Much still to learn...

It may be a wrap for this blog, but it is definitely not a wrap for the issues we have talked about. The convergence of more than 2,000 participants from over 100 nations who attended the three-day DW Global Media Forum to discuss “Culture. Education. Media – Shaping a Sustainable Future” was testimony for me that this discussion just got started at another level.

For me as a media professional with a background in education, it was interesting to see around 500 colleagues in media, including bloggers, meeting with policymakers, businesspeople, academics and representatives of civil society organizations to share their experiences and ideas.
The role of individuals, organizations and governments in propelling more inclusive, better quality education for all was a topic I enjoyed reading on, discussing and learning more about including during the conference. I believe in trying out solutions and implementing them – not just talking about them. But I feel like I have more to talk about now. Educational issues jump out at me more than before. Newspaper articles, discussions among friends, news on TV: Everything seems to have something to do with education, thanks to writing the blog.

Well, it is bye-bye for this blog, and I hope that the discussion will be carried on offline and online. I plan to continue my work with youth, training them to use media to tell stories – including on educational issues.

I also intend to further my education and pursue a PhD, most likely in information and communications technology as well as in development, as these are issues that I am passionate about. Perhaps I will start a new blog soon about research, media and education in the near future.

The anticipation builds ahead of a panel at the GMF

Wow! I’ve found the Global Media Forum really interesting so far. The first thing that stood out to me was the diversity on display – people from lots of different countries mix at the conference, some in suits, some more casual or in business wear. There are lots of colorful dresses, men from Africa in robes and women in headscarves. The clothing is just an outer signal of how many cultures are represented here. And in the middle of it all are my fellow bloggers and me.

Emmy, Hellgurd, María and I met up for the first time here. But I have the feeling that we’ve known each other for a while now. We’ve given each other insights into our lives and the educational systems in our countries here in the blog, so we’ve gotten to know each other a bit along the way. But it’s a real shame that visa problems prevented our fifth blogger from being here: Pavel was unable to leave Russia.

As I mentioned in my last entry, I went to a workshop yesterday that discussed how algorithms influence contemporary education and worldviews. At the podium were Falk Lüke, Mercedes Bunz and Marc Jan Eumann (State Secretary in the Ministry of Federal Affairs, European Affairs and Media of North Rhine-Westphalia). All three had interesting information to present, and the audience had plenty of comments and questions.

I especially liked Bunz’s idea that, with the Internet, we have created an additional public space, but until now, this space has primarily been shaped by economic interests. I think she gets at an interesting point there. Of course there are lots of publicly sponsored content providers on the Internet, but they often play a smaller roll, largely because they don’t offer their own search engines that could provide an alternative to Google. Would it be possible to have a publicly financed search engine? After all, here in Germany we have public broadcasters that offer an alternative to private stations.

But instead of giving the state the task of developing algorithms that deliver search results, I found Eumann’s approach better. Being aware and critical are just as important online as they are in the analog world. Schools could support these values by putting information online that helps people understand power structures and interests better – including those of Google or even of traditional newspaper publishers, for example.

Critical analysis of these topics and of technology in general is very important, which Bunz also discussed, saying that although we continue to conceive of technology as the “other,” it is constantly with us. Conferences like the Global Media Forum are a great way to take up this topic, and the opportunities for international exchange are especially good.

The GMF brings participants from around the world together

The global exchanges taking place here in Bonn are really extraordinary. At a workshop yesterday afternoon, the participants were from India, Malawi, Colombia and North America! Everyone talked about their experiences with free radio programs that are co-produced by lay people. These programs provide important information. Since many people take part in the production process and get to have a say in the programming, the interest in the result is much higher, and listeners find the statements contained therein more trustworthy.

Charles Simbi of Story Workshop Educational Trust presented a “message matrix.” It’s a systematic table in which, for example, one can work out the topics that should come up in radio programming for a given community – and how these topics should be presented. The tool is structured for topics that have social advantages for the community, such as medical help during pregnancy. I think we can learn a lot from practical tips like the message matrix and that we should try to incorporate them into other projects.

At one of the training days in Potenciar Comunidades

Apart from my work at the NGO, I have time to freelance as a journalist from time to time. Last week I interviewed Silvio, the director of Los Grobo Foundation. We talked about the role of NGOs in society, the different actors in a community and how to present them to benefit social development. I thought it was worth sharing some of his ideas here!

