WK 325 Empowerment through participatory education
Participatory education can create space and structure to release individual and community potential for effective leadership and civil society participation, which can have an effect on government and nongovernmental institutions at all levels.
Panelists:
Featured Tactic: Marianita Villariba, Education for Life Foundation, Philippines
Complementary Presentations:
- Shifra Jacobson, Holocaust Centre, South Africa
- Majeda Al Saqqa, Culture & Free Thought Association, Gaza, Palestine
Featured Tactic
Empowering indigenous communities to exercise their human and civic rights through participatory education Marianita Villariba, Education for Life Foundation, Philippines
Education for Life Foundation (ELF) uses an accelerated learning system approach with grassroots educators and leaders. Many of its learner-graduates are active in governance, human rights, peace and sustainable development programs. Through active citizenship, grassroots communities can make governments more responsive and eventually make them more representative. Leadership is critical at all levels and grassroots leadership is a key factor in the empowerment of communities. ELF builds leadership capacity through the use of living language and lively methods of life-long learning, transforming learners into leaders. Through active learning – building from the base of one’s own real life experiences, skills and gifts – learners become companions to other learners and take on increasingly active roles in their communities. Many have answered the call from their communities to participate in local government elections and winning these positions at the local level. ELF is helping to build community leadership that not only is concerned with politics and economics, an organization or a project but also seeks life-long learning in all areas of life including self, family, ecology, inner life, gender, culture and work.
Complementary Presentation
Shifra Jacobson, Holocaust Centre, South Africa
The Holocaust Centre initiated participatory education workshops with police through which they could talk about difficult issues such as race, xenophobia, gender and other forms of discrimination. The Holocaust in Germany provided a powerful basis for discussion about how violence is created from the kinds of divisions that were created by both the German and South African regimes. Police officers discussed how they themselves can have an impact on racism and xenophobia. The Holocaust Centre has also held these workshops with correctional facility personnel.
Complementary Presentation
Majeda Al Saqqa, Culture & Free Thought Association, Gaza, Palestine
The Culture and Free Thought Association has established youth centers, run by youth parliaments, to teach adolescents about the democratic process and provide them with positive life experiences. The youth centers are now governed by the elected members of the youth parliaments. The centers illustrate the democratic process for young people who have never witnessed it. Many youth in Palestine have experienced violence, and the youth centers and parliaments help combat the feeling of helplessness which may come with being in a society in such constant turmoil and violence.
