CWW’s work takes place in the context of wider international development and in particular our focus is on sustainable development. In 2006 we concluded that we could be more effective by organising our work within the broader context of international development around four themes – Livelihoods, Environment, Human Rights and Health. We currently provide capacity building support to delivery partners working within these themes in: Belize, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Ghana, India, Serbia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
CWW Themes
Below is a brief description of CWW’s International Development themes. For further information on how we and our volunteers work with partners within each theme – download the relevant PDF.
Livelihoods
Livelihoods is a broad term used to describe the huge variety of things people do to make a living from the resources available to them. Traditionally, international development has focused livelihood efforts on education, training programmes and technical interventions in natural resource management. Increasingly however, it is recognised that investment in small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurship can make a sustainable contribution to social and economic development by creating vital employment and skills training opportunities. Traditional service-oriented development agencies are not well-placed to deliver enterprise development, with its complex and diverse challenges and opportunities. CWW is therefore taking the initiative and matching skilled volunteers with organisations working to develop local enterprise and entrepreneurship.
Environment
The Earth’s ecosystems generate goods and services that constitute the life-support systems of humanity and all other life forms. The biological diversity that sustains and drives these ecosystems is under intense pressure from human activities and we are now exceeding the world’s capacity to regenerate by 25%. These issues require urgent attention within the global international development agenda and therefore as the key focus of our Environment work, CWW volunteers work with local organisations tackling two of the highest priority environmental issues – biodiversity conservation and climate change.
Human Rights
Human Rights, including the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law, are the basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled. Progress has been made in the assurance of these rights since the signing of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights close to sixty years ago. However, there are still deep-seated violations worldwide, undermining the world’s goals for sustainable development. CWW volunteers are working with Human Rights organisations around the world to strengthen their programmes and contribute to the impact they are making.
Health
The UK’s expertise in health has been identified as having benefits which can contribute to health sector systems, skills and service delivery in developing countries. Placing UK-based health care managers and professionals on capacity-building assignments allows volunteers to use their skills to contribute to improved global health practices while gaining personal and professional development experiences.
"Challenges Worldwide has given BRC the opportunity to close outstanding gaps that existed in the operational methods of the organisation. What was only a concept before has now been fleshed out into a national 5 year development and strategic plan that can be presented to our donors and stakeholders and that has now made our vision for the next four years more tangible.”
