BEST PRACTICES

Empowerment in Brazil This initiative empowers young black youth (aged 14-21 years) from low-income families by training them as Afro-Brazilian Beauty Specialists. The objective of the initiative is to generate alternative sources of income for young black girls, thus reducing poverty levels from communities on the periphery of Rio de Janeiro. The process not only provides the women with technical skills, but also builds their self-esteem as a minority group. Resources were provided by the "Solidarity Community Programme Support Association (AAPCS)" and the federal government. The programme, which runs for 6 months, has expanded its trainee-base from 30 in 1996, to over 900 in 1999. Students train for 720 hours and cover courses in world issues, critical thinking, administration, aesthetics, black culture, gender and ethnicity. In addition, the modules provide opportunities for discussions on women's reproductive health, chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, education, sanitation, environment, etc. Girls graduating from the programme are absorbed into the mainstream labor force in salons in Rio, or in their own neighborhoods, thus meeting the needs of the Afro-Brazilian clientele. Results have shown that with the increasing employment opportunities, the girls are able to support their families, re-enrol in higher education, afford better housing in well-serviced neighborhoods, and increase their self-esteem.

Caring in Canada The Alberta Teachers' Association's (ATA) Safe and Caring Schools (SACS) Project is a not-for-profit, comprehensive, violence-prevention and character-education endeavour designed to encourage socially responsible and respectful behaviour. It addresses the root causes of violence and crime through social development. The SACS project takes a holistic approach emphasizing the critical role played by parents, teachers and other important adults in a child's life and by stressing the significance of the entire community in nurturing children and youth. The Project, which has a strong research base, is collaborative in nature involving dozens of organizations and agencies with like aims. It focuses on the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes in relation to living respectfully and responsibly, developing self-esteem, respecting and valuing diversity, preventing prejudice, managing anger, dealing with and preventing bullying and harassment, and managing and resolving conflicts peacefully. The project empowers vulnerable children and youth and fosters inclusive, caring and supportive behaviour among their peers and the adults who are viewed as important role models. Over 500 volunteers are trained to deliver programmes locally which builds capacity and sustainability at the school and community levels. They use more than 46 resources in print, video, workshop and Internet formats, developed by the Project for students, teachers, parents and other adults. Evaluations show reductions in violent and disruptive behaviour, increased academic achievement, and enhanced feelings of belonging among students, deeper appreciation for diversity and more caring toward others.

Women and Parks in Austria Women sociologists and planners adopted an environmental behaviour research to make a Vienna park safer and more pleasant for girls. A public participatory process involving the girls, local and external experts resulted in a gender sensitive re-design of Einsiedler Park and St. Johann Park. The strategy adopted incorporates the girls' interests in games, sports activities and leisure preferences in the use of public spaces. This develops a sense of ownership for public and social outdoor spaces, and results in a more balanced distribution between male and female users of public parks. Both park visitors and planning agencies are encouraged to be more sensitive to girls' use of open spaces by introducing appropriate design elements such as those propagated by Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CEPTED) techniques. These design considerations, such as proper lighting of park trails, increased visibility, clear open spaces, multi-functional play areas, etc., have improved many park users' sense of safety, particularly adolescent girls and the elderly.

... an American Park Take Back The Park, initiated in 1987, represents a creative departure from previous youth programming in that it was the first project of its kind in New York City that gave young people _ all high-risk youth _ a lead role in motivating peers and adults in reclaiming community recreational space from drug dealers. Since its inception, Take Back the Park, has every summer been mobilizing youth leaders and volunteers one or more New York City neighbourhoods to reclaim a local park that has been taken away from the community by drug dealing, vandalism, and/or substance abuse. The programme mobilizes and trains community coalitions, including representatives from youth, police, parks department personnel, community-based agencies, tenants associations and community boards in collaborative community planning. Skilled and experienced youth work with neighbourhood young people to design and coordinate Take Back the Park activities, conduct neighbourhood needs assessment surveys, and develop networking between community youth and community police officers. Participating youth are provided with 25 hours of youth leadership and community organizing skills training, including topics such as programme planning, outreach, community problem-solving and strategies for addressing drug trafficking and substance abuse. All "Take Back the Park" efforts remain in action today.

Helping children in India Kolkata (City of Joy a.k.a. Calcutta), with a population of 13.2 million, is one is one of the largest cities in the world. It's the capital city of the Indian State of West Bengal. More than a 100,000 children living in streets, red light areas and slums were left unattended and stayed away from schools. These vulnerable children were involved in menial labour, exposed to sexual exploitation and never had access to formal education. The purpose of the educational initiative started in 1989 is to enroll all out-of-school children of (5-14 years) into local schools. Priorities include protecting children in vulnerable situations by providing them with shelter, protection, care and counselling with the involvement of railway authorities, police and the local public. The initiative has not only reached out to 15,000 deprived urban children but has been able to enrol 8,000 children into formal schools while reuniting them with their respective families. Over the years, Children In Need Institute (CINI ASHA), has created a model in the field of education by evolving its own Bridge Course method (accelerated method of teaching and learning) for children not in school and drop-outs. The children are reintegrated according to age and appropriate levels in one year's time. CINI ASHA has designed a package of the Bridge Course curriculum and training module in collaboration with UNESCO for training approximately 400 community volunteers to date. CINI ASHA, has also been a pioneer in designing modules and conducting training for NGO representatives in counselling street children in collaboration with National Institute of Social Defence. The innovative strategies have been replicated by NGOs and the Government at the national level.

...and helping children in Chile The "Adopt a Brother or a Sister" programme of the National Foundation for Overcoming Poverty, is an innovative programme aiming to reduce the gap between the quality of the education for children living in poverty and children from higher socio-economic sectors, and at the same time give university students the opportunity to make a social contribution by volunteering as mentors of disadvantaged children. The programme was launched in 1999 and at present well over 700 university students from 30 universities are participating in the programme reaching out to approximately 1,000 children from 43 municipal schools in 19 municipalities. Through meaningful and affective links between mentors and children, the programme empowers children and improves their interpersonal skills, thus further developing their cognitive abilities. Furthermore, tutors establish close relationships with the children's families, thereby improving family ties through a modeling process on how to influence the children in a positive manner.