UNESCO Chair Programmatic Development & Quality Assurance

The Programmatic Development & Quality Assurance component aims to identify and develop international models of good practice in relation to active citizenship of children and young people, with a specific focus on disadvantaged communities, social support networks and resilience building.

This aspect of the Chair’s programme will involve linking research, policy and practice in the development, further enhancement and quality assurance of civic engagement programmes for children and youth. Research undertaken as part of the Chair’s programme will feed into developing applied practice models for specific interventions for children and youth, with due sensitivity to issues of best fit in terms of cultural competence among indigenous child and youth populations and service providers. In addition, the youth programme activities will link with existing UNESCO led policy and practice (including MOST) and will be informed in part by the World Bank research on what works best. A major focus will be on reciprocal learning among partners and stakeholders.

The Chair will work in close collaboration with its youth work partner Foróige in implementing this aspect of the Chair’s programme of work an the programme interventions will, in the main, be youth led.

ZAMBIA - Field Trip Visit, March 2010

The UNESCO Chair is continuing to develop its programme of work in Zambia. This involves a three-way partnership between Foróige, Ireland’s leading youth development organisation, the UNESCO Chair and the Alan Kerins African Project, which has an on the ground presence in Zambia. The partnership is due to be officially launched by Minister of State, Peter Power T.D., in NUI Galway on June 21st (please click here for information leaflet). As part of this programme of work the partnership intends to develop a model for a youth centre which will use a combination of integrated sports, training and civic engagement interventions targeted at children and youth. It is intended that a pilot project will be initiated in Kaoma, Zambia. The three partners travelled to Zambia in early March to explore the feasibility of the project and to meet with the local community as well as the Zambian Ministry of Youth.

A consultation being held with young people and local members of the community in Kaoma, Zambia.