volunteers

The project works to improve access to education in Brazil, by tackling mismanagement in construction of schools; empowering civil society groups to pressure local and federal government official for more accountability; building a network of local monitoring organizations; gathering robust information on problems in several phases of construction and delivery, presented in semi-annual reports to Federal Government and media; holding a final conference on lessons learned and how to redesign policies for effective monitoring and control with the help of local civil society organizations.

The aim of the project was to engage talented young artists and journalists, and encourage them to use new forms of art in promoting change and advocating for free speech and media freedom as a cornerstone of democracy. The project had three primary outcomes: an increase in media coverage on human rights, media freedom, free speech and the right of access to information by trained young journalists; an increase in the engagement of young people in human rights, media freedom, free speech and the right of access to information through artistic activities/products by young artists; and raised awareness of young people of human rights, media freedom, free speech and the right of access to information by end-2013. The project assumed that enhancing the understanding and skills of the young journalists and artists participating in training, writing/performing and networking will have a multiplier effect. Participants joined an already established network called ‘Freedom Messengers’. The project also included public events and an advocacy campaign that were intended to build public support for the Freedom Messengers and thus create pressure for change. Additionally, the project included the further development of an existing on-line observatory and the creation of a web presence for the Freedom Messengers. The evaluation found that in the implementation of the project the specific press/information-related focus was lost. Consequently there a mismatch between the activities undertaken and the specific objectives set.

The project’s objective was to promote democratic governance by supporting and encouraging the creation of Citizen Participation Cells (CPC), as a facilitation mechanism among grassroots communities and local authorities, in order to address the low level of accountability of local authorities towards citizens. The project was implemented in 35 municipalities located in four departments of Benin. The grantee’s strategy focused on empowering citizens by fundamentally strengthening the grassroots communities. This was highly relevant in view of the profile of the beneficiary groups, vulnerable rural communities for the most part, which rarely had a voice in public affairs and had limited access to channels of influence. Supporting the practical skills of CPC members as well as municipal officials working at the local level allowed participation in local governance to take place more effectively and in a collaborative way.

The main focus of the project in Côte d’Ivoire was to put in place five departmental committees and one national committee for the monitoring of democracy and good governance. By strengthening the capacity of the members of these committees, the project promoted voluntary involvement in the management of communes and the exercise of civic control. By relying on the country’s policy of decentralization, the project helped local populations develop an interest in governing local affairs through learning about their roles as citizens. This was done through cooperation and engaging in dialogue with locally elected leaders. With this project the grantee integrated strategic priorities of the national decentralization policy into local governance. It also managed to take into account the context of the Ivorian crisis, which was characterized by a weakness of democracy and poor governance. It was therefore a kind of post-crisis pilot project on raising awareness and approaches to training in democratic education and good governance. The project could have applied a more nuanced approach in relation to the different groups that were part of the target population, particularly women and young people and provided more local support.

Aiming to improve the living conditions of vulnerable populations in marginalized areas and to put self-promotion processes in motion, the project’s goal was to enable these beneficiaries to take charge of their own affairs and to know and demand their rights. The grantee created permanent community centres and promoted community development through specific micro projects to mobilize and train teams of volunteers, and to strengthen the community centres’ capacity to organize and dialogue with local decision-making bodies. The beneficiaries greatly appreciated the project’s assistance on the ground. The volunteers’ continuous presence heightened the populations’ motivation and engagement. Several factors contributed to the project’s effectiveness: country action plans suited to local realities; the formation of well-trained teams of volunteers; the strong mobilization and participation of settlers in the activities; the financing of projects proposed by the target populations to improve their living conditions; and the quality of the local support provided by the teams of volunteers.

The project’s objective was to build the capacity at the grassroots level regarding democracy. This objective was pursued through training the population about citizen rights and freedoms, including establishing a permanent observatory for national and local electoral consultations, and the communication of information supporting the construction of a democratic state. The intervention directly targeted vulnerable groups, farmers (both women and men); and on a wider level also reached out to development actors, trainers of trainers and local facilitators; and employees of local, administrative and communal authorities. The project aimed to provide appropriate responses to the needs and difficulties faced by target beneficiary groups - women and vulnerable groups who were unable to take part in the electoral process. The method and the content of the training sessions as well as the message communicated via the educational media adopted were consistent with the project's objectives. It was also in line with the priorities set out in the country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.