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GEO/ICAE
1.- ICAE activities
IALLA III – 2007
For more information please contact: secretariat@icae.org.uy icaeialla@gmail.com www.icae.org.uy
2.- CONFINTEA VI Preparation: Benchmarks for Adult
Education and Learning
Vol. 2, No. 2 (June/July 2007) Maren Elfert
In
preparation for the 6th Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA V) in 2009,
a workshop on benchmarks for adult education and learning will be organised
by UIL in Hamburg from 11 to 13 July 2007. A core group with participants
from all world regions will discuss appropriate strategies and develop a set
of draft benchmarks.
To develop a set of internationally applicable benchmarks for adult learning; To support the CONFINTEA VI preparatory processes, in particular the country reporting; To make available convincing instruments to measure progress, carry out effective advocacy and create commitment in adult education and learning; To stimulate international co-operation for achieving concrete objectives in the further development of adult education and learning world-wide; To strengthen the development and application of a broad concept of adult education and learning for improved learning practices for a wide range of learners, including especially disadvantaged and marginalized groups.
The Women’s Panorama (WP) is an integral event within the annual Festival of the Dhow countries (June 29 to July 8, 2007), the largest cultural festival in the East African hemisphere. Noticeably smaller this year mainly because of poor or late donor response, the impact of the overall WP programme is, nonetheless astounding. Prominent among its achievement was the ability to involve local communities in Unguja Island at two strategic hubs: Kitogani and Matemwe. The reception these communities accorded the WP was exceptional: large parades came out to welcome the panorama and on the last day a similar festive mood was observed in Kitogani. The rural programme was well covered by the local media while the foreign press was very present at urban functions. Journalists were drawn by its rich array of activities which were featured in numerous news items and images.
The WP operated from four different sites this year. In Unguja it took place in Kitogani towards the South East, Matemwe towards the North East of Zanzibar and in Stone Town. Additional session took place in Pemba facilitated in conjunction with the Village and Children’s Panorama. Greater effort was made to attain social relevance in this year’s WP programme. Interventions intended to bring about noticeable changes in women’s lives be it in the area of policy, practice or individual status. Specifically, women’s empowerment was emphasized through the provision of relevant skills, information and exposure.
Major features of the Women’s Panorama 2007 were:
A Pre-festival Training For the first time a pre festival training programme was organized as part of the WP. The aim of the training was to give women entrepreneurs a basic foundation in business concepts and skills thereby enabling them to operate their businesses more aptly. 21 women entrepreneurs from rural, urban and peri urban areas who registered to exhibit their crafts and art during the Festival were trained in various aspects of business development, marketing, the regulatory and legal framework and financing of business enterprises. Skills enhancement was also a major component of the training and participants obtained knowledge in customer care, quality standards, business planning and product valuation.
Launch of the GBV Campaign The WP programme opened with a public procession against all forms of gender discrimination and violence on June 30th, 2007, the first of its kind in Zanzibar. The march intended to draw attention to a social problem in Zanzibar. Marchers were accompanied by a traditional beni band singing “Stop the violence, end the discrimination!” Young women and men held up colourful banners painted with messages against gender based violence. The procession ended at the People’s Palace, the seat of the WP during ZIFF 2007 and was received by the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Investments, Ms, Samia Suluhu Hassan. Formerly, Ms. Hassan was the Minister for Labour, Youth, Women and Children Development. Ms. Suluhu later launched the campaign against GBV in Zanzibar.
A photo exhibition documenting women’s histories in Zanzibar A rare photo exhibition opened in Zanzibar at the Palace Museum on July 4th 2007 after a painstaking process of researching, collecting and documenting photos and narratives of female pioneers in Zanzibar’s arts and cultural milieu. It is one of the earliest attempts to systematically document the lives of women who defined and continue to define Zanzibar’s social, political and economic landscape.
The Minister of State in the Chief Minister’s Office, Mr. Machano Othman Said opened the photo exhibition and commended the initiative as an important initiative in preserving a cultural heritage which was forgotten but vital to understanding the local heritage. He hoped that the narratives will inspire younger women in the isles to assume more active and visible roles in the development of their country as had the many women whose narratives were on display. He lauded the selection of women pioneers which included powerful personalities like the social entrepreneur Bi. Mwanshamba, also a football enthusiast who founded a youth football team; Biti Ismail who managed the first public orphanage; and Sitti Binti Saad the legendary Taarab vocalist and social critic whose music and lyrics dominated the coast of East Africa, the Gulf and India in early twentieth century. The photo exhibition ran during the duration of the festival and attracted over visitors from all corners of the world.
