Hi everyone. interesting reading all the input. I think some people are definitely asking some very relevant questions of the aims of the programmes we are carrying out with respect to dev-ed. Food for thought for me.
Hi all, sorry for not being as communicato as the last time but we had a quick phone meeting of the research working group inbetween and my failure to multitask has shown again!! As the last time we will go through all the comments and extract some key arguments/questions/positions. We might create some new posts for you to continue the discussion.
Bye for now, looking forward to the next phase of teh programme,
Sorry there's no spell check on these things Adrienne, but that does remind me of the article in INDEX that kicked off this whole GE programme... These discussions are really helpful as a learner and as someone involved in the organisation of the visit, so thanks!
The segregation of intercultural and development education is a mystery to me, the boundaries are very artificial, or perhaps they are branches on a tree with shared roots. If the visit results in a strengthened argument for intercultural dev ed that would be a good result for everyone I think.
Submitted by adrienne boyle on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 11:19.
Hi all
Just joining the conversation having had a number of blips with Log Ins etc!
I've read all the data and I suppose the main focus of my own current thinking is how i can bring a global perspective in to the work of Age Action. The conversation is a long way from the people I work with and hence I have resonance with Patsy's ciomments, which I have interpreted as 'talking to ourselves (tho i'm workign class!). The concepts are useful for me as a farily expereinced dev educators but not useful for me in the context of the practical application of dev ed with staff and memebers in a very 'Ireland focused' organaistion.
My own burning questiions is: How will I most effectively use the session we now have planned with Dr Lynn Mario for March 22 and how can I bring Age Action and its 70+ staff with me as well as some key members (there are over 2000 so I can;t catch them all!) (Does this do a speel check Matthias/Eimear?!)
Submitted by susangallwey on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 11:11.
Hello again everyone
I'm afraid I got lost in the labyrinth of Southern perspectives and missed Matthias's suggestion that we should move away from discussing definitions and now talk more about the upcoming visit...so now without further ado, here is where we at the WOWC are at right now---After discussing the upcoming visit with other WOWC staff members, we decided that we would like to focus our discussion with Vanessa on intercultural education.
As a One World Centre that is very much rooted in the local community, we need to be responsive to community needs and to start where the learners are in terms of their engagement with global issues. In our community, the most prevalent way of thinking about the global is through a ‘soft’ multiculturalism----for example, we get many requests for ‘someone’ to come in to a school or group and ‘talk about African customs’ or ‘do African crafts.’ Where do we go with this?? We have a team of volunteers from the Global South who enjoy making school visits, but what should be the aim of such a visit? Do cultural workshops patronise/romanticise/stereotype the South, or are they a vital first step towards N/S dialogue and understanding? And if they are that first step, how can we help to move that journey along?
And what about the Southern volunteers? Most of them are asylum seekers and therefore are not allowed to accept paid work---does that make their contribution to Centre work seem less valuable than if we paid them? Also , Irish Aid does not consider ‘cultural workshops’ to be part of a DE programme, so does that also undervalue or marginalise this work in comparison to our other DE work (which may seem to carry more value as it is issue-based and usually linked to formal curricula)?
We are planning to have a staff meeting next week, during which we hope to put some shape on these questions, so that we can come up with a list of questions for a round-table discussion with Vanessa on the 22nd. I'd be really interested in hearing what other organisations are thinking of doing with their visitor!
Submitted by su-mingkhoo on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 12:11.
Hi all,
I guess What we have planned to do with Catherine is to use her visit to get the different schools and colleges to consider the relevance of Southern approaches and global perspectives in teaching, research and staff exchange and what they might to to globalize curriculum and engage with a development agenda.
NUIG has just published an Internationalization strategy and appointed people in the different colleges to push internationalization. This is currently understood through the lens of maximising revenue from foreign fees and research grants, given increasing demands and budget cuts. However, the strategy also aspires to engage with development issues and globalize curriculum, but no content has been specified. So the hope is to widen the conversation about what 'internationalisation' of the university is about, make that conversation content-full and to get buy-in from some staff, researchers and students (hopefully) for a broader conversation about our educational and research objectives and practice.
Hi Susan, that sounds like you at Waterford have really got a clear idea and I like very much what you propose. Knowing the way Vanessa works and the work she is doing, I am quite confident that this will be a very godd session. The link to intercultural ed is an important one for dev ed and I think - same as Southern Perspectives - the thinking on this link is often quite superficial. Looking forward to teh outcome of your discussions.
