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It was a pleasure to review this report recently launched at the seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII) which suggests that adult education does not reach those who need it most. Link to the report: https://www.uil.unesco.org/en/grale5

May 18-20, 2022

Many thanks to the Global Citizenship Foundation for connecting diverse people and communities through the #ICTE2022 Conference!

https://www.globalcitizenshipfoundation.org/profile/dr-namrata-sharma

Symposium “Theorizing Nonviolence and Peace in Curriculum Studies: International Conversations on Interdependence in a Worldwide Pandemic”

Presentation: A Value-Creating Approach to Curricula in India: Gandhi and the Legacy of Nonviolence

21 April 2022

Abstract

It is common practice to use theoretical frameworks developed in the West for education worldwide, but important contributions come as well from non-Western education perspectives that shed light on the emergence of ideas within given regional diasporas.

Value creation serves as a valuable lens through which to examine the ideas and relevance of the Indian peace activist Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) and the Indian heritage of the principle of nonviolence. The term “value creation” encompasses a Japanese approach to curriculum (based on the work of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, 1871–1944 and developed by Daisaku Ikeda, 1928–). It is founded on an interdependent view of life and aimed at developing learners’ capacity to enhance their own existence and contribute to the well-being of others. Using value creation as a lens can help examine the emergence of alternative curricula in the Indian diaspora that are based on such interdependent worldviews and offer an integrated approach to education.

The contributions of alternative paradigms and perspectives can allow for a discourse on the indigenous nature of ideas that are rooted in Eastern philosophies based on similar interdependent worldviews. A value-creating framework can also be useful to examine the Indian educational scene and the many attempts that have been made for the individual learner to be the focus of education. India’s colonial past, the damaging effect of Macaulay’s minute in 1835, and other endeavors to wipe out traditional Indian thought have had lasting ramifications, including the tensions that continue to exist between indigeneity and the colonialism legacy of framing curricula in a way that is often divorced from the learners’ natural environment as well as cultural and social context.

The violence committed on the Indian curricula must be combated by bold actions and by putting an emphasis on the particularities of the learner. There is a need to re-envision alternative perspectives for value-creating curricula focused on the happiness and all-around development of the learner. Further, for learning to be truly dialogic, efforts must be made for the curriculum to be non-centric, that allows learning from diverse knowledge and wisdom. Questions central to curriculum, teaching, and learning must include, for example: Can there be an inclusion of diverse knowledge systems? Are teachers and students able to encounter multiple perspectives of viewing self, society, and Nature (for example, the indigenous Eastern perspectives explored in this paper)? At a policy level, integrating a more global dimension to learning can include study of the educational philosophies of well-known Western educators, such as John Dewey (1859–1952), as well as educators from different geographical regions. For example, university and national directives can deliberate a more substantial use of the educational ideas of Gandhi, Makiguchi, and Ikeda, with relevance for a practicum-based study for teacher education. This paper will conclude on a reflective note of the author’s experiences of studying and working in higher education across countries in the East and West, and by offering suggestions for education across nation-states to bring in diverse ontological understandings and perspectives into nonviolence curriculum.

Link to the iPresentation

Authored by Chhikara, Alankrita (2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/ctl_00075_5

18 August 2022 with Namrata Sharma

The Earth Charter International at the University for Peace in Costa Rica is hosting a series of Masterclasses. Participants can sign up for any number of sessions.

The masterclass with Namrata Sharma is developed to engage participants with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.7, which seeks to foster global citizens by 2030.  

This class aims to:

1. Provide an introduction to what global citizenship is, and what it means to be part of a global community; 
2. Explore some approaches to teaching and pedagogy, including from less widely known perspectives; 
3. Make connections between global citizenship education and the Earth Charter; 
4. Engage with practical ideas and support for teachers who want to introduce global education into their practice (including guides, resources and further readings); 
5. Provide links to networks of researchers and practitioners working in the field of global education, and related areas. 

Click here for more information on all classes.

Related Post: Value-creating global citizenship education and the Earth Charter: Integrating diverse perspectives within the UNESCO-led practice of GCE.

08 February 2022, 5:00 pm–6:00 pm UK.

Link to the edited video: https://mediacentral.ucl.ac.uk/Play/81239

New book authored by Douglas Bourn, Professor of Development Education and Co-Director of the Development Education Research Centre at the University College London – Institute of Education.

Participants at the online launch include:

• Liam Wegimont, Director of Global Education Network Europe
• Professor Tania Ramalho (State University of New York) 
• Dr Namrata Sharma (State University of New York) 
• Susan Kambula (CAFOD).

The book, published through Bloomsbury Academic, introduces debates about education for social change, including a review of historical themes around democracy, liberation and socialism.

The second section outlines potential theoretical and conceptual frameworks for thinking about education for social change.

The third section covers how social change has been explored and promoted within different areas of learning.

The fourth section looks at the opportunities and challenges for promoting education for social change and reviews current international initiatives including those of global citizenship and climate change.

Key theorists are introduced throughout the book including bell hooks, Dewey, Giroux, Gramsci, and Freire.

Source: Namrata Sharma, Value-Creating Global Citizenship Education for Sustainable Development Strategies and Approaches – Cynthia Gamez, 2021

From the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities website: On May 11, 2021, JLI held a webinar where Dr. Namrata Sharma, State University of New York, introduced her new book: Value-Creating Global Citizenship Education for Sustainable Development that caters to formal and non-formal learning. Dr. Wendy Yee Mei Tien, University of Malaya in Malaysia and Fellow at KAICIID, responded followed by a question and answer session. View the presentation slides & video

Photo credit: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/news/communications-material/