The Concept

GLOBAL PLATFORMS TRAINING HUBS FOR EMPOWERMENT AND ACTIVISM

The Concept

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WHO WE ARE We are global training hubs for empowerment and activism ActionAid Global Platforms is a worldwide network of training hubs for empowerment and activism.

We provide innovative trainings and capacity development for organisations and young individuals who wish to take positive action in their societies. We are determined to provide youth with knowledge, skills and attitude to be active global citizens!

WHERE WE ARE We are able to deliver trainings to any organisation around the globe Global Platforms are part of a growing network with hubs in Bangladesh, Denmark, El Salvador, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Myanmar, Nepal and Palestine, that are able to deliver trainings worldwide.

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WHAT WE DO We offer trainings that challenge and inspire We are specialists in using participatory methods as tools to empower people to realise their potentials as positive social change makers. On the basis of comprehensive global experiences, we have developed trainings within topics such as:

Campaign management

Governance

Youth Leadership Human Rights Global Citizenship Participatory techniques Social Media Project planning Youth Mobilizing Volunteerism

Creative Activism

A long life journey to become active global citizens starts at the Global Platforms. After participating in our trainings people feel inspired and motivated to further engage in positive social and political change making through campaigns, social movements, social business solutions or by adding value to the organisation where they are already working.

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We are hubs for activist and volunteer activities The ActionAid Global Platforms are open for everyone who works for social and political change and want to work with us. We aim at being ‘social laboratories’ where dynamic young people can explore and develop methods of changing their community for the better.

Become part of a global youth training network!

Share your ideas with others and take them to a new level!

Unfold your activities at the Global Platforms!

The Global Platforms work in close cooperation with ActionAid’s youth network Activista and play a strategic role in supporting the network. Activista is working to empower and enable young people to actively participate in the decision making and political processes that affect their lives. www.actionaid.org/activista

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WHY WE ARE HERE We believe our planet needs a new generation of skilled and ambitious global citizens We are facing an increasing number of global scale crises. Rapid economic globalisation has created new markets and wealth, but also widespread inequality and suffering. The majority of the world’s population, namely young people lack influence to change this imbalance.

The last decades an increasingly global coordinated and influential civil society has been established, with the ability of defining new structures, values and leaders. A civil society with a strong potential of shaping the future in a more democratic and fair direction.

Our ambitious global strategy is to train and empower young activists in becoming key social change makers and to qualify their protests in a non-violent and positive direction, while stressing the importance of acting on local as well as global injustice.

WHY WE FOCUS ON YOUNG PEOPLE We are working with and for young people, because we believe that:

• • •

Young people have enormous capacity, energy and creativity.

Young people are often at the forefront of social and political change.

Young people will generate their own ideas, campaigns and movements to address needs in their community when given the space, tools and opportunity to do so.

WHAT OUR AIM IS Train the world.Change the world!

The Global Platforms aim to be a catalyst for social and political empowerment, by inspiring young people to realise their ability to positively change their lives and those of the people in their communities.

We want to spread our trainings and ideas in ever-widening circles with the vision of: training the world to change the world!

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We were part of starting up the Pool of Trainers in Nepal. Pool of Trainers is a voluntary based network of former participants from the Global Platform trainings. We are a bunch of young, energetic and creative trainers who want to engage youth from Nepal.

Our first experience with Pool of Trainers was the: “National Youth Leadership Seminar” in spring 2013.

We went to Nawalparasi, where youths from marginalised communities from seventeen different districts in Nepal participated.

The experience was really exciting but also a bit challenging. Challenging because we were unsure how they would react to the creative and participatory methods that we had learned at the Global Platform.

But at the end of the first day, everyone was so happy and applauded the methods we used.

We ourselves learned a great deal about training methods and it was an amazing experience.

Through Pool of Trainers we are planning to engage more youth throughout Nepal.

Prasun Rai and Aman Lama, Nepal Former participants at Global Platform Nepal and volunteers in the Pool of Trainers Network.

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WHO WE ARE HERE FOR The Global Platforms are open for everyone - no matter their background The trainings are especially designed for youth activists and leaders engaged in social movements and civil society organisations - but everybody can participate!

HOW WE CREATE CHANGE We believe that an end to poverty and injustice can be achieved through purposeful individual and collective action, led by people living in poverty in solidarity with concerned global citizens People living in poverty need to be supported to discover their power, to get organised and to connect with global movements that will help them to claim their rights. To support this process we have developed a unique set of high standard trainings. Besides our regular trainings we have scaled up our training hubs by supporting people through online learning activities.

Our Global Training Quality Assurance will guide and secure that the training methods, level and impact of our trainings are all state of the art.

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I now feel comfortable conducting trainings and organising workshops! I love GP Myanmar for giving me energy, power and strength to change myself as well as adopting the motto: Just do it!

Min Paing Moe, Myanmar Youth Participation in Governance & Training of Trainers Global Platform Myanmar

At school they give you knowledge that you have to learn by heart. At GP jordan we get skills and we learn through interaction and debating with other young people, we have to think and take decisions.

It is another approach than what I am used to, it made me think!

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Maha Gabir, Jordan Tailormade training in advocacy and campaigning Global Platform Jordan

HOW WE TRAIN All trainings are based on our six key principles:

PARTICIPATORY TRAINING We learn from each other!

POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT Share your vision and act on it!

LEARNING BY DOING

Practice what you learn - learn from your practice!

PUBLIC ACTION LEARNING Act it out in public!

CREATIVITY AND SOCIAL IMAGINATION Break the norms - rethink social change!

