What is Progressio Empower?

Am trying to put off packing so decided to say a bit more about ICS and Progressio.

What is Progressio?

"Progressio is an international development charity that enables poor communities to solve their own problems through support from skilled workers. Throughout its history, the organisation has attempted to influence decision-makers, secular and religious alike, to support liberation movements and to guard against human rights abuses. It also lobbies legislators to change policies that keep people poor. It was formerly known as The Catholic Institute for International Relations."*

The Empower Project is a short (10 week) placement in either Malawi (where I'm going!!) El Salvador or Peru. Progressio is one of 6 agencies running the ICS in this initial (guinea-pig) year.

What is ICS?

"International Citizen Service (ICS) is a global volunteering experience funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) which gives young people across the UK the chance to join in the fight against global poverty."*

(I'll say more on what I think about "fight against global poverty" later on - needless to say I'm not sure its the most accurate statement they could be using.)

For more information on International Citizen Service, Empower, or Progessio follow the links.

* - Both these quotes come (like 83% of university essays) from wikipedia

New Blog

Hello and welcome
This will (hopefully*) become my blog for my time in Malawi working with Progressio as a leader in the International Citizenship Service programme run by the DFID and the UK government.

I'm nearly all packed and ready to go to London for a few days, on Friday we have training for the October-December leaders for Malawi, El Salvador and Peru, then on Saturday along with my team we're flying to Kenya and on to Lilongwe for 2 weeks in country training.

Danny

(* - Hopefully as I have no idea what internet access will be like once we get to Malawi - this may be both the first and last post!!)