October 2019
The British Council's first Active Citizens programme started ten years ago. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people in 77 countries have been inspired to make a positive difference in their communities. In order to recognise the achievements of the programme and the incredible work of over 285,000 change-makers, there has been a series of celebrations and commemorations taking place across the globe. At the British Council office in London there's a free exhibition showcasing the inspiring individuals, networks and organisations we call Active Citizens. The exhibition is running Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm, until 3 January 2020.
You can also see this content in our special 10-year anniversary publication which explores the stories in greater depth. Online, there have been competitions to find the best social action projects as well as local showcase events to mark country specific milestones. Five projects were put to the public vote on Facebook via the Active Citizens page and the winning project was Keep Clean, Keep Green and the Awakening of a Dream, from Pakistan.
How does Active Citizens work?
Active Citizens is a social leadership training programme which builds trust and understanding by supporting people to take action on issues they care about. Implementation partners, such as universities or grassroots organisations, are fundamental to the programme. They nominate 'facilitators' to attend Active Citizens training in the UK and then share what they learn with participants in their local communities.
These participants, known as Active Citizens, work together on projects to address local issues and make their community a better place. Active Citizens also connect with each other globally to share learning, build networks and gain new ideas. Active Citizens training equips people with the social leadership skills to build trust and understanding within and between communities, bringing them together to address social challenges.Through their training, they follow a powerful learning journey, which helps to build self awareness and confidence, value the needs and perspectives of others, and deepen their understanding of the different systems that make up today’s interdependent world.
Active Citizens in England
Our focus in England has strong emphasis on social cohesion, health, arts and the environment. We have been running Active Citizens in England since the programme first started in 2009. We bring together people of different faiths, genders and generations, using arts and social enterprise to promote stronger cultural cohesion.
Building cohesive communities in Leeds and Bradford
In 2016, Active Citizens from Jewish and Muslim communities in Leeds and Bradford went into schools and youth groups to discuss the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For the first time, young people could talk openly about an issue that can be a cause of divide between the two communities.
Using their deeper understanding of different perspectives on conflict resolution, the Active Citizens helped the young people to explore the conflict through their own identities. They showed them how to hold strong beliefs without resorting to hateful viewpoints. The project had a ripple effect in the UK, leading to a public statement of solidarity, which saw Muslim, Jewish and Christian representatives form a human chain around a North London mosque.
Raising awareness of mental health in the West Midlands and beyond
When Active Citizens from London and Birmingham noticed similarities in the mental health initiatives they were working on, they decided to join forces and start The Delicate Mind. Beginning life as a small social action project, and now a registered charity, The Delicate Mind helps minority ethnic communities and many others explore how faith, masculinity and identity shape our understanding of mental health, and raises awareness of issues related to mental health and race equality.
Through workshops, research and advocacy, the charity helps to drive the national conversation about mental health, and recent research conducted on behalf of The Delicate Mind fed into a report for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the need for increased engagement with the South Asian diaspora in the UK.
By connecting with a diverse range of partners, from schools, faith groups and community organisations, to the YMCA Coventry and Warwickshire and HM Prison Stafford, The Delicate Mind has been able to reach an estimated 1,344 people from across numerous races, genders, faiths, ages and identities.
Watch Nadia, co-founder of The Delicate Mind, speak at our 10th anniversary celebrations and find out more about the work they’re doing to change perceptions of mental health in diaspora communities in England.