ABBY VAN DEN BERG
January 30, 2024

ABBY VAN DEN BERG

Associate Professor

Abby.vandenBerg@future.edu

Areas Of Expertise and/or Research

  • Plant physiological ecology and maple syrup chemistry

Education

  • Ph.D. 2007, University of Vermont
Research and/or Creative Works
Much of my research focuses on the ecophysiology of maple sugaring, including the effects of tapping and carbohydrate extraction on tree growth and health, the physiology of stem pressure and carbohydrates in xylem sap, and ultimately on helping to develop management practices and tapping guidelines to ensure the long-term sustainability of maple syrup production. Recently, my work expanded to include studying the physiology of stem pressure development in birch trees, and investigating sap yields and the potential profitability of adding birch syrup production to existing maple operations in the Northeastern US.
Another area of my research focuses on the chemical composition and flavor of maple syrup, particularly on gaining a better understanding of the compounds important to its flavor profile, and on how factors such as the environment, processing technologies, and management practices might affect its composition and flavor. Most recently, we have studied the impacts of modern sap processing technologies, such as reverse osmosis, on the composition and flavor of the maple syrup produced.
I also study the ecophysiology of anthocyanin pigments, particularly the potential effects of climate change on the development of the anthocyanin pigments in autumn senescing leaves that are responsible for the highly-prized display of autumn coloration in the mountains.
Publications
  • Van den Berg, A.K., Perkins, T.D., Isselhardt, M.L., Godshall, M.A. and Lloyd, S.W. 2012. Maple syrup production with sap concentrated to high levels by membrane separation: effects on syrup chemical composition and flavor. International Sugar Journal 114:572-576.
  • Van den Berg, A.K. 2012. Defining modern, sustainable tapping guidelines for maple syrup production. Northeastern States Research Cooperative, www.nsrcforest.org. 22p.
  • Van den Berg, A.K., Perkins, T.D., Isselhardt, M.L., Godshall, M.A. and Lloyd, S.W. 2011. Effects of producing maple syrup from concentrated and reconstituted sap of different sugar concentrations. International Sugar Journal 113:35-44.
  • Van den Berg, A.K., Perkins, T.D., Isselhardt, M.L., Godshall, M.A. and Lloyd, S.W. 2009. Air injection into concentrated maple sap during processing: impact on syrup composition and flavor. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 89:1770-1774.
  • Van den Berg, A.K., Vogelmann, T.C. and Perkins, T.D. 2009. Anthocyanin influence on light absorption within juvenile and senescing sugar maple leaves – do anthocyanins function as photoprotective visible light screens? Functional Plant Biology 36:793-800.
  • Perkins, T.D. and van den Berg, A.K. 2009. Maple syrup – production, composition, chemistry, and sensory characteristics. In Advances in Food and Nutrition Research (Ed. S.L. Taylor), 56:103-144. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, USA.
  • Van den Berg, A.K., Perkins, T.D., Isselhardt, M.L., Godshall, M.A. and Lloyd, S.W. 2009. Effects of air injection during sap processing on maple syrup color, chemical composition and flavor volatiles. International Sugar Journal 111(1321):37-42.
  • Van den Berg, A.K. and Perkins, T.D. 2007. Contribution of anthocyanins to the antioxidant capacity of juvenile and senescing sugar maple (Acer saccharum) leaves. Functional Plant Biology 34:714-719.
  • Perkins, T.D., Morselli, M.F., van den Berg, A.K. and Wilmot, T.R. 2006. Maple chemistry and quality. In North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual (R.B. Heiligmann, M.R. Koelling, T.D. Perkins, Eds.) pp 294-300. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
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CASEY WITHERS
December 2, 2023

CASEY WITHERS

Community Education Associate

casey.withers@future.edu

Biography
Casey Withers grew up in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, where he currently resides. Casey earned a B.S. Degree in Environmental and Energy Resources Management from West Virginia University in 2015. While in college he held two seperate internships, one collecting water samples for Pocahontas County Water Resources Task Force, and another as a field interviewer for West Virginia University Research Corporation (WVURC) in conjunction with U.S. Forest Service collecting data for the National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) Program in Oregon and Washington.
After graduating, he rejoined WVURC as a field coordinator to continue data collection efforts for the NVUM program. After spending four years in the Pacific Northwest, he moved back to WV where he started working as a Farm Manager. After three and a half years working in the local food sector in WV and Appalachia, he found his way to Future Generations University. Casey has a decade of experience working in the nonprofit sector in public land and community engagement settings. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his friends and family, enjoying live music and participating in outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, swimming and camping.

DEBORAH SOSOWER
September 15, 2023

DEBORAH SOSOWER

Senior Director of Marketing & Communications

deborah.sosower@future.edu

Website: www.deborahsosower.com

Education

  • MFA with distinction, Pratt Institute
  • BA Bryn Mawr College
  • Diploma in web design, Art Institute of Pittsburgh
Biography
Born in Durham, North Carolina, Deborah earned a BA in fine arts with a concentration in women and feminism studies from Bryn Mawr College and an MFA in printmaking from Pratt Institute. She was an inaugural WonderRoot Walthall Fellow (2012-13), artist facilitator for the SouthWest Art & Social Engagement Project at Emory University (2013-14), and selected artist for ArtFields (2016). Deborah was part-time associate professor at Kennesaw State University and worked as nonprofit administrator for Atlanta Printmakers Studio, C4 Atlanta, and SGC International. Previously director of marketing & communications at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Deborah is currently senior director of marketing & communications at Future Generations University.

Deborah’s artwork uses diverse forms of printmaking, mixed-media, and performance/film to explore questions of self-portraiture and self-escapism. Her work oscillates between abstraction and figurative signs; automatic gestures to create a Modernist ready-mades and elaborate, capricious imaginings that exploit her phobias and pathos. Her work incorporates the female body, queer emotional spaces, and the codification of her fears. Deborah has exhibited primarily in Philadelphia, New York, North Carolina, Atlanta, and Knoxville.

MARGARET DONNAN
September 15, 2023

MARGARET DONNAN

Youth Education Associate

margaret.donnan@future.edu

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
Biography
Margaret Donnan is a resident of Alleghany County, VA, where she enjoys exploring the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains through activities such as hiking, biking, and kayaking. A nature enthusiast from a young age, Margaret loves channeling this enthusiasm into both her academic and career pursuits.

In 2022, Margaret received a BS in biology from William & Mary. During her time in college, she worked as an honors fellow and research assistant in a plant ecology lab. In these roles, she conducted research centered around plant-insect relationships as well as created several guides to help William & Mary Greenhouse visitors learn more about the greenhouse plant collection. Creating these plant guides prompted Margaret to pursue more opportunities centered around science communication, education, and community engagement. Serving in capacities as camp counselor and environmental educator, Margaret has worked with youth across Appalachia to foster vital connections between the environment and today’s students.

Margaret joins the Future Generations team as the Youth Education Associate for the Appalachian Program.

Research Experience

Plant Ecology Research Lab, Dr. Harmony Dalgleish, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Honors Fellow

  • Developed and carried out an experiment investigating the interactive effects of plant size and longhorend
    milkweed beetle feeding on the growth and resprout potential of common milkweed
  • Created several guides to help William & Mary Greenhouse visitors learn more about the greenhouse
    plant collection

Research Assistant

  • Ran two independent summer research projects exploring the relationship between the longhorned milkweed
    beetle and common milkweed in the summers of 2019 and 2020

ELIZABETH FORD
September 13, 2023

ELIZABETH FORD

Executive Assistant to the President

elizabeth.ford@future.edu

Education

  • PhD, University of Glasgow
  • MM, Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University
  • BA, West Virginia Wesleyan College
  • Certificate in Irish studies, Augusta Institute, Davis & Elkins College
  • Additional studies: Marshall University, West Virginia University
Biography
Elizabeth Ford dropped out of law school to pursue a PhD in Scottish music at the University of Glasgow. This research won the National Flute Association’s doctoral research award. Her main research interests relate to the history and development of the flute, historical pedagogy, and nature and question of Scottish identity through material culture. While at Glasgow University Elizabeth was part of the team that established a Royal Society of Edinburgh-funded interdisciplinary research network on 18th-century arts education. She was the 2018-2019 Daiches-Manning Memorial Fellow in 18th-century Scottish Studies, Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh, where she recreated the lost venue of Edinburgh’s ‘Musick Club,’ Steil’s Cross Keys Tavern, in virtual reality.

Elizabeth edition of William McGibbon’s complete sonatas is published by A-R Editions, representing a recreation and reassembly of a significant missing chunk of 18th-century Scottish repertoire, and her monograph, The Flute in Scotland from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century, is part of the Studies in the History and Culture of Scotland Series from Peter Lang Press and has been called ‘required reading.’ She is the lead copy editor of the Aphra Behn Interactive Journal for Women and the Arts, 1640-1830. Elizabeth has been awarded several fellowships, including the Martha Goldsworthy Arnold Fellowship at the Riemenschneider Bach Institute, and the ASECS-Burney Centre Fellowship at McGill University. She is co-founder and publisher of Blackwater Press, an international independent small press based in Charleston, WV.

When not pouring over manuscripts or being escorted from libraries, Elizabeth can be found taking pointlessly long walks in search of legendary trees, reading a long book with small print and few pictures, or playing with her kitten, Flòraidh.

FRANCIS L DAY
November 16, 2023
daniel_taylor

FRANCIS L DAY

President & CEO

fran.day@future.edu

Education

  • M.A. University of Tennessee
  • B.S.E University of California, Los Angeles
  • Additional study, UCLA, Roger Williams College, University Without Walls
Biography
Francis L. Day has over four decades of experience as a nonprofit manager at the senior leadership level, primarily in higher education. Her work focuses on moving organizations to higher level functioning by building and re-building management systems, ensuring mission-driven programmatic initiatives, and improving fundraising programs and campaigns.
Day returns to Future Generations after several years as Chief Officer of Institutional Advancement at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, one of the oldest craft schools in the United States. During her previous tenure with Future Generations, she assisted the President in developing the legal framework for the entity that has become Future Generations University. She assisted with obtaining approval from the West Virginia Department of Education and getting accreditation underway. She has remained a friend of the organization and has served as member of the Board of Directors. Early career positions include CEO of the Haskell Foundation at Haskell Indian Nations University, Dean of Development at the College of the Atlantic, and Vice President of Unity College.
Francis has also worked as an independent contractor providing fundraising and management services, as a remedial reading teacher, and was a science and environmental reporter. She is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Daughters of the American Revolution.

MELANIE JOHNSON
May 24, 2023

MELANIE JOHNSON

Professor

melanie.johnson@future.edu

Education

  • 2012 PhD. Environmental Science, University of Idaho
  • 2003 MS Geology, University of North Dakota
  • 1993 BS Anthropology, Minnesota State University Moorhead
Biography
Melanie Johnson’s work centers around integrating remote sensing, GIS, and related skills with field work to examine real-world conservation issues as well as communication tools. Her current research involves using UAS for natural resource monitoring. Mel is Professor of Natural Sciences and Forestry at Paul Smith’s College as well as the Program Director of Adirondack Field Ecology.

RAJ MASIH
July 29, 2023

RAJ MASIH

Research Professor

raj.masih@future.edu

Education

  • MD- Panjab University
  • MPH- Everglades University
  • Residency- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Biography
Raj Masih has a terminal degree in medicine (MD) and a Master’s in Public Health (MPH). He has received board certification in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Critical Care, and most recently the American Board of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.
Raj has over 19 years’ experience in clinical medicine ranging from Level I Trauma Centers to smaller rural Emergency Departments and has practiced medicine in third world countries. He has over 7 years’ experience in Behavioral Health with a focus on Substance Use Disorders. In his current capacity, he has State oversight of the Overdose Reduction Program for the Action Counties of West Virginia through the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy.
He has been a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Alderson-Broaddus University and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at WVU School of Medicine and WV School of Osteopathic Medicine. He has also been an Instructor of Emergency Medicine at Texas Tech University, Paul Foster School of Medicine. Raj was awarded one of Americas Top Physicians, 2004-2005 in Emergency Medicine through CRCA, and was the recipient of the 2018 Craig Curtis Behavioral Health Award.
He has presented research finding at multiple international substance use disorder conferences and will be presenting again at the 2023 Rx Summit in Atlanta in April. His research has culminated in multiple scholarly articles, which have been published in international scientific journals. On the strength of his research in substance use disorders, he was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH) in 2018. In his capacity as a subject matter expert in substance use disorders, he is a co-chair for the Governor’s Council on Substance Abuse, Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery and serves on the Board of Directors of the WV Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, WV Local Health, Inc., and the University of Pittsburg School of Medicine TREETOP Initiative through NIH as a community advisory board member. Raj lived in India for many years and has been exposed to multi-national efforts in public health and medicine in third-world country settings.
Selected Publications:
  • Masih R, Rivera M. Miliary tuberculosis causing ARDS and hemodynamically proven septic shock: A surviving case. Patient Care, Aug.1998; 163-167
  • Masih R, Makani A. Squirrel dinner causing acute appendicitis. Journal of Urgent Care Medicine, July 2008
  • Masih R. Pachydermodactyly in poultry workers: A report of 2 cases. International Journal of Dermatology Research. Vol 1, Issue 2 2020; 23-25
  • A Quantitative Statistical Analysis of the efficacy and outcomes of certified peer recovery coaches engaging people with substance use disorders in a harm reduction program. International Journal of Advanced Educational Research, 2021; 6 (1): 46-48
  • Masih R., Titus T., Mathias P., Brewer M. Neuro-physiologic imaging in the context of traditional theories of human motivation. International Journal of Medical and Health Research. 2021; 7 (6): 5-10.
  • Masih R., Philbrick M., Masih C., Masih B., Landis M. The Role of Phytochemicals in the Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. International Journal of Medical and Health Research. 2021; 7 (10): 5-9
  • Masih R., Masih B., Arbaugh K., Philbrick M., Pool H., Bhatia H., Panchal K., Mongold A., Landis C. Exercise as an Adjuvant to Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome Management in Substance Use Disorder. IOSR Journal of Sports and Physical Education. Vol 9, Issue 4 2022; 05-09
  • Masih R., Masih B., Arbaugh K., Philbrick M., Pool H., Masih C., Bhatia H., Panchal K., Mongold A., Landis C., Cullers S. Correlates of the Opioid Epidemic and Entrepreneurship: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science. Vol. 27, Issue 9, Series 3 2022; 51-53
  • Masih R, Masih B, Rodrigues J, Mathias, P. Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety Considerations of Loperamide as an increasing drug of abuse: a report of 3 cases and an analysis of the FDA FAERS database from 2002-2022. International Journal of Pharmacovigilance 5(1):1-5. 2-9

KEITH A. HEASLEY
December 20, 2023

DR. KEITH A. HEASLEY

Research Professor

keith.heasley@future.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. 1998, Mining and Earth Syst. Eng. (Minor-Computer Science), Colorado School of Mines
  • M.S., 1988, Mining Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University
  • B.S., 1981, Mining Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University
Biography
Keith A. Heasley is professor emeritus in the Department of Mining Engineering at West Virginia University from which he retired in 2018 after 17 years of service. Prior to his appointment with WVU, he was employed by the former U.S. Bureau of Mines and then the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for 15 years.
Dr. Heasley graduated with a B.S. and M.S. in Mining Engineer from The Pennsylvania State University in 1981 and 1987, respectively. While working for the US Bureau of Mines, he completed his Doctorate in Mining Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 1998.
Since his retirement in 2018, Dr. Heasley has been developing a maple syrup hobby/business. Presently he has 2,250 maple taps. 13.5 miles of 3/16 in. tubing, a 600 gph reverse osmosis machine, a 3 x 12 oil-fired evaporator and makes about 500 gallons of maple syrup a year. Since his introduction to maple syrup production, he has been applying his engineering expertise to calculating the sap flow in 3/16 inch tubing and to the design of pump system to move sap.
Publications
Over my professional career, I have been the author on over 120 technical papers/reports in peer-reviewed journals and at technical conferences. Some of the highlights of my latest publications are listed below:
  • Krog, R. B. and K. A. Heasley, 2017, “Longwall Emissions During Falling Atmospheric Pressures and the Sample Frequency Required to Detect Them.” Proceedings of the 16th North American Mine Ventilation Symposium, June 17-22, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, p. XXX-XXX.
  • Yang, Jian and Keith A. Heasley, “Calibrating LaModel for Subsidence,” Proceedings of the 35th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Morgantown, WV, July 26-28, 2016, p. 104-112.
  • Newman, Christopher, Zach Agioutantis and Keith Heasley, “Introducing the New Windows ARMPS-LAM Program,” Proceedings of the 35th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Morgantown, WV, July 26-28, 2016, p. 98-103.
  • Newman, Christopher R. and Keith A. Heasley, “Development of An Online User’s and Training Manual for LaModel,” Proceedings of the 34th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Morgantown, WV, July 28-30, 2015, p. 209-216.
  • Li, Kaifang and Keith A. Heasley, “Calculating the Potential for Coal Pillar Bumps Using a Local Mine Stiffness Criterion,” Proceedings of the 49th U.S. Symposium on Rock Mechanics, San Francisco, CA, June 28-July 1, 2015, Paper 15-241, 8 p.
  • Heasley, Keith A., “LaModel – A Program for Coalmine Modelling,” Proceedings of AusRock 2014: Third Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference, Sydney, Australia, Nov. 5-6, 2014, 6 p.
  • Zhang, Peng, Keith A. Heasley and Zacharias G. Agioutantis, “A Comparison Between ARMPS and the New ARMPS-LAM Programs,” Proceedings of the 33rd International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Morgantown, WV, July 29-31, 2014, p. 170-174.
  • Li, Kaifang and Keith A. Heasley, “Using Field Measurements to Quantify the Post-Failure Behavior of Coal,” Proceedings of the 48th U.S. Symposium on Rock Mechanics, Minneapolis, MN, June 1-4, 2014, Paper 14-7133, 7 p.
  • Sears, Morgan and Keith A. Heasley, “Calibrating the LaModel Program for Shallow Cover Multiple-Seam Mines,” Proceedings of the 32nd International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Morgantown, WV, July 30-August 1, 2013, p. 99-106.
  • Zhang, Peng and Keith A. Heasley, “Initial Results from Implementing a Laminated Overburden Model into ARMPS,” Proceedings of the 32nd International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Morgantown, WV, July 30-August 1, 2013, p. 239-247.
  • Tulu, Ihsan B. and Keith A. Heasley, “Investigating Abutment Loading,” Proceedings of the 31st International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Morgantown, WV, July 31-August 2, 2012, p. 1-10.
  • Heasley, Keith A., “Calibrating the LaModel Program for Site Specific Conditions,” Proceedings of the 31st International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Morgantown, WV, July 31-August 2, 2012, p. 1-8.

AJMAL SHIRZAI
December 20, 2023

AJMAL SHIRZAI

Research Professor, Future Generations Afghanistan Country Director

shirzai@future.edu

Education

  • Ph. D Candidate, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherland
  • Master of Art (M.A.), Future Generations University, West Virginia, USA
  • Master of Science (MSc), Purbanchal University, Nepal
  • Bachelor of Science (BSc), Kabul University, Afghanistan
Biography
Mr. Shirzai is specialist in rural development and applied community change and conservation with over 30 years of experience in program design, NGOs management and leadership in Afghanistan and abroad. He completed a master degree in rural development in Nepal and another master degree program in Applied community change and conservation in U.S.A.
During 1980s he was associate professor in Kabul University, and from 1990 – 2006 he was working in various NGOs and from 2007 to 2010 he worked as strategic planning advisor in MRRD and later as Head of Afghanistan Institute for Rural Development. Since 2011, he has been working as Country Director of Future Generations Afghanistan. Presently, he is a Ph.D. Candidates at the School of Social and Behavioral Science of Erasmus University – Rotterdam.
Researches and Publications
  • Country Program Strategy of Small Grant Program (2016-2018) For Afghanistan, Global Environmental Facilities, UNDP, Afghanistan.
  • Review and evaluation Report of Small Grant Program (2013-2015) of Global Environmental Facilities, UNDP, Afghanistan.
  • Baseline report of USIP funded project on “Promote Social Cohesion and Cultural Competency of Badpakh Communities for Peace and Conflict Resolution at Laghman Province in Eastern Afghanistan”, USIP, Afghanistan, 2015.
  • “Concept of Nutrition and Food Security”, Training Guidance for female teachers and women, French Embassy and Future Generations, Kabul, Afghanistan, April 2014
  • Engaging Community Resilience for Security, Development and Peace building in Afghanistan (Research Report), Future Generations, January 2014
  • “Strengthening Synergy and Coordination among Local Governance Institution in Afghanistan” Future Generations Graduation School, West Virginia, USA, April 2013.
  • Review on Afghanistan Development Plans, published in MRRD’s magazine (Dekada), 4th quarter, 2010
  • “Assessing Rural Development initiatives in Afghanistan”: Exploring Future Opportunities, CIRDAP, Dhaka, Bangladesh. October 2009.
  • “Analysis of Causes and Dynamics of Forced Migration in Midwestern Region”, Nepal, SAIT, Kathmandu, Nepal, February 2006
  • “Displacement in Afghanistan, PM paper published in book title” Forced Migration in the South Asian Region: Displacement, Human Rights and Conflict Resolution”, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, 2004
  • “The Issues of Displacement and Internally Displaced Persons in Nepal”, Published in Charter Publication Souvenir, Rotary Club of Jawala khel, Nepal, September 2003
  • “RRA Research in the Central and Northern Afghanistan”, Ockenden International, January 2001
  • “Fruit Catalogue of Western Afghanistan”, Ockenden International – Afghanistan, September 2000
  • “PRA Research report in Engil District, Herat province, Afghanistan”, Ockenden International, May 1999

Maple Syrup Health Benefits

October 14, 2022
benefits_of_maple_syrup
Maple syrup is a natural sweetener that is made from the sap of sugar maple trees. It has a similar consistency to honey, but contains less sugar and fructose than honey. It is often used as a flavouring agent or as a condiment for various dishes such as waffles, pancakes, oatmeal, porridge, or French toast. Let us discover more about maple syrup and determine if it is healthy or not.