ZIFF handicrafts exhibition Since its inception in 2000, the handicrafts exhibition was perhaps the most visible space for women in the festival programme. Local artisans from various parts of the island exhibit their wares mainly made by hand and from local products depicting essential features of the Zanzibari cultures. A total of 12 exhibitors participated in this year’s WP, a number of whom also participated in the pre-festival programme. For the first time an award was given to one of the groups participating in the 2007 handicraft exhibition to motivate the production of innovative and quality products. The first award went to Shangila Shop, an association of blind rope weavers, mostly women, led by Bibi Rita.
Community Leadership Awards The WP strives to become a space to celebrate and reward women’s, present and past achievements in the isles. Therefore, one of the key features in the closing ceremony was the Community Leadership Awards dedicated to distinguished women and youth in the Zanzibar community who epitomize transformative leadership qualities but whose leadership roles remain unrecognized or unvalued because of prevailing notions on leadership which happen to be sexist, ageists and elitist. The 2007 Leadership Awards were presented by Bi. Asha Khalfani the Director of the Zanzibar Fund for Self Reliance to Pavu Mcha Khamis of Matemwe and Wanu Ramadhan Nurdin from Kitogani, both women from rural Zanzibar. Another award dedicated to figures in the larger Zanzibari Community was issued posthumously to Bi. Mashavu Ali popularly known as Biti Ismail, a woman who dedicated her life running an orphanage.
Mentoring Youth Leadership Capacity As part of a deliberate strategy to build human resource capacity and to harness the leadership potential of young women in the specific areas of ZIFF’s mandate four young women, Asha Mahmoud, Imane Duwe, Sabrina Othman and Safia Ngalapi had the luck to become the first local WP Programme Assistants. They coordinated various aspects related to the logistical aspect of the WP programme and its delivery. On occasions they facilitated workshop sessions to build their facilitation skills. Periodic evaluation of their performance was done by the WP Coordinator and positive feedback was relayed to build their confidence and competence in critical leadership areas e.g. communication, problem solving and analytical skills.
Workshops, Community Dialogues and Film Screenings The WP facilitated numerous dialogues on an array of community questions including gender based violence, HIV/AIDS, early marriages, early childhood care and development, governance and business development. About 5 different workshops were held in each locality during the five days of the panorama. On average, about 15 participants, mainly women, attended the workshops daily in each locality. To facilitate discussion of key issues covered during the workshop sessions films or documentaries were screened. By linking film to development concerns the WP emphasizes ZIFF’s social development role. Also it results in development outreach whose impact is more substantial on local communities. The fact that a number of films shown were in Kiswahili or had Kiswahili subtitles eased discussions that followed after the screening.
The majority of participants of WP Workhsops from rural areas were farmers or members of farmers’ cooperatives or groups. Participants in the urban setting were more varied and comprised of members from the civil society, representatives from key ministries, the media, business women and the general public. A total of 85 people, 78 being women and 7 being men were reached in Kitogani while all 84 participants in Matemwe were women. The urban workshop comprised of 85 participants, three of them being male. Most men attended the GBV workshops.
WP Closing The closing ceremony of the WP Festival Programme, an all women’s affair and was presided over by Bi. Asha Khalfan, the Director of the Zanzibar Fund for Self Reliance on behalf of the Minister of Labour, Youth Women and Children Development. Bi. Kidude, the legendary drummer in her nineties and her crew were at hand to spice up the evening of celebration. A number of women who featured in the photo exhibit were at hand such as Nifadh, Bi. Thereza Olban and Bi. Nasra Hilal. Nifadh and Rukiya Ramadhani charmed the crowd with sumptuous Taarab melodies ably performed by students of the Music Academy. Each performance solicited calls for more. The audience was also treated to Swahili treats taken at leisure like roasted peanuts, kashata, visheti, halua and katlesi drunk with coffee or sugarcane juice.
For more info log on at www.ziff.ot.tz
August
28-31 EAEA The 5th International Conference on Comparative Education, Teacher Training and New Education Agenda organized by the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society will be held in Sofia, 28-31 August 2007. It is planned to be held in the week just before the 13th World Congress of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3-7 September 2007 in order to give participants an excellent opportunity for combining both events. The conference objectives are: (1) to
examine different approaches to the role of Comparative Education as a
science, research methodology, and academic discipline; The idea of organizing the 5th BCES Conference in the week before the 13th World Congress giving participants the opportunity to move from Sofia to Sarajevo is coordinated with the WCCES President, Prof. Mark Bray, and the World Congress main organizer, Adila Kreso.
Conference format
Language and equipment http://bces.conference.tripod.com/
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