‘Dialogue in Global Society: Negotiating Complexity, Uncertainty and Insecurity’ Vanessa Andreotti Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice School of Politics and International Relations The university of Nottingham

OSDE: International educational initiative initially funded by DFID Offers a methodology for the introduction of global issues and perspectives in educational contexts Focus on safety, dialogue and enquiry Promotes independent thinking and critical literacy Design and development approach to research (since 2002 and involving 8 countries) Website: copyleft resources, principles, procedures, guidelines for moderation + conceptual framework OSDE: International educational initiative initially funded by DFID Offers a methodology for the introduction of global issues and perspectives in educational contexts Focus on safety, dialogue and enquiry Promotes independent thinking and critical literacy Design and development approach to research (since 2002 and involving 8 countries) Website: copyleft resources, principles, procedures, guidelines for moderation + conceptual framework

THEORY & RESEARCH REFLEXIVE PRACTICE & ‘TRAINING’ MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

SECONDARY SCHOOLS Good atmosphere No one left out No one tells you what you should think SECONDARY SCHOOLS Good atmosphere No one left out No one tells you what you should think HE & TEACHER ED.: Everyone brings to the space valid and legitimate knowledge All knowledge is partial All knowledge can be questioned HE & TEACHER ED.: Everyone brings to the space valid and legitimate knowledge All knowledge is partial All knowledge can be questioned OSDE PRINCIPLES

For secondary schools: Looking at PERSPECTIVES: image, film, cartoon, song, story Drawing or writing your FIRST THOUGHTS and sharing it Making QUESTIONS in pairs VOTING on a question TALKING about it SHARING what we have learned For secondary schools: Looking at PERSPECTIVES: image, film, cartoon, song, story Drawing or writing your FIRST THOUGHTS and sharing it Making QUESTIONS in pairs VOTING on a question TALKING about it SHARING what we have learned HE and teacher ed.: Critical engagement with DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES Focus on the construction of DOMINANT perspectives Reflecting on OWN assumptions Choice of key QUESTION for group discussion SIMLATION of decision making Debriefing HE and teacher ed.: Critical engagement with DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES Focus on the construction of DOMINANT perspectives Reflecting on OWN assumptions Choice of key QUESTION for group discussion SIMLATION of decision making Debriefing OSDE PROCEDURES

KEY STRATEGY Not the search for one absolute (non-biased/neutral) interpretation of reality, but… Critical Literacy Where is this coming from? Where is this leading to? …the examination of origins and implications of assumptions (perspectives/lenses/discourses)

‘HIDDEN’ EDUCATIONAL AGENDA Development of reflexivity Moving beyond ethnocentrism An ‘ethical relation’ to the other /to difference Tools for independent thinking Preparation for participatory democracy Responsible reasoning and action Balancing ‘rights and justice’ with ‘care and responsibility’ Development of reflexivity Moving beyond ethnocentrism An ‘ethical relation’ to the other /to difference Tools for independent thinking Preparation for participatory democracy Responsible reasoning and action Balancing ‘rights and justice’ with ‘care and responsibility’

A different approach? Yes, because we are allowed to disagree. Yes, because we don’t have to find only one answer. Yes, because even the teacher doesn’t know all the answers! Yes, because I can think about my thoughts and say what I want to say. Yes. I learned that my perspective counts. Yes. We talk about different things and we think about reasons and consequences. Yes. We have to listen to what each other has to say and it is fun. Yes, because we learn that everyone has different thoughts. I don’t know. It is confusing. I cannot figure out what the teacher wants me to say. A different approach? Yes, because we are allowed to disagree. Yes, because we don’t have to find only one answer. Yes, because even the teacher doesn’t know all the answers! Yes, because I can think about my thoughts and say what I want to say. Yes. I learned that my perspective counts. Yes. We talk about different things and we think about reasons and consequences. Yes. We have to listen to what each other has to say and it is fun. Yes, because we learn that everyone has different thoughts. I don’t know. It is confusing. I cannot figure out what the teacher wants me to say. FINDINGS YEAR7 - UK

UNCERTAINTY: strategic suspension of belief in universalism, acknowledgement that perspectives are contingent, and therefore always partial SAFETY: horizontal relationships in the group, collaborative (as opposed to competitive) ethos - it is the facilitator’s responsibility to hold the space and model relationships DIFFERENCE & OPENNESS: cognitive dissonance, ‘conflict’ - willingness to listen and to learn with one another OPEN-ENDEDNESS: as opposed to prescribed outcomes – the aim of the exercise is reflection/exploration through dialogue, not consensus. UNCERTAINTY: strategic suspension of belief in universalism, acknowledgement that perspectives are contingent, and therefore always partial SAFETY: horizontal relationships in the group, collaborative (as opposed to competitive) ethos - it is the facilitator’s responsibility to hold the space and model relationships DIFFERENCE & OPENNESS: cognitive dissonance, ‘conflict’ - willingness to listen and to learn with one another OPEN-ENDEDNESS: as opposed to prescribed outcomes – the aim of the exercise is reflection/exploration through dialogue, not consensus. KEY COMPONENTS

THEORETICAL SCOPE RELATIONSHIPS ALTERITY DIFFERENCE ETHICS DIALOGUE REASONING POWER LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION PARTICIPATION EDUCATION GLOBAL EDUCATION THINKING SKILLS POLITICAL LITERACY

Post-structuralism: strategic educational use in the creation of the space Postcolonial theory: Bhabha on culture, spaces of enunciation, hybridity; Spivak on transnational literacy, planetary citizenship, learning to learn/unlearn Bakhtin: dialogism, centripedal and centrifugal forces Maturana: theory of systems, language/ontology and biology of love Deleuze and Guattari: immanence, philosophy of becoming Freire: epistemological curiosity (later work) Morin: complexity theory Habermas: ideal speech act Levinas: ethics (beyond being) Others… Post-structuralism: strategic educational use in the creation of the space Postcolonial theory: Bhabha on culture, spaces of enunciation, hybridity; Spivak on transnational literacy, planetary citizenship, learning to learn/unlearn Bakhtin: dialogism, centripedal and centrifugal forces Maturana: theory of systems, language/ontology and biology of love Deleuze and Guattari: immanence, philosophy of becoming Freire: epistemological curiosity (later work) Morin: complexity theory Habermas: ideal speech act Levinas: ethics (beyond being) Others… THEORETICAL SCOPE

UNIVERSALISM RELATIVISM My perspective is universally right, others are simply wrong, everyone should think like me All perspectives are relative, therefore I cannot question or criticise any culture ABSOLUTISM FUNDAMENTALISM EUROCENTRISM EVERYTHING GOES PARALYSIS NO ONE CAN INTERVENE CRITICAL LITERACY: critical engagement with own perspectives and the perspectives of others

VANESSA ANDREOTTI OUTREACH COORDINATOR & RESEARCH FELLOW