Active Citizens Group discussion
Active Citizens discussing in group in Facilitator Development Workshop 

Globally connected, locally engaged

What is the Active Citizens programme?

Active Citizens programme aims to bring about sustainable social change within communities by establishing a global network of leaders. Our purpose is to increase the contribution of community leaders towards achieving sustainable development both locally and globally. 

We work with people who have already demonstrated local social responsibility, including youth workers, women’s groups, educators and faith leaders. We offer these participants training to develop their leadership skills and provide them with the chance to gain a global perspective on social development.

Learn more about the programme and be inspired by the achievements of our Active Citizens on the Active Citizens website.

Active Citizens in Bangladesh

Active Citizens in Bangladesh gives participants the confidence to make a difference in their communities.

The programme enhances the leadership and project management skills of local influencers. They receive specialist guidance in designing and running social action projects, which aim to generate positive change within their community. Participants also benefit from peer support via connections made within the global Active Citizens network. To date, we have trained more than 46,000 youth leaders in nearly 700 communities in 60 districts across Bangladesh.

 By joining this programme participants will be able to:

  • develop a strong sense of their own culture and identity through engagement with other cultures
  • have an increased knowledge and understanding of how their local community works and its links to the rest of the world
  • take action to improve society through sustainable initiatives
  • work effectively with diverse groups of people
  • become skilled in cross cultural communication and dialogue, and its effective role in community action
  • work together to address global issues.

Active Citizens in Bangladesh has initiated more than 2400 Social Action Projects across the country on themes ranging from illiteracy eradication to opposing violence against women. Read about some of the projects in Active Citizens Bangladesh

How does it work

  1. A national strategy. Research identifies key national issues. For example, in some countries a key issue might be literacy, in others, environmental protection might be considered more urgent. The British Council then forms partnerships with civil society organisations (delivery partners) working in these areas, to enable the delivery of Active Citizens locally.
  2. Facilitator development workshops. Delivery partners identify local facilitators. These facilitators take part in development workshops to find out more about the programme and explore approaches to delivering the programme locally.
  3. Local community delivery. Local facilitators adapt and deliver local workshops to groups of Active Citizens in their communities.
  4. Active Citizens work with facilitators to design and deliver social action projects in their communities.
  5. Globally connected. Locally engaged Active Citizens connect to a global network through study visits and exchanges with other countries, as well as through sharing via online portals and working on joint activities with communities around the world.

 

More information

Visit the Active Citizens website to learn more about the programme or contact us.

External links

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