Building on UK Diaspora International Partnerships

Background

Partnerships between schools, hospitals and communities in UK with counterparts in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Caribbean (the South) have been progressing since the 1980s.

The UK Government has put considerable funding into the development of these partnership. To the present time some 3,800 schools, 100 hospitals and 450 communities in UK have partners in the developing world. These mutually beneficial partnerships are seen as essential to peace, prosperity and justice and as a means to personal, professional, community development and social cohesion at both ends of the link. The coalition Government is currently honouring the funding commitment.

“Never doubt that a small group of intelligent, committed people can change the world – indeed it is the only thing that ever has!” – Margaret Mead

Chaired by Marvin Rees, Broadcast Journalist/ Presenter, with speakers including Jeremy Crook, Director of BTEG and Joe Sang, Minister Counsellor Kenyan High Commission

• representatives of diaspora groups about their links
• representatives of British council, THET, Department for International Development , UK schools and hospitals with links to the global south
• local politicians

Purpose of this event is:

We live in a globalized world in which we are all interdependent.

At this meeting we will explore:-

• with representatives of diaspora organisations in the Bristol area and representatives of organisations involved in international partnerships how we might build on the links that the diaspora have to their home communities in Africa, Asia, Caribbean and Latin America.
• how representatives of the diaspora in the Bristol region might facilitate links between schools, hospitals, local authorities, youth groups, faith-based organisations and others in the Bristol region with counterparts in their home communities in for example Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malawi, Gambia, Chile, the Philippines or Jamaica.

This is a FREE event and refreshment will be provide