News & Events
One, two, five, twenty… The Everest Network II
With the summer holidays just around the corner, we are proud to end the first six months of the year with the news that we have landed another project with support from CISU: The Everest Network II .When the first...
Potatoes can be saved
The following text is a Danish adaptation of a post on JUST Nepal Foundation's Facebook page. Reading time 4 min - Listening time 6 min There is now hope for the potatoes in Helambu. And the tomatoes. During...
Bad work environment is all about assholes
Reading time 4 min. - Listening time 7 min. This article is written in response to articles in Globalnyt about poor working environment in the NGO industry. Let me start by apologizing for the use of profanity in...
From seen, to heard, to real influence
Reading time 7 min. - Listen 12 min. - click here This article is based on reports and conversations following Rita Tisdall's recent visit to Nepal. Rita is CICED's project coordinator in Nepal, and has just returned from some very...
International aid is increasing, but…..
International aid set a new record in 2023. In other words, the aid calculated by the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC). The 32 countries on the OECD/DAC list donated 223.7 billion USD last year. This is an increase of 1.8%...
Twenty years is no age….
...for radical education reform (reading time approx. 7 min)Danish support for better education for Tibetans-in-Exile is now entering its twentieth year. It was back in 2003-04 that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark sent the 'old' CICED to Dharamsala...
The reverse migration
(Reading time 3 min.)Across the world, migration flows from country to city. Also, in Mongolia, difficult living conditions in the countryside and the dream of a more comfortable life are driving people to the capital, Ulaanbaatar and the country's two...
Mongolian zud – not just a harsh winter
There are many kinds of zud. And it's not just a very cold winter with lots of snow, as it's often mistakenly described. Zudis a recurring endemic disaster[i] with many variations, but what they all have in common is that it leads to mass deaths of...
Critical overhaul
Time for an overhaul - project in the Peruvian Amazon This article was written with input from CICED's project coordinator Susanne Pérez First, let's recall what the project is really about: The project aims to develop intercultural education on social...
It’s not that bad…
CICED is currently running eight projects with six partners in five countries on three continents. We do our best to share stories from the efforts with our members and readers of CICED NYT. All in all, it's going very well....
Two new climate adaptation projects in Nepal
At the latest application deadline for the so-called CCAM round, Climate Change Adaptation Modality, there were 38 applications for a total of DKK 87.6 million, according to CISU. However, there are only about 53 million kroner available for this round. CICED...
If you are not visible….
.... your rights and concerns are not visible either CHAVITA Chairwoman Selina Mlemba summarizes her impressions from a workshop on disability rights with a focus on employment rights. "At the workshop, I learned that we have a lot of knowledge...
Always remember that you are special and unique
Happy Shujaa was born in 1998 in Moshi in northern Tanzania on the border of Kilimanjaro National Park. Deaf from birth, she attended primary school at Mwanga School for the Deaf and later at Moshi Technical Secondary School. "When I...
International Day of Education: Why we must counter hate speech
The following text is from a UNESCO publishing on LinkedIn 24 January 2024 The world is grappling with a surge of violent conflicts and a disturbing rise in hate speech, intolerance and discrimination. That is why on this year’s International...
International Disability Day
Written by: Rita Tisdall, CICED. Every year on December 3rd we celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It's a day dedicated to recognizing the struggles, achievements and contributions of persons with...
Debate session – ways to fight poverty
Together with iiINTERest are held:debate meeting on ways to fight povertyd. January 23, 19:00-21:00 Vartov, Farvergade 27,1463 Copenhagen KIt's guaranteed not to be boring.We start with a short movie clip and then go straight to questions and debate.We have invited...
Tireless Ryparken Lille Skole
Reading time: 2 min. A few days before the fall break this school year, CICED was once again invited to Ryparken Lille Skole to talk about Mongolia and Children's Ger. It's a wonderful tradition that began on Schools' Exercise Day...
Living in the dormitory is good, but there is room for improvement
"I don't think the people in the ministry have ever stayed in a dormitory, or they have to write wishful thinking. Because the standards are impossible to meet. We simply don't have the resources to make wishful thinking a reality....