Read more…

Community development

October 14, 2022
community_development
Community development is a holistic approach and an organized effort initiated to assist a group of people in a community to lead a better lifestyle. As the term suggests, it is the combination of community with a development that aims to enhance people’s living standards in a community. In this, people must have faith that working together can make a difference in making the community development programme successful.

Read more…

Understanding the Maple Syrup Industry

October 14, 2022
maple_syrup
The maple syrup industry is witnessing significant growth, and the market was valued at USD 1.49 billion in 2021. The industry is expected to expand at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 6.2% from 2022 to 2028. The US is a major producer of maple syrup, and the growth of maple syrup can be attributed to various factors. Among other noteworthy countries, China is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.8%, followed by Japan and Canada at 3.2% and 5.2%. Let us discover more about the scope of the maple syrup industry in this article and understand the factors behind the growth of the industry.

Read more…

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JOEY ALOI
July 1, 2023

JOEY ALOI

Director, Appalachian Program & Assistant Professor

joey.aloi@future.edu

Biography
Joey Aloi is a born-and-raised Appalachian from West Virginia with years of experience in local food. He spearheaded aggregation and distribution efforts for KISRA’s Paradise Farms in Dunbar, and in this capacity was one of the founding members of the Turnrow Appalachian Farms Collective. He has also served as the President of the Board of Directors of the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition. He came to his work in Appalachian foodways as an Appalachian Transition Fellow with the Highlander Research and Education Center. This work was not only a result of his connection to his homeplace, but a result of an education in Environmental Philosophy. In this capacity, he studied Philosophy of Food at the University of North Texas, where he wrote on hermeneutics and environmental aesthetics for his doctoral dissertation. Before that, he studied Philosophy of Technology in Montana, and wrote a Master’s Thesis on wilderness and culture. His published academic works touch on environmental ethics, economic transition, environmental justice, and the role of the forest in Appalachian foodways. He’s currently serving on the board of the Buckhannon River Watershed Association.

HEATHER HARPER
July 1, 2023

HEATHER HARPER

Sustainable Enterprise Associate, Appalachian Program

heather.harper@future.edu

Biography
A Pendleton county native, Heather has returned home to the beautiful mountains to join Future Generations University as Administrative Associate to the Appalachian team. She is a graduate of Marshall University where she studied Psychology and spent over a decade educating, caring for, and counseling children in Kanawha county. She has also enjoyed working with several nonprofit organizations over the years, both as a volunteer and employee, and in 2017 had the good fortune to join West Virginia Community Development Hub. It was there she developed a passion for positive transformation in our local communities by supporting and connecting residents with tools, training and resources, and building leadership for sustainable growth.

During the warmer months, Heather spends most of her free time outdoors – gardening, hiking, camping, and exploring the forest for treasures with her dog, Tucker. Once the temperature drops, you’ll find her inside – making jewelry, sewing, baking, collecting even more hobbies, or planning summer adventures.

KRIS REISER
November 15, 2023

KRIS REISER

Alumni Coordinator

kris.reiser@future.edu

Education

  • B.A. Boise State University
  • M.A. Universidad Autónoma Barcelona
Biography
Kris Reiser advances the university’s growth through research and official communications with donors, prospective students, alumni, and partners as alumni coordinator. Kris graduated from Boise State University with her Bachelors of Arts in both French and Spanish, and minors in German and Japanese Studies. In college, she developed a keen interest for different cultures and to be able to communicate while exploring them. To develop her language skills, Kris worked and lived in Morocco for four years. This experience led her to pursue her Masters of Arts in International Relations, with a specialization in Security and Development from the Universidad Autónoma Barcelona.
Kris thrives working cross culturally and has taught staff and students how to engage and grow locally. She lives in the Barcelona area and enjoys hiking around the green spaces of her community, trying new cuisines, and traveling to lesser-known locations to experience local culture.
Publications
  • Bianchini S., Chambellan G., Hoppert S., and Reiser K. ¨Military Intervention in Libya: The Renewal of the Tuareg’s Self-Determination,¨ (E-International Relations, 2015)⁠

JENNY TOTTEN
November 10, 2022

JENNY TOTTEN

Strategy and Impact Manager Appalachian Program, Assistant Professor

Jenny.Totten@future.edu

Biography
Jenny Totten grew up in West Virginia and currently resides in McDowell County, WV. She’s tried to flee her Appalachian roots more than once and finally found herself back home with her passion. Professionally trained as an aerospace and robotics engineer, she discovered after a series of beautiful adventures including Haiti, the 1890 extension system, and the WV nonprofit sector, that she prefers working with communities to engineer their own futures instead. Jenny has worked with both community development and local food systems in the region for over a decade, particularly supporting local level efforts and systems approaches to community change.

Her professional interests gravitate towards building rural economic models, supporting youth-based programs, entrepreneurship, applications of technology to rural development, and agroforestry pursuits. In addition to working for the university, she owns and operates a small cut flower operation and is the proud owner of an endless fixer upper house project in McDowell County. In her spare time, Jenny enjoys hiking, flatwater kayaking, trail running, and traveling to find new culinary and music adventures with her canine, Oliver.

Jenny received both an MS in unmanned systems and BS in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech and is a member of the inaugural class of Appalachian Leadership Institute fellows, sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission. She is a past winner of the West Virginia Beacon Award, given to young people working to build leadership in their local communities.

SURENDRA GURUNG
February 22, 2023

SURENDRA GURUNG

Nepal Community Engagement Coordinator

surendra.gurung@future.edu

Education

  • M.I.C.D. Mid-Western University, Nepal
  • M.B.A. Dutch Delta University, The Netherlands
  • M.B.A. Sikkim Manipal University, India
  • B.B.S. Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Work Experience
Surendra was born in Butwal and grew up in Lalitpur District of Nepal. He studied Business and Project Management in Nepal, India, and the Netherlands before earning his Masters of International Cooperation and Development. He has worked with various NGOs (Hope International, Center for Community Development Nepal, Share and Care Nepal) to empower marginalized rural communities in different parts of Nepal for 17 years. He has experience in community based integrated development programs, focusing primarily on program development, project management, documentation, and donor relations. While working in his previous organization Share and Care Nepal, he was closely involved in the application of the SEED-SCALE theory of social change in the communities. He joined Future Generations in 2021 as the Nepal Community Engagement Coordinator.
Surendra likes sports and was once national B division football player for the Brigade Boys Club of Lalitpur.
Publications
  • Gurung, S. Sustaining development in the community (Academic Thesis)
  • Gurung, S. Staff motivation in the Non-Government Organization (Academic Thesis)
Workshop and Panel Contributions
  • Presentation on Community based approach for prevention, minimizing human trafficking and a panel speaker in Asia-Region Anti Trafficking Conference in Thailand.
  • Social Entrepreneurship workshop for organizations by TEAR Australia.
  • “Keeping Donors Happy” workshop on Financial Management in Thailand.
  • Result Based Monitoring of Anti Human Trafficking Projects workshop in India organized by Geneva Global USA.
  • Participatory Assessment of Disaster Risk (PADR) workshop by Tear Fund UK in India.
  • Child Right Protection Policy workshop by Plan International/Nepal.
  • Disseminating Comprehensive Peace Accord TOT by Chemonics International, USAID.

RITA THAPA
November 30, 2023

RITA THAPA

Professor Equity & Empowerment (Public Health)

rita.thapa@future.edu

Education

  • M.P.H. Johns Hopkins University
  • M.B.B.B., King George Medical College, Lucknow University (India)
Biography
Rita Thapa, a public health physician from Nepal, had led Nepal Government’s Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health (FP-MCH) project as its first chief at the time of virtual absence of health infrastructure, especially human resources of any kind. She pioneered the training and mobilization of community-based female health workers to reach out the rural mothers and children. Later she headed the Integrated Community Health services Development Project, Nepal’s Primary Health Care Project, and led in establishing a countrywide network of Integrated District Health System consisting of district health offices, health posts, Village Health Workers, Mothers’ Groups, and Female Community Health Volunteers. She is one of the few people still living who attended the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care at Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, as a Nepal’s delegate and signing the Alma-Ata Declaration. She was a keynote speaker on the 40th anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in September 2018. She worked in several WHO offices from, becoming the first woman Department Director in the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia. She has received several honors and decorations for her commendable contribution in public health. Recently, she is honored as WHO 75 Health Champion, Nepal Her latest published research was addressed to changing NCD mortality associated risk behaviors among school adolescents in Nepal, which has won 2023 Health Minister Bloomberg Public Health Award.
Research Publications and Presentations
  • Thapa R, Subedi RK, Regmi G, Thapaliya R, Vaidya A, Karki BB. Self-Reported Changes in Risk Behaviours of Cardiovascular Diseases among School Adolescents in Nepal: Application of an Integrated Experiential Learning Approach. Global Heart. 2020;15(1):40. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/gh.818
  • Thapa R. Changing Public Health Paradigm: Improving Maternal Child Health and Family Planning. Fifth Public Health Foundation Lecture. Nepal Public Health Foundation; 2014 June 30.
  • Thapa, R. (2003). Manpower Development For MAternal-Child Health And Family Planning Program A- Neplese Case Study. Journal of Nepal Medical Association, 11(4), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.1364
  • Thapa R, Karki B. A case study on Current MDG Status in a selected poorest community in Nepal 2011. Sasakawa Peace Foundation;Tokyo 2011 August 10
  • Thapa R. Integrated Health Care Delivery System Nepali Perspectives: Souvenir 23 rd All Nepal Medical Conference of All Nepal Medical Association Association 2007 November 1.
  • “Health Sector Strategy-An Agenda for Reform, Nepal”, Proceedings of the Third Global Symposium on Health and Welfare Systems Development in the 21 st Century, 6-8 November 2002.
  • “Health and Welfare Systems: A Regional Overview”, Report of the Global Symposium on Health and Welfare Systems Development in the Twenty-first
    Century, Kobe, Japan, 1-3 November 2000.
  • “Making Pregnancy Safer: A Health Sector Strategy for Reducing Maternal and Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality”, Proceedings of the World Congress on Women’s Health, organized by the Federation of the Obstetrics and Gynecological Societies of India [FOGSI], Calcutta, 10-12 November 2000.
  • WHO Perspectives on Making Pregnancy Safer: A Health Sector Strategy for Reducing Maternal and Perinatal Mortality in the SEAR Context”, Proceedings of the Conference of Indian Medical Association “ACADIMA 2000”, New Delhi, 20-22 October 2000.
  • Safe Motherhood: Progress and Perspectives”, Proceedings of the 43 rd All India Congress of Obstetrics & Gynecology of FOGSI, King George’s Medical College, Lucknow, India, 27-30 December 1999.
  • Women’s Participation and Perspectives in Health Issues”, discussion notes prepared for the Expert Group Meeting on Population and Women, Gaborone, 22-26 June 1992.
  • Technical contribution to WHO’s “Women’s Health: Across Age and Frontiers”, the background document for WHO Technical Discussions on Women, Health and Development, Geneva, 1992.
  • Technical contribution to WHO’s “Health Dimension of Economic Reform”, the background document for the International Forum on Health: A Conditionality for Economic Development – Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Inequity, Accra, Ghana, 4-6 December 1991.
  • Co-authored “A Preliminary Report on Prevention of Typhoid Fever in Nepal With the Vi-Capsular Polysaccharide of Salmonella Typhi”, New England Journal of Medicine, October 1987.
  • Role of Traditional Medicine in the Demand of Supply of Rural Health Services”, proceedings of the Regional Seminar on the Use of Rural Health Services, Asian Development Bank, Manila, 24-25 January 1986.
  • Diarrheal Diseases Research Study: Preliminary Findings on the Feasibility of Homemade Oral Rehydration Solution”, an article published by WHO Chronicle, 1980.
  • Nepali Child in the Perspective of Health Programs in 1980s”, a paper presented at the Nepal Medical Association, International Year of Child Seminar “The Child in Nepal”, 14 December 1979.
  • Primary Health Care in the Nepalese Context”, a paper co-authored with Dixit and Smith, proceedings of the 8 th All Nepal Medical Conference, 1977.
    Women in Nepal”, an article published by the Rising Nepal, 1974.
  • Development of Health Manpower for FP and MCH Program”, a case study published by All Nepal Medical Association Journal, Nepal, 1974.
  • Country Profile of Nepal, Daniel Taylor and Rita Thapa, Country Profiles, The population Council, April 1972 Managerial Aspects of Family Planning and MCH program in Nepal, Proceedings of the 4 th All Nepal Medical Association Meeting, 1968.

LINDSAY KAZARICK
December 9, 2021

LINDSAY KAZARICK

Outreach Associate, Appalachian Program

lindsay.kazarick@future.edu

Biography
Lindsay Kazarick is a native of southwestern Pennsylvania currently residing in Pendleton County, West Virginia. Lindsay serves as an Education and Impact Associate for the Appalachian Team specializing in community outreach. She joins Future Generations University from the plumbing and wholesale industries with expansive work helping local farmers and the surrounding community. Lindsay is the 2020 Water Quality Association’s Excellence Award recipient for her work creating and organizing a community-wide program providing water treatment and other therapeutic accommodations for children with compromised immune systems, specifically undergoing cancer treatments, at no cost to the families.
In her free time, Lindsay enjoys gluten-free cooking, making tie dye, gardening, and adventuring throughout the Highlands with her partner Josh and their dog Roxy.

TOM HAMMETT
December 20, 2023

TOM HAMMETT

Research Professor

tom.hammett@future.edu

Education

  • B.S. – University of New Hampshire, 1974
  • M.S. – University of Georgia, 1986
  • Ph.D. – University of Georgia, 1991
Biography

Tom Hammett has 40 years’ experience with non-timber forest products (NTFPs), researching means to improve landowner and entrepreneur livelihoods through production, processing, and marketing of speciality agricultural products. A Research Faculty member at Future Generations University, he also serves as a Professor of Sustainability, Innovation and Design in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials in Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment and currently focuses on the use of natural materials, such as bamboo and hemp, and nature-based enterprises.

He pairs his outreach for human and institutional capacity development in agriculture and natural resources with experiences as the director of a major global agriculture training and education project. This dual skillset will help build training opportunities in agriculture, natural resources, and forest sustainability that is appropriate for the Appalachian region.

He is active participant in regional NTFP research and outreach programs. He currently serves in leadership roles in three relevant research and outreach programs: to identify success factors in agroforestry and forest farming; to develop maple syrup products and markets; and a Virginia landowner livelihood and tree syrup development program.His work as Research Faculty member with Future Generations University focuses on developing and supporting NTFP educational and research programs throughout the Appalachian region. He has worked closely with many local partners in Central Appalachia to utilize indigenous forestry and agriculture resources to address social and economic challenges.

His international experience with NTFPs will also contribute to this project. He assessedthe potential for local market and enterprise development in Asia, developedteaching and learning capacityin several countries in Africa, Central America, and Asia, anddevelopedglobal NTFP distance learning resources. His work also linkedNTFPsand ecosystem services withusing forests to cope with infectious diseases (i.e., HIV/AIDS), and developed market protocols for specialty crops and community-basedenterprises. He has publishedone book on the region’s forest products, numerous technical reports, training manuals and extension materials, and over forty peer-reviewed articles and publications.

Ongoing Related Activities
  • Oct. 1, 2020 – Sept. 30, 2023 – Co-PI for “Accessing South Atlantic Markets for US Maple Syrup”: educating consumers and enhancing distribution networks. In collaboration with Future Generation University; funded by USDA through an ACER Access Grant.
  • May 1, 2020 – Oct. 1, 2921 – Co-PI for“Sharing Successes in Forest Farming across Central Appalachia; in collaboration with Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network; funded by USDA National Agroforestry Center
  • Oct. 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2021 – PI for “Expanding Livelihood Options for Virginia Land Owners Through Tree Syrup Production”; Specialty Crop Block Grant, funded by USDA, through the VA Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services
  • Visiting Professor, Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), Nepal – March 2017 –present; develop AFU extension and outreach capacity as full land grant university
  • Member, Appalachian Caucus at Virginia Tech – Jan. 2016 to present
Selected publications
  • Eifert, Joell, Renee Boyer, Tom Hammett, Emily Pomfrey Wells, and Lily Yang. 2019. What do I need to know to sell maple syrup at the farmers market? Publication number FST-311 Cooperative Extension Service, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
  • Boley, B. Bynum, Nancy McGehee, and A. L. Hammett. 2017. Importance-performance analysis (IPA) of sustainable tourism initiatives: The resident perspective. Journal of Tourism Management. Vol. 54. Pages 66-77.
  • Khadka, C. B., A.L. Hammett, A. Singh, M. K. Balla, and Y. P. Timilsina. 2016. Ecological Status and Diversity Indices of a Himalayan Medicinal Orchid Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D.Don) Soo) and its Associates in Lete village of Mustang District. BankoJanakari Vol. 26. No. 1 p. 45-52.
  • Barany, Marc E., A. L. Hammett, K. Stadler and E. Kegni. 2004. Non-timber forest products in the food security and nutrition of smallholder households afflicted by HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Forests, Trees and Livelihoods 14: 3-18.
  • Greene, Sarah M., A. L. Hammett, and Shashi Kant. 2000 Non-Timber Forest Products Marketing Systems and Market Players in Southwest Virginia: Crafts, Medicinal and Herbal, and Specialty Wood Products. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, Vol. 11(3): 19-40.
  • Hammett, A. L. and J. L. Chamberlain. 1998. Sustainable Use of Non-Traditional Forest Products: Alternative Forest-based Income Opportunities. In: Proceedings of Natural Resources Income Opportunities on Private Lands Conference. April 5-7, 1998. Hagerstown, Maryland. Hosted by University of Maryland. Pp 141–147.

CINDY MARTEL
May 20, 2023

CINDY MARTEL

Policy & Regulatory Specialist

cindy.martel@future.edu

Education

  • B.S. Agricultural Business (Agricultural Economics & Farm Management); University Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, WI
  • University Wisconsin-River Falls; graduate work leading to K-8 teaching license in WI and WV (current); WY pending, River Falls, WI
  • M.S. Agriculture, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
  • Certified Travel Industry Specialist (CTIS) from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Biography

Cindy Martel grew up in the mountains of New England surrounded by buckets and maple syrup. She moved to West Virginia in 1988 and began a 25+ year stint as a marketing specialist at the state department of agriculture after hanging up her marketing director hat and whitewater guide stick in 1994. She remained connected with the outdoor recreation industry during her tenure at department of agriculture working with one of the state’s largest outfitter in marketing and logistics roles.

Cindy welcomed the opportunity to join Future Generations working on marketing and regulatory components of the comprehensive agribusiness development plan for the state’s “first” and “sweetest” crop of the season. She is excited to join the maple team at Future Generations and continue to cultivate agritourism in the Mountain State.

Presentations & Publications

SEBASTIAN K. HERZOG
January 28, 2022

SEBASTIAN K. HERZOG

Research Professor

sebastian.herzog@future.edu

Education

  • ​Ph.D. University of Oldenburg, Germany (Biological Sciences)
  • B.S./M.S. University of Göttingen, Germany (Biological Sciences)
Biography
Born and raised in Germany, he is an avian ecologist with over 25 years of experience in basic and applied biodiversity research, climate change impacts on biodiversity, citizen science, conservation planning, community-based conservation action, bird-based tourism, alternative livelihoods, NGO management, fundraising, and capacity building in the Americas. Formally trained as a field ornithologist at the University of California at Davis, in 1995 he started to conduct research for his Ph.D. thesis on the community ecology of Andean forest birds in Bolivia, and he has lived there ever since. While conducting postdoctoral work on the same topic, in 2002 he became the Science Director of Bolivia’s leading bird conservation organization, Asociación Armonía. Since 2008 Sebastian has worked in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile through engagements with internationally operating organizations including the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, NatureServe, and the National Audubon Society. He currently works as the Protected Areas Strategy Director for the National Audubon Society’s international division, Audubon Americas. Sebastian has published over 50 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, edited a book on climate change and biodiversity in the tropical Andes, and is lead author of the Birds of Bolivia field guide.

