Mobilizing Communities Education through Participation Christian Nielsen Live & Learn Environmental Education 87 Gordon Street Suva – Fiji

Geographical Scope South Pacific Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea Indo-China Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos

MAIA Model of Learning and Action. Mobilization – Anticipation – Innovation – Action Education must -do more than inform and raise awareness -develop critical thinking skills -link knowledge to change

Solomon Islands Population HDI Ranking 125 out of % without safe water 25.3% without access to health services High levels of violent conflict 17.8% dies before 40 years of age Half of the population is under 25 years of age 10.4% of young Solomon Islanders go onto secondary school

Solomon Islands Population MAIA Focus: Mobilizing Peace and Sustainable Development. Environmental Issue: Logging Area: Rural Island Communities in Choiseul Support: Australian Agency for International Development

Constraints Empowering people caught in the poverty cycle; The two faces of culture and traditions; Providing space for participation; Community perceptions on the culture of projects;

Position of Privilege Mapping of Community Assets vs. Identifying Community Needs; Understanding Culture vs. Feeling Culture; Breaking down the barriers of terminology; poverty reduction, capacity building, gender equity, sustainable development; All aspects of education must challenge conflict and violence.

Project Circle

Mobilization: Identifying values. Deconstructing conflict. Research & investigation. Problem solving. Dialogue building. Innovation: Opportunities and limitations of traditional knowledge/tools. Exploring new ways of management and consensus building. Building new partnerships with governments. Action Negotiation of Sustainable Water Use Agreements. Develop participatory water - monitoring capacity. Develop a system of checks and balances for fair and sustainable water use. Establish role responsibilities Anticipation: Joint vision building. Identify and use ‘triggers to change’. Creating realistic expectations. Resources Constraints and Poverty caused by Conflicts and Disputes Creation of dialogue and Vision Building for Sustainable Water Management MAI A

Outcomes Creating space for communities to participate in forest management Raising awareness among Chiefs and Church Leaders Mapping of Community Assets Use the environment as a vehicle to manage conflict Link dialogue to action Create a space for participation

Whenever you are in doubt apply the following test: recall the face of the poorest and weakest person you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of use to them’ Mahatma Gandhi