NEW COL-PROTEIN PROJECTS COMBAT POVERTY
COL has funded two new projects under its Poverty Reduction Outcomes through Education Innovations and Networks (COL-PROTEIN) programme. The projects use open and distance learning (ODL) to address poverty in developing countries. COL provides support in the form of ODL expertise and funding up to CDN $18,000 per project. To date, COL has supported 19 COL-PROTEIN projects around the world.
Learning for Livelihoods in Papua New Guinea
MAKING COTTAGE INDUSTRIES MORE PROFITABLE
The South Pacific Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SPISARD) is a branch of the Agriculture Department of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology that works to improve livelihoods in rural areas by co-ordinating teaching, research and extension services.
Many women in Papua New Guinea work in cottage industries. However, their ability to succeed is hampered by low levels of literacy and inadequate opportunities to learn. SPISARD has created the “model village approach” for rural development. These villages become conduit points where teaching, training, research and technology transfer can take place.
The COL-PROTEIN project, “Training of Women and Youth at Selected Model Villages in Papua New Guinea”, is using open and distance learning to help women and youth build their knowledge and skills. Some of the training needs identified include vegetable farming, cooking and nutrition, sewing, fish farming, soap and dishwashing paste making, and rice production.
SPISARD plans to provide training to more than 725 women and youth by June 2009. Using various learning methods, including lectures, videos, posters, discussions, visits, workshops and mobile phones, SPISARD will help people in rural areas improve their ability to run sustainable cottage industries, which in turn will help alleviate poverty.
IMPROVING LIVELIHOODS IN RURAL INDIA
The communities in the coastal Praksam District of Andhra Pradesh have been described as “the most disadvantaged segment of the population”. In addition to their low socio-economic situation and vulnerability to disaster caused by cyclones and floods, people are restricted by lack of access to information, resources and opportunities.
The Society for the Development of the Rural Women and children (SDRWC-INDIA) is a voluntary relief and development voluntary organisation that works in Andhra Pradesh. Their COL-PROTEIN project involves establishing a Livelihood Resource Centre and five community knowledge centres to provide information and support to local communities. The centres will focus on helping people improve their skills and techniques in salt farming, fishing and other coastal industries by:
• Introducing people to viable livelihoods options;
• Providing training and information about post-harvest technologies, how to obtain fair market prices and other relevant issues;
• Establishing effective market linkages;
• Facilitating access to financing and insurance;
• Documenting and sharing stories about local best practices; and
• Conducting advocacy activities to ensure adequate services are available for marginalised populations.
By building their skills and accessing useful information, people in these communities will be able to make significant improvements in their productivity and income. The project will specifically support the empowerment of women by implementing gender equity, equal wages and participation of women in planning and implementation.
www.col.org/protein
COL’S NEW THREE-YEAR PLAN, 2009-2012
Following an extensive Commonwealth-wide consultation process including meetings of its country Focal Points and COL’s Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (London 2008), COL has drafted a new Three-year Plan for 2009-2012. Following approval by the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors, the plan will be presented to the Commonwealth Ministers of Education for endorsement at their 17th triennial Conference (CCEM) to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in June 2009.
As part of its monitoring and evaluation strategy and the planning process for its upcoming Three-year Plan 2009-2012, COL commissioned an evaluation report that examined activities in its current plan. Conducted by an external consultant, Dr. Patrick Spaven, who interviewed a large variety of stakeholders, the extensive report provides valuable insight into the effectiveness of COL’s various activities. A summary of Dr. Spaven’s report and the draft Three-year Plan 2009-2012 are available on the COL website.
www.col.org/3yp
COL INTRODUCES “CIVIL PATHS TO PEACE” BLOG
“Civil Paths to Peace”, the report of the Commonwealth Commission on Respect and Understanding, was released in 2007. Chaired by Professor Amartya Sen, the Commission explored how to promote mutual respect and understanding among all faiths and communities in 
the Commonwealth. COL is working with a consortium of Commonwealth universities to create materials and programs to address some of the themes raised in the Commission’s report. The first step is the creation of a new blog to encourage public dialogue, debate and discussion. Visit the site and share the link.
http://rucol.blogspot.com
For more insight into “Civil Paths to Peace”, watch an interview of Professor Sen by COL Vice President Professor Asha Kanwar. It is freely available on the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) website at www.cemca.org/civilpaths.