I think it is interesting that Irish Aid do not see cultral understanding through workshops , as an essential aspect of deved. I wonder what they would say about the role of 'culture' in Northern Ireland - would they say that there there was no need for understanding of Republican and Unionist cultures between each community? Just look at how key 'marching bands' are playing in these relationships and the politics of NI.
On the visit to Self Help - I hope to use the occassion within Self Help Africa to raise the question of the level of participation our Africa staff/partners have in decision making. I sense that there is a 'patronising' relatonship within some staff about our local partners capacity to deliver results. SHA does a lot of 'leading' rather than co-operation. It will be interesting to have a more objective 'southern voice' with us - most are within the staff of SHA and as such must watch after their jobs.
There are a lot of our Africa staff with us this week and I hope to get a better sense of their perception of the organisation and its 'power relationships'.
patsy
patsy
Patsy Toland,
Development Education Coordinator,
Self Help Africa.
That makes absolute sense as a plan for an organisation such as SelfHelp, exciting to see how organisational approach to this programme differs and yet brings out key pointys of our work!
Submitted by susangallwey on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 11:38.
You are right, Patsy, to ask about the reasons why cultural workshops should or should not be part of an overall DE programme! Hopefully our visit will help us to see this more clearly.
Submitted by helen mahony on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 11:53.
I think culture is very important and especially contemporary culture - music, film, art as well as traditional culture. In some ways Africa day is a step in recognising and supporting this.
Submitted by susangallwey on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 11:03.
Hello everyone
In relation to the many interesting posts about the N/S dichotomy and whether it is or is not the most useful point of reference for DE---I found a very helpful discussion of this on p. 31 of Vanessa and Lynn Mario's article 'Translating Theory into Practice and Walking Minefields' (photocopy in the pack we received in Portlaoise). They point out that there are problems in either accepting or rejecting the use of a binary N/S contrast in DE. If you conceptualise N/S relationship in terms of a harsh binary, then you 'essentialise' multiple perspectives into one category. But if you deny the N/S divide, you ignore the social constructions and power dynamics that exist between the two groups. So perhaps it is best to work with the idea of 'Southen Perspectives' in DE, whilst being aware of its limitations? And maybe also we can use the GEIR programme to help us to recognise the inherent complexity of any construct that we might use to explore global relationships.
Submitted by helen mahony on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 10:59.
Hi Helen Mahony here just joining the conversation. I think that it is more than just emphasising interconnectedness. It is also about radically questioning our own assumptions and cultural assumptions in our organisations etc. I think it will be quite challenging and that ideas of Vanessa Andreotti and Lynn Mario de Souza are radical and liberating.
Hi there again, from Matthias. Great, the discussion becoming un-linear again, nice thing to happen at 10.52 in the morning. Could I suggest that we move away from the definition question for a while and post some of the questions that came up in the journal tasks. Would really help us here to see what kind of questionjs do people have in relation to the programme/topic. Just a linear suggestion..... Matthias
Submitted by helen mahony on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 11:08.
Hi one of the questions/problems which I think exists, and this may only be a problem in a large organisation where we are attempting to introduce development education and involve a number of people in it, is that the practice of looking at own assumptions- unlearning etc- as in TOE is quite accessible and interesting but the theory behind it is quite complicated and radical. It is also quite political. I am interested and sympathetic. I know all dev ed is political. I guess the question I am grappling with is how much engagement with the theory do we have to ask for people involved in dev ed?
Submitted by su-mingkhoo on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 10:38.
Hello everyone,
Just sharing my burning questions
1. What are the most promising forms of solidaristic thinking, or 'development alternatives' from the Southern perspective and how can they be shared across the South and the North?
2. Will such emerging global solidarities find ways to deal with spatial, class, ethnic/racial and religious divisions? Is it possible for North-South solidarities to emerge at the same time as South-South solidarities and are there creatively cooperative and transformative ways of talking about this?
3. Can Southern and Northern perspectives really face their own internal contradictions? What do they really think about the nature of race, ethnicity and colour? Can they really keep thinking this way and for how long?
