The Development Education Centres [DECs]
DECs emerged in the UK in the 1970s responding to an increasing public interest in development issues and concerns about global inequality. There is now a national network of over 45 centres. Eight DECs are involved in the Global Footprints project.

All DECs operate under a national umbrella body - the Development Education Association (DEA). The DEA exists to promote the work of all those engaged in bringing about a better public understanding in the UK of global and development issues.

Most DECs have three primary functions:

• To provide an accessible resource centre for relevant educationalists to use
• To run an enquiries service and provide informal support related to development education perspectives and issues
• To provide training and programme support to deliverers of education, such as schools, community groups and youth workers.

The DEA sees development education as encompassing the following principles:

• Enabling people to understand the links between their own lives and those of people throughout the world
• Increasing understanding of the economic, social, political and environmental forces which shape our lives
• Developing the skills, attitudes and values which enable people to work together to bring about change and take control of their own lives
• Working towards achieving a more just and sustainable world in which power and resources are more equitably shared

For further information on the DEA and development education www.dea.org.uk
For further information on the aims and functions of DECs www.dea.org.uk/dec/index.htm