We Must Cultivate Our Garden

October 14, 2022
By Dan Robison

The last ten days appear to have shaken the world in general.  News junkies will have been aware of COVID-19 since the beginning of the year.  I made some long flights to and from in the US in late January, and I wore a face mask, even though only a couple of cases had been diagnosed in the US and none in Latin America.  I was not the only one, perhaps 1 in 20 were doing it.  However, the announcement of the World Health Organization on March 11 that there was an official pandemic coincided with the beginning of the drop in the stock markets worldwide. These came only a day or two after the first two positive cases were identified here in Bolivia.  Bolivia announced the grounding of flights from Europe, with the last one arriving Friday the 13th in the morning.

Read more…

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SARAH COLLINS-SIMMONS
December 9, 2021

SARAH COLLINS-SIMMONS

Program Manager, Appalachian Program

sarah.collins-simmons@future.edu

Biography
Sarah Collins-Simmons grew up in the mountains of Nelson County, Virginia, so she felt right at home when she moved to Highland in 2011 to participate as one of the founding Fellows at the Allegheny Mountain Institute. Sarah studied Architecture and Environmental Science at the University of Virginia. She earned a Masters of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia, worked in community development at The Highland Center and managed orchards and made cider with Big Fish Cider, Co. At Future Generations University, she is the Strategy and Impact Associate for the Nature-Based Enterprises team working to advance maple and walnut syrup production in Appalachia and expand the region’s forest farming.

Sarah lives in Blue Grass, Virginia, with her husband, Joshua—the county’s building and zoning official, their son Everett and a farm menagerie, including dogs and goats. Together, the family enjoys renovating houses and spending time outside gardening, hiking, and camping. Sarah also makes pottery, jewelry, and baskets.

SHANNON DONNELLY
February 22, 2024

SHANNON DONNELLY

Development Coordinator

shannon.donnelly@future.edu

Biography

Shannon is a graduate of James Madison University, where she majored in sociology, gaining valuable insights into social factors and how they affect organizations both locally and globally. While in college, she managed to start a successful business designing and creating accessories to sell through an online platform to a niche market. This led her to 3D design and additive manufacturing, where she gained experience building small scale 3D printers and eventually brought an additive manufacturing pop-up shop to fruition in Harrisonburg, VA.

In the summers, she keeps a large vegetable garden and spends most of her free time in her kitchen, preserving the harvest and preparing baked goods to share with friends and family. She has spent the last few years raising her two daughters, adjusting to motherhood, and living a simpler, more grounded lifestyle in beautiful Pendleton County, WV. Former member USA Junior Acrobatics Team, ranked 12th in the world.

CHRIS ROPER
February 22, 2024

CHRIS ROPER

Director of Student Affairs

chris.roper@future.edu

Education

  • PhD ABD University of Virginia
  • MA Harvard University
  • BA Middlebury College
Biography
Chris joins the Future Generations family after a 20-year career in international educational travel, designing and operating travel programs globally. Prior to that, his academic career focused on Sino-Vietnamese relations, including the effects of globalization on the then-remote border regions of China and Vietnam.
Chris currently resides outside of Richmond, Virginia, with his wife Sherry, and sons Nate and Ben, and sweet old dog China
Publications
Roper, C. “Sino-Vietnamese Relations and the Economy of Vietnam’s Border Region.” Asian Survey, vol. 40, no. 6, 2000, pp. 1019–1041.

ERICKA HARNEY
July 29, 2023

ERICKA HARNEY, CAE, CFRE, GPC, CVA

Assistant Professor

ericka.harney@future.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. Eastern University
  • M.A. University of Kentucky
  • B.S. University of Kentucky
  • B.B.A. University of Kentucky
Biography
Dr. Ericka Harney, CAE, CFRE, GPC, CVA joined Future Generations to teach Nonprofit Management as part of her extensive career in the nonprofit sector. She earned her Ph.D. in Nonprofit Organizational Leadership for Eastern University while serving as a consultant and an Executive Director. Ericka has been faculty for several graduate and undergraduate programs in fundraising and communications and has been responsible for successful fundraising and grant awards of over $35 million. She has served as an international representative for Girl Scouts of the USA, co-founded a social enterprise, and has volunteered as a board member for more than 12 organizations. At Harney & Associates, Ericka serves a variety of clients around the country, primarily in post-secondary education, mental health, substance use disorder, suicide prevention, transportation, and labor.
Certifications and Accreditations
  • Certified Association Executive (CAE), Conferred January 2016, Expires 2024 ASAE – www.asaecenter.org, ID#8805
  • Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Conferred July 2009, Expires 2024, CFRE International – www.cfre.org, ID# 45306
  • Grant Professional Certified (GPC), Conferred August 2008, Expires 2023, Grant Professionals Certification Institute – www.grantcredential.org, ID# AT080004
  • Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA), Conferred April 2007, Expires 2027, Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration – www.cvacert.org, ID# 6147
Publications
  • Harney, E. (2016). Grant E-News – Issues: March. Grant Professionals Association.
  • Harney, E., & Paree, S. (2015). The grant divide: Bridging the gap between the grant and accounting worlds. Journal of the Grant Professionals Association, 13.
  • Various authors. (2012). The Book of the States 2012. The Council of State Governments.
  • Various authors. (2011). The Book of the States 2011. The Council of State Governments.
  • Harney, E. (2011). States Creating Their Own Agricultural Brands. Capitol Research Brief.
  • Harney, E. (2011). A different kind of welcome center. Capitol Ideas, March/April, 20.
  • Harney, E. (2011). Capitol Facts & Figures: State Contracting and Financing for Human Services.
  • Harney, E. (2009). Creating impact with policymakers: Cases of building cross sector partnerships to build stronger programs and grant applications. Journal of the American Association of Grant Professionals, 7, 16-24.
  • Hottinger, J., Gillettet, C., Pennings, L., Reitman, T., Shurford, E., Keating, M., Gumpert, R., Boyce, K., Harney, E., Miller, D., Cotkin, A., Fischer, K., Shiffman, J., Shook, S., & Crosby, N. (2009). Citizens Jury on Election Recounts Draft Report. Retrieved from
  • Harney, E. (2009). State of Volunteers: Rising Interest in Volunteerism Benefits States.
  • State News, 52.
  • Harney, E. (2009), From the Expert: Grant Expectations for Competitive Stimulus Funds. State e-News, Issue #17, April 2, 2009.
  • Harney, E. (2008). State Programs Find a Firmer Foundation. State News, 51(10), 34-37.
  • Harney, E. (2008). What’s on Your Profile? A potential danger no longer reserved for young professionals alone. Business Lexington, April 4.
  • Harney, E. (2007). Predatory lending and subprime loans”, young professionals as a target group for predatory lending. Business Lexington, September 21.
  • Harney, E. (2004). Gaining volunteers: Comparing statistical versus narrative messages when recruiting new volunteers. Master’s Research Project, University of Kentucky.
  • Harney, E. (2003). Finding Your Promotional Creativity: Kick the “Box” to the Curb!, Programming 101 Feature Article. Programming (National Association of Campus Activities), Fall.
  • Harney, E. (2018). Grant E-News – Issues: March, June, September. Grant Professionals Association.
Recent Presentations and Panels
  • May 2019: Federal & State Grants: Navigating the Process, Dayton Metro Public Library, Dayton, OH
  • March 2019: Pro Panel Participant, ReWrite: Bringing Creativity to Your Fundraising and Grant Writing Regional Conference, Lexington, KY
  • March 2019: Succession Planning for Chapter Leadership, International Coach Federation Global Leaders Forum, Dublin, Ireland
  • November 2018: Keynote Speaker, National Philanthropy Day, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Springfield, OH
  • November 2018: Vision Boards – A Creative Inspiration for Your Future, Grant Professionals Association Conference, Chicago, IL
  • September 2018: The Other Side of the Application: Become a Peer Reviewer. Grant Professionals Association Ohio Regional Conference, Columbus, OH
  • September 2018: Diversify the Cash Stash: Earned Income for Nonprofits, Grant Professionals Association Ohio Regional Conference, Columbus, OH
  • August 2018: The Other Side of the Application: Become a Peer Reviewer. Grant Professionals Association-Greater Miami Valley Chapter Meeting
  • April 2018 : Embrace Savviness! Soft Skills Are Out, Being Savvy Is In! Southern Regional Grant Conference, Atlanta, GA
  • April 2018: Vision Boards – A Creative Inspiration for Your Future, Southern Regional Grant Conference, Atlanta, GA
  • 2014 – 2017: Savvy Series Webinars, AFWA, Lexington, KY; Topics have included: Emotional Intelligence, Staying Relevant, Nonverbal Communications and others
  • November 2017: Understanding Financial Statements without Going Bald, Grant Professionals Association Conference, San Diego, CA
  • October 2017:Brand You: Personal Branding, Association of Professional Dog Trainers Annual Conference, Richmond, VA
  • October 2017:Furry Funding: Fundraising and Grant Basics for Shelters and Rescues, Association of Professional Dog Trainers Annual Conference, Richmond, VA
  • October 2017:Reward for Caring-Social Responsibility, Association of Professional Dog Trainers Annual Conference, Richmond, VA
  • October 2017 : Grant Basics: Applying & Being Successful, VISTA training at The Plantory, Lexington, KY
  • June 2017 : Board Members and Grants, Southern Regional Grant Conference, Atlanta, GA
  • June 2017 :Understanding Financial Statements, Southern Regional Grant Conference, Atlanta, GA
  • April 2017 : Being Savvy: Moving Past People Skills to be a Better Leader, Tobias Leadership Conference, Indianapolis, IN
  • April 2017 : Presidential Leadership in the Movies, Tobias Leadership Conference, Indianapolis, IN
  • November 2016 : Everyday Leadership, Grant Professionals Association Conference, Atlanta, GA
  • November 2016: Vision Boards, Grant Professionals Association Conference, Atlanta, GA
  • November 2016 : Volunteers Aren’t Free, Ignite Session, Grant Professionals Association Conference, Atlanta, GA
  • October 2016 : Fundraising and Grant Basics, Association of Professional Dog Trainers Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV
  • May 2016 :Communicating with Your Peers, AFWA Spring Conference, Billings, MT
  • April 2016 :Succession Planning as Planned Behavior: Sustaining Volunteer Leadership, Tobias Leadership Conference, Indianapolis, IN

Cape Horn and Tierra Del Fuego: The Southern tip of South America- Part III

June 16, 2020

By Professor Robert Fleming

In the eastern division,  the Argentine government has promoted development by offering substantial financial inducements to people to settle and work in this region, one that diplays relatively cold weather and long, dark winter nights. A good example of the success of the plan is Ushuaia, a settlement squeezed into space bordering the Beagle Channel. Starting with a town of only around 12,000 residents the population has now increased to a city over 60,000, and as this is a port of call, or the jumping-off site, for ships heading to and from the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula, it is bustling with visitors in the summer months. Over 200 cruise ships dock here anually.

Ushuaia City on the Beagle Channel marks the southern border of the island.

These days tourism is a major economic driving force here and records show that back in 2015  over 300,000 visitors arrived on the island, the majority  (55%) from Argentina.  Numerous other business activities are promoted in this eastern part of the island including extracting oil and gas, as well as peat ‘mining,’ and logging. In addition, factories that produce textiles and plastics have been constructed in economic free zones  while raising beef cattle is important as this region is free of hoof-and-mouth disease.

As with most mountainous tracts, foothill areas rise up on both sides of the main spine and each altitude level comes with distinct biological constituents. In the case of Tierra del Fuego the eastern foothills of the Darwin Range lie on the dry side  where the lower slopes are home to a variety of herbaceous plants including beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) and calafate (Berberis buxifolia), both of which were gathered by the Yaghans for food. Stands of trees grow where conditions allow, and among these is the conifer,Pilgerodendron uviferumin the cypress family, the southernmost cone-bearing plant in the world and one often found in association with subpolar beeches, Nothofagus sp., and Winter Bark,Drimys winteri, the bark used by early travelers to prevent scurvy.

Read more…

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BRUCE HOLDEMAN
November 9, 2022

BRUCE HOLDEMAN

Design Program Manager

bruce.holdeman@future.edu

Education

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts, Concentration in Graphic Design, Colorado State University
  • Certificate in Developmental Practice, Regis University
Biography
Bruce Holdeman founded 601 Design, Inc in 1987, an international award-winning graphic design studio providing full-service graphic design services focused primarily on magazines, books, e-pubs, logo design, brand development and illustration. He was art director for State Legislatures magazine for over 30 years, illustrating over 300 covers. Bruce is a two-time Graphis International Platinum Award recipient for logo design along with many more Gold Awards. He earned a Certificate in Development Practice from Regis University in 2017, and continues to pursue his interest in the sustainable development field.
Graphic design accolades, book inclusions and/or features:
Graphis Logo 9
  • Toolpath Design, Inc-Platinum Award
20th Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition
  • Minimum Wage Poster
  • State Legislatures Jobs Poster
Graphis Design Annual 2017
  • Flint & Steel Sauvignon Blanc label-Silver Award
Graphis Poster Annual 2016
  • State Legislatures National Guard-Silver Award
Graphis Typography 3
  • Steamboat Springs Arts Council 100th Anniversary Logo-Gold Award
Graphis Social & Political Protest Posters
  • Minimum Wage Poster-Gold Award
Graphis Design Annual 2015
  • State Legislatures Minimum Wage Poster-Gold Award
  • State Legislatures Jobs Poster-Gold Award
Graphis Poster Annual 2015
  • State Legislatures Minimum Wage Poster-Gold Award
Graphis Poster Annual 2014
  • Rex’s Grill & Bar cycling ad-Silver Award
Graphis 100 Best in Advertising 2012
  • Rex’s Grill & Bar cycling ad-Gold Award
Graphis 100 Best in Design 2012
  • Steamboat Springs Arts Council-Gold Award
  • Toolpath Design-Gold Award
  • Viva Las Vegas Ice Show-Gold Award
Graphic Design Solutions, Second Edition
  • Steamboat Springs Arts Council 100th Anniversary
Graphis Logo 8
  • Steamboat Springs Arts Council 100th Anniversary-Platinum Award
  • Steamboat Springs Art Council-Gold Award
  • Viva Las Vegas Ice Show-Gold Award
  • 9.81 Films-Gold Award
  • 601 Design-Silver Award
  • Ristra-Silver Award
  • Sweetwater Grill-Silver Award
  • Lonesome Saddle
  • Saddle Ridge
Graphis Logo 7
  • Home on the Range-Silver Award
  • NCSL Salt Lake City Summit Meeting-Silver Award
  • Ride the Rockies-Silver Award
  • State-Tribal Institute-Silver Award
  • 601 Design moving promotional logo-Silver Award
Graphis Design Annual 2008
  • Home on the Range
Graphis Logo 4
  • Rocky Mountain Ostrich Association-Silver Award
  • 2004 Ride the Rockies logo
  • Colorado Investment Casting
Strathmore/Graphis Traveling Showcase
  • Rocky Mountain Ostrich Association
Graphis Ephemera
  • Wedding announcement
2003 Print’s Regional Design Annual
  • Ride the Rockies poster
2003 AIGA Colorado 501c Best Magazine
  • February 2003 State Legislatures magazine
2003 AIGA Colorado 501c Best Cover
  • February 2002 State Legislatures cover
2003 AIGA Colorado 501c Best Business Papers
  • NCSL Foundation for State Legislatures
2002 Art Directors Club of Denver
  • Ride the Rockies 2002 logo-Silver Award
Graphic Design Solutions
  • Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital Christmas card
2000 Silver Leaf Award
  • Donor Alliance Annual Report
1999 Print’s Regional Design Annual
  • October/November State Legislatures cover
1998 Print’s Regional Design Annual
  • Ride the Rockies 98 logo
1998 Graphis Design Annual
  • Tandem Cycle Works of Colorado logo
1996 Print’s Regional Design Annual
  • Ride the Rockies 96 logo
1995 Print’s Best Logos and Symbols
  • Ride the Rockies 94 logo
Print’s Casebooks 9-Best in Covers and Posters
  • November/December 89 cover
  • April 90 State Legislatures cover
1995 Graphis Design Annual
  • WaveMakers International logo
1994 Print’s Regional Design Annual
  • Ride the Rockies 94 logo
  • May State Legislatures cover
1994 Graphis Poster Annual
  • Self-promotional poster
Graphis Logo 2
  • Ride the Rockies 91
  • Mennonite Peacekeeper Teams
1993 Print’s Regional Design Annual
  • September State Legislatures cover
1992 Print’s Regional Design Annual
  • Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital Christmas card
1992 Graphis Poster Annual
  • Ride the Rockies poster
1992 Graphis Design Annual
  • State Legislatures cover illustration
1991 Print’s Regional Design Annual
  • April State Legislatures cover
1990 Print’s Regional Design Annual
  • November/December State Legislatures cover

Cape Horn and Tierra Del Fuego: The Southern tip of South America- PART II

July 2, 2019

By Professor Robert Fleming

Only a few island groups on our planet have remained mostly free of human impact and with good fortune, a portion of the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, below the Beagle Channel, is one of these. Here lies the small (244km2/94mi2) Cape Horn National Park, which encompasses both shallow marine habitats along with the island groups of Wollaston and Hermite. Cape Horn Island itself is a miniscule part of the reserve.

Some of the islands below the Beagle Channel are treeless andexhibit tundra formations as well as alpine habitats, these often intermixed with freshwater ecosystems such as peat bogs that are repleat with species of Sphagnummosses. Indeed, the whole region is a bryophyte hotspot, especially well known for its great diversity of cold-adapted liverworts and mosses.

Shaded areas on islands west of the Darwin range are conducive to fern and moss growth.

In addition, other islands in the region  are partly covered with a mixture of southern evergreen forests or subpolar deciduous forests. A main component of the former is the southern beech Nothfagus betuloides, and the white-flowered Drimys winteri (in the Winteraceae family). While the  deciduous forests are mostly composed of the southern beeches, Nothofagus pumilioand N. antarctica.

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Cape Horn and Tierra Del Fuego: The Southern tip of South America- PART I

July 3, 2019

By Professor Robert Fleming

 

I am the albatross that waits for you
at the end of the world.
I am the forgotten souls of dead mariners
who passed Cape Horn
from all the oceans of the earth.
But they did not die
in the furious waves.
Today they sail on my wings
toward eternity,
in the last crack
of Antarctic winds.

– Sara Vial

 

A  world of wind, waves, and swirling spray is home to the albatrosses of the Southern Ocean, the birds a fitting symbol for the spirits of the many mariners who have perished attempting to sail around Cape Horn (Cabo de Hornos) at the tip of South America.  These roiling seas hostmany oceanic birds including petrels, skuas, and shearwaters, but the primier species are albatrosses, their seemingly effortless flight beautifully adapted to the circumpolar winds that continuously blow east between 40 degrees and 60 degrees south latitude. Beneath the ocean’s surface, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current also circles east, little impeded by any land mass except where it has to squeeze through the 800km-wide Drake Passage between the Antarctic Peninsula and South America.

Cape Horn Island as seen when approaching from the south.


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New Structure & Job Opportunity
July 26, 2022

Future Generations is excited to announce that a new position is available with our team! We’re looking for a Future Generations University alum who can lead the effort to develop the new national campus structure of .EDU, as well as expand .ORG’s educational outreach. Interested? Click below for more details!

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Bioacoustics in Bolivia

April 30, 2019

Shane with a local friend.        Photo by Rommel

My name is Shane Palkovitz. I am a socioenvironmental specialist for the Songs of Adaptation research project at Future Generations University. The core investigations of this project focus on establishing an international baseline for biodiversity, while at the same time gathering knowledge from community members about human adaptation to climate change.

In March, I had the joy of traveling to Bolivia to work with local partners to establish a new research location. Our goal was to install four monitoring stations that will later serve as the beginning point for a larger research project.

We spent the first few days trekking through the jungle, looking for sites and gathering information before installing instrumentation. Pictured below, Alejo follows as other team members venture up a stream bed on El Chocolatal, an eco-resort.

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Spring 2019 Newsletter

April 20, 2019

2019 is off to a great start at Future Generations University! See what we've been up to so far...

Research Methods in the Real World

By Christie Hand

What is the role of research in community development?  Students in the Social Research Methods course taught by Dr. Mary Hufford and Dr. Julie Maldonado have been contemplating this question for the past ten weeks as they immerse themselves in different research methodologies in a practical, applied way.   Research for them is not an abstract concept but one that is critical to the success of their work in communities.

Student Rosie Lynch volunteers at the Climate Action Alliance of the Valley in Harrisonburg, VA, an organization that is currently undergoing a shift in mission from climate change education to climate change resilience.  She hopes to activate a six-member exploratory committee to engage in a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study which will inform the organization’s shift in focus.  As Brooks, D’Ambruoso, and Kazimierczak (2017) note, “PAR is a distinct type of research in which people with common interests engage in observing, reflecting, acting, and learning from action.”  It may be difficult for Rosie to accomplish this in the scope of one course (with only six weeks remaining!), but she will have begun an important process that will benefit the decision-making process of Climate Action Alliance of the Valley.