RELEVANT AND APPLICABLE Apply what you learned and add value!

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WHAT TRAININGS WE OFFER As part of our regular training portfolio we offer the following 15 trainings: The trainings in Campaign and Activism will give you skills, knowledge and attitude to organise powerful campaigns, to develop your creative skills for social change or to be on the forefront of a strategic use of new communication practices.

CAMPAIGN • MEDIUM • Learn the first important steps to become a campaigner!

CAMPAIGN • LONG • Design and manage effective campaigns for global justice!

SOCIAL MEDIA • MEDIUM • Connect to the world of social media and create social change!

CREATIVE ACTIVISM • SHORT • Push your creative side and become an innovative change maker!

COMMUNICATION AND STORYTELLING • SHORT • Learn how to motivate people through your communication!

The trainings in Rights and Participation will give you skills to understand, analyse and act on important concepts such as youth participation, democratic governance and human rights based approaches.

YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE • MEDIUM • Learn how to ensure democratic governance!

YOUNG WOMEN AND GOVERNANCE • SHORT • Learn how to capacity build women to achieve their rights!

HUMAN RIGHTS BASED APPROACHES • SHORT • Get experienced with the practical work of HRBA! Training durations: • SHORT = up to 1 week trainings • MEDIUM = up to 5 week trainings • LONG = up to 16 week trainings

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Through the trainings in Leadership and Innovation you will learn how to become an excellent youth leader or training organiser in an NGO setting.

TRAINING OF TRAINERS • MEDIUM • Become a trainer - and train others to become trainers!

YOUTH LEADERSHIP TRAINING • SHORT • Learn how to lead youth and volunteers in creating social change!

Through the trainings in Global Citizenship and Volunteerism you will expand your global horizon within a group of committed young people or you will be sure to get excellent preparation before your volunteer stay abroad.

GLOBAL CITIZEN COURSE • MEDIUM • Explore Nepal or Kenya in your summer vacation!

GLOBAL CITIZEN COURSE • LONG • Explore Nepal and India or Kenya and Tanzania at this 4 month course!

GLOBAL VOLUNTEER • MEDIUM • Get prepared for your volunteer experience!

READ MUCH MORE ABOUT THE TRAININGS AND WHERE AND WHEN THEY ARE BEING OFFERED AT: WWW.GLOBALPLATFORMS.ORG

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WHAT OTHER TRAININGS WE OFFER We offer tailor-made capacity support for organisations and movements Besides our regular training portfolio, we are able to deliver tailor-made capacity support to a wide range of organisations and movements around the globe. Our team of experienced trainers are able to meet various demands and contextualize trainings that are guaranteed to fit your organisational needs.

The Global Platforms are already playing a key role with providing capacity support for ActionAid youth programmes, within subjects such as: Human Rights Based Approaches, Governance, Campaigning, Organising, Project Management and much more.

HOW WE CAN COOPERATE If you are interested in participating in our trainings, discussing the Global Platform concept, events or activities or discussing the feasibility of establishing a Global Platform in your country or region, please contact us.

Global Platforms Email: contact@globalplatforms.org Website: www.globalplatforms.org Annette Munk Soerensen Head of Training4Change ActionAid Denmark Email: ams@ms.dk

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I have been working as a trainer at Global Platform El Salvador since 2011.

I believe that in the current global system which keeps many people locked in poverty – the social change needs to come from the very people beeing opressed.

I come from the indigeniuos group Mapuche that has a long history of social struggle. Like many other mapuches I am working for a better tommorow for our society, that has long been culturally and politically opressed. As I see it the Global Platform trainings play a very important role in the empowerment of the opressed.

Juan Pablo Nahuelquin Trainer and Campaign Coordinator at Global Platform El Salvador

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I participated in the Social Entrepreneurship Training at Global Platform Tanzania in 2012. The most important thing I gained is the courage to dare making a change! I managed to use this courage to register a community based organisation called YMSG (Young Mothers Supporting Group).

YMSG provide young single mothers with tailoring skills for free so they can employ themselves. I used my new skills with proposal writing to get support from a UK based NGO, who have supplied YMSG with sewing machines and office items.

Currently I am planning to find a bigger place which can accommodate 20 mothers and 20 textile machines.

I really dream that this Social Enterprise will be successful!

Judith J. Sarakikya, Tanzania Social Entrepreneurship Global Platform Tanzania

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WHAT A GLOBAL PLATFORM LOOKS LIKE At the Global Platforms people live and learn together in an atmosphere that can best be described as international, creative and inclusive. You can expect the 9 Global Platforms to offer the following facilities:

TRAINING AREA

The Global Platforms offer excellent facilities for trainings, meetings and conferences - all fully equipped with projectors, internet access etc.

WORKSHOPS

In line with our participatory training principals, we have designed the physical surroundings, to both support group work as well as give participants space to sit quietly and work.

ROOMS

All of the Global Platforms offer affiliated accommodation in double or family rooms.

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LOUNGE AREA

We do our very best to make people feel at home at the same time as they are meeting new people.

DINING HALL

Good food is important for the ability to learn and for achieving great results. Our canteens will serve delicious snacks and food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

GARDEN

We strongly believe that a green environment can inspire our participants and support creative thinking. All Global Platforms have gardens, pavilions or a rooftop terrace which are both used for training and relaxation.

SPORT FACILITIES

At the Global Platforms (or close by) you will find outdoor spaces where people can clear their mind and get new energy from doing sports or exploring the local surroundings on a bicycle.

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train the world change the world

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