Southern Voices Network

Development education activities in the UK are mainly delivered by people from the North (developed countries or the minority world). Educationalists from the South (developing countries or the majority world) are far less represented. Skillshare International aims to redress the balance and give voices to all parties. To do this, we have launched a network of Southern Voices.

The Southern Voices network enables voices from the South to be heard in development education in the North. This enhances development education with appropriate representation of Southern perspectives that challenge stereotypes and prejudice against development and developing countries. It improves understanding of local and international interdependence.

The network brings together a group of educationalists, teachers, academics, development education workers and NGO workers from the South, living in the UK. The aim is to enable them to share their experiences and facilitate their professional input to be reflected in development education.

In doing so, we aim to:

1. Make progress towards a balanced and equal representation of the Northern and Southern perspective in the education sector in the UK;
2. Share a common understanding on global perspectives and global citizenship;
3. Influence stakeholders and decision makers on development education;
4. Facilitate curriculum development and resources development for development education and global citizenship with a Southern perspective.
5. Identify networks, institutions, organisations and educationalists from the South interested in working with colleagues in the North to exchange and share information, supporting a holistic and inclusive practice in the North and in the South.

This network builds a bridge of communication among interested parties.

For further information, please contact our Development Awareness Officer, Dr Raúl Pardíñaz-Solís, on + 44 (0) 116 257 6629.