Rosie has found this course to be particularly enlightening because the professors, Dr. Hufford and Dr. Maldonado, are experienced anthropologists and anthropology happens to have been Rosie’s undergraduate field. She says, “It has been exciting to learn how cultural anthropologists are using their ethnographic research skills to fight for environmental justice.”  Rosie’s story is not the exception, but the norm in the Future Generations M.A. in Applied Community Development.  Our students are in it because they care about their communities and want to learn the knowledge and skills to turn their visions into reality.  That is the role of research in community development.

Instagram Superstar

Check out this photo taken by a student while participating in our field based course, Gandhian Methods! Here, a scientist explains the innovative agricultural practices being carried out by development organization Chetana Viikas. Click on the photo to see more from our Instagram!

Songs of Adaptation Grows

By Shane Palkovitz

Songs of Adaptation (formerly referred to as the Biomeridian Research Network) focuses on bioacoustics and community knowledge for monitoring climate change. This expanding global project will utilize acoustic and climatic recorders to establish an international baseline for biodiversity, while at the same time drawing from community knowledge about human adaptation to climate change. In 2018, the team installed a biomeridian (transect of monitoring stations over an elevation gradient) in the Barun Valley, part of the Mt. Everest massif in Nepal. Monitoring stations were also installed in the United States at the northern and southern extremities of the Chesapeake Bay, as well as on Spruce Knob, which is the highest point in West Virginia, and at the headwaters of the Potomac River.

In March 2019, the project expanded to South America. Songs of Adaptation began a pilot installation near Rurrenabaque, Bolivia. This installation incudes four monitoring stations in different habitats, all within 500 feet of elevation difference. As with Nepal, local partnerships are key to the work in Bolivia; community members are involved in scientific data collection and contribute local knowledge. Team members are in early stages of designing a Bolivian biomeridian that will expand upward from the first four monitoring stations and terminate at an extreme elevation above the tree line.

Sweet Opportunities for West Virginia

December 2, 2021

By Karen Milnes

Mike Rechlin, professor at Future Generations University, gives a tubing demonstration.

Everybody knows about Vermont maple syrup, and it’s time to put West Virginia on the map. With an estimated 0.04% (USDA—NASS) of the state’s tappable maples in production, there’s a lot of room for growth. And if this industry is doing anything, it is growing. And fast. According to a survey conducted by the Appalachian program at Future Generations, the number one component in helping our state’s maple industry expand is the need for more sap from more taps.

With ongoing innovations in the sap to syrup process, a growing number of West Virginia producers are capable of processing a lot more sap than they can obtain. Backyard syrup making is not only a mountain tradition in these parts, it’s a growing hobby as the farm and food movement sweeps across our nation. The Sweet Opportunites: Tapping West Virginia’s Maple Resource project at Future Generations University aims to start networking sap collectors and syrup producers, setting up a “hub” model, already popular in more established maple syrup producing states. What’s nice about this model is that it allows, for fairly minimal overhead, just about any landowner with maples on their property and a maple syrup producer nearby, to break into the industry with little risk. Oftentimes, sap collectors simply selling their raw sap are able to pay off the collection equipment in the first year. In a relatively short time, they can begin scaling up their operations and considering purchasing larger equipment to begin producing their own syrup.

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SWEET OPPORTUNITIES ARE FLOWING FOR WEST VIRGINIANS
December 2, 2021

The University has recently been awarded $130,000 from The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to launch the Sweet Opportunities: Tapping West Virginia’s Maple Resource program. This program focuses on expanding the production of current maple syrup manufacturers in eleven West Virginia counties.

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Inspiration in India

April 25, 2019

Our Learning Management Coordinator, Paula Smith, attended our field-based course in India in January. See what she has to say about the experience!

Why did you attend this field-based course on the Gandhian Method?

 I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the Gandhi course in India. I work with the Future Generations certificate program, so I’ve helped to plan and manage this course in years past, but it was such a rewarding experience to be there in person and see all the hard work come together for a great learning experience. It helped to give me insight on how to coordinate the student experience even better going forward.

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Making Maple Syrup in WV

April 25, 2019

By Mark Lambert

If you would’ve told me at this time last year that I, my wife, and our business partners would not only be producing, but delivering West Virginia Pure Maple Syrup across the state, I would’ve had to “lol.” Literally. Not just in a text or an email.

With the help of Future Generations Maple Sap Collecting and Syrup Processing certificate program, we’ve gone from wondering what our next step in the foodservice and transportation business world might be to learning how to collect sap on a commercial level. More than this, we’ve learned how to process that sap into syrup, label and bottle it for retail, and distribute not only our own finished product, but also other producers’ syrup, to retailers all over the state of West Virginia.

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Alumni Feature: Melene Kabadege

February 26, 2019

Melene Kabadege is a Rwandan health professional and practitioner who attended Future Generations University as a member of the Class of 2007.  A nurse with a Bachelor’s in Public Health and 16 years working for World Relief’s health and nutrition programs, Melene was seeking a way to become a true Community Health specialist.

When she met Dr. Henry Perry in 2014, a member of the Future Generations faculty at the time, and learned about the University, she realized that her dreams of bringing positive and sustainable change to her community were more achievable than she thought. She credits her education here with building her knowledge and skills in community empowerment, social change, leadership, and how to leverage and lead community successes. This empowered her to bring about lasting healthy changes in her community.

Through the Master’s program, Melene became more confident in her abilities as an agent of change and sustainable development. This inspired her to start Community Fountain Project, an NGO with the purpose of working hand-in-hand with the community to improve lives. Community Fountain Organization is currently implementing the INEZA Project, which aims to prevent under-nutrition and reduce stunting in the Kamonyi District of Rwanda.

Farmer Field and Learning School

A member of Future Generations Global Network, as are all Future Generations graduates, Melene succeeded in winning a small grant from the organization in 2017 with the purpose of implementing a Farmer Field and Learning School. Here farmers serve as teachers to their peers and join together in a farmers’ cooperative. The Project areas of intervention were: improving farming techniques, improving nutrition in the first one thousand days of a child’s life, and improving saving and learning skills. Melene’s group worked with local leaders to ensure proper project monitoring.

Hands-On Nutrition Session

After six month’s of project implantation, the team noted several behavior changes taking place in the farmers’ households. Notable outcomes include: couples participating in nutrition learning adopted better nutrition practices for pregnant women and children under age two, families have improved hygiene and feeding practices, men have taken on an increased role in child care, improved farming techniques have been taught and adopted, farmers have been mobilized towards the operation and maintenance of community works, erosion control plants have been put into place, and 25 saving and lending groups have been implemented that all remain operational.

Voluntary Savings and Loan Program

At the end of the first year, the program has been considered successful and highly appreciated by community members and leaders alike. The project was implemented in 3 out of 12 Sectors of Kamonyi District. Fundraising activities are currently ongoing with the aim to extend the INEZA Project to cover all sectors of Kamonyi District and to become a learning center for community partnership in reducing stunting and improving the life of the vulnerable people.

Congratulations to Melene on her impressive work, and our thanks for sharing her story!

Make sure to follow the blog for more stories on the inspiring work being undertaken by our incredible alumni!

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2018 Annual Report
February 14, 2019

Experience our world-circling impact in the 2018 Annual Report! Keeping with our tradition of being on the cusp on innovation, this report is made available to you in Story Map format.

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Want to Make a Difference?
February 13, 2019

A Master’s in Applied Community Development from Future Generations University will empower you to start creating sustainable change in your community or organization from Day 1 of the program. With flexible enrollment options and assignments tailored to fit what matters to you, we’re ready to set you up on your path to success.

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Spring Classes Begin Febuary 4th!
February 13, 2019

We’re excited to welcome back new and returning students February 4th! The semester will kick off with a one-week Base Camp geared towards teaching students how to use the different technologies that together create our global classroom. During the break, many current students took part in the India Residential, which focused on teaching Gandhian Methods of social change. Be sure to check out our Instagram account to see more photos of the experience!

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Remembering John Campbell

August 17, 2022

Future Generations lost a friend when John Campbell passed away in November of 2018. He encouraged us to take risks; specifically to push against the limits of accreditation policies to achieve the true purposes of learning. Although no longer physically here to encourage us, his message endures. “Do the right thing,” he said, “then explain you broke the rules because not doing so would have been a worse thing.”

We first became acquainted with John a decade and a half ago when he came as a member of the Higher Learning Commission accreditation team, sent here to inspect whether Future Generations was meeting the requirements of higher education and deserved accreditation. His job was to ‘check the boxes’ and make sure we were following the rules. What set John apart was that in checking the boxes, he was searching for achieving the higher purposes of the regulations.

John spoke at length with our president, Daniel C. Taylor, and the message he gave was that to achieve learning requires going forward, building on the resources present in the place. The place of Future Generations University is the world, with students from around the world who learn from the world … and most importantly shape their local worlds into better places. John recognized the potential in our idea, which was new at the time, and remained in contact with the school until his death.

Please join us in remembering John’s remarkable life with the following account, kindly provided by his family.

 

John Roy Campbell, PhD, DSC, DLitt

June 14, 1933-November 17, 2018

John was born near Goodman, Missouri and grew up on a small farm. He was the first of his immediate family to graduate from high school, and credited the receipt of a scholarship from the Sears Roebuck Corporation as the impetus to enroll in the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU). There he earned a B.S. with honors in Dairy Science from MU College of Agriculture in 1955, working three part-time jobs while doing so in order to fund his education.

Also during this time, a friend introduced him to Eunice Vieten, who shared his background of having grown up on a dairy farm. The two married and remained happily so until his passing, raising three children and later becoming grandparents along the way.

After receiving a fellowship to pursue Master of Science degree in Dairy Manufacturing, he served one year in the Army reserves, having been in the ROTC during college. Following that, he served two years of Active Duty in the Army’s Seventh Artillery. After discharge from the Army, he returned to Columbia to pursue his PhD in dairy cattle nutrition and physiology at MU. He continued serving as a member of the National Guard Army Reserves Field Artillery for the next 22 years, rising to the level of Lieutenant Colonel and Battery Commander of his unit. In 1983, John received The Meritorious Service Medal from the United States Army for his service.

Following completion of his PhD in 1960, John joined the MU Dairy Science faculty where he quickly rose through the ranks to become a full professor in 1968. He received nearly every award available to faculty members during his 17 years teaching there.

John taught several courses relating to dairy husbandry and animal sciences, and co-authored two textbooks. He viewed students as “our nation’s most valuable resource.” He wrote his book In Touch With Students: A Philosophy for Teachers (1972) to share his teaching philosophies with others.

In 1977, John was recruited by the University of Illinois as College of Agriculture Associate Dean and Director of Resident Instruction. In this new role, he demonstrated a zeal for the land-grant philosophy of higher education – providing educational and career opportunities for the sons and daughters of the working classes. He gained support from private individuals and corporations to establish a merit-based scholarship program to help recruit, recognize and support high-caliber students to pursue careers in agriculture, home economics and related professional fields. He selected the name Jonathan Baldwin Turner (JBT) Agricultural Merit Scholarship Program in honor of one of the initial proponents of land-grant universities. The program has been highly successful with alumni holding prominent positions in industry and at universities.

In 1983, John was named Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Illinois. Innovation, dedication and cooperation with people, both within and outside the College of Agriculture, were hallmarks of his deanship. His leadership was central to the College obtaining $61.2 million for construction of five new facilities. Colleagues have referred to his time at Illinois as “a golden era.”

John was appointed the fifteenth President of Oklahoma State University (OSU) on August 1, 1988 and served until 1993. At OSU he continued his student focus, championed international involvement and inter-university partnerships, and expanded distance learning. He resigned as OSU president in 1993 to teach in the OSU College of Agriculture and resume writing. In 1998, he published his fourth book Reclaiming a Lost Heritage: Land-Grant and Other Higher Education Initiatives for the Twenty-First Century, which has been used in teaching Honors Courses and educating others on the heritage of the land-grant system.

John retired from Oklahoma State University in 1999 and returned to Columbia, Missouri to take aim at new goals and opportunities. During this time, he served as a Consultant-Evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission/North Central Association and on the National University of Natural Medicine’s Board of Directors from 1998-2013. He also continued presenting lectures for numerous organizations. Having viewed the need for changes to increase societal perceptions of higher education, he wrote a novel titled Dry Rot in the Ivory Tower: A Case for Fumigation, Ventilation, and Renewal of the Academic Sanctuary, and another textbook, Companion Animals: Their Biology, Care, Health, and Management.

Throughout his professional career, John demonstrated a caring attitude toward and sincere interest in students, their careers, and personal lives. He had the privilege of teaching more than 12,000 students and published more than 100 papers. He accomplished much and left a legacy at each of the universities where he served.

He loved to tell stories and share the knowledge he had gained through his many journeys and discussions with people from “all walks of life” and was quick to extend congratulations to others on their accomplishments. At this time of loss, a smile comes to mind envisioning John sharing stories with those who preceded him in “graduating to heaven.”

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U.S. Series- Part IV: Conservation that Respects People and Planet

November 22, 2021

Summary from Just and Lasting Change by Associate Professor, Noam Schimmel

An article in Britain’s Guardian newspaper recently suggested that as much as 50% of the planet needs to be set aside from human habitation to stave off mass environmental degradation and irreversible destruction of animal and plant species.

The intention behind this argument is a good one: to conserve the earth’s biodiversity and natural life forms.

These have their own intrinsic value, but also ultimately benefit people in ensuring that natural resources are protected rather than exploited to the point of unsustainability; that air, land, and water are protected in ways that promote public health, and that global warming and other forms of environmental harm are mitigated.

But there is a fallacy at the heart of the notion that the primary way to advance conservation is by removing people from nature.

People and nature are not necessarily adversaries. There are many examples, including contemporary ones, of people serving as successful guardians of nature, rather than as antagonists to the environment and its conservation.

The misguided notion that people and nature are adversaries has sullied conservation since the incarnation of the modern conservation movement. It needs to be acknowledged and addressed because it both hinders and slows environmental conservation and can contribute to denying the human rights of people who depend on nature for their livelihoods.

For many people, as individuals and as communities, their lives, values, and cultures are intimately and inextricably bound with nature.

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U.S. Series- Part III: The Green Bay Packers: Community-Owned Energy

January 24, 2019

Summary from Just and Lasting Change  by Associate Professor, Noam Schimmel

When you think about football, chances are you don’t think about community development, shared resources, a commitment to a non-profit ethos, and a cooperative approach to owning and managing a sports team.

But there is an open secret about one American football team that, while famous for the quality of its players and the passion of its supporters, should also be famous for its communitarian spirit, structure, and values.

As the Green Bay Packers By-Laws state, ‘The association shall be a community project intended to promote community welfare and that its purposes shall be exclusively charitable.”

This challenges the dominant paradigm of what drives sports in America and around the world: profit making. Sports are big business and they are, for the most part, run as big business.

But there are exceptions.

And it turns out that while the Green Bay Packers do make money what they do with that money and how they reinvest it in their community is what is so unique and notable, beyond their sporting excellence.

As Paz Magat, the author of this chapter in Just & Lasting Change, writes,

“The Green Bay Packers are one of the most iconic teams in American football, a team that has won thirteen championships – more than any other American professional football team – and a team that comes from the smallest city of any professional football team. So how is this team a charity? How does it promote community welfare? The answer is that instead of making money, the purpose of the team is winning for the community.”

Read more…

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U.S. Series- Part II: The Lesser Known Lincoln

January 24, 2019

Summary from Just and Lasting Change  by Associate Professor, Noam Schimmel

About Abraham Lincoln so much has been written it appears unlikely that there is more to say about him that might be new to readers. But, there is a part of Lincoln’s legacy that is genuinely underexplored and not widely known and it merits attention.

Lincoln was committed to advancing human development in a young United States in a way that was deeply democratic, progressive, and marshalled human resources in innovative ways that were ground-breaking and far-reaching for his time. The legacies of the policies and programs he advanced remain as defining features of American life today, and he had an animating vision of unity in diversity that informed those policies and programs.

We take the holiday of Thanksgiving for granted; it has become one of the defining features of American cultural life. Whatever one’s religion, ethnicity, politics, heritage – wherever one comes from – Thanksgiving is widely celebrated by a huge cross-section of Americans.

What many don’t know is that we owe Thanksgiving to Lincoln, who set it aside as a holiday of thanks that he had the foresight to recognize would unite Americans despite their many divisions. To this day, it continues to do so and to bind Americans across boundaries of difference, both real and imagined, small and profound.

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U.S. Series- Part I: The White Mountain Apache: Reclaiming Self-Determination

January 24, 2019

Summary from Just and Lasting Change  by Associate Professor, Noam Schimmel

An Example of SEED-SCALE in Arizona

Seed-Scale has been used by Native American communities to explore and assess their communal needs and resources and to advance development that stems from the community and reflects its needs and preferences.

The White Mountain Apache of Arizona have historically had mixed experiences of government neglect as well as government support, with government support often creating unsustainable relationships of dependency that undermined dignity and freedom.

Daniel Taylor reflects upon the history and culture of the Apache of Cibecue Valley:

“The two thousand Apache of the Cibecue Valley, in eastern Arizona, are the most isolated members of the White Mountain tribe. A high percentage of the people still speak the Apache tongue, and they try to keep the older ways alive. Older residents tell of idyllic childhoods spent in the forests with deer and other wildlife as neighbors, when Cibecue Creek still abounded with trout and beaver. They tell of times when women spent their days collecting plants for food and medicines while men and children spent their days on horses. Young people are encouraged to learn traditional stories, dances, and handicrafts and to take an active part in rituals that strengthen tribal identity and values.”

Read more…

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Attend a Virtual Info Session with us
February 13, 2019

Want to learn more about what Future Generations University is all about? Attend one of our upcoming virtual information sessions to find out! Sessions will be held at two separate times with our Chief Academic Officer and a Specialization Director. They’ll answer all of your questions and fill you in on the unique opportunities presented by a Master’s education here!

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Rookie Producer’s Take on the Southern Syrup Research Symposium

November 26, 2018

 

How many of you know about Future Generations University’s maple syrup program?! Check out this blog by the West Virginia Maple Syrup Producer’s Association’s own Tina Barton and see what she had to say about the related symposium she attended!

Read here: https://wvmspa.org/2018/10/06/rookie-producers-take-on-the-southern-syrup-research-symposium/

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Bending Bamboo

November 14, 2018

By Katie Larson

 

When do we learn about sustainable development?

How do we learn about sustainable development?

Who is this we that I keep mentioning?

Is sustainable development only a topic for development professionals?

Even if we learn about sustainable development as children, which children get access to the “juicy”, life-changing content, produced by the United Nations, climate scientists, and development professionals?

If you speak English, you can easily access this “juicy” content. If you are confident in English, you can go further and sift through this content. If you have cultivated your critical thinking skills, you can go even further and compare the content you are reading with the reality of sustainable development in your context.[1] Think Bloom’s Taxonomy. Then think about how English fluency fundamentally impacts who gets access to the knowledge critical for understanding and meaningfully supporting the health of our changing planet.

Now, what if you are not confident in English? Imagine that you can’t sift through the many amazing resources available on sustainable development. Maybe the only content you can access is general information. You know what I mean, the information that explains that if we drive our cars less then we can stop the polar ice caps from melting and save polar bear habitats. Two very important issues to solve, yet, superficially examined and far from many people’s day to day realities.

Those of us in the development sector know that sustainable development has many definitions and that its diverse definitions, applications, and manifestations are a result of complex contextual realities. Yes, sustainable development is certainly a concept to associate with solutions to climate change. However, sustainable development as a solution must be understood in context, in a way that values local economics, health, infrastructure, and all of the other important topics of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Here is where the study of language and the study of sustainable development are similar. According to the Communicative Approach in language learning, when learning how to communicate in another language, the learner’s context matters. Imagine you are a 10th Grade student living in rural Vietnam with a high likelihood of never traveling outside of your country. You go to English class (a required subject) and open up your textbook (published in London) and scan the lesson. The lesson asks you to imagine you are discussing your recent trip to Piccadilly Square in London. What did you see? What did you eat? How were the British people? Now ask yourself, am I going to be engaged in learning how to communicate with this kind of content? Also ask yourself, will this lesson give me skills for a future career? Students who cannot link content to context and who see no relevance in learning about things they don’t think will help them in the future, are not going to seek greater fluency in a foreign language. With content unconnected to context and irrelevant to the student’s future, English language study becomes a tool only for those few students who think they will travel and/or find employment outside of Vietnam. But the truth is, English is a global language. It can be used in rural and urban Vietnam to connect people, business opportunities, science, and funding from around the world. It can also be used to foster international collaboration on sustainable development solutions for communities.

The process is the same with sustainable development knowledge acquisition. What if the content you access is tooooo unconnected to your context? What if you don’t have the English skills to sift through the content? What if you don’t have the critical thinking skills to compare and contrast content with context? Will your sustainable development education equip you to visualize sustainable development in your context? For many, the answer is no. Arctic ice problems are important. However, if they are presented as an isolated challenge, they will seem like frivolous topics of study for someone living in a tropical river delta…say the Mekong River Delta. And those of us fluent in sustainable development know just how connected the ice caps are to our oceans and the river deltas that neighbor oceans. With superficial sustainable development education, students exit school without understanding the ways in which their actions and future careers might help or hurt Earth’s ecosystems.

