Global learning for local regeneration

In October 2003, Groundwork entered into a Strategic Grant Agreement (SGA) with the Department for International Development (DFID).

DFID has formed a number of SGA partnerships with civil society organisations to help build a stronger, better-informed and more effective UK community for international development, and to help raise awareness of the Millennium Development Goals.

What has global development got to do with local regeneration?

At first glance the regeneration challenges of our inner cities and peripheral estates may seem a long way away from problems faced, say in Mumbai or Nairobi.  A closer look will likely as not, see that many, perhaps most of the fundamental issues - poverty, environmental degradation, inequality, crime are in fact very largely the same.

The aim of Groundwork's global learning project is to promote a better understanding of international sustainable development issues, both with its staff and with the partners it works with.   The project also aims to build learning networks with partners and development organisations, and increase its capacity to engage in international development issues.  Big problems tend to stimulate creative and innovative solutions and there are many lessons and experiences that can be shared between organisations from both the north and south.

Why Now?

2005 presents an unprecedented opportunity in terms of putting issues of international development and international sustainable development firmly on the political agenda. 

G8 : 2005 sees the UK chair the G8 and host the G8 Summit in July, where both world poverty and climate change will be main topics on the agenda.

EU presidency : From July to December 2005 the UK holds the presidency of the European Union and tackling world poverty and climate change will be at the top of its wider world agenda.

United Nations General Assembly Special Summit on the Millennium Development Goals : The summit takes place in September 2005, to review progress made since 2000 on achieving the Millennium Development Goals to halve the proportion of people living in poverty by 2015.

Commission for Africa : launched to help generate action for a strong and prosperous Africa, the commission’s report will form the key focal point of the G8 negotiations in 2005.

UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development: 2005-2014 : The UN aims to see Education for Sustainable Development implemented in thousands of local situations on the ground, involving the integration of the principles of sustainable development into a multitude of different learning situations.

MakePOVERTYHistory : This is a unique UK alliance of charities, trade unions, campaigning groups and celebrities who are mobilising around key opportunities in 2005 to drive forward the struggle against poverty and injustice.

Live8 : 2005 marks the 20th anniversary of the Live Aid concert, a landmark in development awareness raising and giving within the UK and sees the launch of Live8, a series of free concerts coinciding with the G8 Summit aimed at raising awareness of global development issues.