I think the question of 'solidarity' raises a key issue for us within this programme. I have some concern that this programme is creating a space for 'development education' specialists, all with their own agenda, to speak with each other. Already we are a privileged elite, most of whom share a class, ethnic (Su-ming excepted - majority of us here), etc background. Do our global educators share this same status and therefore for whom do they speak?
Patsy Toland,
Development Education Coordinator,
Self Help Africa.
Submitted by su-mingkhoo on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 11:44.
Patsy,
I guess that was the question that I was kind of getting into. So...even if I am "ethnic", I'm not THAT "ethnic".
While I might not be the same "ethnicity" as the rest of this conversation, that doesn't really impact that much on my privilege to speak, even though it raises uncomfortable questions - since class positioning, education, job status, maybe age/seniority and even the way I speak English all give me a kind of 'permission' to join the privileged elite (hmmm...."permission"???).
I've been reading an essay "Are all of us Global Citizens or only some of us Global Citizens" by Nigel Dower, which raises some of these questions. Ultimately his view (which I'm not that comfortable with) is that the privileged should use their privilege wisely and thoughtfully to push transformative politics (however, that doesn't challenge privilege right now).
Submitted by su-mingkhoo on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 11:10.
Patsy,
I guess that was the question that I was kind of getting into. So...even if I am "ethnic", I'm not THAT "ethnic".
While I might not be the same "ethnicity" as the rest of this conversation, that doesn't really impact that much on my privilege to speak, even though it raises uncomfortable questions - since class positioning, education, job status, maybe age/seniority and even the way I speak English all give me a kind of 'permission' to join the privileged elite (hmmm...."permission"???).
I've been reading an essay "Are all of us Global Citizens or only some of us Global Citizens" by Nigel Dower, which raises some of these questions. Ultimately his view (which I'm not that comfortable with) is that the privileged should use their privilege wisely and thoughtfully to push transformative politics (however, that doesn't challenge privilege right now).
Hi, Matthias here, logging in now. The two posts so far, for me, go into the same direction: The purpose of the programme is to challenge our way of thinking about DevEd. Since the edcuators may have a very different take on DevEd allows us to question our own assumptions of what dev Ed should be about. The visit will hopefully help us to start this conversation, bringing us out of the comfort zone of definitions that have been unquestioned for quite some time now. Do we need to re-think how we frame our work in relation to the global South, acknowledging that there are very different views and values around the question of what is development?
Submitted by rebecca@africac... on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 10:38.
I don't think we need to re frame our views but complement them with the southern perspective. One thread that seems to run through each of our definitions is the idea of interconnectness/ interdependency if we abolish the northern perspective where is the global element of development education.
Rebecca O' Halloran
Africa Centre
9c Abbey Street Lower
Methodist Church Building
Dublin 1
Republic of Ireland
Submitted by su-mingkhoo on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 10:56.
Oh rats, I posted my answers to Matthias' list of questions in the wrong place - well, they are somewhere!
I agree with Rebecca that we can't 'get rid' of the Northern perspective. But I'm not sure that the 'global element' of development education necessarily depends on the northern perspective. Surely the 'global' idea is aspirational and not necessarily based in/by/for the North?
I kind of agree with Patsy - we need to be historically informed and critically reflexive about where we stand. To make things more complicated, there is no single overarching 'Northern perspective', which is problematic as there is an expectation that the Northern perspective is some kind of coherent 'default' cultural setting that Southern perspectives can offer a corrective to. If you look at Southern perspectives, there is no single Southern position, either. However, we should be interested in the kinds of solidaristic thinking have emerged over time, but we need to know more about where they began so we can think clearly about where they are going to...
I hope i am using this properly. I don't have any burning questions, but I wonder do the Global Educators have a definition of what Development Education is and how it compares with the organisations involved?
Hi there, I suppose in this discussion we start with the IDEA definition - An educational process aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of the rapidly changing, interdependent and unequal world in which we live.
I think this programme will force us to re-think that definition. I believe that the world is changing rapidly - but only for those in the Western World. Most rural communities i have visited in Africa are living the same life their grandparents lived!
patsy
Patsy Toland,
Development Education Coordinator,
Self Help Africa.
Submitted by rebecca@africac... on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 10:26.
To the Africa Centre, after much debate we came to the consensous that development education should highlight the interconnectness on an individual to individual basis and a country to country basis. It should not focus on the concept of helping but the notion of learning from one another.
