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Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

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tion contributes to the growth of environmental consciousness. Citizens and localactors should participate <strong>in</strong> the construction of environmental policies on the basisof common conditions. Articles 6,7,8 of the Aarhus Convention conta<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong>dicationsconcern<strong>in</strong>g public participation on projects, plans, programs and legislative <strong>in</strong>itiativesdeal<strong>in</strong>g with environment. The directive proposal foresees that the memberStates assure: the <strong>in</strong>formation of the public on each plan, program or they revision, thepossibility to express comments and observations before the approval, the guaranteethat any observation is taken <strong>in</strong>to consideration before the approval. Member Statestake the necessary actions to identify citizens or the groups participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> decisionmak<strong>in</strong>g]with particular attention to environmental NGO. Susta<strong>in</strong>able developmentand the framework of the Aarhus Convention represent an important basis to breeda geographical background with the challenges of knowledge and professional practices.The two case studies below show how geography <strong>in</strong> fieldwork can contributethrough knowledge and practice to susta<strong>in</strong>able development.From agricultural development to territorial development: lesson from NewValley (Egypt)The University of Padova offers a three year degree <strong>in</strong> Development Cooperationprepar<strong>in</strong>g people <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational organizations, NGOs andlocal authorities deal<strong>in</strong>g with development issues. The Department of <strong>Geography</strong> ofPadova University is the animator and coord<strong>in</strong>ator of this <strong>in</strong>ter-faculty degree (arts,agriculture, education, political sciences). The degree requires student to completea compulsory placement <strong>in</strong> a development project and offers students some sem<strong>in</strong>arsbased on cooperative learn<strong>in</strong>g. At the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of tgheir third year studentsparticipate at the <strong>in</strong>ternational sem<strong>in</strong>ar based on fieldwork <strong>in</strong> Egypt.The purpose of the sem<strong>in</strong>ar is to identify actors, strategies, resources, networkswhich are nowadays lead<strong>in</strong>g the local development processes <strong>in</strong> the New Valley.At the sem<strong>in</strong>ar, organised between 8−22 of November 2003, 35 students participatedwith 4 staff members (a full professor <strong>in</strong> geography, a lecturer <strong>in</strong> geographyand 2 tutors). The sem<strong>in</strong>ar was located at Mut, about 600 Km south of Cairo. Sem<strong>in</strong>arwork was concentrated <strong>in</strong> 7 days full time equivalent of fieldwork and cooperativelearn<strong>in</strong>g (11 days when consider<strong>in</strong>g travel from and to Italy and transfers Cairo-Mut).Day 1 was devoted to a first contact with the New Valley (reconnaissance surveyand group work) and a keynote lecture (45 m<strong>in</strong>.) on Regional development of NewValley Each step of the sem<strong>in</strong>ar was <strong>in</strong>tegrated with groupwork activities for consolidationand preparation of small reports (at the end of sem<strong>in</strong>ar a completed reportwas issued).Through fieldwork and cooperative learn<strong>in</strong>g dur<strong>in</strong>g days 2 and 3 (11 th and 12 th ofNovember) the patterns of agricultural development were analysed. The 35 studentswere divided <strong>in</strong> 4 “<strong>in</strong>terest groups” each group was <strong>in</strong>tegrated with a staff memberand a translator (from Arabic to French or English). Students were able to visit thefield and to carry out <strong>in</strong>terviews with members and farmers of cooperatives (Gharbel Maughub, Mut), traditional farmers and leaders (El Sheykh Waly) <strong>in</strong> order to316

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