Listening added to reading materials
By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED This is the first part of the story from an extended visit to our Mongolian partner this summer. Over the course of five weeks, we traveled almost 4300 km to attend three regional workshops with local...
Rainforest protection on the curriculum in teacher training
By: Susanne Jacobsen Pérez Over half of Peru's land area is rainforest. Yet the state of the rainforest and its national and global significance is still very low on the school curriculum in Peru. The CICED project Quality education for...
Dawa has a better life!
- when you see what others haven't By: Rita Tisdall and Johnny Baltzersen "SEE IT" was the headline, underlying philosophy and methodology of the course that kicked off our project in Helambu: Better Life - Education & Keeping Children Safe...
Do we listen and understand?
Climate talks - watch the video With Dr. Deepak Kumal Rijal Transcript and editing: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED The transcription has some editorial adjustments to make the reading as straightforward as possible without changing the actual 'tone' of the interview. As...
The invisible must be seen and heard
By: Rita Tisdall, p.t. Nepal The Everest Network, a CICED partner, consists of seventeen CBOs (community based organizations) from the highest mountains of Mustang to the flatlands of the Terai along the border with India. Each area is affected by...
The caste system challenged – bringing parents and teachers together
By Rita Tisdall, p.t. Nepal The project in Helambu works to ensure that children are safe in their communities and that they can access inclusive schools. Since Nepal d. May 28, 2008 was declared a republic, it was not only...
Young deaf people to work in Tanzania
By: Johnny Baltzersen Recently, CISU approved the reporting on our latest project with the deaf organization in Tanzania CHAVITA. The project focused on strengthening deaf people's access to sign language in communication with public authorities, employers and in social life...
Quality sign language interpreting – for the benefit of deaf people and interpreters
By: Johnny Baltzersen "It has been a great learning experience to have Ida and Emilie at the workshop here in Dar, and when we could also have Elisabeth on a zoom connection from Denmark, we are highly motivated to continue...
Hello big media – UN speeches
Yesterday, d. On February 6, the UN Secretary-General presented his priorities for 2023. At a time when the UN and the UN Charter should be receiving massive and intense attention, it is thought-provoking that none of the leading Danish media...
The money is in the house
By: Johnny Baltzersen While (almost) all the attention is on the abolition of St. Prayer Day in favor of St. Canon Day, some media outlets, such as Altinget.dk, report that Danish development NGOs are running out of money for projects...
Wow, this is so exciting
The first taste of school - five-year-old nomadic children in Mongolia By: Johnny Baltzersen "It's such a pleasure to see the children's faces light up with excitement when they receive the package of books, games, pencils and colors. Some children...
A little better day by day
By: Johnny Baltzersen Students say that day by day it gets a little more cozy, a little more comfortable and safe. And fun. Living in school feeding centers in rural Mongolia, where CICED, together with our Mongolian partner MAPSSD, is...
Denmark first
By: Johnny Baltzersen In the midst of the election campaign, where the debate on Danish development aid is almost in the dark, the Timbuktu Foundation's annual analysis of development aid is published under the headline 'Denmark first'. It's thought-provoking reading....
Children and the climate
By: Johnny Baltzersen Children pay the highest price when the climate changes. "Children and climate change" was the theme of a seminar in the Danish Child Protection Network in mid-September. The challenge was initially framed in statements like these: 99%...
The Everest Network
By: Johnny Baltzersen When disaster strikes, the media is filled with dramatic images of death and destruction. But also scenes of heroic efforts to save lives and limit the scale of the disaster. For many reasons, large relief organizations take...
Prepared for floods in 2022
By: Johnny Baltzersen This is the title of a new relief project, the first of its kind, which CICED together with Just Nepal Foundation has had approved by CISU. Last year, on this very day, we sent out a newsletter...
CICED has become a teenager
By: Johnny Baltzeren CICED has become a teenager. Yesterday we held our 13th annual general meeting. The report tells of the challenges during the corona crisis, the global loss of learning during school closures, but also how our skilled partners...