Now, I have a BIG question regarding English fluency as a tool to access, sift through, and critically think about sustainable development. Can we drive English language acquisition while driving sustainable development knowledge acquisition?

This is a question that Bending Bamboo is trying to answer.

What is Bending Bamboo you might ask? Bending Bamboo is a process for acquiring intercultural, communicative, competence, confidence and collaboration (iC5) skills in English and sustainable development. Bending Bamboo does this by connecting English and sustainable development to context. It currently operates in Can Tho, Vietnam – the hub of the Mekong Delta. Over a two-year cycle of workshops and online forums, Mekong Delta teachers and professionals work together to acquire their own iC5 skills and then create a curriculum that teaches these iC5 skills to their students and employees. The first deliverable of this cycle is a teacher text. The next is a student text. Both incorporate local research on sustainable development in Vietnam and South East Asia. Both incorporate the knowledge of the teacher, farmer, tour guide, and corporate professional. They both seek to support English language and sustainable development knowledge acquisition.

In its most recent workshop in July, Bending Bamboo began to visualize a concrete answer to this BIG question.

During 60 hours of workshop learning, participants were introduced to sustainable development information and stories from local and global perspectives, in English. Local and foreign experts were brought in to share their science with the participants, in English. As proficient English speakers already, the participants could sift through the content of the workshop. Tasked with reviewing and comparing sustainable development content from here and there, teachers also cultivated their critical thinking skills. For 18 participants, this was their second Bending Bamboo workshop. For these 18 participants, post-workshop evaluations showed that both their communicative English confidence and sustainable development knowledge confidence grew!

That’s good news. Bending Bamboo participants are citizen-leaders in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. They are knowledge bridges for their communities. These citizen-leaders are now critically interacting with local and global sustainable development discourse. Even better, these citizens are, inherently, strategically positioned to spread their knowledge. Bending Bamboo is currently leveraging this strategic positioning through the collaborative creation of the Bending Bamboo Teacher Text for grade 10-12 teachers in Vietnam. Next is the collaborative creation of a Bending Bamboo Student Text for Grades 10-12. With these two tools, participants and the Bending Bamboo team can tangibly impact a student and citizen’s ability to access and meaningfully engage with sustainable development discourse.

As Bending Bamboo continues to answer, through data, its BIG question, it also eagerly and intentionally looks forward to answering the next question. It is a BIG BIG question. Can the integrated Bending Bamboo curriculum not only drive communicative English and sustainable development knowledge acquisition, but also drive sustainable development action?

Now, just for fun, I shall end with two more questions. These are BIG BIG BIG questions to get you excited and thinking about the potential of creating and implementing, context-driven, quality education. Approximately 50% of Vietnam’s population is under age 25[2]. What happens when Vietnamese youth are confident in integrated iC5 skills for English and sustainable development? What impact will this rising generation of Vietnamese citizens have on their provincial, national, ASEAN, and global communities?

 

[1] Interested in this statement? Read: Powell, Mike (2006). Which Knowledge? Whose Reality? An Overview of Knowledge Used in the Development Sector. Development in Practice, 16(6), 518-532.

[2] From the General Statistics Office of Vietnam

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Development Series- Part IV: Advancing Human Development in Kerala, India

November 1, 2018

Summary from Just and Lasting Change  by Associate Professor, Noam Schimmel

Human development that significantly advances quality of life does not have to be expensive.

It is often assumed that to make major advances in the quality of human well-being development efforts that address healthcare, education, food security, and the well-being of women and children are necessarily extremely resource intensive and therefore dependent on massive outlays of funding to advance human security.

But this is not the case.

Successful forms of development that have been transformative in positive ways and are well documented in development literature show that human well-being can be advanced with basic resources that can be found in most communities, including in countries that lack financial resources and are classified as low income.

Put simply, financial wealth is not a prerequisite for fundamental human development.

More significantly, trust, cooperative communal efforts to pool resources and expand them, careful and equitable planning, and support of local and national government coupled with local grassroots efforts are often sufficient to advance human development.

These advances lead to tangible improvements in life expectancy, improve quality of life and enhance health outcomes, promote the realization of the human rights of children and women and human rights more broadly, expand educational opportunities, and raise incomes and improve food security.

How is this possible and where has this been done? In Kerala, India.

Kerala, a region of South India, made huge advancements in human development without being dependent on external aid for enabling this transformation.

Kerala achieved the best health and education levels of development in India already by the 1960s, and continues to sustain them, while also maintaining the highest rate of political participation in India.

But, counterintuitively, it was also the poorest state in India when it had these dramatic health and education achievements.

In this seeming contradiction we can find vitally important lessons about advancing human development which may be counterintuitive, and for that reason merit attention.

Development research attributes Kerala’s outstanding social achievements to several factors.

Daniel and Carl Taylor, pioneers of community development together with UNICEF, explain that these include political leadership that was largely genuinely interested in advancing the welfare of Kerala’s residents and was not morally corrupt, a matrilineal tradition amongst many high caste Hindus in Kerala, a church that grew in adherents and advanced greater equity amongst its values and aspirations and promoted interreligious tolerance that also received the support of Hindus, and a progressive people’s movement that advanced social reforms.

According to Taylor and Taylor, this social movement initially fought back against caste-based discrimination but continued beyond that, advancing public literacy and education, promoting land reform, and making scientific knowledge broadly available to the public which has also played a role in public advocacy for continued environmental conservation.

Momentum built on momentum in positive interlocking ways: advancing women’s rights, promoting expanded educational opportunity, and providing enhance economic opportunities for trade that were open to a broad cross-section of the population all acted synergistically to advance human development.

The high literacy rate, for example, has enabled the average Keralan to follow newspapers and hold political leadership accountable in democratic elections and in between elections.

The evidence Taylor and Taylor provide is substantive and significant: In 2001 while life expectancy was 74 years in Kerala it was 59 years in all of India. Literacy in Kerala amongst females was 87%, while it was only 39% in all of India. In 2011, Kerala was the only state in India in which there was no preference for male babies; in 1991 its gender ratio was 1,036 females to 1,000 males, compared with 927 females to 1,000 males for India as a whole.

Kerala’s successes are impressive, sustained, and genuinely life altering for individuals and for society.

Taylor and Taylor note that economic wealth did eventually result from these substantial advances in human development in Kerala.

Today Kerala enjoys both high levels of social development and economic growth and greatly increased financial resources.

It is instructive to turn to Kerala’s history to learn that opportunities abound even in places that are initially resource-poor.

Human development can be enabled and derive energy from largely indigenous sources.

To be sure, Kerala’s model is unique to Kerala and its circumstances.

But undoubtedly, it has lessons for all countries seeking to advance human development and to the United States and other countries when conceptualizing and implementing development aid.

These lessons are encouraging in their affirmation of local capacity to advance positive social change from within that draws upon domestic human resources, some – but relatively moderate support from abroad, and the values and social policies that advance equity, social justice, and human emancipation which ultimately can unleash human development and well-being.

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Development Series- Part III: SEED-SCALE in Nepal

November 22, 2021

Adapted from Empowerment on an Unstable Planet: From Seeds of Human Energy to a Scale of Global Change, by Daniel Taylor, Carl E. Taylor, and Jesse O. Taylor

(All photos throughout post taken from various Future Generations activities in Nepal.)

Traditional development has not dealt kindly with Nepal and has not succeeded despite huge investments of both human and financial resources over many decades.

If the best current development practices were effective, then they should have worked in Nepal. Six decades, several billion dollars, and the careers of some of the world’s finest development professionals were invested in the kingdom to reduce poverty, illiteracy, and illness. Yet today, 30 percent of Nepal’s population remains below the poverty line, with one-fifth of the country living on less than a dollar a day; half the population is illiterate, and mortality for children under age five is sixty per thousand live births.

How is this possible and what were its causes?

There were plenty of good intentions in all the right places. Economic growth was to reduce poverty. Education and elections were to build accountable government. Health services were to double life expectancy. For each, targets were set, and programs were generously funded. But while there was progress in many measurable program indicators, in each sector dysfunction grew in terms of how system relationships were functioning. Programs that were started fell apart when funding was diverted to other programs that interested donors. Newly built school buildings and schools a few years after being built by donors looked abandoned.

This dynamic is not unique to Nepal. Indeed, it characterizes the failures of traditional development programs around the world which Nepali development projects typified.

Intentions were good, outcomes were not.

Looking at Nepal as a case study helps to understand why community-based development that is genuinely communally oriented and involves real local participation and implementation is far more likely to succeed and be sustainable than traditional development projects reflecting huge, external outlays of cash and foreign expertise, but without local participation.

Without an integrated role for the Nepali government on national and regional levels to work in a three-way partnership both with local Nepali communities and with external development and aid agencies – and the resources and expertise they bring – development in Nepal was not sustainable.

The Taylors argue that although Nepal lacked financial and human resources initially, in the 1950s, when development projects began, Nepal actually had access to extensive financial and human resources available since that time, for over sixty years. In other words, the failure of Nepal’s development trajectory is not because development was working and was simply underfunded and/or not sufficiently expanded across the country. The problem was and remains that it was not working effectively, and it was not responsive to community needs.

According to the Taylors, by 1999 the bottom fifth of Nepal’s population suffered from greater poverty, malnutrition, and lower overall human development than in 1949. Traditional development programs implemented during these fifty years did not consider how the Nepali economy in the 1950s and through the 1990s was systematically excluding a huge sector of the Nepali population.

The core reason why the quality of life had gone down for the bottom quintile was that the currency of change had shifted. In 1949, a barter economy based on human energies gave employment options to poor people; but by 1999 the monetary economy had removed labor-based options; money was now required to participate in the modern world.

Had traditional development efforts been sensitive and responsive to this reality and the challenges it created for one fifth of the population, Nepal’s development trajectory would likely have been a much different and better one.

But they were not.

Further, even the development efforts they pursued that reached some of the remaining 80% of Nepal’s population, had relatively poor results and often ended in neglect or desertion because they did not link local communities in a meaningful, participatory way with the regional and national government and with foreign aid agencies and were not communal oriented.

Pockets of development would often take place in an isolated, temporally-bound manner creating the illusion of development momentum and positive change. Once the money and human resources stopped coming in, the development projects ended, development indicators declined, and local communities had neither gained in capacities nor resources to advance their own development and sustain it.

By definition, a program of development that relies primarily on external support and that does not reflect local communal needs and participation will eventually peeter out when funding ends and when human resources experts complete whatever block of time they have committed to a particular development project and country. When they leave and when funding ends, projects decline and eventually – often – die out altogether, with no one locally available to maintain and continue them.

Thus, there were decades when it appeared that traditional development was working: roads were being built, schools constructed and staffed with teachers, the economy diversifying, and Nepalis working abroad and returning to Nepal remittances that assisted Nepalis in Nepal to raise their incomes and their human development. Hotels and restaurants opened in Katmandu raising incomes and increasing employment there.

But these economic changes and expansions were not well distributed across the country in an equitable way and many were not long lasting.

The lack of democratic accountability, a rigid and exclusionary caste system, and high levels of corruption all contributed to the failure to advance development that was genuinely and sustainably transformative.

The international community acquiesced in maintaining old-order structures. For example, during these decades not one embassy or aid agency had more than a handful of token low-caste employees in managerial positions or engaged in systematic affirmative action hiring. Development was growing into a world of appearances: outputs were measured and contracts fulfilled, but connections between programs tended to be ignored.

When the monarchy was overthrown what resulted was civil war, mass violence, and chaos. Although efforts were made to write a new constitution and find more effective forms of governance that were truly inclusive and responded to the needs of the people, corruption, dysfunction, inequality, injustice, lack of responsiveness to local and regional needs and preferences, and collapse of the rule of law characterized Nepal.

By 2010, a once-expanding infrastructure built by foreign assistance was crumbling: roads, government offices, clinics, schools, postal services, agriculture extension services, even tax collection. An increasingly corrupt government system could not maintain infrastructure that aid had built. Ancient divisions of caste and tribe persisted, crippling social advancement as half of the national population, women, still were only symbolically included in decision making.

In contrast to the failures of traditional development efforts, Nepal has had substantial success in local, community-based development efforts – though these have not been extensive enough to lift the entire country out of poverty and they have received far less support from both the Nepali government and external donors than traditional development efforts. Many of these efforts are ongoing.

Nepal is filled with such examples [of community based development]: community-based clinics and schools, forests, microcredit schemes, and water supply systems. Even more persuasive proof of people’s energies are the thousands of trails, temples, village waterspouts, and herculean terraces built without any external assistance… Another example of the diffuse, emergent manner in which the people pulled themselves forward lies in Nepal’s ecotourism industry.

But these successes, outside of several select cases such as eco-tourism, have not been able to scale-up and are limited to local, grassroots initiatives.

Nepal is perhaps unusual in that although it has a record of failed traditional development – as many countries do – it simultaneously has a record of successful community based development which many countries do not.

Nepalis knows how to lift themselves out of poverty and advance their development.

SEED-SCALE has been well demonstrated in Nepal in a variety of contexts – from community-based road and bridge building efforts that have been high quality and extremely cost effective – with lasting benefit expanding trade and enabling improved travel for access to healthcare and markets to sell goods and services and produce grown in the countryside – to a sophisticated eco-tourism enterprise and range of extensive tourism related businesses incorporating tour guides, restaurants and hotels.

Many Nepalis have adapted to the opportunities provided by tourism to increase their income and use that income to improvetheir quality of life through better healthcare, housing, and educational opportunity.

While many of these programs have not been able to expand beyond largely localized programs, if the Nepali government on the national and regional level and foreign donors and aid agencies learn from the mistakes of the past and build on the successes of SEED-SCALE, Nepal will be able to advance its own development sustainably and successfully.

Then the community development that is currently taking place on a relatively small scale could eventually characterize the country as a whole for the better of all its citizens and contribute to equitable, expansive, participatory, and sustainable human development.

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Development Series- Part II: Community Development from the Grassroots

October 15, 2018

This week, we’re excited to announce that Professor Schimmel’s second post in the Development Series can be found on McGill University’s Centre for Human Rights & Legal Pluralism blog! Follow the link below to read his assessment on how the SEED-SCALE theory of social change can benefit the larger field of development.

https://www.mcgill.ca/humanrights/article/community-development-grassroots

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JULIE MALDONADO
November 10, 2022

JULIE MALDONADO

Assistant Professor

julie.malonado@future.edu

Education

  • BA Washington University (Psychology)
  • MA American University (Public Anthropology)
  • PhD American University (Anthropology)
Biography
Julie is Director of Research for the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN), a link- tank for policy-relevant research toward post-carbon livelihoods and communities. She is a lecturer in the Environmental Studies Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, works with the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals to support tribes in climate change adaptation planning, and co-facilitates Rising Voices: Climate Resilience through Indigenous and Earth Sciences. As a public anthropologist, Julie has consulted for the UN Development Programme and World Bank on displacement and resettlement, post-disaster needs assessments, and climate change. She previously worked for the US Global Change Research Program and was a fellow with the UN University academies on social vulnerability and climate change. She was an author on the 3 rd US National Climate Assessment and is an author on the current 4 th US National Climate Assessment. She has served as an expert presenter to Congressional committees and staff on climate change, indigenous peoples, displacement, and relocation.
Publications

Books:

  • Maldonado, JK. 2018. Seeking Justice in an Energy Sacrifice Zone: Standing on Vanishing
    Land in Coastal Louisiana. London/New York Routledge Press.
  • Cernea, M and JK Maldonado. 2018. Challenging the Prevailing Displacement and Resettlement Paradigm: Risks, Impoverishment, Legacies, and Solutions. London/New York Routledge Press.
  • Maldonado, JK, R Pandya, and B Colombi, eds. 2014. Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples in the United States: Impacts, Experiences and Actions. Cham, Switzerland, Springer Publishing International. Reprinting of Maldonado, JK, R Pandya, and B Colombi, eds. 2013. Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples in the United States: Impacts, Experiences and Actions. Climatic Change 120(3).

Journal Articles:

  • Maldonado, JK. 2016. Considering Culture in Disaster Practice. Annals of Anthropological Practice. AJ Faas, editor, Special Issue.
  • Maldonado, JK, B Taylor, and M Hufford. 2016. The Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network: Grow Where You Are. Practicing Anthropology, Special Issue: Activism, Agency and Engagement with Extraction, J Simonelli and S Fiske, co-editors. 38(3).
  • Maldonado, JK, TMB Bennett, K Chief, P Cochran, K Cozzetto, B Gough, MH Redsteer, K Lynn, N Maynard, G Voggesser. 2016. Engagement With Indigenous Peoples and Honoring Traditional Knowledge Systems. Climatic Change 135: 111-126.
  • Maldonado, JK. 2014. A Multiple Knowledge Approach for Adaptation to Environmental Change: Lessons Learned from Coastal Louisiana’s Tribal Communities. Journal of Political Ecology 21: 61-82.
  • Maldonado, JK, C Shearer, R Bronen, K Peterson and H Lazrus. 2013. The Impact of Climate Change on Tribal Communities in the US: Displacement, Relocation, and Human Rights. Climatic Change 120(3): 601-614.
  • Maldonado, JK. 2012. A New Path Forward: Researching and Reflecting on Forced Displacement and Resettlement. Report on the International Resettlement Conference: Economics, Social Justice, and Ethics in Development-Caused Involuntary Migration, The Hague, 4-8 October 2010. Journal of Refugee Studies 25(2): 193-220.

Book Chapters:

  • Maldonado, JK and K Peterson. 2018. A Community-based Model for Resettlement: Lessons from Coastal Louisiana. In The Routledge Handbook of Environmental Displacement and Migration. R McLeman and F Gemenne, eds. Routledge Press.
  • Hiza Redsteer, M, I Krupnik, and JK Maldonado. Forthcoming. Native American Communities and Climate Change. In Handbook of North American Indians. Vol. 1 – Introduction. Igor Krupnik, ed. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press.
  • Maldonado, JK. 2017. Corexit to Forget It: The Transformation of Coastal Louisiana into an Energy Sacrifice Zone. In ExtrACTION: Impacts, Engagements and Alternative Futures. K Jalbert, A Willow, S Paladino, and D Casagrande, eds. London/New York: Routledge Press.
  • Maldonado, JK. 2016. The Practical and Policy Relevance of Social Network Analysis for Disaster Response, Recovery and Adaptation. In Social Network Analysis in Disaster Response, Recovery, and Adaptation. E Jones and AJ Faas, eds. Pp. 255-268. Elsevier.
  • Maldonado, JK, H Lazrus, B Gough, SK Bennett, K Chief, C Dhillon, L Kruger, J Morisette, S Petrovic, K Whyte. 2016. The Story of Rising Voices: Facilitating Collaboration between Indigenous and Western Ways of Knowing. In Responses to Disasters and Climate Change: Understanding Vulnerability and Fostering Resilience. MCompanion and M Chaiken, eds. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
  • Peterson, KJ and JK Maldonado. 2016. When Adaptation is Not Enough: Between Now and Then of Community-led Resettlement. In Anthropology and Climate Change, 2nd edition. S Crate and M Nuttall, eds. London/New York: Routledge Press.
  • Maldonado, JK, AP Naquin, T Dardar, S Parfait-Dardar and B Bagwell. 2015. Above the Rising Tide: Coastal Louisiana’s Tribal Communities Apply Local Strategies and Knowledge to Adapt to Rapid Environmental Change. In Disasters’ Impact on Livelihood and Cultural Survival: Losses, Opportunities, and Mitigation. M Companion, ed. Pp. 239-253. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Reports:

  • Gonzalez, P, G Garfin, D Breshears, K Brooks, H Brown, E Elias, A Gunasekara, N Huntly, J Maldonado, N Mantua, H Margolis, S McAfee, and BR Middleton (forthcoming, 2018) Chapter 25 “Southwest.” In Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States. US Global Change Research
    Program.
  • Maldonado, J and K Cozzetto. 2018. Gila River Indian Community Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Project: Workshop Series Summary Report.
  • Maldonado, J, N Cooley, and K Cozzetto. 2018. Navajo Nation Climate Change Adaptation Planning Workshop: Establishing Natural Resource Priorities. Summary
    Report.
  • Cozzetto K, J Maldonado, S Fluharty, J Hostler, C Cosby. 2018. Yurok Tribe Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Water and Aquatic Resources. 1 Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP), Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ. 2 Yurok Tribe Department of Environmental Quality (YTEP), Klamath, CA.
  • Powell, D and J Maldonado, eds. 2017. Just Environmental and Climate Pathways: Knowledge Exchange Among Community Organizers, Scholar-Activists, Citizen- Scientists and Artists. Workshop report. Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meeting. 28 March 2017. Santa Fe, New Mexico.  http://likenknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Climate-Pathways-Workshop-Report_Santa-Fe_March-2017.pdf
  • Bennett, TM B, NG Maynard, P Cochran, R Gough, K Lynn, J Maldonado, G Voggesser, S Wotkyns, and K Cozzetto. 2014. Ch. 12: Indigenous Peoples, Lands, and Resources. In Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment. JM Melillo, TC Richmond, and GW Yohe, eds. Pp. 297-317. U.S. Global Change Research Program. http://nca2014.globalchange.gov

Learn Gandhian Methods
February 13, 2019

Your words and actions are change-making tools waiting to be used! Learn by experiencing Gandhi’s life in India and how his approach for motivating others can be applied to your own work. Equip Yourself to Make the Change You Wish to See is an immersive opportunity to begin your path towards creating more just and lasting futures for all.