Rebecca O' Halloran
Africa Centre
9c Abbey Street Lower
Methodist Church Building
Dublin 1
Republic of Ireland
I agree with the comment Rebeca but the issue we have to deal with is that most of the relationships built with developing countries are built on exploitation and inequality and how we can address that. Our history of connection with Africa for example is one of missionary 'help', aid donations, famine relief, bi-lateral aid programmes, etc - do we throw that away and begin again with a new 'learning' focus?
patsy
Patsy Toland,
Development Education Coordinator,
Self Help Africa.
Submitted by rebecca@africac... on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 10:55.
I don't think we need to throw the history of connection with the Global South as it is difficult to re write history but maybe a change in terminology eg. from 'aid' to 'assistance'.
Rebecca O' Halloran
Africa Centre
9c Abbey Street Lower
Methodist Church Building
Dublin 1
Republic of Ireland
I understand that the aim of the programme is to allow us to rethink what we mean by development education. For example, we have IDEAs definition of Dev Ed above. It is also considered (in the IDEA/Irish Aid) to be supporting people in transforming the social, political, and economic structure that affects their lives- which is a bit of a step from creating awareness.
logging out
Apologies but I have to go. Once more this has been an interesting space - maybe not at ny best in the morning.
patsy
Patsy Toland,
Development Education Coordinator,
Self Help Africa.
Hi everyone. interesting
Hi everyone.
interesting reading all the input. I think some people are definitely asking some very relevant questions of the aims of the programmes we are carrying out with respect to dev-ed. Food for thought for me.
Thanks for the discussions!
Dualta Roughneen
Programmes Officer
Plan Ireland
I would have to go soon
Hi all, sorry for not being as communicato as the last time but we had a quick phone meeting of the research working group inbetween and my failure to multitask has shown again!! As the last time we will go through all the comments and extract some key arguments/questions/positions. We might create some new posts for you to continue the discussion.
Bye for now, looking forward to the next phase of teh programme,
best,
matthias
Spellcheck...
Sorry there's no spell check on these things Adrienne, but that does remind me of the article in INDEX that kicked off this whole GE programme... These discussions are really helpful as a learner and as someone involved in the organisation of the visit, so thanks!
The segregation of intercultural and development education is a mystery to me, the boundaries are very artificial, or perhaps they are branches on a tree with shared roots. If the visit results in a strengthened argument for intercultural dev ed that would be a good result for everyone I think.
Hello from Adrienne in Age Action
Hi all
Just joining the conversation having had a number of blips with Log Ins etc!
I've read all the data and I suppose the main focus of my own current thinking is how i can bring a global perspective in to the work of Age Action. The conversation is a long way from the people I work with and hence I have resonance with Patsy's ciomments, which I have interpreted as 'talking to ourselves (tho i'm workign class!). The concepts are useful for me as a farily expereinced dev educators but not useful for me in the context of the practical application of dev ed with staff and memebers in a very 'Ireland focused' organaistion.
My own burning questiions is: How will I most effectively use the session we now have planned with Dr Lynn Mario for March 22 and how can I bring Age Action and its 70+ staff with me as well as some key members (there are over 2000 so I can;t catch them all!) (Does this do a speel check Matthias/Eimear?!)
That's me for now
Adrienne
Age Action ireland
Yes I think how to benefit
Yes I think how to benefit from the visit is the immediate key issue. Was offline for a while - computer collapse.
helen mahony
what we would like to discuss with Vanessa
Hello again everyone
I'm afraid I got lost in the labyrinth of Southern perspectives and missed Matthias's suggestion that we should move away from discussing definitions and now talk more about the upcoming visit...so now without further ado, here is where we at the WOWC are at right now---After discussing the upcoming visit with other WOWC staff members, we decided that we would like to focus our discussion with Vanessa on intercultural education.
As a One World Centre that is very much rooted in the local community, we need to be responsive to community needs and to start where the learners are in terms of their engagement with global issues. In our community, the most prevalent way of thinking about the global is through a ‘soft’ multiculturalism----for example, we get many requests for ‘someone’ to come in to a school or group and ‘talk about African customs’ or ‘do African crafts.’ Where do we go with this?? We have a team of volunteers from the Global South who enjoy making school visits, but what should be the aim of such a visit? Do cultural workshops patronise/romanticise/stereotype the South, or are they a vital first step towards N/S dialogue and understanding? And if they are that first step, how can we help to move that journey along?
