WEST Devon environmental charity — WestDEN — has this month launched a project that will bring together people from environmental and community organisations in Europe and India.
Funded by the Government's Department for International Development and the RH Southern Trust, the three-year programme will involve exchanges, workshops and seminars.
'This will allow people to learn from each others' methods and build lasting links between organisations in both continents,' said Oz Osborne of WestDEN who is coordinating the project.
'Community groups at other ends of the world often have a lot in common,' said Oz.
'We have already set up a project in West Devon using a system of community animateurs that was inspired by a visit to India — the result of an award.
'Community groups there have been running credit unions, organic farms and recycling projects for many years, all managed by their own village councils.
'In many places these have been going since Gandhi's time.
'One of our project partners manages a credit union that involves nearly all the population in an area the size of West Devon.'
West DEN is leading a partnership of organisations that includes one of Ireland's leading community enterprises, an Indian support organisation based in London and two of India's best known community groups.
Three Indian project managers have been invited to give a presentation at an international seminar before visiting West Devon in July.
A team from Europe will be visiting Indian projects later in the year.
l Oz has recently returned from representing the UK at an international conference in Belarus where WestDEN's display drew a lot of attention.
'Delegates were fascinated by each others' projects and I received requests to join the Rural Links Network by organisations in the Ukraine and Albania,' he said.
Oz would like anyone interested in joining the project's advisory group to contact West DEN at 01822 618068.