POWER, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY
By: Johnny Baltzersen "The main purpose of the project is to bring schools and communities together. Schools and communities don't work together. They are kind of separated from each other. There's a reason for that. And that is that if...
Power, school and community
By: Johnny Baltzersen, joba@ciced.dk "The main objective of the project is to bring schools and communities together. School and communities don't work together. They are like dissected from each other. There is a reason for this. And that is, if...
Ukraine and aid
By: Johnny Baltzersen We've been a bit quiet here at CICED news for the past month. The war in Ukraine has consumed the focus and energy of CICED's board members. Now, however, we're back with news and updates. Out in...
Sustainable living in the Peruvian Amazon
It required a detour. But it was worth the journey. CISU has approved our application for funding to support sustainable living for indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon. In September last year, we applied and were rejected. There was, as...
Stomach upset and virtual newsletters
By: Johnny Baltzersen First, a bit about corona in Bolivia As the globe shows, Bolivia is on the side of the equator where summer takes the place of winter in December-January. That's why schools in the Potosí Highlands are only...
Hello! Do you hear us – do you see us?
By: Johnny Baltzersen Tanzania has long since ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - December 13, 2007). The country has even followed up with its own...
Hope with a new direction
Johnny Baltzersen - and welcome to 2022 It was a year of challenges. The year 2021. Said with optimistic understatement. If you can call it that. No matter. This initial celebration could be a prelude to talking about anything in...
New opportunities – for parents too
By: Johnny Baltzersen With only 38% of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Bolivia has a long way to go. But there is some hope for better times ahead. Or there was, until the omicron variant appeared on the horizon....
It’s a cold time….
By: Johnny Baltzersen, It's a cold time we live in, sing Kim Larsen and Gasolin' in the song 'Østre Gasværk'. This is also the case for the children at the Children's Ger in Ulaanbaatar. Literally. Winter can bring minus forty....
A great start to the new school year
Johnny Baltzersen It's almost too cliché, but still: The new school year in Mongolia is well underway. From mid-September, Altanzul has been hanging in the pipe and above the keyboard. Every day. Hours and hours. Altanzul is the day-to-day coordinator...
Party in the street for sign language
By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED From September 20-26, deaf rights were in the spotlight around the world during International Week of the Deaf. For CICED's partner in Tanzania, the deaf organization CHAVITA, it was a busy week spent strengthening the campaign...
Good to get back to school
By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED, joba@ciced.dk There were happy smiles behind the corona masks as Children's Ger welcomed students back to school on September 15, two weeks later than usual. - Not all the students are here yet, says Saraa, Administrative...
It’s going in the right direction
By: Johnny Baltzersen In Denmark, we are pleased that all corona restrictions have been put on hold. Occasionally, we also hear about the corona situation in countries close to us, but Danish media do not report much on how COVID-19...
Sharing the World
new danish development policy strategy Today, Thursday d. On June 24, 2021, Denmark's new development policy strategy will be launched under the heading 'together for the world'. A majority of the Danish parliamentary parties are behind the agreement. In the...
Apparently, it’s not supposed to be that easy in Helambu
By: Johnny Baltzersen First, earthquakes. So corona. And now flooding. Life in Helambu takes its toll. And its victims. Official information says one fatality and at least seven missing. On the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, torrents of water and...
Nepal requires the help of NGOs
By: Rita Tisdall and Johnny Baltzersen Over 65% of PCR tests are positive. The COVID-19 infection rate in Nepal has exploded with over 300,000 new cases in the last few months. The official infection number is now approaching 600,000. Hospitals...
Longing for biscuits
By Johnny Baltzersen - Of course, kids are homesick sometimes. This is mostly among six and seven year olds. For older students, it's more variable. Many of them often prefer to stay at school, even if they can go home...
Views from a school garden
By Jette Luna and Johnny Baltzersen, CICED, info@ciced.dk A school garden is the sound of fruit and vegetables, fresh air and dirt under your fingernails. It's a healthy learning space and a great outdoor dimension to the school day. But...