And what about the Southern volunteers? Most of them are asylum seekers and therefore are not allowed to accept paid work---does that make their contribution to Centre work seem less valuable than if we paid them? Also , Irish Aid does not consider ‘cultural workshops’ to be part of a DE programme, so does that also undervalue or marginalise this work in comparison to our other DE work (which may seem to carry more value as it is issue-based and usually linked to formal curricula)?
We are planning to have a staff meeting next week, during which we hope to put some shape on these questions, so that we can come up with a list of questions for a round-table discussion with Vanessa on the 22nd. I'd be really interested in hearing what other organisations are thinking of doing with their visitor!
Susan
What we plan to discuss with Catherine
Hi all,
I guess What we have planned to do with Catherine is to use her visit to get the different schools and colleges to consider the relevance of Southern approaches and global perspectives in teaching, research and staff exchange and what they might to to globalize curriculum and engage with a development agenda.
NUIG has just published an Internationalization strategy and appointed people in the different colleges to push internationalization. This is currently understood through the lens of maximising revenue from foreign fees and research grants, given increasing demands and budget cuts. However, the strategy also aspires to engage with development issues and globalize curriculum, but no content has been specified. So the hope is to widen the conversation about what 'internationalisation' of the university is about, make that conversation content-full and to get buy-in from some staff, researchers and students (hopefully) for a broader conversation about our educational and research objectives and practice.
Su-ming
Su-ming Khoo
Reply to Susan
Hi Susan, that sounds like you at Waterford have really got a clear idea and I like very much what you propose. Knowing the way Vanessa works and the work she is doing, I am quite confident that this will be a very godd session. The link to intercultural ed is an important one for dev ed and I think - same as Southern Perspectives - the thinking on this link is often quite superficial. Looking forward to teh outcome of your discussions.
Matthias
cultural workshops
I think it is interesting that Irish Aid do not see cultral understanding through workshops , as an essential aspect of deved. I wonder what they would say about the role of 'culture' in Northern Ireland - would they say that there there was no need for understanding of Republican and Unionist cultures between each community? Just look at how key 'marching bands' are playing in these relationships and the politics of NI.
On the visit to Self Help - I hope to use the occassion within Self Help Africa to raise the question of the level of participation our Africa staff/partners have in decision making. I sense that there is a 'patronising' relatonship within some staff about our local partners capacity to deliver results. SHA does a lot of 'leading' rather than co-operation. It will be interesting to have a more objective 'southern voice' with us - most are within the staff of SHA and as such must watch after their jobs.
There are a lot of our Africa staff with us this week and I hope to get a better sense of their perception of the organisation and its 'power relationships'.
patsy
patsy
Patsy Toland,
Development Education Coordinator,
Self Help Africa.
reply to Patsy
That makes absolute sense as a plan for an organisation such as SelfHelp, exciting to see how organisational approach to this programme differs and yet brings out key pointys of our work!
Matthias
Is it or is it not DE?
You are right, Patsy, to ask about the reasons why cultural workshops should or should not be part of an overall DE programme! Hopefully our visit will help us to see this more clearly.
Your visit plan sounds really interesting!
Susan
I also find that interesting
I also find that interesting that Irish Aid does not encourage cultural workshops. Is it that they do not appreciate informal learning?
Rebecca O' Halloran
Africa Centre
9c Abbey Street Lower
Methodist Church Building
Dublin 1
Republic of Ireland
Tel/Fax: 00353-1-865 6951
www.africacentre.ie
Visit Calendar of Events section on our website to see the latest activities and event
I think culture is very
I think culture is very important and especially contemporary culture - music, film, art as well as traditional culture. In some ways Africa day is a step in recognising and supporting this.
helen mahony
walking minefields?
Hello everyone
In relation to the many interesting posts about the N/S dichotomy and whether it is or is not the most useful point of reference for DE---I found a very helpful discussion of this on p. 31 of Vanessa and Lynn Mario's article 'Translating Theory into Practice and Walking Minefields' (photocopy in the pack we received in Portlaoise). They point out that there are problems in either accepting or rejecting the use of a binary N/S contrast in DE. If you conceptualise N/S relationship in terms of a harsh binary, then you 'essentialise' multiple perspectives into one category. But if you deny the N/S divide, you ignore the social constructions and power dynamics that exist between the two groups. So perhaps it is best to work with the idea of 'Southen Perspectives' in DE, whilst being aware of its limitations? And maybe also we can use the GEIR programme to help us to recognise the inherent complexity of any construct that we might use to explore global relationships.
