Global Citizenship Awareness Program - What is it?

It is a three-semester program that aims to further global consciousness and awareness by exposing teenagers from low income families in Recife to classes on global issues (ecology, ethics, values and so forth), information technology, media education and English.

The program is a collaborative effort by five NGOs from Recife led by the Binational Center Associação Brasil América – ABA. The NGOs are Movimento Pró Criança, Auçuba, Instituto Vida, Fundação CDL and Em Cena Arte e Cidadania. And it has a partnership with the American Embassy and Apple Inc..

Why Global Citizen Awareness Program?

The 21st century has been considered worldwide as the century of information technology. There have been great discoveries in the area of medicine, as well as important political changes, but it has also been the era of discussion of global social issues.

War, violence, poverty, hunger and so forth, are knocking at our door, are invading our house literally, as well as through the media (TV programs, internet, radio). Therefore, there is no more time to wait for the leaders to do something to make our life better. It is the time to have ideas and put those ideas into practice.

To do so, it is necessary to have a broad view of the global issues and their consequences in each of our little worlds. In other words, it is necessary to absorb, criticize and contextualize information in order to deal with the social challenges. Challenges which need to be faced with: respect towards others and the environment, solidarity, creativity, teamwork, ethics, intelligence. The list of good values and abilities is endless.

Then comes ABA with the idea of implementing in October 2002, the Global Citizen Awareness Program. The program is based on ABA’s mission statement, which is concerned with the formation of responsible citizens and the social development of the local community:

"Promote personal, professional and community development in a humanistic, creative, efficient, and pleasant way through education, linguistics and intercultural activities, thereby contributing to the transformation of the social reality of the country."

ABA believes that by putting this project into practice, it is not only giving an opportunity to underprivileged teenagers, but is also fostering participation among its teachers, students and employees. ABA believes the project thereby contributes to a better quality of life.

 

General Objective

Provide the participants with the tools necessary in order to be able to absorb, criticize and contextualize information and then use the knowledge acquired to contribute to a better quality of life of themselves and their family and community.

 

Target Audience

Teenagers from 15 to 21 years of age, from institutions that have been recognized for their serious work towards the promotion of citizenship in Recife. For the program 2002/2004 the chosen institutions are: Movimento Pró Criança, Auçuba, Instituto Vida, Fundação CDL and Em Cena Arte e Cidadania.

 

More informations contact: dcg@abaweb.org