The following Programmes are Projects that GCI has carried out in the past. They are all presently inactive, yet GCI is looking to reinstate the Programmes should relevant staff and/or additional funding become more available. If you find any of these projects to be of interest and relevance to you, GCI welcomes any initiatives to reopen the Programmes.
Human Rights Club Project
GCI has always staunchly believed in the importance of educating youth on human rights and the current issues in the field. Breeding an awareness of human rights in local youth creates an informed generation of Cameroonians prepared to resolve problems like corruption, abuse of prisoners’ rights, and lack of protection of civil liberties. In that light, the GCI staff started the Human Rights Club (HRC) Project in January 2009, reaching out to several secondary schools in Kumba in order to organize after-school human rights clubs. The goal of the Project was to empower students to advocate for their own rights and educate their peers on the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. After initial input from GCI staff, the students elected executive leaders and began to take responsibility for carrying out the club’s activities, including attending local and national human rights seminars, participating in interscholastic human rights debates between schools in the Kumba area, and presenting awareness skits for Annual Youth Day in February.The Project was has not been in effect since 2010. However, a number of schools in Kumba are running human rights clubs and some have expressed interest in working with GCI.
Media Watch Project
Attacks on the freedom of the press constitute an all-too frequent problem plaguing Cameroonian civil liberties. In 2009, Global Conscience Initiative formed the Media Watch Project (MWP) in order to promote and protect the freedoms of journalists. The Project monitored repression of the press, reported on abuses, and defended media professionals against politically-motivated accusations from the government as well as the public. The MWP held training and information sessions in human rights reporting for local journalists. The Project also conducted general advocacy for a strong civil society, independent media, and a powerful contingency of journalists who report on human rights issues. The Project closed in 2010; but given the strong connection between the media and the protection of human rights, GCI still hopes to reinstate this program.
Kumba Environmental and Health Project
In 2008, after a change in leadership on its city council, Kumba saw a massive deterioration in public sanitation, causing a dangerous build-up in waste around the city. In response to this problem, GCI started the Kumba Environmental and Health Project in December 2008, which aimed to encourage environmentally healthy practices and foster an awareness of environmental concerns for the purposes of promoting hygiene, health and well-being. The project began with a baseline assessment of initiatives currently in operation, such as Keep Kumba Clean Day. Subsequently, the Project created a public education campaign, environmental and health workshops, an alternative waste removal strategy, and a composing project. The project lasted for several months before closing in late 2009. However, environmental and sanitation problems in Kumba still exist.