Restrictions and ambitions
By: Johnny Baltzersen It could be better. With COVID-19 in Mongolia. But there is hope. We have previously described how the country kept the infection down throughout 2020, with very few cases and no deaths recorded. Schools and universities have...
When stubbornness pays off
By: Johnny Baltzersen Stubbornness is a wildly underrated trait. The '7 stubbornnesses' have even been researched and written about. Whether 'CICED stubbornness' is one of the seven, we can't say. But it works. In the summer of 2019, three CICED...
Back to school – Mongolia
By Johnny Baltzersen 'It felt like the first day of school on September 1, when I came back to school on the 1st. March 1. It was great to be with my family, but I missed all the other students...
Shared visions create hope in Potosí
By: Pedro Apala, Director, Acción Andina de Educación AAE As a pluri-national state, Bolivia has enjoyed good economic, social and cultural development for more than a decade. Bolivia is not quite at the level of the developed countries yet, but...
Goats must also be vaccinated
By: Johnny Baltzersen Yes, they need to be vaccinated. The goats. Not against corona. But against internal and external vermin. 'Many of our goats would still be alive if we had known what we know today'. These are the words...
Protect the children
By: Johnny Baltzersen, chair, CICED CICED joins The Child Protection Network in Denmark Trafficking is a sensitive topic in Helambu, Nepal. It's not the only encroachment on children's right to grow up with their parents. In Helambu. Everywhere in Nepal. ...
Beauty, curse and hope
By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED The following text is a warm-up for a beautiful four-minute cinematic flyover of Helambu, which forms the background for an introduction to CICED's project Better Life - Educating and Keeping Children Safe. You can skip the...
The Indomitable
Despite corona and biting winter cold. The materials have to go! The 5-year-old nomadic children should have a good start to school this summer. Mongolian teachers on the steppes are resourceful and resilient. A picture is worth a thousand words,...
Death in Qatar – Hope in Helambu
A brand new article in The Guardian is a sad but effective reminder of why we focus on supporting young Nepalese in the Helambu region north of Kathmandu. According to the Guardian's sources, over 6,500 migrant workers have died in...
Sign language interpreting bridges the gap between deaf and hearing – also in Tanzania
At the same time as our last newsletter landed in your inbox telling you about CICED's plans for a new project with the deaf organization/CHAVITA in Tanzania, we were online with the sign language interpreters' association/TASLI. Better and more sign...
The deaf in Tanzania want to be heard too
On the same day that we have received approval of both the report and accounts for our COVID-19 project with the deaf organization CHAVITA in Tanzania, we are ready with a new joint effort for the benefit of the deaf. ...
Most dangerous school roads – Mongolia
By: Johnny Baltzersen It's familiar. You're looking for something specific and discover something completely unexpected along the way. A few days ago, I was searching the internet for data and stories that could help shed light on CICED's slogan 'better...
Strengthen what works…and increase support for civil society
This is the headline of a brand new proposal from Global Focus, an umbrella organization for many civil society organizations, of which CICED is also a member. Global Focus recommends that 25% of Danish development aid should go to civil...
Peru Amazon – rainforest restoration and conservation
CICED is on the way with a new project. To be submitted as a CISU application in March, but we would like to present the ideas now. Teacher training with a focus on rainforest restoration and conservation In the northeastern...
School – close in, close up, close in
It's becoming trivial to remind people that 2020 was an exceptional year. But we can't get enough of remembering and recognizing all those who have gone the extra mile during the coronavirus outbreak. The staff at Children's Ger are among...
What you can experience on the last day of the year
It has taken its time. Getting off the beaten track. Corona was - and is - in the way. But when you do succeed, the joy is great. Watch this shortvideo of an exuberantly happy 5-year-old boy in a nomadic...
Wonderful documentary from Helambu
We've written a lot about the projects with and for young people in Helambu, Nepal. Now our partner Just Nepal Foundation has produced an excellent video about the effort. Watch and listen to the young people talk about their participation...