Susan
Hi Helen Mahony here just
Hi Helen Mahony here just joining the conversation. I think that it is more than just emphasising interconnectedness. It is also about radically questioning our own assumptions and cultural assumptions in our organisations etc. I think it will be quite challenging and that ideas of Vanessa Andreotti and Lynn Mario de Souza are radical and liberating.
helen mahony
liberating
I totally gree with your coment here Helen. We have to be ready for a new view and perspective on our position as development educators.
patsy
Patsy Toland,
Development Education Coordinator,
Self Help Africa.
NEw Comment
Hi there again, from Matthias. Great, the discussion becoming un-linear again, nice thing to happen at 10.52 in the morning. Could I suggest that we move away from the definition question for a while and post some of the questions that came up in the journal tasks. Would really help us here to see what kind of questionjs do people have in relation to the programme/topic. Just a linear suggestion..... Matthias
Hi one of the
Hi one of the questions/problems which I think exists, and this may only be a problem in a large organisation where we are attempting to introduce development education and involve a number of people in it, is that the practice of looking at own assumptions- unlearning etc- as in TOE is quite accessible and interesting but the theory behind it is quite complicated and radical. It is also quite political. I am interested and sympathetic. I know all dev ed is political. I guess the question I am grappling with is how much engagement with the theory do we have to ask for people involved in dev ed?
helen mahony
Burning questions
Hello everyone,
Just sharing my burning questions
1. What are the most promising forms of solidaristic thinking, or 'development alternatives' from the Southern perspective and how can they be shared across the South and the North?
2. Will such emerging global solidarities find ways to deal with spatial, class, ethnic/racial and religious divisions? Is it possible for North-South solidarities to emerge at the same time as South-South solidarities and are there creatively cooperative and transformative ways of talking about this?
3. Can Southern and Northern perspectives really face their own internal contradictions? What do they really think about the nature of race, ethnicity and colour? Can they really keep thinking this way and for how long?
Su-ming Khoo
solidarities
I think the question of 'solidarity' raises a key issue for us within this programme. I have some concern that this programme is creating a space for 'development education' specialists, all with their own agenda, to speak with each other. Already we are a privileged elite, most of whom share a class, ethnic (Su-ming excepted - majority of us here), etc background. Do our global educators share this same status and therefore for whom do they speak?
Patsy Toland,
Development Education Coordinator,
Self Help Africa.
ethnic, but not that ethnic
Patsy,
I guess that was the question that I was kind of getting into. So...even if I am "ethnic", I'm not THAT "ethnic".
While I might not be the same "ethnicity" as the rest of this conversation, that doesn't really impact that much on my privilege to speak, even though it raises uncomfortable questions - since class positioning, education, job status, maybe age/seniority and even the way I speak English all give me a kind of 'permission' to join the privileged elite (hmmm...."permission"???).
I've been reading an essay "Are all of us Global Citizens or only some of us Global Citizens" by Nigel Dower, which raises some of these questions. Ultimately his view (which I'm not that comfortable with) is that the privileged should use their privilege wisely and thoughtfully to push transformative politics (however, that doesn't challenge privilege right now).
Su-ming
Su-ming Khoo
ethnic, but not that ethnic
Patsy,
I guess that was the question that I was kind of getting into. So...even if I am "ethnic", I'm not THAT "ethnic".
While I might not be the same "ethnicity" as the rest of this conversation, that doesn't really impact that much on my privilege to speak, even though it raises uncomfortable questions - since class positioning, education, job status, maybe age/seniority and even the way I speak English all give me a kind of 'permission' to join the privileged elite (hmmm...."permission"???).
I've been reading an essay "Are all of us Global Citizens or only some of us Global Citizens" by Nigel Dower, which raises some of these questions. Ultimately his view (which I'm not that comfortable with) is that the privileged should use their privilege wisely and thoughtfully to push transformative politics (however, that doesn't challenge privilege right now).
Su-ming
Su-ming Khoo
Those are very deep, and big
Those are very deep, and big questions!
