Global Links Initiative(www.glinet.org) ,a registered company and a charity in the United Kingdom has entered into a partnership agreement with Goodwill Social work Centre on 6th October 2007 to work together to provide services and capacity building programmes for GLI Networkers in Tamilnadu, now numbering over 300.This formal agreement deepens and strengthens the friendship, respect and collaboration that already existed between our two organisations and enables us to work even more closely together on practical local initiatives, exchanges and projects. Goodwill is taking on the role of GLI representative and ambassador in serving the needs of GLI Networkers and local NGOs in Tamilnadu. Part of this new role is to take over the management and creation of the Tamilnadu content for the GLI English Language Website recording the inspiring stories of local GLI Networkers, news of their projects and activities and sharing their experiences and expertise with the wider GLI Global network.

NGO administrators, Development professionals,Social entreprneneurs in Tamilnadu,India can register with GLI free of charge and send their information, stories about their programmes and activities to the GLI Tamilnadu Website Editor, who will provide technical assistance to them in this international networking.
 

Our Centre has taken up ‘Children’s Rights Artwork ‘as a rights based programme through its ‘Children’s Rights Centre’ for rural and urban children in and around Madurai, Tamilnadu, South India under the aegis of the Art Venture, Singapore This is an innovative programme for children in the age group 7-17,which aims at providing ways to learn,debate,raise awareness and foster activism about their rights to survival,protection,development,participation as enshrined in the UN Convention on the rights of the child(1989) through artwork.

The children’s Right Artwork not only aims at building a holistic understanding of Child Rights and exploring areas of concern that affect children and their rights but also combining arts with a study of the UN convention on the rights of children as a way to promote children’s understanding of their legal status in society. The artwork includes folk dances, folk music and songs, drawing and painting, cartooning, children’s rights mural, floor arts, needlecrafts, lacework, writing contests and competitions, portrait and figure drawing and cartooning on computers etc, which develop art skills, improve self confidence and enhance creative and enjoyment in the arts and to know of their rights to childhood.

It focuses on creating an awareness among the children and the adults as well concerning various rights based issues namely education,peace,poverty,environment,discrimination,disability,child labour,armed conflicts, health, sexual exploitation, violence against children,media,children in conflict with law. Children will be provided with an opportunity to explore what ‘the best interests of the child’ mean in the UN Convention on the rights of the child through arts education and participation. They have a chance to express their attitude about their rights and to share and discuss their experiences with others.With in a span of three years the project will cover 15000 female and male children from 50 schools which are located in and around Madurai and its neighbouring villages.

As part of our Children’s rights through artwork initiative our organisation has organised a series of poster contests for school children in March 2008. As nearly as 370 school children from in the age group of 5-17 actively participated in the events.
 

As part of the GLI {UK}-GOODWILL {INDIA} PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE, We have organised a two day capacity building training in ‘Smart Board Technology and virtual classroom’ for GLI networkers, NGO professionals and School teachers on 12th and 13th March 2008 at Madurai, India. Ms.Laura Agathe Egli,Educationalist,Global Lesson Foundation,Ontario,Canada was the Training Specialist, who conducted a series of training sessions on Smart technologies: its use and applications to children, how NGOs and schools can use this technology in formal and non formal learning environment and virtual network tools and courses available for children of all ages. Laura is a Teacher by profession and has had professional experience in 'SMART BOARD Technology and Virtual classroom. As nearly as 45 participants were in attendance Indeed the response from GLI networkers,NGO professionals and school teachers was very encouraging. She was with our organisation as a Volunteer for over three weeks during March-April 2008 and visited our Goodwill's village projects,local NGOs,special schools for children,Teacher training colleges and NGOs run by the Tamilnadu Networkers of Global Links Inititiative(UK) in and around Madurai,India.
 

Please take a look at the web album on the capacity building training sessions conducted by Laura Egli ,organised by GOODWILL in partnership with Global Links Initiative{www.glinet.org}, United Kingdom

http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisdangswc/CapacityBuildingTraining
InSMARTROOMTechnologyAndVirtualClassroomMarch2008
 

Goodwill Social work centre, Madurai,India conducted a series of Poster contests for school children on the theme 'WHAT WATER MEANS IN MY LIFE' on 8th March 2008 to celebrate the International Water Day, which falls on 22nd March every year. This is part of the 'Children's Rights through artwork project' being supported by ART VENTURE, Singapore. 366 children in the age group of four to 17 years from 47 schools participated. Of which, Goodwill Social Work Centre had sent as many as 200 posters to Nature­’s Voice-Our Choice, USA, which organised the international poster contest in April 2008.At the international level, as many as 800 students from 12 countries participated, and 13 award winning posters were selected including the five posters from Madurai,India.

J.E.T. Prasanna, T. Santha Kanagasabai, J. Rohan, L. Gomathi and R. Sindhu Devi let their imagination run riot at the preliminary poster contest organised by Goodwill Social Work Centre on the theme ­“What water means in my life.­” Prasanna, a sixteen year-old student of Madura College Higher Secondary School, presented water as a source of life to a child right from the womb.

T. Sastha Kanagasabai, a 12-year-old student of TVS Matriculation Higher Secondary School did a comparative presentation of past, present and future. The earth is shown as a barren place, while the future seems hopeful.

Seven-year-old Sindhu Devi and four-year-old Rohan and Gomathi of Lakshmi School portrayed scenes from daily life such as drinking, bathing, washing and cooking. In addition to these features, Gomathi had depicted smiling clouds, trees and mountains with a note ­“hey water flow forever and make us happy­”.
 

Congratulations to our five International poster contest winners!

Please view the photos of our winners at the Award Distribution function held on Saturday,21st June 2008 at the Goodwill social work centre.Please view our webalbum: