World Community Development Service
27 Montagu Road, Botley
Oxford 0X2 9AH
Tel: 0865-705607

AIMS
To support indigenous, self-help, rural development projects in the Third World. To create awareness and stimulate interest in Third World issues, especially amongst young people, through a development education programme in Britain.

To foster direct links between communities here and in the Third World through feedback from development projects.

METHODS
Providing financial support to small-scale, appropriate projects which are working with the poorest people.

Sending graduate, professional and school-leaver volunteers to work in Third World development projects. They report directly to supporting local groups in Britain.

Returned volunteers visit schools, universities and other groups to give talks and generate discussion on development, using their own experience as a starting point

Providing an intensive orientation and preparation for volunteers going overseas to ensure that they are perceptive to the problems of developing communities.

SUCCESSES
The first WCDS-sponsored project in Bangladesh is now run entirely by local people.

We have shown that volunteers without professional qualifications can make a relevant contribution to development by their work abroad and in this country.

Production of a twice- yearly magazine.

FAILURES
We have failed to reach enough people or form enough links to make full use of our information and resources.

FUTURE PLANS
To extend our range of contacts through the development education programme, especially in schools and universities.

To provide support to more projects and make better use of feedback from them, so that we can put forward a more effective case for the Third World.

HELP NEEDED
Enthusiastic teachers to encourage project-support groups in schools. We welcome new members to help in our educational, publicity and fundraising activities. Help in the Oxford office is also needed. Volunteers to work abroad (enquiries with SAE please).

Earthscan
10 Percy Street
London W1 P ODR
Tel: 01-580-7574

AIMS
To supply journalists in both the North and the South with information on key environment and development issues — issues which are under-publicised in the North and about which journalists in the South may have difficulty obtaining the latest technical and scientific information.

METHODS
Earthscan syndicates weekly news features to some 120 leading newspapers in more than 60 countries. It publishes half a dozen longer ‘Briefing Documents’ yearly, the most recent one on the causes and effects of the steady loss of the world’s rainforests. It holds seminars to bring journalists together with scientists and policy -makers. Shortened versions of our publications make up an ‘Earthscan Bulletin’ which is mailed to activist NGOs.

SUCCESSES
Clippings, quotes and reviews show that Earthscan is widely used, both in the North and the South.

FAILURES
Environment and development news, though directly affecting the future of the entire planet, remains under-reported.

FUTURE PLANS
Earthscan is rapidly expanding, beginning research into new and renewable energies, establishing a photo library and planning major publications on desertification and genetic resources.

HELP NEEDED
Earthscan does not operate through volunteers; but public awareness of and involvement in environment/development issues— letters to editors, petitions, support for the volunteer groups — provide a positive feedback for Earth-scan’s work with journalists.

CUSO
151 Slater Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Ki P 5 H5
Canada
Tel: (613) 563-1242

AIMS
To place skilled Canadians on contract in developing countries which have requested them to fill temporary gaps in their labour forces.

Development projects in the Third World. These projects in agriculture, education, community development, health and appropriate technology are initiated at the grassroots level and involve counterpart contributions from the project participants.

To increase public awareness of the issues involved in international development and Canada’s foreign relations.

METHODS
Seventy local volunteer committees across Canada, along with six regional offices and the CUSO secretariat in Ottawa, are involved in recruitment of skilled Canadians through information sessions, advertisements, publicity and ongoing work at local offices.

SUCCESSES
Since our founding in 1961 as a nonprofit, nongovernment organization, we have placed more than 8,000 skilled Canadians in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific — supporting thousands of self-help development projects in Third World countries.

FAILURES
We cannot recruit enough skilled workers to fill all the job requests we receive. Also, despite orientation sessions in Canada and in the country of placement, every year there are a small number of’early returns’ — workers who find they cannot adjust to life overseas.

FUTURE PLANS
Over the past decade as the number of placements overseas has slowly declined we have become increasingiy involved in project support Project support and development education within Canada are expected to gain increasing importance throughout the coming decade as part of an integrated communityorientated approach to programming

HELP NEEDED
Canadians who can’t work overseas with CUSO can become involved with a local CUSO committee, in recuitment, fundraising and development education work.