Strong democratic government is built upon active citizen participation in the political process. This requires more than the statutory trip by citizens to the ballot box every few years, but rather an active involvement in their own governance on a constant basis.
Worthwhile democratic participation requires a citizenry of informed individuals who understand their rights and responsibilities as members of democratic process, who are able to critique and provide constructive input when needed.
Built upon an understanding that civic participation is synonymous with a ‘good society’, the programme works to enable and develop the capacity of citizens to have responsible and productive participation in political, social, economic and cultural life.
The programme educates, trains and supports activities that build and entrench participatory and democratic principle across the Commonwealth. The programme undertakes extensive research and training on civic education; developing materials and publications to promote practical ways to bring greater citizen participation in national governance.
Currently we are
• building on the Citizens’ Education Action Learning Guide (CEAL) to promote and facilitate people participation in governance, the programme is working to review and disseminate this work more widely across the Commonwealth. We are working to make the guide accessible as an e-learning module and a visual media tool. As part of this project the programme will be delivering training to national partners on the use of the guide and supporting dissemination work.
For more information on this project please contact:
Guy Holloway
g.holloway@commonwealth.int
+44 (0) 207 747 6576
Previous Activities:
• CEAL Guide, 2005
Born out of a large scale research project which interviewed 10,000 people in 47 Commonwealth Countries, the Citizen Education Action Learning Guide (CEAL) was developed to challenge the limited participation of citizens in governance. The guide was designed as an interactive learning publication for facilitators, trainers and community leaders to provide them with the tools for citizenship education.