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Health Series- Part IV: Community-Based Development in Ding Xian, China

October 16, 2018

Summary from Just and Lasting Change  by Associate Professor, Noam Schimmel

 

Go to the People.

Live with the People,

Learn from the People.

Plan with the People.

Work with the People.

Start with what they know,

Build on what they have.

Teach by showing, learn by doing.

Not a showcase, but a pattern.

Not piecemeal, but integrated.

Not odds and ends, but a system.

Not to conform, but to transform.

Not relief, but release.

-Jimmy Yen (yen Yangchu)

Read more…

Health Series- Part I: Communities and Government Learning to Work Together in Peru

August 14, 2018

__________________

Over the next several months, Equity & Empowerment will be releasing entries summarizing some of our earlier work to give a glimpse of the diversity of our organization and the versatility of the SEED-SCALE method which guides us. There will be 3 themed sets (series), and each set will consist of 4 entries. We hope you enjoy the first installment in our Health Series!

__________________

Original work by Laura Altobelli, Patricia Paredes, and Carl E. Taylor

Summary by Associate Professor, Noam Schimmel

SEED-SCALE illustrates how the most significant and sustainable achievements in community development typically result from a combination of bottom-up, top-down, and outside-in interventions. When these approaches work together, synergistically, they create a powerful framework for social change.

In Peru, in 1992, when the Shining Path terrorist group was defeated, villages in the Peruvian countryside looked to create healthcare programming that had been neglected during the many years of civil war and Shining Path attacks.

The Peruvian government was initially oriented towards a traditional top-down approach of bringing skilled doctors and other medical professionals to health centers located outside the villages, with the resulting high costs this would entail.

Read more…

Breaking leadership barriers
February 13, 2019

Chido Madiwa Tsinakwadi, is one of the 19 determined women who secured seats in the ZANU-PF primary elections by winning the fiercely contested Mutasa North Constituency seat in Manicaland Province.

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Mt. Kinabalu: A Borneo Gem

August 14, 2018

Text & Photographs by Dr. Robert L. Fleming

“Kinabalu can be rightly considered the botanical crown jewel of Borneo, but no short paper can even superficially cover all the gems.”

Mt Kinabalu, 4095m (13,435 ft) as viewed from near the Kinabalu Park headquarters at 1524m (5000ft)

Stars dimmed as people gathered in the dark on the summit of Mt Kinabalu to quietly await the dawn. If one has climbed the last 600 meters by flashlight, ascending ladders, and guided over the granite slabs by a pale rope that doubled as a handhold, the sunrise can be quite emotional. Those of us who reached the top early could see the dots of scattered flashlights moving slowly upwards. By the time the fluffy clouds below us glowed an orange-pink, a hundred or so people had gathered on Kinabalu’s 4095m, 13,435ft summit.

Mount Kinabalu is the highest peak in Borneo at 743 km2 (287mi2). Its summit is part of a batholith– a huge granite dome that formed deep within the earth’s crust. Then, some ten million years ago, tectonic activity forced the granite up through overlying sandstone and shale. Now, thousands of years later, these sedimentary layers have eroded away to leave a stunning granitic peak, which is among the youngest stand-alone, non-volcanic mountains in the world. And one that is still rising at an average rate of about 5mm a year with growth spurts often occurring during earthquakes, such as the 6.0 magnitude quake in 2015.

Read more…

DANIEL C. TAYLOR
July 3, 2023
daniel_taylor

DANIEL C. TAYLOR

Professor Equity & Empowerment (Social Change)

dtaylor@future.edu

Website: https://danielctaylor.org/

Education

  • Ed.D. Harvard University
  • Ed.M. Harvard University
  • B.A. Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Daniel Taylor has been engaged in social change and conservation for four decades with a focus on building international cooperation to achieve ambitious projects. He founded the nine Future Generations organizations worldwide (including the accredited Future Generations University). He also founded and led The Mountain Institute. In 1985, after providing the scientific explanation for the yeti, he led creating Nepals Makalu-Barun National Park, then, in close partnership with the Tibet Autonomous Region, Chinas Qomolangma (Everest) National Nature Preserve and Four Great Rivers Nature Preserve protecting one-seventh of Chinas forest reserves.
He is one of the synthesizers of the SEED-SCALE method, an understanding of social change initiated by a UNICEF task force he co-chaired from 1992-95. Since 1995 he continued to lead global field trials of SEED-SCALE and is senior author of Just and Lasting Change: How Communities Can Own Their Futures and Empowerment: From Seeds of Human Energy to a Scale of Global Change. Among his honors, Taylor was knighted by the King of Nepal Gorkha Dakshin Bau III; was made the first Honorary Professor of Quantitative Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and was decorated with the Order of the Golden Ark by HRH Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands.Website: www.danielctaylor.org
Publications
  • YETI: The Ecology of a Mystery (Oxford University Press, 2017)
  • Just and Lasting Change: When Communities Own Their Futures, 2nd Edition (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016)
  • Just and Lasting Change: When Communities Own Their Futures 2nd Edition co-author Carl E. Taylor (Baltimore MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014). Currently at press for publication 2015.
  • The Mount Everest Guide to Off-road Driving (Franklin WV: For Words Press, 2014)
  • Empowerment on an Unstable Planet: From Seeds of Human Energy to a Scale of Global Change, co-authored with Carl E. Taylor and Jesse O. Taylor (Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 2012).
  • CAIRNS-A Novel of Tibet (Franklin WV: For Words Press, 2011).
  • Community-based Conservation: Is it More Effective, Efficient, and Sustainable? Michael Rechlin and Daniel Taylor (Franklin, WV: Future Generations Graduate School Occasional Paper #27, March 2008).
  • Primary photographer in illustrated volume: Robert L. Fleming, Liu Wulin, Dorje Tsering, Across the Tibetan Plateau, (New York: WW Norton, 2007).
  • Just and Lasting Change: When Communities Own Their Futures, co-author Carl E. Taylor, (Baltimore MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002).
  • Photographs in Search for the Clouded Leopard, National Geographic Magazine,September 2000.
  • International Perspectives in Environment, Development, & Health: Toward a Sustainable World, ed. Shahi, Levy, Binger, Kjellstrom & Lawrence, (New York: Springer Publishing & Rockefeller Foundation, 1996).
  • International Perspectives in Environment, Development, & Health: Toward a Sustainable World, ed. Shahi, Levy, Binger Kjellstrom & Lawrence, (New York: Springer Publishing & Rockefeller Foundation, 1996).
  • Something Hidden Behind the Ranges-An Himalayan Quest, (San Francisco: Mercury House, 1995)
  • Partnership for Social Development-A Casebook, (co-authors Carl E. Taylor, & Aditi Desai, Independent Task Force on Community Action for Social Development, (Franklin, WV: Future Generations & Johns Hopkins University, Dept of International Health, February 1995).
  • Community Based Sustainable Human Development-Going to Scale with Self-reliant Social Development, co-author Carl E. Taylor, (New York: UNICEF, February 1995).
  • Mountains, Nations, Parks, and Conservation: A Case Study of the Mt. Everest Area, in Mountains at Risk, Current Issues in Environmental Studies, (New Delhi: Manohar, 1995).
  • The Rare Mountain Dog of Tibet, in Dog World; Maclean Hunter; Nov 1993.
  • Health Survey of Tibetan Villages North of Mount Everest, co-authors Carl E. Taylor, Nancy Chin, Alex. Leaf; Gladys. McGarey, Anne Garrett, in Research & Exploration; (Washington DC: National Geographic Society, Vol. VIII, No 3, Summer 1992.)
  • AGENDA 21, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Mountain Issues project drafting committee, A/CONF/.151/PC/100/Add.18 Rio de Janeiro, June 1992.
  • The State of the Worlds Mountains, (London: Zed Books & Mountain Agenda, 1992).
  • Mountains, Nations, Parks, and Conservation, co-authors Alton C. Byers, J. Gabriel Campbell, in (Dordrecht, Germany: GeoJournal, Vol 27, No 1, May 1992.
  • KyiApso News, Editor, Tibetan KyiApso Club newsletter, Franklin, WV, 1991-97.
  • Your Choice: Paths to Improving Your Small Schools, co-authors Jennifer Taylor-Ide, John
    Villaume, and John Eckman, (Franklin WV: Woodlands Mountain Institute, 1991).
  • Summit Magazine, columnist writing on issues of mountain cultures, 1991 & 1992.
  • High Himalaya-A Computer Generated Landscape Portrait, publication team member, Special Centennial Map Supplement, National Geographic Magazine, (Washington, DC: Nov, 1988, Vol. 174, No. 5).
  • The Garhwal Yeti: Alternative Explanations
  • The West Virginia Scholar, Editor, a quarterly journal West Virginia Scholars Academy, Woodlands Mountain Institute, Vols. I, II, III, & IV, 1983-1987.
  • National Parks and Protected Areas for the Hindu Kush Himalaya, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development/ International Union for Conservation of Nature, co-author Tirtha B. Shrestha, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1986.
  • Journal of Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal, Vol. 6, No.3, September 1985.
  • Journal of the Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal, Volume 6, No.1, March 1985.
  • The Barun Valley Report, The King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation & Woodlands Mountain Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1984.
  • Journal of the Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal, Volume 5, No.2, December 1983.
  • Journal of the Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal, Vol. 5, No. 2, December 1983.
  • Journal of the Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal, Vol. 3, No. 2, September 1981.
  • Journal of the Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal, Vol. 2, No. 1, March 1980.
  • Indian Journal of Medical Education; New Delhi, India, Volume XVIII, No. 2, July/Dec. 1979.
  • Journal of the Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu; Volume 1, No. 2; August 1979.
  • Population Education for Nepal, with Hem Hamal (Chapel Hill, NC: Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina Press: 1973).
  • Nepal Country Profile, with Rita Thapa, (New York: The Population Council,Spring 1972).
  • Vasuda, Kathmandu, Nepal, Winter 1970.
  • The Time is Now: An Annotated Bibliography on Population Education, with David Burleson, (New York: Ford Foundation, 1968).
  • The Himalayan Journal, (Calcutta: Oxford University Press, 1968).

LAURA ALTOBELLI
December 18, 2023

LAURA ALTOBELLI

Research Professor

laura@future.edu

Education

  • Dr.P.H. Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • M.P.H. Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • B.A. University of Missouri, Columbia
Biography
Dr. Altobelli applies over 30 years of experience in research, evaluation, and public policy innovation and advocacy. She has designed, planned, managed, and tested field demonstrations of scalable solutions for strengthening public health systems in developing countries, demonstrating effectiveness of community-based primary health care models. She has also conducted advocacy for national health care organization, management, financing, and human resources policies, with strategies and policies for citizen participation to support such models. Dr. Altobelli applies technical expertise in maternal, neonatal and child health and nutrition to strategies and oversight of government programs for reduction of maternal-infant morbidity and mortality and chronic child malnutrition and anemia, using integrated systems strengthening approaches, community participation and empowerment, behavior change communications, and collaborative management between health systems, local government, and communities. In addition to work with Future Generations, Dr. Altobelli is Principal Professor at the Cayetano Heredia University School of Public Health and Management in Lima, Peru. Laura has worked as a consultant in research, evaluation and program design for the World Bank, UNICEF, WHO, USAID, DFID, Inter-American Development Bank, the Population Council, ADRA, CARE, University Research Corporation, Academy for Educational Development, Westinghouse Health Systems, and others. She has numerous publications and is a frequent presenter at international conferences.
Publications
  • Altobelli, Laura C., Sharing Histories—a transformative learning/teaching method to empower community health workers to support health behavior change of mothers, Hum Resour Health. Read More
  • Sharing Histories Qualitative study Cusco
  • Guide to Sectorization for Community Health
  • Sharing Histories – How To Guide
  • Sharing Histories – Health in Hands of Women Project
  • Altobelli, Laura (2017) Sharing Histories – a transformative learning/teaching method to empower Community Health Workers to support health behavior change of mothers. – Read More
  • Altobelli LC., Cabrejos J, Suarez V, Valverde R, Carcamo C, Becker S, Taylor CE, Taylor D. Autobiographical memories as a teaching method for Community Health Workers to promote maternal health behaviors and reduce stunting: a cluster randomized trial. Manuscript in preparation.
  • Altobelli LC. Autobiographical memories – a transformative learning method to empower Community Health Workers to change mothers´ health behavior and reduce child stunting: review of supporting literature. Submitted for publication 2017.
  • Altobelli LC (2015) “Effectiveness in Primary Healthcare in Peru”, In: E. Beracochea (Ed.) Improving Aid Effectiveness in Global Health. New York: Springer Global Publishing.
  • Altobelli LC, Paredes P, and Taylor CE (2015) “Peru: Communities and governments learning to work together,” In: Taylor D. (Ed.) Just and Lasting Change: When Communities Own Their Futures. Second Edition. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • Wilcox S, Altobelli LC, and Cabrejos JC (2014). “Final Project Evaluation Report – Health in the Hands of Women: A test of teaching methods,” Project implemented in Huánuco, Peru by Future Generations under Cooperative Agreement #AID-OAA-A-10-00048, USAID Child Survival and Health Grant Program FY2010 – FY 2014.
  • LeBan K, Story WT, Altobelli LC, Gebrian B, Hossain J, Lewis J, Morrow M, Nielsen J, Rosales A, Rubardt M, Shanklin D and Weiss J (2015) “A global framework for integrating community-based maternal, newborn, and child health strategies into existing health systems: revaluing the role of international non-governmental organizations,” Annals of Global Health; January–February, 2015 Volume 81, Issue 1, Pages 37–38. 02/2015. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aogh.2015.02.596
  • Rengifo G, Altobelli LC, Cabrejos JC, Talenas D (2014) “Implementation of the Sectorization strategy to strengthen health promotion in the Huánuco Region,” In: Tarev A, Campos C, Huaripata J, and Shishido S (Ed.) Sistematization of Experiences in Health Promotion II. Lima: Ministry of Health of Peru.
  • Altobelli LC (2013) “Future Generations,” In: Kamden Hoffman, “The Role of Social Accountability in Improving Health Outcomes: Overview and Analysis of Selected International NGO Experiences to Advance the Field.” Washington, DC: USAID/MCHIP.
  • Perry H, Townsend J, McQueen S, Adano U, D’Harcourt E, Newsome M, Jones E, Roth R, Shreshta R, Swedberg E, Ngatia P, Leban K, Altobelli L, Roseman E, Gryboski K. (2012) “Which Community Support Activities Improve the Performance of Community Health Workers? Review of the Evidence and of Expert Opinion with Recommendations for Policy, Practice and Research.” Final Report of Evidence Review Team 1. U. S. Government Evidence Summit: Community and Formal Health System Support for Enhanced Community Health Worker Performance. Washington, DC. Nov. 16, 2012.
  • Altobelli LC, Cabrejos JC, Espejo L, Vargas A, and Talenas D (2012) Methodological Guide to the Sectorization Strategy for Health Promotion in Co-management with the Community: To strengthen primary health care services focused on maternal, neonatal, and child health and nutrition in the community. Lima: Future Generations and Regional Government of Huánuco.
  • Altobelli LC and Acosta-Saal C (2011) “Local Health Administration Committees (CLAS): opportunity and empowerment for equity in health in Peru”, In: Erik Blas, Johannes Sommerfeld and Anand Sivasankara Kurup (eds) Social determinants approaches to public health: from concept to practice. World Health Organization, Geneva, with support from the Alliance for Health Systems Policy and Research, WHO.
  • Altobelli LC (2011) “Sharing Pregnancy Histories as Part of Community Education for Maternal and Neonatal Health.” Final research report to EngenderHealth – Maternal Health Task Force. New York: EngenderHealth MHTF. Research subgrant from MHTF with support from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
  • Altobelli LC, Espejo L, Cabrejos JC, Vargas A (2010) Proposals for Management Documents for Constitution of Local Health Administration Communities (CLAS) under ´Law N° 29124 that establishes Co-Management and Citizen Participation in Health Facilities at the Primary Level of Care of the Ministry of Health and the Regions´ and its corresponding regulations approved by Supreme Decree N° 017-2008-SA. Lima, Peru: Future Generations in collaboration with Ministry of Health.
  • Charleston R, Altobelli LC, Vargas A, Taylor CE, Perry H (2009) “Final Project Evaluation Report – NEXOS Project: Promotion of Maternal-Infant Health in the Context of Co-Management of Primary Health Care”. Implemented in Cusco, Peru by Future Generations under Cooperative Agreement #GHS-A-005-00011-00 USAID Child Survival and Health Grant Program FY2005 – FY2009.
  • Altobelli LC, Espejo L, and Summer A (2008) “Successes and Failures of the Maternal Waiting Home Strategy in Rural Cusco, Peru: Lessons Learned from Health Personnel and Quechua Women”. Report on qualitative research undertaken through the NEXOS Project by Future Generations, with funding from USAID-Child Survival and Health Grant Program. Collaboration by Emory University graduate student for master´s thesis.
  • Altobelli LC (2005) “Demands a clear policy on primary health care,” Gestión Médica May 8, 2005.
  • Altobelli LC (2002) “Community participation in health (the Peruvian experience with CLAS)”, In: Arroyo J. (Ed.) Health Policies II – 2002-2006. Lima, Peru: Consorcio de Investigación Económica y Social / UK-DFID.
  • Altobelli LC (2002) “Nature and magnitude of practices in breastfeeding and complementary feedin,” In: Carrasco N and Vega S, Situational Assessment of Breastfeeding and Complementary Feeding in Peru – 2001. Lima, Peru: CEPREN / Academy for Educational Development – Linkages Project.
  • Altobelli LC and Y Levano (2002) “Final Impact Evaluation — Program for Infant Nutrition, Health, and Sanitation 1996-2001”, Agency for Development and Resource Assistance – ADRA Bolivia.
  • Altobelli LC, J Alarcón, O Saavedra, and V Suárez (2001) “Plan for Andean Development for Food Security – United States Agency for International Development Title II 1996-2001: Final External Evaluation Report”, Adventist Agency for Development and Resource Assistance – ADRA Peru.
  • Altobelli LC (2001) “Decentralization to Improve Health Care for the Poor: Case Study of the Health Sector in Peru”, Background report prepared for the Institutional Governance Review-Peru, Poverty Reduction Unit, World Bank, Washington, DC.
  • Altobelli LC and O Castillo (2001) “Report on Final External Evaluation Mission: Proyecto APRISABAC – Primary Health Care and Basic Sanitation in Cajamarca”, Report prepared for the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands and COSUDE.
  • Altobelli LC (2001) “Basic Health and Nutrition Project 1995-2000: Lessons Learned”, World Bank Regional Office for Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.
  • Rogers B, S Rajabiun, J Levinson, K Tucker, L Altobelli, H Creed-Kanashiro, M Núñez, M Penny, and E Vásquez (2001) Reduction of Chronic Malnutrition in Peru: Proposal for a National Strategy. Lima, Peru: Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy / USAID Office of Nutrition.
  • Altobelli LC with J Pancorvo (2000) “Shared Administration Program and Local Health Administration Communities: Case study from Peru”, Paper prepared and presented at the III Forum for Europe and the Americas on Health Sector Reform, World Bank. San José, Costa Rica, May 2000.
  • Altobelli LC (2000) “Final External Evaluation Report on the ENLACE Project: Provinces of Otuzco-Julcán, Department of La Libertad, Peru”, USAID Child Survival and Health Grant Project implemented by CARE Peru FY1996-FY2000.
  • Altobelli LC (2000) Health and Hygiene Education in Water and Sanitation Projects. Lima, Peru: CARE/United Nations Development Program(UNDP)/World Bank Programme for Water and Sanitation.
  • Altobelli LC and M Gómez (2000) “Impact Evaluation 1997-1999 of the Infant Nutrition Program of ADRA Perú: Final Report on Ten Departments”. Lima, Perú: DS Consult and ADRA Perú.
  • León FR and Altobelli LC (1999) “Hypothesis to Resolve the Enigma of the ENDES (1997) Data on Maternal Mortality”, In: FR León (ed.) What Do We Know about the Distribuction of Maternal Mortality in Peru, Its Causes and Its Consequences? Proceedings of the First Summer Seminar, January 8, 1999. Lima: Population Council.
  • Altobelli LC (1999) “Consolidation and Integration of Nutrition in the Health Sector of Peru”, Proposal prepared for the Coordinating Unit for Modernization of the Public Health Sector of Peru. World Bank Program to Support Health Reform (PAR-Salud) Project. March 4, 1999.
  • Altobelli LC (1998) “Comparative Analysis of Primary Health Care Facilities with Participation of Civil Society in Venezuela and Peru”. Paper prepared for and presented at the Inter-American Development Bank Annual Meeting of Governors Seminar on “Social Programs, Poverty, and Citizen Participation”. Cartagena, Colombia, March 1998.
  • Altobelli LC (1998) “Health Reform, Community Participation, and Social Inclusion: the Shared Administration Program”. Paper prepared for the Mid-term Project Evaluation of the UNICEF-PERU cooperation. August, 1998.
  • Altobelli LC (1998) “Identification of unsatified demand for reproductive health services in Huancavelica, Perú. Results of a health survey of rural women”, Working Papers, Number 27, 1998. Population Council INOPAL III
  • Altobelli LC and Esquiche E (1998) “Opinions of Women Regarding Quality of Care at the Referral Hospital of Ayacucho: Focus Groups”, Paper prepared under an institutional research strengthening grant of INOPAL III, Population Council – New York, Lima, Peru.
  • Altobelli LC, Calderón M, Guerra V and Rivera E (1998) “Survey on Discontinuation of Attendance at the Family Planning Program of the Referral Hospital of Ayacucho and the Discontinuation of Contraceptive Use”, Paper prepared under an institutional research strengthening grant of INOPAL III, Population Council – New York, Lima, Peru.
  • Calderon M and Altobelli LC (1998) “Quality of Care in Reproductive Health in the Referral Hospital of Ayacucho: Study of Simulated Clients”, Paper prepared under an institutional research strengthening grant of INOPAL III, Population Council – New York, Lima, Peru.
  • Rivera E and Altobelli LC (1998) “Preparedness of the Referral Hospital of Ayacucho to Offer Family Planning Services”, Paper prepared under an institutional research strengthening grant of INOPAL III, Population Council – New York, Lima, Peru.
  • Altobelli LC (1997). “Changing Community Perceptions of Reproductive Health Services and Reducing the Unmet Need for Them in Peru’s Highlands – I. Baseline Study. Final Report: Quantitative Component”, Report prepared for INOPAL III, The Population Council/New York and Lima.
  • McCommon C and Altobelli LC (1995) “Review of an Environmental Health Project in Peru”. Report prepared under auspices of Environmental Health Project, Arlington, VA.
  • Altobelli LC (1994) “Epidemiology of exclusive breastfeeding”, In: E. Salazar (Ed.) Lectures in Breastfeeding, Weaning, and Anti-tetanus Vaccine: For Training of Health Personnel, PROCAME II, Cayetano Heredia University, 1994.
  • Altobelli LC (1993) “Development of complementary training and educational materials on exclusive breastfeeding in Peru”, In: Communication Stategies for Infant and Child Feeding. Cornell University International Nutrition Monograph Series: Proceedings of the International Nutrition Education Conference, Society for Nutrition Education, Washington, DC, July 1992.
  • Baiocchi N, Caravedo L, Carrasco N, Creed de Kanashiro H, Pinzas A, Vallenas C, Vega S, and Altobelli L and Huffman S (1993) Assessment of Breastfeeding and Weaning in Peru. Washington, DC: Wellstart Expanded Promotion of Breastfeeding Program.
  • Altobelli LC (1992) USAID/Peru Mission Nutrition Strategy, Prepared for the Office of Health, Population and Nutrition, United States Agency for International Development, Lima, Peru, October 6, 1992.
  • Altobelli LC (1991) “A controlled trial to extend the duration of exclusive breastfeeding among low income mothers in Lima, Peru: Final report”. The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Johnson&Johnson Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program/Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia/The Population Council, N.Y./Wellstart – SanDiego Lactation Management Education Program/Academy for Educational Development.
  • Larson EL, McGinley KJ, Foglia A, Leyden JJ, Boland N, Larson J, Altobelli LC and Salazar-Lindo E (1990) “Handwashing practices and resistance and density of bacterial hand flora on two pediatric units in Lima, Peru”, American Journal of Infection Control, 20: 65-72.
  • Altobelli LC (1990) “Epidemiologia de la lactancia materna exclusiva”, Salud Popular, Instituto de Salud Popular, Lima, Peru.
  • Altobelli LC (1990) “A controlled trial to extend the duration of exclusive breastfeeding among low income mothers in Lima, Peru”, In: Breastfeeding in Peru: Current Situation and Future Projections, Scientific Collection No. 4, Report of a Scientific Colloquium, October 4, 1990, Pan American Health Organization, Lima, Peru.
  • Altobelli LC (1989) “Equity in health: Type and cost of diarrhea treatment in Peruvian children”, In: Inappropriate Medicines in Diarrhea: Magnitude of the Problem, Scientific Collection No. 1, Report of a Scientific Colloquium on November 2, 1989, Pan American Health Organization, Lima, Peru.
  • Altobelli LC (1988) Maternal Employment, Household Structure, and Health Care for Child Diarrhea in Urban Peru. (Doctoral thesis, The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health).
  • Altobelli LC and Brown KH (1988) “Continuation of breastfeeding during episodes of diarrhea in Peruvian children”, Advances en Infant Health, A publication of the National Programs for Diarrheal Disease Control and Dietary Management of Diarrhea, Lima, Peru.
  • Altobelli LC (1987) “Epidemiology of reported diarrhea in Peruvian children”, Report prepared for the Epidemiology Branch, Division of Nutrition, Center for Health Promotion and Education, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA.
  • Villar JC, Altobelli LC, Kestler E and Belizan JM (1986) “Prevention of chronic fetal growth retardation: a priority for developing countries”, Bulletin of the World Health Organization 64(6): 847-851.
  • Altobelli LC (1985). “Fetal growth: different patterns of intrauterine growth retardation”, Proceedings of the VIII National Congress of Nurses, International Pre-Congress Course on Advances in Maternal-Infant Nursing, Lima, Peru.
  • Altobelli LC (1985). “Nutrition, infection, and infant growth”, Proceedings of the VIII National Congress of Nurses, International Pre-Congress Course on Advances in Maternal-Infant Nursing, Lima, Peru.
  • Altobelli LC (1984) “Report on post-graduate public health training and research in selected Peruvian institutions”, Prepared for USAID/Lima, Peru, July, 1984.
  • Altobelli LC (1984) “Consultant Report on Human Resources Development, Ministry of Health of Peru, August 13, 1983 – May 31, 1984”, Westinghouse Health Systems, June, 1984.
  • DeSosa Rebecca and Altobelli, LC (1977) Manual of Norms and Procedures for Training Rural Voluntary Collaborators (Traditional Birth Attendants), National Division of Family Health, Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador. 1977. 100 pp. Spanish.