The priest blesses – toast in cola
Project car in Bolivia is inaugurated as prescribed. Once the car reaches the indigenous people of Potosí, more blessings await as the priest is replaced by local wise men and women. We hadn't planned to use a project car, but...
On course for a sharp year
There are new words and features in our social landscapes. When we search, we Google. And now we zoom in when we meet. This was also the case at the recent CICED General Assembly. We were supposed to have a...
Eulogy – Marcus Balslev
Marcus Balslev, valued friend and colleague, co-founder of CICED, has passed away after a short illness. Marcus was one of the most decent people I have ever met. Orderly in the broadest sense of the word. Always attentive to others....
Not all children back in Children’s Ger
By Johnny Baltzersen, Chair, CICED September 1 is the start of school in Mongolia. New students in first grade bring flowers for the teacher. Others are just happy to see their friends again after a long summer vacation. This year,...
COVID-19 impact on children
By: Johnny Baltzersen, Chair, CICED A comprehensive study from Save the Children sheds light on how the most vulnerable children around the world have been affected by COVID-19. Excerpt from Save the Children's presentation of the study: Around 13,500 children...
Schools close in Bolivia
By: Jette Luna, vice-chair, CICED The corona pandemic means increased inequality. Also in access to education. In Bolivia, the government decided in August to end the 2020 school year. The government cannot guarantee all children and young people access to...
COVID-19 in sign language – helping deaf people in Tanzania
By: Johnny Baltzersen, chair, CICED With the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic in Tanzania, the deaf organization CHAVITA set out to ensure that the deaf community in the country had as much and as good information about COVID-19 as possible....
Tibetan crayon – and other new words
By: Johnny Baltzersen, chair, CICED As we all know, language is constantly evolving. Words come and go. This is especially true for the Tibetan language. Since time immemorial, Tibetan has been rich in philosophical and literary concepts, and along with...
Eulogy – Leo H. Knudsen
Chairman of CICED for almost 10 years, Leo H. Knudsen, passed away after a long illness. July 24, 2020. Leo was just 77 years old. Leo was a bundle of energy. And kindness itself. Focused, dedicated and efficient in everything...
Buddhist dialectics
- and other good news from the exiled Tibetan community in India The exiled Tibetan community in India, like everyone else in the country, is also affected by COVID-19 lockdown. A reopening is currently underway, but it is uncertain how...
It was a surprise
Corona no obstacle for gifts The children taken to bed. Literally. In some cases. This is what Saraa and Tungaa from Children's Ger write after a wonderful International Children's Day. June 1. There's always a party at Children's Ger on...
Lockdown no obstacle
Teacher training in Potosí, Bolivia in the shadow of the corona By Jette Luna, CICED, vice-chair As in most countries around the world, all educational institutions in Bolivia are also deserted. All schools are closed, teachers have been sent home,...
COVID-19 information for the deaf community in Tanzania
'There is no information for the deaf regarding COVID-19. In such a crisis situation, the disabled are extra vulnerable. Is there any way you can help?' So began an email to CICED in early April from Dickson Mveyange, Director of...
COVID-19 prevention in Helambu, Nepal
Youth activated - first medical check-up via home visits By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED, chair On the morning of April 6, CICED received a request from our partner JUST Nepal Foundation. The Corona virus had arrived in Nepal. The fear of...
HELP AGAINST CORONA IN HELAMBU, NEPAL
By: Johnny Baltzersen with Rita Tisdall and Gopal Lama COVID-19 is everywhere. There are cries for help from all corners of the world. CICED is not a relief organization. And we're not a big association. Our support will be limited...
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN THE TIME OF CORONA
An overview of general challenges and how CICED, our partners and projects are doing. By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED, chair While all the headlines for weeks have been about the coronavirus in our own backyard, the focus is now also on...
An extra bunk bed, please!
By: Jette Luna & Johnny Baltzersen, CICED It's not every day that a project's relevance can be measured in the need for bunk beds. But this is the case in Potosí in the Bolivian highlands, where CICED's project with Acción...
It’s going to be a great kids’ day for Children’s Ger!
