| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Linda Polman | ||||
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Friday, October 1, 2010
Issue within aid
Daily Show report on Linda Polman's new book: problems/corruption within humanitarian aid. Teaching tool/discussion point? Could provoke an important discussion about not letting diappointment with aid agencies stop people giving...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Conclusion
My learning journey throughout GSE827 has been varied, fun and (at times) challenging. I have gained a greater understanding of the importance of engagement as an integral part of moving towards sustainability.
I think that, given the disparate nature of international interpretations of what sustainability is, participation and capacity building, especially around critical thinking skills, is the only way we can avoid being bogged down in debates over definitions and move towards meaningful action. It's been noted (ARIES 2005) that sustainability is not a precise state or process, its an "ongoing learning process" which involves us all in creating shared visions, actions and challenging current assumptions, and I would agree with this idea.
The most exciting part of this learning journey for me has been meeting my many classmates and learning about their various interpretations of sustainability, especially the international students in the class (particularly during our envisioning exercise). Despite having sometimes disparate visions of sustainability, we all worked together really well and, I think, demonstrated the way that bringing people of different backgrounds and knowledge together can really create something that’s more than the sum of its parts.
I think that, given the disparate nature of international interpretations of what sustainability is, participation and capacity building, especially around critical thinking skills, is the only way we can avoid being bogged down in debates over definitions and move towards meaningful action. It's been noted (ARIES 2005) that sustainability is not a precise state or process, its an "ongoing learning process" which involves us all in creating shared visions, actions and challenging current assumptions, and I would agree with this idea.
The most exciting part of this learning journey for me has been meeting my many classmates and learning about their various interpretations of sustainability, especially the international students in the class (particularly during our envisioning exercise). Despite having sometimes disparate visions of sustainability, we all worked together really well and, I think, demonstrated the way that bringing people of different backgrounds and knowledge together can really create something that’s more than the sum of its parts.
Capacity building
Capacity is, at its base, the ability to act (GSE827 2010). Capacity can refer to that of a country or multilateral organisation, as well as to individual or community capacity.
Capacity building is achieved through participatory processes which develop skills, confidence or knowledge. In GSE827 (2010), it was noted that the term capacity building could comprise: participation, partnerships, collaboration, stakeholder involvement, active learning, decision making, envisioning, knowledge transfer and human resource development, but not critical thinking.
However, I believe that in a broader sense critical thinking is a capacity that can be built through critical thinking exercises and training (whether that be through the process of formal education or through in and non-formal EfSD programmes). I think that critical thinking skills are the most important element of sustainability and thus of EfSD. While the technical term capacity building does not comprise critical thinking, I think that is is largely about developing skills and building competencies such as this which help us recognise and bring about the "fundamental changes required to the way people view and evaluate their lives" (ARIES 2005) and that critical thinking can be one of those skills.
Capacity building is achieved through participatory processes which develop skills, confidence or knowledge. In GSE827 (2010), it was noted that the term capacity building could comprise: participation, partnerships, collaboration, stakeholder involvement, active learning, decision making, envisioning, knowledge transfer and human resource development, but not critical thinking.
However, I believe that in a broader sense critical thinking is a capacity that can be built through critical thinking exercises and training (whether that be through the process of formal education or through in and non-formal EfSD programmes). I think that critical thinking skills are the most important element of sustainability and thus of EfSD. While the technical term capacity building does not comprise critical thinking, I think that is is largely about developing skills and building competencies such as this which help us recognise and bring about the "fundamental changes required to the way people view and evaluate their lives" (ARIES 2005) and that critical thinking can be one of those skills.
Partnerships
Because of the size and complex nature of sustainability actions, partnerships between multiple organisations/group/communities can be a good way to effectively access skills, expertise and resources (create synergy). Agenda 21 identifies partnerships as one the critical ways in which its goals can be implemented on a global scale, and Tilbury and Wortman (2004) note that partnerships which "share learning experiences can accelerate the process of change towards sustainable development."
Partnerships can range in intensity from outcome based, distant and formal (like government to government) to fully participatory, equal partnerships in which a shared goal is developed and actioned. Partnerships recognise that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and can build collective capacity through knowledge and skills sharing and synergising (Tilbury & Wortman 2004).
I've come to the conclusion that partnerships are vital given the scope and multi-faceted nature of many sustainability problems. I believe that by harnessing specialist skills and knowledge of stakeholders and their issues, partners can cover alot of ground with limited resources (Tilbury & Wortman 2004) and help challenge each others assumptions about the best way to solve a particular problem.
Partnerships can range in intensity from outcome based, distant and formal (like government to government) to fully participatory, equal partnerships in which a shared goal is developed and actioned. Partnerships recognise that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and can build collective capacity through knowledge and skills sharing and synergising (Tilbury & Wortman 2004).
I've come to the conclusion that partnerships are vital given the scope and multi-faceted nature of many sustainability problems. I believe that by harnessing specialist skills and knowledge of stakeholders and their issues, partners can cover alot of ground with limited resources (Tilbury & Wortman 2004) and help challenge each others assumptions about the best way to solve a particular problem.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Framework for Education for Sustainable Development
As part of our reflection surrounding Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD), we were required to design a framework for planning and evaluating EfSD programmes. The framework I have developed is set out below. It is the result of the conclusions I have come to regarding EfSD while doing the GSE827 course and keeping this journal.
I have kept this framework fairly high level as I wish it to be situationally flexible and to incorporate a large number of different types of programs. This is because I've learnt through our classwork that EfSD can cover a large range of types of engagement processes, from simple information that enables change (e.g.workshops, leaflets, media) to participatory projects (e.g. action research, partnerships, futuresearch conferences) (ARIES 2005).
EfSD should also be largely about giving people skills to bring about sustainability, rather than providing a rigid set of outcomes or goals that people need to learn (ARIES 2005, ARIES 2009, Ferdig 2007). It is for that reason that I have also approached this framework as more of an engagement framework that comprises education, participation and partnerships, rather than a pure education framework (although for ease of classification, I will continue referring to it as an EfSD framework) (ARIES 2005).
I have kept this framework fairly high level as I wish it to be situationally flexible and to incorporate a large number of different types of programs. This is because I've learnt through our classwork that EfSD can cover a large range of types of engagement processes, from simple information that enables change (e.g.workshops, leaflets, media) to participatory projects (e.g. action research, partnerships, futuresearch conferences) (ARIES 2005).
EfSD should also be largely about giving people skills to bring about sustainability, rather than providing a rigid set of outcomes or goals that people need to learn (ARIES 2005, ARIES 2009, Ferdig 2007). It is for that reason that I have also approached this framework as more of an engagement framework that comprises education, participation and partnerships, rather than a pure education framework (although for ease of classification, I will continue referring to it as an EfSD framework) (ARIES 2005).
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sustainablity as a learning process
The ARIES 2005 National Review of Environmental Education and its Contribution to Sustainability (ARIES 2005) notes that sustainable development is hard to define as a concept, notwithstanding the generally common acceptance of the Brundtland Definition ("Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs").
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Take it bird by bird
An interesting way of approaching problem solving - I'm considering getting this tattooed on my arm! I think this is a really quote to inspire people to clump down problems and approach them as solveable issues:
Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day... he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” - Anne Lamott
Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day... he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” - Anne Lamott
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