Gandhi-Mandela-Freire Fellowship Programme
Self and Eco-Socio-Spiritual Transformation.
The Grounding of Peace, Reconciliation, Civic Engagement, Sustainability, Social Communication, Creative Regeneration and Engaged Spirituality in Compassion . Fostering Dialogical and Inclusive Community, Common Good and Eco-Socio-Spiritual Futures in Public and Private Spaces.
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Jointly initiated by the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, India and the Loyola Institute of Peace and International Relations, Kochi, India. The Indian Social Institute holds a Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The fellowship has been further developed, nurtured and now based at the Multiversity Platform, Loyola Extension Services, a registered charity as well as the social lab and incubation centre of Loyola College of Social Sciences (LCSS), Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), India. A (growing) number of like-minded institutions have offered moral support for this effort. (Note: This website belongs to the Multiversity Platform, Loyola Extension Services/LES Multiversity, Loyola College of Social Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram, India.)
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Ideas on 'Learning' in Progress
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In the natural state, all of us are learners (in reality living through many levels, contexts and realities).
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The whole world/universe is a 'learning field' and offers a "multiplicity of inter-connected learning spaces' (that may be experienced in isolation).
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The whole world/universe is made up of many 'learning ecologies' (like a Russian Matryoshka doll). And In the ecology, there are numerous 'learning journeys' (learning pathways). These journeys/pathways offer many 'learning encounters' (opportunities for learning). There is a level of indeterminacy in this, opening up opportunities for co-creation/co-production of learning content as well as alternative learning journeys. A learning pathway cannot be totally pre-fixed.
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The learning ecology, learning journey and learning encounter comprise an attempt to overcome the 'banking system of education'. It avoids educational bureaucracy and expertocracy.
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The learning ecology is a 'deeply interconnected/interdependent totality' and knowing/engaging it needs 'deep social immersion' (more accurately, eco-socio-spiritual immersion).
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Learning ecology/learning journey/learning encounters cannot be totally captured by packaging knowledge in unilinear form or in silos in terms of 'courses' or 'disciplines'. There are no disciplines in Nature. Knowledge actively evolves during learning transactions.
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All learning is co-creation/co-production between learners (learners appearing as learners, learners appearing as 'teachers').
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All learning process is an accompaniment (with mentoring, conversation and dialogue) and regenerative co-creation/co-production between learners. It avoids teaching, or it's corruption, as the main activity. It removes hegemonic power from the act of learning.
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Learning ecologies offer the possibility and opportunity for innovative re-wiring as well as pathways to reach marginalised, submerged, neglected or unknown realities. It encourages 'new neural pathways' too. This tendency provides a ground to creative counter-hegemonic narratives and story-telling.
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The approach also critically focusses on the neglected/marginalised/forgotten/demonised foundational "roots education" for nurturing a 'eco-socio-spiritual being' -- the educational immersion through such aspects philosophy, spirituality, meanings, virtues, values, peace, dialogue, art and performance, empathy, compassion, and being.
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'Roots education' (as contracted with 'functional education') is also directed at nurturing a global, compassionate citizen and being, actively reaching out to embrace the Other in dialogical-inclusive co-evolution.