In this short British Council film, three Welsh Active Citizen's from The British Council's Sudan project talk about their involvement in the scheme.
Al Fat'eh is essentially a refugee camp for people displaced by the conflicts in Southern Sudan and Darfur. This area just outside Khartoum lacks many essential services.
Water, sanitation and healthcare are largely provided by NGOs and the United Nations, while transport is inadequate and costly for the impoverished residents who wish to travel to Khartoum to find work. Moreover, most lack security of tenure, which means they don't own the land they've been moved to and therefore could be evicted again.
The community in Al Fateh represents Sudan's multi-ethnic diversity, including Nuba people, Afro-Arab tribes, Muslims and Christians. Comprehensive community mapping has taken place here for the Active Citizens programme. This has revealed particular demand for intercultural dialogue and social action in areas of tension between different ethnic and religious groups. However, tensions frequently surface between people competing for scarce resources. The mapping identifies that activities like sports, drama and music can bring together people from different backgrounds, and it is hoped these can be used by Active Citizens to promote peaceful co-existence.
Active Citizens was launched in Sudan in 2009, and its partners here are mainly representatives of Sudanese government and civil society, including groups such as the Women's Union, Karari Locality and the Women's Centre for Peace and Development. So far, 33 residents of Al Fateh from diverse backgrounds have become participants. They are divided into six groups, each developing a project that aids their community. So far, projects have focused on encouraging sustainable development in Al Fateh, such as micro-finance schemes -- in which cash crops are developed to use and sell -- education for children and adults, and raising awareness of environmental issues that will ensure careful use of resources and improved levels of sanitation. In areas with little access to electricity, let alone the internet, one of the essential projects is to provide electric generators. There are also plans to hold IT workshops where participants can learn computer and internet skills.
Gerard Lemos, Acting Chair of the British Council, visited Al Fateh City in January 2010 and was keen to discuss these projects with participants. Tilal Salih from British Council Sudan believes "[Gerard's] background in dealing with vulnerable societies makes him a good listener to what these citizens have to offer. In finding solutions to upgrade and develop Al Fateh City, our participants are indeed Active Citizens, making a huge difference with very few resources.
Richard Weyers, Director of British Council Sudan, sums up the project: "British society has a lot to learn from Africa. Maybe one of the amazing things to come out of this programme will be that UK communities can learn about the importance of caring for extended family [as seen in Africa]."
For more information visit http://activecitizens.britishcouncil.org/content/sudan
Filming and editing by Gareth Phillips gareth@wearemjr.com
Music and Sound Design by Manpanics http://manpanics.co.uk
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