African animator Cheikhou Diarra playing his drum at the Fairy tale festival in Århus, 2007

About O3V

The Development education centre (Oplysningscenter om den 3. verden – O3V ) was founded in 1989. O3V produces educational activities in Danish schools on global issues in cooperation with local and national NGOs. O3V is the only Danish organisation specialised in “the living word” in connection to development education. We have gathered a group of immigrants and refugees that serve as very popular additions to the curricula, when they visit the schools and tell about their culture.

O3V is a resource centre based in Århus, Denmark. We have a specialist library of development education materials, books, audiovisual materials, periodicals etc. and we produce our own development education materials and theme boxes with artefacts from third world countries. O3V is cooperating with other NGOs on various projects, and sometimes they seek advice and information regarding children, school, learning, and pedagogy from us. 

Our activities

• Resource centre
• Animators
• Educational material
• Library
• Theme boxes
• Projects
• Other working partners

Resource centre
We can help with ideas to get Danish teachers and others started with multi cultural activities. We have experience with activities in schools, multicultural dialogue, panel discussions and lecturers.

Animators
Animators are refreshing additions to lessons or themed courses in Danish elementary schools.  We have a group of excellent refugees, immigrants and Danish animators, who will happily visit schools or institutions. The majority of O3V’s animators are from Africa, Asia or Latin America.

Educational posters about United Nations' Millenium goals published by O3V January 2010

Educational material
O3V has published educational materials on:

• United Nations’ Millenium goals – poster set
• India (4 publications on daily life, caste, religion and modern life)
• Child labourers in the mines of Tanzania
• Middle East
• Fair trade
• Intercultural competencies
• Asia
• Globalisation, trade and child labour
• Children’s rights
• Life values, moral and ethics Latin America
• School in Nicaragua - a role-play
• Environment and development
• Kenya

Library
The centre has a small library with educational materials from which schools may borrow books, class sets, videos, magazines, games, slide shows, and DVDs.

Theme boxes

Schools and institutions can borrow O3V’s theme boxes with artefacts, articles and books from various countries. The artefacts are not merely for exhibition, but may be tried out, smelt and felt! We have theme boxes about:

• Kenya
• Tanzania
• Mozambique 
• Ghana
• Justice and solidarity
• India
• Bolivia, Vietnam, Caribbean
• Peru

West African Market, Århus 2009

Projects
O3V participates in various different types of co-operative projects.

• Festivals
• Images of Asia
• Dialogue meetings
• Summer activities
• Images of the World
• Images of Africa
• Exhibitions

Partners
O3V participates in various formal and informal networks and co-operates. Our partners are:

• Salaam.dk – movies to schools on third world issues
• U-huset – a network of NGO’s in Aarhus
• NGO-forum – Danish development network
• Children’s and youth network
• The Danish EU-NGO platform
• Various international NGO’s (AliceO, DECSY, IBON, The Polish Fairtrade Association “The Third World and Us”, Children Nepal, NEAD, Southern Voices and many others)
• Local co-operation (Bazaren, Amtscentre, Århus Kommunale Skolevæsen, Kulturhus Århus, Århus Festuge, AC børnehjælp, DiB, Bydel i bevægelse)
• DEEEP – Development Education Exchange in Europe Project
• TRIALOG – development NGOs in the enlarged EU
• Schools of the south (in the Philllipines, India, Nepal)

Member organisations
O3V is an umbrella organisation with both organisations and individuals as members:

•  AC International Børnehjælp
• Arbejdernes Internationale Forum
• Caribien Komiteen
• Dansk International Bosætningsservice
• FIC
• Folkekirkens Nødhjælp
• FN Forbundet
• Ghana Venskabsgrupperne
• IBIS
• Mellemamerika Komiteen
• Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke
• Merkurbank
• Organisationen for Vedvarende Energi – OVE
• Venskabsforeningen Danmark – Burkina Faso

O3V’s background and history 
O3V was founded by a group of NGOs in Århus in 1989. Our mission is to inform about conditions in 3rd world countries, development and global themes. The centre’s main target group are students in the Danish elementary school. We have adopted ’cultural values’ as the starting point of our development information rather than focusing on shortages, hunger, and lack of development therefore the message of our global information has always been a positive, egalitarian and sympathetic representation of complex development issues.