ROBERT FLEMING
November 12, 2021

ROBERT FLEMING

Professor Equity & Empowerment (Natural History)

keloafleming@gmail.com

Education

  • Ph.D. Michigan State University
  • M.S. Michigan State University
  • B.A. Albion College
Biography
Since growing up in the foothills of the Himalayas in India, Robert Fleming (Bob) has been interested in the beauty of nature. Later, this evolved into fascination with the natural history and cultural diversity of our planet. With a Ph.D. in zoology, and with the advent of commercial jet travel, Bob has been able to explore many of the planet’s special biological regions ranging from the Namib Desert in Africa to the Tropical Rainforest of the Amazon, and the Mountain Tundra biome of the Himalayas.
He has worked for the Smithsonian’s Office of Ecology and the Royal Nepal Academy. Along with his father and Royal Nepal Academy Director-Lain Singh Bangdel, he wrote and illustrated “Birds of Nepal,” the first modern field guide to the birds of the region. In addition to his work with Future Generations, Bob is the director of Nature Himalayas, a sole proprietorship that he began in 1970. Through this company, Bob has led some 250 outings. He currently lives in the temperate rainforest of western Oregon in the USA’s Pacific Northwest.
Publications
  • Canoeing Down the Zambezi by Robert L. Fleming Jr., May 2011.
  • Peru’s Inter-Oceanic Highway by Robert L. Fleming Jr., February 2010.
  • Bishnoi and Antelope in India by Robert L. Fleming Jr., February 2010.
  • An Urban Park: Lodi Gardens in New Delhi, India by Robert L. Fleming Jr., July 2006.
  • Butterflies and Natural History of the Siang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, India by Robert L. Fleming Jr., July 2006.
  • Fleming, Robert, et al. Across the Tibetan Plateau: Ecosystems, Wildlife, and Conservation. 2006
  • A Note on the Rhesus Macaque Monkeys in Tibet, China by Robert L. Fleming Jr., May 2006.
  • Natural History Notes on the Po Tsangpo and Rong Chu Confluence, Linzhi Prefecture, Se Tibet by Robert L. Fleming Jr., May 2006.
  • Notes on Some Ecological Aspects of Gongga Shan Hailouguo Geopark, Sichuan, China by Robert L. Fleming Jr., April 2006.
  • A Note on the Altai Mountains and the Kazakh Eagle Hunters by Robert L. Fleming Jr., June 2005.
  • Notes on Demoiselle Cranes (Anthropoides Virgo) in Asia by Robert L. Fleming Jr., February 2005.
  • Fleming, Robert and Lisa Fleming. Kathmandu Valley (This beautiful world; V.61). 1979
  • Fleming, Sr. Robert L., Fleming Jr. Robert, Bangdel, Lain Singh. Birds of Nepal: With reference to Kashmir Sikkim. 1976

STEPHANIE HARTMAN
December 15, 2022

STEPHANIE HARTMAN

Chief Operating Officer

stephanie@future.edu

Education

  • M.A. Future Generations University
  • B.A. Davis & Elkins College
Biography
Stephanie Hartman left her position of WV State Tax Department Director of Information Technology to join the Future Generations University team as the Chief Operating Officer. While at the WV State Tax Department she worked as a programmer, a database administrator and Director of Information Technology, overseeing all aspects of its Information Technology Department. Her current responsibilities at Future Generations Graduate School include human relations, finance, office management, grant management, facilities management, and board relations. She was a member of the University’s Class of 2017 and earned her MA in Applied Community Development. Stephanie is a native of Pendleton County, WV. Stephanie serves her community by volunteering as an EMT and as Treasurer of the Pendleton County Emergency Rescue organization. Additionally ,she serves as Vice President of the Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau and as a board member for the Potomac Highland Guild.

DAN ROBISON
November 10, 2022

DAN ROBISON

Professor & Director of Practice

drobison@future.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. University of Reading
  • B.S. Kansas State University
  • B.A. Kansas State University
Biography
Dan was born and grew up in Bolivia. He was an exchange student in Thailand and before finishing undergraduate studies, he hitchhiked across Africa from North to South with his sister. After graduating from Kansas State University in Natural Resources Management in 1984, he was appointed as a Marshall Scholar to the United Kingdom. In 1987 he obtained a Ph.D. at the University of Reading, with fieldwork in tropical Bolivia. His dissertation was a soil-based assessment of the sustainability of an alternative to slash and burn agriculture.
His life interest is the sustainable use of the Amazon. Between 1988 and 1993, he did postdoctoral work in the Agroecological Studies Unit at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Cali, Colombia. In 1993 he returned to Bolivia and has worked as an independent consultant in Protected Areas Management and Agroecology. He lives and farms in Rurrenabaque,the Bolivian gateway to the Amazon and to Madidi National Park. He has been on the faculty since 2005, having taught courses in each of the cohorts to date.
To check out Dan’s monthly research seminars, visit: E-Portfolio
Courses
  • SLC 605 Food and Water Security
  • PRC 604 Research Design and Methods
  • PRC 609 Monitoring and Evaluation
  • PRC 681 Practicum Design and Planning
  • PRC 682 Practicum Applied Research I
  • PRC 683 Practicum Applied Research II
  • PRC 684 Synthesis and Integration
  • ECC 504 Technologies for Conservation Practitioners
  • ECC 507 Fundamentals of Ecosystem-based Conservation
  • ECC 508 Sustainable Livelihoods and Incentives to Conservation
  • ECC 602 Community Change and Sustainable Livelihoods

ANDREA ANSCHEL
November 10, 2022

ANDREA ANSCHEL

Assistant Professor

andrea.anschel@future.edu

Education

  • ​MS.W. University of Maryland
  • B.S. Chico State University
Biography
Andrea Brown is a Senior Program Officer at Johns Hopkins University, Center for Communication Programs. She has over ten years of experience working in international health with an emphasis in community and social behavior change. She has vast experience in training and capacity building. She currently works on strategic behavior change communication strategies to distribute long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) as well as support the development of strategies to ensure continuous distributions and appropriate use of mosquito nets to communities.
Andrea’s professional history includes working as a Health Educator for rural mothers and children and a Project Coordinator for famine stricken communities in Madagascar. She also has extensive working with domestic organizations, including non-profits that provide skills and opportunities for marginalized populations.

SUSHILA NEPALI
December 20, 2023

SUSHILA NEPALI

Associate Research Professor

sushila.nepali@future.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. Tribhuvan University
  • M.A. Norwegian University of Life Sciences
  • B.A. Tribhuvan University
Biography
Ms. Sushila Chatterjee Nepali is a Kathmandu resident, having a forestry background in community-based natural resource management. She completed her Ph.D. in 2012 from the Institute of Forestry (IOF) Pokhara, Nepal, looking at the “Perception of change and impact of conflict on local livelihoods in the buffer zone and Khata corridor, Bardia, Nepal.” She has worked for more than 25 years as a community development specialist in natural resource and biodiversity, conducting research and evaluation in health and gender issues, and conservation.
In the field of evaluation, she has conducted evaluation using OECD DAC criteria and Impact Evaluation guidelines developed by World Bank using RCT tools. For the past 19 years, she has worked as a consultant as a monitoring and evaluation team leader, facilitating management effectiveness evaluation of Protected Areas, and developed plans and management information systems for WWF and other government agencies. She has been an active team member as a gender and livelihoods expert in developing the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2014 and National Strategic Framework for Nature Conservation with several research programs.
Today, she is involved as a consultant, doing research work, and teaches as a visiting faculty member for Agriculture and Forestry University, IOF, Kathmandu Forestry College and Department of Conflict, Peace, and Development Studies in Protected Area Management, and Conflict Management in NRM, and teaches courses on Peacebuilding and Women Empowerment for Future Generations University. Having extensive field knowledge and traveling to more than 65 districts of Nepal, she has been encouraged to contribute to policy research and field implementation of programs in all levels of NRM and development sectors. She has been recognized internationally by WWF US 2001 Women in Conservation and WI HER LLC Salwa Harb Award 2021 for her contributions to conservation, women empowerment, and gender promotion.
Publications
  • Thematic report on gender equality and livelihoods for national conservation framework and strategy prepared by IUCN for npc, Kathmandu (finalized) IUCN or National Planning Commission website
  • Thematic report on Gender for national biodiversity strategic plan 2014, MOFSC Kathamndu. MOFSC website
  • Change in the governance practices: A case conflict effects in Bardia’s Conservation Efforts. Paper submitted and presented at International Symposium on Mountain Resource Management in a Changing Environment May 28-June 1, 2012 Conference. Park Village Resort. Kathmandu. KU Website
  • Assessing the causes of conflict and its affects on livelihoods: A study from Bardia National Park and Khata Corridor, Nepal. Bankojankari, July 2010. Kathamndu
  • Gender Equity and Social Inclusion review document for Ministry of Local Development. June 2010 Kathmandu

FIREW KEFYALEW
December 20, 2023

FIREW KEFYALEW

Associate Research Professor

fkefyalew@future.edu

Education

  • M.A. Addis Ababa University
  • B.A. Addis Ababa University
Biography
Firew Kefyalew is an Ethiopian with over 30 years of experience in program/project development/management, capacity building, teaching, research & documentation, counseling, and leadership in multi-cultural environments. He received a B.A. degree in Educational Psychology from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, in 1985; and a M.A. in Educational Psychology from the same university in 1994. He also holds a diploma in organization development consulting (2000).
Earlier in his career, Firew has served as secondary school Guidance and Counseling Officer in Asmara, Eritrea (1987-1990) and in Addis Ababa (1991-1993). He has also worked with the Department of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland in the Ethiopia and Rwanda field offices assuming progressive roles where he finally became the Director of the Ethiopia Field Office (1998). For six years (1998-2004), he was the Program Development Officer of Rädda Barnen (Save the Children Sweden) in the Southern Sudan Program. He continued to work in Southern Sudan (2004-2006) as Project Officer for UNICEF mainly tasked with child protection in returns and reintegration. Returning to his home country, he served the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) as Country Director from 2007 to 2015. Since July 2014, he was given an additional role by IIRR as Africa Region’s Program Advisor mainly tasked with promoting capacity building, research, and documentation in Africa.
Firew was the East Africa Region Academic Director of Future Generations University (USA) where he also held a faculty position as Assistant Professor of Participatory Action Research and Project Management (2015-2017). Firew is active in voluntary professional activities: Chair, Leadership Forum of CCRDA (2013 to date); board of trustee, Future Generations (2016 to date); President of the Ethiopian Psychologists’ Association (2007 to 2012); International Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care (2005 to 2010); Instructor, National University of Rwanda (1997); and Life Member, Society of Friend of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies (1996). He is also an International Fellow (2009) of Ford Motor Company 92 nd Street Y, elected based on the merit of demonstrated leadership skills.
Publications
  • Facilitator, editor, and resource person for books on reproductive health (Learning Our Way Out), Ethiopian Women in Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, Pastoral Land Use and Tenure in Ethiopia, Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction, and Value Chain Development (2007 to 2012)
  • Learning and Earning: How a Value Chain Learning Alliance Strengthens Farmer Entrepreneurship in Ethiopia. Firew Kefyalew, (con); John Belt; Wim Goris; Sorsa Debela, (con); Eva Smulders, (con) (2012)
  • Notes on Promoting Youth Participation (April 2004) (Unpublished)
  • The Child Soldiers of Northern Bahr el Ghazal: A Demobilization Experience (April 2004) Save the Children Sweden – Co-editor
  • Education as A Tool For Child Protection: Save the Children Sweden’s experience in southern Sudan (unpublished)
  • Children’s Rights in Southern Sudan: A Situation Analysis. (June 2003) Southern Sudan Program, Save the Children Sweden (Published) – Editor
  • Youth Education: The southern Sudan Experience. (April 2002) Southern Sudan Program, Save the Children Sweden (Published) – Editor, contributor and designer of cover page
  • Firew Kefyalew, Hirut Teferi (2000) Report from the regional seminar on the training of peacekeepers And the co-operation between humanitarian and military organizations
  • Firew Kefyalew, Kirk Felsman and Hirut Teferi (July 2000) Unaccompanied Refugee Minors from Southern Sudan: Preliminary Views on Coping and Long-term Adaptation. A paper presented at the XXVII International Congress of Psychology. Stockholm, Sweden.
  • Hirut Teferi, Kirk Felsman and Firew Kefyalew (July 2000) Research with Unaccompanied Refugee Minors: Ethical Dilemmas in the Field. A paper presented at the XXVII International Congress of Psychology. Stockholm, Sweden.
  • Prevention Strategies for Street Migration: An Ethiopian Perspective (June, 1998)
  • Family Reunification for Unaccompanied Minors in Rwanda (1998) with Giorgia Doná, Charles Kalinganire, Bernardine Mukakizima, and Felix Muramutsa,
  • Present level of public knowledge and understanding of the problem of street children in Ethiopia. A paper presented at the Urban Childhood Conference, Trondheim, Norway (June, 1997) and at BEARCO workshop in Kampala (July, 1997)
  • Research Methods in Human Sciences. A teaching material prepared for the National University of Sciences, Faculty of Education Sciences, Rwanda (November, 1997)
  • The Reality of Child Participation in Research. Global Journal of Childhood. Vol. 3, 1996: 203 – 213 [published]
  • Responsibility Behavior Compared Between Home-reared and Institutionalized Children (MA Thesis, 1994)
  • The Role of Vocational Training in Conjunction with Integrated Education. (1993) [In Amharic]
  • Conflict Generating Factors between High school Teachers and Directors. A national prize-winning paper. (1989) [In Amharic]
  • The Study Habit of Blind Students in Addis Ababa University. (B.A. Senior Essay) Addis Ababa University. June 1986, Addis Ababa