Dualta Roughneen
Programmes Officer
Plan Ireland
Starting the conversation
Hi, Matthias here, logging in now. The two posts so far, for me, go into the same direction: The purpose of the programme is to challenge our way of thinking about DevEd. Since the edcuators may have a very different take on DevEd allows us to question our own assumptions of what dev Ed should be about. The visit will hopefully help us to start this conversation, bringing us out of the comfort zone of definitions that have been unquestioned for quite some time now. Do we need to re-think how we frame our work in relation to the global South, acknowledging that there are very different views and values around the question of what is development?
Matthias
Reply to Matthais
I don't think we need to re frame our views but complement them with the southern perspective. One thread that seems to run through each of our definitions is the idea of interconnectness/ interdependency if we abolish the northern perspective where is the global element of development education.
Rebecca O' Halloran
Africa Centre
9c Abbey Street Lower
Methodist Church Building
Dublin 1
Republic of Ireland
Tel/Fax: 00353-1-865 6951
www.africacentre.ie
Visit Calendar of Events section on our website to see the latest activities and event
Reply to Matthias and Rebecca
Oh rats, I posted my answers to Matthias' list of questions in the wrong place - well, they are somewhere!
I agree with Rebecca that we can't 'get rid' of the Northern perspective. But I'm not sure that the 'global element' of development education necessarily depends on the northern perspective. Surely the 'global' idea is aspirational and not necessarily based in/by/for the North?
I kind of agree with Patsy - we need to be historically informed and critically reflexive about where we stand. To make things more complicated, there is no single overarching 'Northern perspective', which is problematic as there is an expectation that the Northern perspective is some kind of coherent 'default' cultural setting that Southern perspectives can offer a corrective to. If you look at Southern perspectives, there is no single Southern position, either. However, we should be interested in the kinds of solidaristic thinking have emerged over time, but we need to know more about where they began so we can think clearly about where they are going to...
Su-ming Khoo
I hope i am using this
I hope i am using this properly. I don't have any burning questions, but I wonder do the Global Educators have a definition of what Development Education is and how it compares with the organisations involved?
Dualta Roughneen
Programmes Officer
Plan Ireland
definitions
Hi there, I suppose in this discussion we start with the IDEA definition - An educational process aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of the rapidly changing, interdependent and unequal world in which we live.
I think this programme will force us to re-think that definition. I believe that the world is changing rapidly - but only for those in the Western World. Most rural communities i have visited in Africa are living the same life their grandparents lived!
patsy
Patsy Toland,
Development Education Coordinator,
Self Help Africa.
Not sure if I am repeating myself here.
To the Africa Centre, after much debate we came to the consensous that development education should highlight the interconnectness on an individual to individual basis and a country to country basis. It should not focus on the concept of helping but the notion of learning from one another.
Rebecca O' Halloran
Africa Centre
9c Abbey Street Lower
Methodist Church Building
Dublin 1
Republic of Ireland
Tel/Fax: 00353-1-865 6951
www.africacentre.ie
Visit Calendar of Events section on our website to see the latest activities and event
learning or helping
I agree with the comment Rebeca but the issue we have to deal with is that most of the relationships built with developing countries are built on exploitation and inequality and how we can address that. Our history of connection with Africa for example is one of missionary 'help', aid donations, famine relief, bi-lateral aid programmes, etc - do we throw that away and begin again with a new 'learning' focus?
patsy
Patsy Toland,
Development Education Coordinator,
Self Help Africa.
To Answer Patsy
I don't think we need to throw the history of connection with the Global South as it is difficult to re write history but maybe a change in terminology eg. from 'aid' to 'assistance'.
Rebecca O' Halloran
Africa Centre
9c Abbey Street Lower
Methodist Church Building
Dublin 1
Republic of Ireland
Tel/Fax: 00353-1-865 6951
www.africacentre.ie
Visit Calendar of Events section on our website to see the latest activities and event
I understand that the aim of
I understand that the aim of the programme is to allow us to rethink what we mean by development education. For example, we have IDEAs definition of Dev Ed above. It is also considered (in the IDEA/Irish Aid) to be supporting people in transforming the social, political, and economic structure that affects their lives- which is a bit of a step from creating awareness.
Dualta Roughneen
Programmes Officer
Plan Ireland