O3V has from the beginning been responsible for shaping contact between development education organisations and the Danish schools. The idea of using refugees and immigrants as animators in schools quickly became a success. Our small specialist library with educational materials is also popular with Danish teachers.

1990
Contributor to the exhibition “A total 3rd World”.
Courses for animators especially ( from Afghanistan and Pakistan).
1991
Contributor to Images of Africa: The Africa bus with African animators visited schools and held workshops with the students.
Courses for member organisations about the centre’s themes.
Courses for teachers (amongst others:“Textiles in Peru”, “Danes’ conception of other cultures”, “Bio-technology and the World”).
1992
Focus on the themes: “Our new neighbours”, “Our common future” (environment) and “Latin America”.
Contributors to The Columbus project, which celebrated the “discovery” of Latin America. Latin American market with music, dancing, food, children’s activities etc. “The Columbus Bus” visited 15 towns and cities and held workshops for children.
Latin America exhibition, 14 days in October: Children participated in educational dramas and workshops.
Weekend courses for animators.
1993
Contributors to:  Images of Africa: The Africa Bus with African animators visited schools and held workshops with the students; school concerts, children’s activities in a tent at the festival in June; orienteering race in conjunction with Århus department of Schools and education.
Publishing educational materials “Our common future” and “Kenya”.
Courses for teachers and animators ( about multi-cultural dialogue, human rights, religion and morals, development themes, daily life, education, art and culture, storytelling, environment)
1994
Focus on the themes: The third world, the new Europe and environmental problems.
Participation in an education and development programme with young guests from Zimbabwe.
Publication of educational material: The Tree- environment and development.
Visit from an English-Kenyan theatre troupe: Passe Partout
Course for member organisations: Global education – information and/or entertainment.
1995
Asia in Århus: orienteering race.
Savannah Nights: dialogue project between young unemployed from Denmark and Zimbabwe.
Participation in Youth Forum before the social Summit meeting.
1996
Participant in Images of Africa: orienteering race and animator activities.
Production of educational material about Africa in co-operation with DUF (Danish Youth Council)
1998
Run for Africa: Orienteering race
Course for animators about presentation technique and pedagogical method.
Publication of educational material: A good life – for children too.
1999
Elderly meet elderly from the south.
Asia in Aarhus – orienteering’s race
Girls’ rights -  Images of the world
World trade – world culture: orienteering’s race
Festival of the death
Courses on global ethics for animators
2000
Ethnographical world museum for children
Participation in Images of the World: street children, course for animators
2001
Courses on global ethics for animators
Publication of educational material: solidarity and justice
Project: The globe dances
International workshop
2002
Black Box pilot project
The good story
2003
Participation in Images of Asia
Asia in the school – Black Box
2004
Project *SYS*
2005
Project *SYS* phase 2
Fair Trade school projects
Exchange with the Philippines
Salam Aleikum
2006
Fairy tale festival
Participation in Images of the Middle East
Orienteering race on Middle East
Publication of “Camels and computers” on daily life in the Middle East
Web publishing: Galathea3 and 3rd world on EMU.dk
2007
Fairy tale festival
Courses on intercultural competencies for teachers and pedagogues
Web: Galathea3 and 3rd world on EMU.dk
Publication of theme boxes on India
2008
Insolent dinner
Dialog 09 – Africa now
2009
West African market – Africa now
Under the same sky: project U-landskalender 2009 on Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya.
Publication of theme boxes: Bolivia, Peru, Vietnam and Mali.
2010
Under the same sky: project U-landskalender 2009 on Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya.
Publication of poster set: 8 steps to global change about United Nations’ Millenium goals.

Contact O3V
Office Address:

Oplysningscenter om den 3. verden – O3V
Klosterport 4C, 4. sal
DK-8000 Århus C

Phone: +45 8612 2078
Email: o3v@o3v.dk

Director Susanne Pascal: susannepascal@o3v.dk
Project Manager Sonja Salminen: sonjasalminen@o3v.dk