Recently, we told you about the children in the Children's Ger in Mongolia who can't get out and don't have much indoor recreation. We encouraged you to make a donation so that Children's Ger teachers Saraa and Tunga could celebrate...
When the kids don’t come to school – the teacher has to come to the kids
By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED 'We visit the children every week. Then they get new homework and corrected homework assignments back, and we talk to them about how they're doing and see if they need extra help,' Saraa and Tunga tell...
Helambu Youth Cooperative established
Inspired by the Putting Youth on the Centre Stage project, young people from all 7 villages (wards) in Helambu have established a cooperative. CICED's partner JUST Nepal Foundation provides fantastic support with formalization and other paperwork. The young people themselves...
Planning is in full swing
by Johnny Baltzersen, CICED chair. The kick-off conference for the Better School Start-Better School Life project in Mongolia was in early November 2019. Over two hundred participants from 63 rural areas attended, along with representatives from the Mongolian Ministry of...
Potosí project underway
By: Jette Luna, vice-chair, CICED The project in Bolivia has now started in earnest. Last weekend, the project invited members from the local branch of the Ministry of Education in Potosi, as well as representatives from the school authorities in...
Outside is necessary, but home should be best
By Jette Luna, CICED vice-chair and responsible for projects in Latin America On January 1, 2020, CICED's new project in Bolivia starts: 'Quality education for children and youth in poor villages in the highlands of Bolivia'. The project aims to...
A unique request to CICED
School development, social inclusion and anti-trafficking efforts in Helambu By Rita Tisdall and Johnny Baltzersen, CICED Nepal has undergone extensive political change over the past three decades. The driving force behind the changes are popular demands for a more inclusive...
A unique request for CICED to partner in a new school project in Helambu
By Rita Tisdall and Johnny Baltzersen, CICED Nepal has undergone substantial political changes over the last three decades. The driving factor behind Nepal's People Movement was the aspirations of the Nepali people for a more inclusive and equal society. In...
Migration dreams revisited
By: Rita Tisdall in Nepal The first phase of the project, "Putting Youth on Centre Stage," has been successfully completed in Helambu Nepal. Helambu was head hit by the 2015 earthquake 3,000 people died and 90% of all buildings were...
Trip to the Gulf is canceled
By: Rita Tisdall and Johnny Baltzersen "A new conversation is born. Is it really necessary to migrate? No one used to ask that question. Getting away was like winning the lottery. Now everyone is talking about it. We're not so...
CICED ready for its 10th year
CICED held its general assembly on d. 20.11.2019. An ambitious work program for 2020 is in place. With ongoing and planned projects in Bolivia, Exile Tibet/India, Mongolia, Nepal, Peru and Tanzania, there will be plenty to keep the new board...
Better School Start – Better School Life
By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED CICED has started a new project in Mongolia. This new joint MAPSSD-CICED project has two main goals: - One, to support home-based early childhood education for children of pastoralist families. Children who have no opportunities of...
More sweet and less green, please!
By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED It is believed that nomadic children in Mongolia grow up with mutton and noodle soup as their daily diet and arul (dried milk product) as the main sweets. But apparently that was in the good old...
Preserving language with an app
Tibetan language is challenged - they are doing something about it in Dharamsala By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED 'The overarching purpose of our work is to preserve and promote Tibetan language and culture. We aim that in five years, the majority...
The right to a language
By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED Last week saw a lot of focus on deaf people and sign language around the world. Also in Tanzania. September 23rd was the UN's International Sign Language Day, and the day heralded a week of attention...
In a mysterious way
The need to pray with a deaf person was the start of a career as a sign language interpreter By: Johnny Baltzersen, CICED The name is Jonathan Livingstone. He is one of the first sign language interpreters in Tanzania. 'It...
Indigenous peoples and education
By: Jette Luna and Johnny Baltzersen, CICED Work on developing a new education project in Chuquisaca and Potosí in the highlands of Bolivia is in full swing. The new partner AAE; Acción Andina de Educación has during January and February...