I need to provide a bit of context. In Argentina, for the last 10 to 15 years, NGOs focusing on a variety of areas (housing, education, social inclusion of disabled people, environment, etc) have flourished. These organizations come about by way of different initiatives: by people in society or by a private company, for instance. In the first case, professionals with an entrepreneurial side take the lead. These NGOs dedicate a lot of efforts to fundraising and attracting donors. Most of these organizations manage to carry out all of their actions with very little money of their own. In the second case, the NGO is an example of Private Social Investment from a particular company. This is true of Los Grobo Foundation: Los Grobo Agropecuaria is a private company (one of the most successful in town), and its NGO has a percentage of the company’s income at their disposal.

Most programs point at developing skills that are core to local economies

One of the programs Los Grobo Foundation runs is called Potenciar Comunidades (“Empowering Communities”). I found it most delightful, and I thought it was worth sharing this initiative here because their work involves a very interesting viewpoint on social inclusion. They evaluate projects that come from different communities and seek out private companies that are willing to support these projects with money and also management know-how. Silvio told me how they generate a context where they bring together the different actors of society (everyday people, company employees, NGOs, and sometimes also government officials) and try to take the best from each sphere.

You can hear more about it in Silvio’s own words here: http://youtu.be/QUG4iAltIO8

Many pupils in Kenya don't get the chance to study until after sundown

I read Maria’s first blog entry, and some of her words resounded heavily with me. In her post, she explains why she changed jobs: “Truth is, at the NGO, I encounter different realities than my own, I can work in programs that aim at social inclusion and better quality education – actions that imply a commitment to society from the perspective of the fellow other.”

Her post reminds me of my work with Givewatts – an organization that brings clean, renewable and safe energy to people like Peter Ochieng, a young man in a video I was just editing.

When darkness falls…

Peter is a determined student in his third year of high school. On a normal day, he gets back from school at around 5pm, brings the cattle home from the fields, fetches water from the river for a quick shower and, just as the sun dips below the Homa Hills, he settles down to read.  He pulls out his miniature kerosene lamp, sets it on the table, lights it up and starts to read.

On bad days when it is rainy and windy, the weak, orange light flickers as he crouches toward it and tries to make out his hand-written notes. His nose has gotten used to the strong, poignant smell from the burning kerosene.

Catalyzing change

Working with Givewatts has given me a different perspective on education. The path to education is a challenge for many. Nevertheless, there are those who jump the hurdles, become successful and go on to guide others along the same path. Certainly, as Maria points out, education should empower you to empower others and, better still, to catalyze change in society. There comes a point in one’s career where it is not so much about money as it is about fulfillment.

One watt at a time

The good news for Peter, though, is that he has had the chance to swap his kerosene lamp for a solar lamp. For some, when darkness falls, some activities have to wait. A large percentage of rural homes do not have access to electricity. But that doesn’t mean education is always compromised. Some of these students successfully fight their way to prosperity.

When we visited his school and his home, I could catch the reflection of the light in the pupils of his eyes as they adjusted to the brilliant glow of the solar lantern. The soft white light illuminated the room as he flipped through the pages of his books.  He assured us that his grades will improve and that he will study more.

What I realize is that this one lantern, the size of my palm and powered by the free sun light, is more than just light. It may just be the light at the end of the tunnel for Peter and many others.

To find out more about Givewatts: www.givewatts.org

Every journey starts with one step

The system of education that exists now – if nothing changes overnight – is the 8-4-4 system. This means 8 years in primary school, 4 years in high school and another 4 years in the university.  Of course, this does not include kindergarten or nursery school, which, in my opinion, is the most important stage of school.  Before embarking on any subsequent stage after primary school, one has to take a national exam. Afterwards, depending on one’s grades and on a board of examination authorities, one can move on to the next level.

I sailed through all of the levels, and entry into university came sort of abruptly. Suddenly I was an adult. Time to move away from strict parents and teachers and away from home. I could smell freedom.

The only big challenge: I was going to study something that I did not choose, a course I did not like, and, at that time, I could not change the situation much. That is because there was and still is limited space for different faculties. In addition, the B+ grade that I had gotten was not enough to do either the dentistry course or the information science course I had chosen. Accepting what had been handed to me, I went ahead to do an education course in German and special education. When I got to the university, I found out that there were many of us in the same boat. This is the fate of thousands of young Kenyans who attend university and start to study something that they really do not want to.

What's education all about?

Paper chase

Eventually I had the chance to do what I really wanted to do – media and communications. On the brighter side, though, I studied it at the master level, which may not have been possible had I studied it at the bachelor level. Still, the job market has become immensely competitive. It is increasingly difficult to get a job even with a master’s degree. What this may mean is that those who cannot afford even basic education are disadvantaged, and, secondly, it has become a race for papers!

So is education just about papers? What is education? For some, it is just about a piece of paper. For others, it’s a basic human right, a key that will unlock their potential. But for others still, it is a dream. This will be one of the questions I would like to discuss about in the run-up to the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum on education and culture.