasis on social cohesion in GSC but this is not an MDG. The removal of conflict in society is seen as a benefit of linking.
  • Still early in the pilot, strong emphasis within the groups and thinking and once they start the programme will be very much southern driven on what they will be doing i.e. not set by Welsh community. Evaluation will be done from Southern community.
  • Criteria seem to have changed. Fairtrade status was part of original GSC concept.
  • Fairtrade, child friendly policy, social cohesion, sustainable development as well as MDGs.
  • The concept of Fairtrade status is not necessarily recognised in South.
  • Could we connect to theSustainableTown movement?
  • Stages: Network with people involved in MDGs
  • Associate network – communities actively doing stuff with link to achieve MDGs
  • Going for Gold level, trying to achieve a standard
  • Awarding of Gold Star status perhaps starts with one gold star for community link then perhaps reaching all 8 gold stars. It will take a few years to get to the level where we can define how all the steps can be reached. Fairtrade town groups have to re-apply to keep their status. Fairtrade towns are interested in taking on the next step of linking.
  • Need tighter brief on what we want to share, don’t want to repeat ground already covered. Is it always N / S, what about S / S?
  • In BUILD we created specific criteria on what a GSC looks like. Use Gold Star Partnership that signs up to Gold Star status set by BUILD rather than individual community.
  • Need to be very clear now that we have MMB in Government with special responsibility with the UN, window of opportunity. Welsh pilot is on behalf of BUILD. We must speak the same language.
  • Need clarity of terms of quality of partnership, measure could be partnership a. making assessment on partnership b. and vice versa. Need to get hard outcomes and soft outcomes – what are they?
  • Hay and PONT very engaged and trying to be involved in international development issues. Not sure if they are aiming to do it on their own, not being asked to work with other NGOs and civil society organisations.
  • Partnerships versus community. Difference is broadening the public understanding of these issues.
  • Sustainability – after gold star status how can you sustain the levels of activity and quality?

Really useful to have issues fed into the process at the beginning.