Thursday Feb 23

Act Global Project

 

"The Act Global Project shows that as Muslims we need not talk any more of 'integration' but 'contribution'"

Female Participant, age 21

 

 

MADE in Europe initiated a pilot run of its Act Global Project in June 2009.  The Act Global Project aims to develop understanding, skills, motivation and networks among young Muslims to take an active role in the fight against global poverty.

 

In the Act Global Project, MADE in Europe, in partnership with GlobalMedic, worked with 13 young Muslims aged between 19 and 25 to provide them with training on key issues around global poverty, team work and campaigning skills and basic training on water purification devices and mobile hospitals.  They then took part in an accompanied disaster response deployment overseas for 10 days.  On their return, they ran a community campaign about Water & Sanitation engaging with other young people and community groups.

 

 

Read what inspired one of our Act Global participants to get involved in his blog.

 

 

Training

 

The volunteers have participated in a 9 day training programme covering the following:

  • Team building
  • Leadership skills
  • Introduction to global poverty and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
  • Islam, volunteering and "charity"
  • Introduction to natural and man-made disasters and emergencies
  • Needs assessments and project planning
  • Introduction to SPHERE (standards for delivering emergency relief)
  • Practical training on setting up the mobile hospital, using water purification machines and CPR
  • Evening sessions with speakers from Islamic Help, Oxfam, Christian Aid and Al Khair Foundation on a range of topics including working for NGOs, media work and fundraising during disasters, volunteering opportunities and inter-faith action on global poverty.
  • Q & A session with Imam Qasim about faith and working in disaster response and poverty alleviation
  • Fundraising with TV Presenter Rizwan Hussein (Islam Channel/Channel S)
  • Campaigning

 

Deployments

 

Pakistan

A group of volunteers travelled to the Swat Valley in July 2009 where they worked with conflict-affected people in relief camps.  Read more here.

 

Sri Lanka

Volunteers distributed relief items to internally displaced persons and trained local communities on water purification.  Read more here.

 

Indonesia

Volunteers responded to the September 2009 earthquake providing clean water and medical care.  Read more here.

 

Haiti

Volunteers travelled to Haiti following January 2010's earthquake to distribute clean water.  Read more here.

 

Kashmir

Two volunteers taught English to children in earthquake-affected areas of Kashmir.  Read more here.

 

Pakistan 

Volunteers worked with GlobalMedic and Islamic Help in Pakistan following the floods which started in July 2010.  Read more here.

 

Water & Sanitation Campaign

 

Click here to read about the Act Global volunteers work on Water & Sanitation.