EDE Curriculum 2012.pdf - Gaia Education

International Networking
There is a definitely positive side to the globalization process. When the first cosmonauts visited the
moon they reported back about the dramatic experience of seeing our beautiful blue planet as such a
vulnerable home in the vast universe. As inhabitants of this Earth we breathe the same air, we watch
the same starry skies and as humans we share the same basic ne Eds. Every single one of us can choose
to become a part of the solution instead of part of the problem; and we can support one another in opting
for simple beauty and walking our talk. In working for a sustainable future, we can profit immensely
from international exchange and support. Through the work of networks like GEN and many
others, we can draw a map of our Earth before our minds eye that is slowly but surely filling up with
nodes and points of light and hope, with people that are working together for a liveable and peaceful
future. The work and accomplishments of many international networks and organisations working for
social justice, solidarity and sustainability attest to that. And yet we need to learn to be respectful of
the unique cultural and traditional practices and beliefs in each area of the planet.
Resources for this module
Internet
www.ecovillage.org
www.gen-europe.org
Sample Experiential Learning Activities
Allow participants to self-organize in order to carry out one or more of the following activities. Devise
measuring tools for assessing the impact and outcomes from these:
� In sub-groups, create a ‘local market,’ trading products with each other from their places of
origin. This can be done with index cards instead of products.
� Create a ‘cultural festival’ to demonstrate what was learned in this dimension during a sharing
event with the local community, village or town.
� Go out to interview old-timers in the area, sharing local stories and learning the local lore.
� Visit ecovillages, Co-Housing projects or other intentional communities in the region, practicing
local outreach.
� Compiling a resource list of international organisations working in a particular field of interest,
thus gain a head start in forming new global networks.
� Within the group, ask participants to pair up and share small teaching moments: a language,
dance, hand gestures...
� Organize observational walks in a nearby area to “read” the social landscape.
� Guide a meditation or visualisation on activism to create social change; focus on a common social
problem, like poverty, homelessness, hunger…
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