‘The focus of the Global Xchange programme is to bring people from different backgrounds together and to look at difference in terms of opportunity – to learn and share from one another,’ says Lion Phasha, project manager at British Council South Africa.

Global Xchange is a British Council initiative in which 18 young people (nine from a developing country and nine from the United Kingdom) are selected to volunteer their services in needy communities, sharing their skills and making a contribution in whatever way they can. They spend three months in the United Kingdom and three months in the other country.

The initiative has grown over the years, producing one success story after another. In South Africa, the programme is currently expanding to include new initiatives focused on peace-building and conflict resolution.

‘The previous programmes centred predominantly on leadership and HIV/AIDS initiatives,’ says Phasha. ‘The theme of this new programme is reconciliation, helping people to build trust.’

The British Council is supported in this endeavour by the Tutu Foundation UK – an organisation continuing the work of South Africa’s Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, transforming the lives of communities by building tolerance and forging connections between people of different cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds.

‘The new programme also provides a space for communities to give feedback, supports the development of young people, and develops long-term partnerships – between young people and the communities in which they volunteer as well as partnerships between South African and UK organisations,’ Phasha continues.

‘We want to build sustained community engagement, contributing to social cohesion and action-driven community work. Building trust is vital in dealing with gender, language, ethnicity and all fundamental societal issues,’ he says.

In the light of the 2008 xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the Global Xchange programme teaches young people to look at difference in a positive light, to focus on opportunities to learn from one another, and to bridge cultural gaps through sharing rather than widening them through fear and mistrust.

‘Volunteers have been organising community activity days that deal with xenophobia,’ says Phasha. ‘They initiate community campaigns and debates, inviting members of the community to speak about these issues.’

Chris Mashilo, a young South African volunteer, found the Global Xchange programme and its peace-building focus both challenging and inspiring. He volunteered at the Swansea Youth Centre in the United Kingdom, and taught life skills at a primary school in Mooiplaas, Mpumalanga, in South Africa.

‘Being involved in the many community activities has made me more responsible,’ Mashilo says. ‘It was great seeing how you can empower other young people, sharing cultures, sharing skills and gaining knowledge from one another.’

Mashilo still keeps in contact with the people he met on the Xchange programme, mentioning in particular a girl who came to him for advice on what to study – and whom he assisted in getting a bursary at the University of the Western Cape – and an old lady in the United Kingdom who remembers what he taught her about African languages.

A highlight of the programme for Mashilo was the United Nations International Volunteer Day, where more than 100 Global Xchange volunteers and organisers came together on 12 June 2008 to celebrate and raise the profile of youth volunteerism.

Mashilo says: ‘As a young man, I thought International Volunteer Day was a great experience because young people are the ones taking part in volunteerism. It was an indication to me that we are ready to be leaders, to support each other and our communities.’

‘International Volunteer Day shows volunteers the bigger picture of the Global Xchange programme,’ Phasha says. ‘There is an interrelation at a global level as they take their community-based experiences and share them with other volunteers. Young people are exposed to global debates and dialogues about volunteerism around the world.’

In the future Phasha hopes to see the Global Xchange programme continue to grow as young people take more responsibility and develop existing initiatives in communities, making them sustainable.

‘I would like to see more active engagement in the community,’ Phasha says. ‘As the programme moves from community to community, I would like us to build on actionable initiatives, see results from within communities as we help to build their confidence.’

If you would like any further information about the Global Xchange programme, please visit the website. If you would like more information about the British Council and projects that are currently running, please visit the global page. If you are interested in learning more about upcoming and past events, please visit the events calendar. Read our latest news in our News in Africa section.