Operation : A Day's Work

The previous partnership between BASE and MS Nepal ended in February 2002. Discussions on possibilities of extending the cooperation in 2001 resulted in two areas of interest on both sides: to strengthen the decentralization process by continuing the institutional capacity building efforts of the previous partnership at district level and to support the freed Kamaiyas following the success of the freedom struggle.

A possible way of raising fund for the continuation of the partnership at district level was to try for the Operation Day’s Work (OD) fund for education from Denmark. Therefore, one of the major focus and achievements for the BASE and MS Nepal partnership in 2001 was the development of the proposal, campaigning and getting the OD funding for education project for children of freed Kamaiyas and other marginalized groups.

The programme will be implemented in Bardia District. As part of the OD-funded educational programme, most of this year will be spent on providing necessary support for the campaign in Denmark. A team from OD visited Nepal in February to collect necessary information and other related materials for the campaign. Besides various meetings, interviews and observations in Kathmandu, the team visited the programme area in Bardia and gathered a wealth of information. A next group will be arriving here again for further preparation. The actual programme implementation starts from 2003 and lasts for about five years.

Every year tens of thousands of Danish high school students leave their school classes for one day and engage themselves in raising funds for an education project in a developing country. On that day students take on all kinds of ordinary and extraordinary jobs for a day. Some do a day’s work in factories, while others take on inventory, tidy up old archives or do cleaning work for companies or in private homes. Some make money busking or selling coffee as street vendors, while others tour kindergartens performing children’s theatre shows written by the students. Some work as babysitters and others do odd jobs in private homes. All of these activities are directed towards one common goal: to raise money to ensure that young people in developing countries receive education.

OD is not a traditional relief organisation. It wants to challenge the popular media image of people in the developing world and prove the fact that people in the developing world also have dreams and hopes as well as human resources to match. They deserve a chance to put their resources to use and realise their dreams. Public awareness in the developing world is low, while knowledge is scarce and littered with prejudices. A crucial element in OD campaigns is to inform the Danish youth about the challenges and problems facing the project-countries as well as the historical, cultural and religious context within which they exist. The campaigns consist of a three-month educational process leading up to the day-long fund raising event.

OD produces educational materials and arranges educational events as an alternative to conventional teaching methods in the Danish high-school system. The quality of the teaching material is ensured thanks to the assistance of teachers and scholars who place their vast knowledge at the disposal of OD. The aim is to engage the students in discussions and debate on issues concerning developing countries and motivating them to participate actively in the Operation a Day’s Work.

OD was originally a Swedish concept. It was founded by Swedish high-school students in honour of then United Nations secretary General the late Dag Hammerskjöld. Hammmerskjöld is known for his active role in conflict mediation and peace building efforts as well as for speaking up for the rights of the oppressed people around the world. When he was killed in a plane crash in 1962, Swedish high-school students decided to found a day of solidarity in his honour with the motto "Give a Day for Dag". The idea spread to the rest of Scandinavia under the name of Operation Dagsvaerk or
Operation a Day’s Work. Today OD also exists in countries as Brazil and USA.

OD has evolved from an annual fundraising-event into an educational process, which informs about the challenges and living conditions in the developing countries and culminates in the fundraising event. The executive board of OD is the annual general meeting where representatives from all high schools in Denmark can participate. At this meeting the board of still-studying students is elected and a new project is chosen. The central, sustaining element in OD is the work carried out by students in hundreds of local Day’s Work groups at high schools throughout Denmark.

Every year Danish students choose the next year’s project at the annual general meeting. The board invites project proposals from recognised solidarity and aid organisations. Projects have to meet a number of basic requirements: They have to be submitted by a local, independent and democratic organisation. The organisation has to work for better educational opportunities, and social justice and it has to respect cultural diversity. Participation in peace building and reconciliation in the aftermath of conflicts is also an important element when choosing a project.

The funds that OD raises are spent on building schools, educating teachers, producing teaching materials and other means to aid the education of young people. However, it does not sponsor individuals or pay school fees. Up-to-date reports and submission of accounts by the recipient country and the local partners ensure that the project progresses according to the original objectives.

OD is independent of economic, religious and party-political interests. The campaign activities are funded primarily by funds from other organisations such as the Ministry of Education and the European Union. Every year, between 0.5-1 million US$ is raised for education projects in the developing world. In this way OD has enabled children and young people all over the world to receive education. All together 375,000 Danish youngsters have raised approximately 81 million Danish Kroner (about 11 million U.S. $) through OD since its foundation. During the past sixteen years OD has supported educational projects in the following countries:

1985 Tanzania
1986 Nicaragua
1988 Namibia
1990 Eritrea
1991 Brazil
1992 Somalia
1994 Ecuador
1995 Mozambique
1996 Ladakh
1997 Guatemala
1998 Palestine
1999 New Sudan
2000 Romas in Macedonia
2001 Chiapas
2002 Nepal