JOHAN REINHARD
November 12, 2021

JOHAN REINHARD

Research Professor

johanreinhard@hotmail.com

Education

  • Ph.D. University of Vienna, Austria, Department of Anthropology
Biography
Born in Illinois, Johan began his undergraduate studies at the University of Arizona, before going on to receive his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Vienna. He conducted anthropological research for more than ten years in Nepal, specializing in culture change, sacred landscape, and shamanism, and also directed Peace Corps Training Projects. Since 1980 he has undertaken historical and archaeological research in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina focusing on sacred landscape and high-altitude archaeology.
Recognition for his work has included the Rolex Award, the Golden Puma of the Bolivian Government, the Explorers Medal of the Explorers Club, and being named an Explorer-in- Residence at the National Geographic Society. Museums have been built in three countries to exhibit archeological material recovered during his expeditions, and in 1995 and 1999 Time Magazine selected his finds as among “the world’s ten most important scientific discoveries.”
His research has been featured in several TV documentaries, including National Geographic Explorer, BBC, NOVA, PB and Discovery. He has over seventy publications, including six books. He is currently updating and archiving his Andean and Himalayan research materials.
Publications
  • 2016 Ancient Mitochondrial DNA Provides High-Resolution Time Scale of the Peopling of the Americas. Science Advances 2016 (2). (Co-authored with Bastien Llamas et al.) http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/4/e1501385.full
  • 2016 Frozen Mummies of the Andes. Expedition 58(2): 8-12.
  • 2016 A Discovery in the Andes. In The Walkabout Chronicles: Epic Journeys by Foot, Tor & Siffy Torkildson (eds.), pp. 412-426, Sacred World Explorations, Alaska.
  • 2014 Andes: High-Altitude Archaeological Sites as Cultural Heritage. In Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, Claire Smith (ed.), pp. 225-230, Springer Publishers, New York.
  • 2013 Archaeological, radiological, and biological evidence offer insight into Inca child sacrifice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Co-authored with A. S. Wilson, E. L. Brown, C. Villa, N. Lynnerup, A. Healey, M. C. Ceruti, J. Reinhard, C. H. Previgliano, F. A. Araoz, J. Gonzalez Diez, T. Taylor.) www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1305117110
  • 2013 Inca Mummies on Andean Peaks. In The Modern Explorers, Robin Hanbury-Tenison and Robert Twigger (eds.) pp. 288-293, Thames & Hudson, London.
  • 2012 Sacred Featherwork of the Inca. In Peruvian Featherworks: Art of the Precolumbian Era, Heidi King (ed.), pp. 78-87, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
  • 2012 Las Montañas Sagradas y las Culturas Preincaicas de los Andes. In América: Tierras de Montañas y Volcanes. Huellas de la Arqueología. Margarita Loera Chávez y Peniche, Stanislaw Iwaniszewski, and Ricardo Cabrera (eds.), pp. 51-71, Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Historia (INAH), México, D.F.
  • 2011 The Last Nomads of Nepal. Nepal Heritage 2(2): 34-38.
  • 2010 Inca Rituals and Sacred Mountains: A Study of the World’s Highest Archaeological Sites. (Co-authored with Constanza Ceruti), University of California (Cotsen Institute of Archaeology), Los Angeles.
  • 2010 El Mistero Eterno de Machu Picchu.  In La Ciudad Inca de Machu Picchu.  David Cases- Pallares (ed.), pp. 2-3, Editorial Sol90, Buenos Aires.
  • 2009 Arqueología Subacuática y Paisaje Sagrado: Investigaciones en los Lagos del Nevado de Toluca. In Las Aguas Celestiales: Nevado de Toluca, Pilar Luna, Arturo Montero, and Roberto Junco (eds.), pp. 30-31, Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Historia (INAH), México, D.F.
  • 2009 Sintesis de Estudios Interdisciplinarios en las Momias Congeladas del Volcan Llullaillaco In Actas del XV Congreso Nacional de Arqueología Argentina, Antonio Austral and Marcela Tamagnini (eds.), Vol. 2: 639-645. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, Argentina. (Co-authored with Constanza Ceruti, Carlos Previgliano, Josefina González, and Facundo Arias)
  • 2007 Machu Picchu: Exploring an Ancient Sacred Center. UCLA (Cotsen Institute of Archaeology), Los Angeles.
  • 2007 Machu Picchu: The Sacred Center. Nueves Imágenes S.A., Lima (3rd revised edition).
  • 2007 Inca Mummies: Child Sacrifice on Andean Peaks. In Discovery!: Unearthing the New Treasures of Archaeology Brian Fagan (ed.), London: Thames & Hudson, pp. 100-105.
  • 2007 Stable isotope and DNA evidence for ritual sequences in Inca child sacrifice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104 (42): 16456-16461.  (Co-authored with Andrew Wilson, Timothy Taylor, Constanza Ceruti, José Antonio Chávez, Vaughan Grimes, Wolfram-Meier- Augenstein, Larry Cartmell, Ben Stern, Michael Richards, Michael Worobey, Ian Barnes, and Thomas Gilbert)
  • 2007 Mitochondrial genome sequencing of an Incan pre-Columbian mummy recovered from a Peruvian glacier ("Juanita, the Ice Maiden of Ampato).  GenBank, Accession Numbers EF660742 and EF660743.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Genbank/. (Co-authored with Keith McKenney, Tracy Spriggs, José Antonio Chávez, Hernan Lorenzi, Elizabeth Caler, Martin Shumway, Vadim Sapiro, and Claire Fraser-Liggett)
  • 2007 Cloud Diving.  In They Lived to Tell the Tale: True Stories of Modern Adventure from the Legendary Explorers Club.  Jan Russell (ed.), New York: Lyons Press, pp. 231-236.
  • 2005 Sacred Mountains, Ceremonial Sites, and Human Sacrifice Among the Incas.  (Co-authored with Constanza Ceruti) Archaeoastronomy 19: 1-43.
  • 2005 The Ice Maiden: Inca Mummies, Mountain Gods, and Sacred Sites in the Andes. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. (Revised Paperback 2006)
  • 2005 A Compositional Analysis of Pottery Vessels Associated with the Inca Ritual of Capacocha. (Co-authored with Tamara Bray, Leah Minc, Constanza Ceruti, Ruddy Perea, and José Antonio Chávez). Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 24: 82-100.
  • 2005 Rescue Archaeology of the Inca Mummy on Mount Quehuar, Argentina. (Co-authored with Constanza Ceruti) In Proceedings of the Fifth World Mummy Congress, Emma Massa (ed.). (LXXX Journal of Biological Research), Torino, Italy, pp. 303 -307.
  • 2005 The Search for Inca Mummies. Dig 7(9): 28-30.
  • 2003 Into the Hidden Crater– An Andean Adventure. Explorers Journal 81(3): 16-23.
  • 2003 Radiologic Evaluation of the Llullaillaco Mummies. (Co-authored with Carlos Previgliano, Constanza Ceruti, Facundo Arias, and Josefina González). American Journal of Roentgenology 181: 1473-1479.
  • 2002 Sacred Landscape: The Prehistoric Cultures of the Andes. In Extreme Landscape: The Lure of Mountain Spaces, MacDonald, Bernadette (ed.), National Geographic Society, pp. 206-225.
  • 2002 Machu Picchu: The Sacred Center. Lima: Instituto Machu Picchu (2nd revised edition).
  • 2002 Machu Picchu: El Centro Sagrado. Cusco: Instituto Machu Picchu.
  • 2002 A High Altitude Archaeological Survey in Northern Chile. Revista Chungara 34(1): 85-99.
  • 2001 Coropuna: Templo y Montaña de las Incas. Revista del Centro de Investigaciones Arqueológicas de Alta Montaña 6: 123-130.
  • 2000 Investigaciones Arqueológicas en el Volcán Llullaillaco (Co-authored with Constanza Ceruti), Salta: Editorial de la Universidad Católica de Salta (EUCASAL).
  • 2000 The Search for Inca Mummies. Calliope 10(7) (March): 40-43.
  • 1999 Frozen in Time. National Geographic 196(5) (November): 36-55.
  • 1999 Machu Picchu. National Geographic Traveler (special issue) 16(7) (October): 232-233.
  • 1999 Coropuna: Lost Mountain Temple of the Incas. South American Explorers Journal 58:5, 26-30.
  • 1998 New Inca Mummies. National Geographic 194(1) (July): 128-135.
  • 1998 Discovering the Inca Ice Maiden. Washington, D.C: National Geographic Society.
  • 1998 The Temple of Blindness: An Investigation of the Inca Shrine of Ancocagua. Andean Past 5: 87-106.
  • 1997 Die Geschichte der Mumie. Geo (special issue), October, pp. 78-84.
  • 1997 Sharp Eyes of Science Probe the Mummies of Peru. National Geographic 191(1) (January): 36-43.
  • 1997 La Medicina Entra en la Intimidad de las Momias Incas. GEO (Spain) 128 (September): 88-95.
  • 1997 Llullaillaco: Investigación del Yacimiento Arqueológico más Alto del Mundo. Anales de Arqueología y Etnología, Mendoza (Argentina) 48/49: 105-129.
  • 1996 Peru’s Ice Maidens. National Geographic 189(6) (June): 62-81.
  • 1996 El Eterno Regreso de las Momias. GEO (Spain) 118 (November): 106-117.
  • 1996 The Lore of a Desert Dive. Americas 48(4): 30-37.
  • 1996 The Enigmatic Nazca Lines: Sacred Symbols on the Land. Site Saver: The Newsletter of Sacred Sites International Foundation 6(3): 2, 5, 7.
  • 1995 House of the Sun: The Inca Temple of Vilcanota. Latin American Antiquity 6(4): 340- 349.
  • 1993 Llullaillaco: An Investigation of the World's Highest Archaeological Site. Latin American Indian Languages Journal 9(1): 31-54.
  • 1992 Review of Peru: Hombre e historia de los orígenes al siglo XV, by Duccio Bonavia. Latin American Antiquity 3(4): 368-369.
  • 1992 Exploraciones Arqueológicas Subacuáticas en el Lago Titikaka, (Co-authored with Carlos Ponce, Eduardo Pareja, Max Portugal, and Leocadio Ticlla), La Paz: Editorial La Palabra.
  • 1992 Investigaciones arqueológicas subacuáticas en el lago Titicaca. In Exploraciones Arqueológicas Subacuáticas en el Lago Titikaka, Carlos Ponce (et al), La Paz: Editorial La Palabra, pp. 419-530.
  • 1992 Sacred Peaks of the Andes. National Geographic 181(3)(March): 84-111.
  • 1992 Misterios del Lago Titicaca: Arqueología Bajo las Olas. In Guía Cultural y Turística de Bolivia, P.McFarren (ed.), La Paz: Fundación Cultural Quipus, pp. 243-274.
  • 1992 Tiahuanaco, Centro Sagrado de los Andes. In Guía Cultural y Turística de Bolivia, P. McFarren (ed.), La Paz: Fundación Cultural Quipus, pp. 203-242.
  • 1992 Underwater Archaeological Research in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia. In Ancient America: Contributions to New World Archaeology, N. Saunders (ed.), Oxford: Oxbow Books, pp. 117-143.
  • 1992 An Archaeological Investigation of Inca Ceremonial Platforms on the Volcano Copiapo, Central Chile. In Ancient America: Contributions to New World Archaeology, N. Saunders (ed.), Oxford: Oxbow Books, pp. 145-172.
  • 1992 Studies of Nazca. Archaeoastronomy 17: S62-S67, Cambridge.
  • 1991 Shangri-la and the Hidden Valleys. In Insight Guides Nepal, Lisa Choegyal (ed.), Singapore: APA Publications, pp. 256-259.
  • 1991 Machu Picchu: The Sacred Center. Lima: Nuevas Imágenes.
  • 1990 Heights of Interest. South American Explorer 26: 24-29.
  • 1990 Tiahuanaco, Sacred Center of the Andes. In The Cultural Guide of Bolivia, P. McFarren (ed.), La Paz: Fundación Cultural Quipus, pp. 151-181.
  • 1990 Mysteries of Lake Titicaca: Archaeology Beneath the Waves. In The Cultural Guide of Bolivia, P. McFarren (ed.), La Paz: Fundación Cultural Quipus, pp. 183-203.
  • 1990 Informe sobre una sección del camino Inca y las ruinas en la cresta que baja del nevado de Tucarhuay entre los ríos Aobamba y Santa Teresa. Revista Sacsahuaman 3: 163-187, Cusco.
  • 1988 The Nazca Lines: A New Perspective on their Origin and Meaning, Lima: Editorial Los Pinos (4 th revised edition).
  • 1988 The Nazca Lines, Water and Mountains: An Ethno-archaeological Study. In Recent Studies in Pre-Columbian Archaeology, N. Saunders and O. de Montmollin (eds.), Oxford: British Archaeological Reports, pp. 363-414.
  • 1987  Las Lineas de Nazca: Un Nuevo Enfoque sobre in Origen y Significado. Lima: Editorial Los Pinos (1st Spanish edition) (2nd revised edition 1988).
  • 1987 Chavín y Tiahuanaco: Una Nueva Perspectiva de Dos Centros Ceremoniales Andinos. Boletín de Lima 50: 29-49 and 51: 35-52.
  • 1987 The Hidden Crater: Expedition to an Unexplored Plateau of Western Argentina. Optima 35 (4): 219-227, South Africa.
  • 1987 The Sacred Himalaya. American Alpine Journal 29: 123-132.
  • 1985 Chavin and Tiahuanaco: A New Look at Two Andean Ceremonial Centers. National Geographic Research 1(3): 395-422, Washington, D.C.
  • 1985 Sacred Mountains: An Ethnoarchaeological Study of High Andean Ruins. Mountain Research and Development 5(4): 299-317.
  • 1985 The Nazca Lines: A New Perspective on their Origin and Meaning, Lima: Editorial Los Pinos (1st edition).
  • 1985 Author’s reports of 40 archaeological sites appeared in El Enigma de los Santuarios Indígenas de Alta Montaña, Antonio Beorchia (compiler), San Juan: CIADAM.
  • 1983 Las Montañas Sagradas: Un Estudio Etnoarqueológico de Ruinas en las Altas Cumbres Andinas. Cuadernos de Historia 3: 27-62, Santiago.
  • 1983 Las Líneas de Nazca, Montañas y Fertilidad. Boletín de Lima 26: 29-50, Lima.
  • 1983 High-Altitude Archaeology and Andean Mountain Gods. American Alpine Journal 25: 54-67.
  • 1982 Expedición Arqueológica al Altiplano de Tarapacá y sus Cumbres. Revista de Corporación para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia 2(2): 17-42, Santiago (with Julio Sanhueza).
  • 1981 Expedición Arqueológica al Volcán Licancabur. Revista de Corporación para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia 1(4): 31-38, Santiago (with Ana Maria Baron).
  • 1981 Notas Sobre la Arqueología Subacuatica del Titicaca. Hoy 12(4): 3, La Paz.
  • 1981 The Chonos of the Chilean Archipelago. Bulletin of the International Committee on Urgent Anthropological and Ethnological Research 23: 89-98, Vienna.
  • 1980 Ascensión al Volcán Licancabur y Otros Nevados Revista del Centro de Investigaciones Arqueológicos de Alta Montaña 4: 41-44, San Juan (with George Serracino and Ana Maria Barón).
  • 1980 Ruinas arqueológicas sobre la cima del Volcán Paniri. Revista del Centro de Investigaciones Arqueológicas de Alta Montaña 4: 17-18, San Juan (with George Serracino).
  • 1978 Khembalung: The Hidden Valley. Kailash, A Journal of Himalayan Studies 6(1): 5-35, Kathmandu.
  • 1978 Nepal Cross-Cultural Trainers Manual (with Lewis Underwood and Bishnu Shrestha), New Educational Research Associates: Kathmandu.
  • 1977 Raute (Nepal)-Camp Scenes and Bartering. Publications to Scientific Films of the Institute for Scientific Film, Series 7(42), 6 pp., Göttingen.
  • 1977 Raji (Nepal)-Shaman Initiation. Publications to Scientific Films of the Institute for Scientific Film Series 7(42), 9 pp., Göttingen.
  • 1977 Raji (Nepal)-Divination and Magical Treatment of an Illness. Publications to Scientific Films of the Institute for Scientific Film Series 7(41), 8 pp., Göttingen.
  • 1977 Kusunda (Nepal)-Consecration of Hunting Equipment. Publications to Scientific Films of the Institute for Scientific Film Series 7(40), 7 pp., Göttingen.
  • 1977 Kusunda (Nepal)-Construction of a Lean-To during Hunting. Publications to Scientific Films of the Institute for Scientific Film Series 7(39), 7 pp., Göttingen.
  • 1977 Newar, Kumhale Caste (Nepal)-Pottery- Making. Publications to Scientific Films of the Institute for Scientific Film Series 7(38), 9 pp., Göttingen.
  • 1977 Newar, Udhas Caste (Nepal)-Construction of a Water Pipe. Publications to Scientific Films of the Institute for Scientific Film Series 7(37), 7 pp., Göttingen.
  • 1976 The Ban Rajas: A Vanishing Tribe. Contributions to Nepalese Studies 4(1): 1-22, Kathmandu.
  • 1976 Shamanism and Spirit Possession: The Definition Problem. In Spirit Possession in the Nepal Himalayas, J. Hitchcock & R. Jones (eds.), New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, pp. 12-20.
  • 1976 Shamanism among the Raji of Southwest Nepal. In Spirit Possession in the Nepal Himalayas, J. Hitchcock & R. Jones (eds.), New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, pp. 263-292.
  • 1974 Underwater Archaeology in Austria: A Preliminary Report. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration 3(2): 320, London.
  • 1974 The Raute: Notes on a Nomadic Hunting and Gathering Tribe of Nepal. Kailash, A Journal of Himalayan Studies 2(4): 233-271, Kathmandu.
  • 1973 Deskriptive Analyse von Schamanismus und Hexerei bei den Purbia Raji Sudwest– Nepals, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Vienna, 302 pp.
  • 1972 Report on an Unclassified and a Dravidian Language in Nepal. Wiener Linguistische Gazette 1: 33-34, Vienna.
  • 1970 Preliminary Linguistic Analysis and Vocabulary of the Kusunda Language. Summer Institute of Linguistics, Kathmandu, 31 pp. (with Sueyoshi Toba).
  • 1970 The Dhangar: A Dravidian Tribe in Nepal. Bulletin of the International Committee on Urgent Anthropological and Ethnological Research 12: 91-94, Vienna.
  • 1969 Preliminary Report on Wood Working in Nepal. Anzeiger der philosophische- historischen Klasse der Osterreichischen Akadamie der Wissenschaften 106: 110-115, Vienna.
  • 1969 Preliminary Report on Pottery Making in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Anzeiger der philosophische- historischen Klasse der Osterreichischen Akadamie der Wissenschaften 106: 115-130, Vienna.
  • 1969 Aperçu sur les Kusunda: peuple chasseur du Népal. Objets et Mondes 9(1): 89-106, Paris.
  • 1969 Research with the Raji in Western Nepal: A Brief Summary. Bulletin of the International Committee on Urgent Anthropological and Ethnological Research 11: 33- 34, Vienna.
  • 1968 The Kusunda: Ethnographic Notes on a Hunting Tribe of Nepal. Bulletin of the International Committee on Urgent Anthropological and Ethnological Research10: 95- 110, Vienna.

MEIKE SCHLEIFF
December 20, 2023

MEIKE SCHLEIFF

Associate Research Professor

mschleiff@future.edu

Education

  • DrPH Johns Hopkins University
  • M.S John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • B.S Berea College
Biography
Meike brings a background of community-based mentoring, teaching, and program implementation to Future. Edu. She has worked extensively with communities and young leaders in Haiti through GROW project, the non-profit that she co-founded with Haitian colleagues, and has also been engaged in community development planning, implementation, evaluation, and training in Guyana, Ugandan India, and the Appalachian region in the USA. She has experienced working in a variety of settings on projects ranging from disaster response to entrepreneurial loan programs to building primary health care infrastructure in collaboration with local governments and communities.
She is currently conducting her public health doctoral dissertation research in West Virginia assessing the rural health workforce’s history, current capacity, and remaining haps and opportunities for improving community-based health in the state. Her research interest include health professional education strategies, the role of mentoring in health professional education, and historical analyses of the role of community in health care and health education. She is interested in building capacity of globally for community health issues, mentoring young health and community development professionals, and advancing systems thinking and health systems research training opportunities.
Publications
  • Schleiff, M., Kumapley, R., Freeman, P., Gupta, S., Rassekh, B., Perry, H. A Comprehensive Review of the Evidence Regarding the Effectiveness of Community-based Primary Health Care in Improving Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health: 5. Equity Effects. Journal of Global Health, special issue in press 2017.
  • Schleiff, M. 2017. The Interface Between Communities and the Primary Care System in Rural and Low-income West Virginia: Historical and County-level Experience to Inform the Future of Community Health Workers (CHWs). Doctoral dissertation; ProQuest.
  • Jennings, M.C., Pradhan, S., Schleiff, M., Sacks, E., Freeman, P., Gupta, S., Rassekh, B., Perry, H. A Comprehensive Review of the Evidence Regarding the Effectiveness of Community-Based Primary Health Care in Improving Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health: 2. Maternal Health Findings. Journal of Global Health, in press 2017.
  • Freeman, P., Schleiff, M., Sacks, E., Rassekh, B., Gupta, S., Perry, H. A Comprehensive Review of the Evidence Regarding the Effectiveness of Community-based Primary Health Care in Improving Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health: 4. Child Health Findings. Journal of Global Health, special issue in press 2017.
  • Perry, H., Sacks, E., Schleiff, M., Kumapley, R., Gupta, S., Rassekh, B., Freeman, P. A Comprehensive Review of the Evidence Regarding the Effectiveness of Community-based Primary Health Care in Improving Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health: 6. Strategies Used by Effective Projects. Journal of Global Health, special issue in press 2017.
  • Tancred T., Schleiff, M., Peters, D., Bigdeli, M, Balabanova, D. 2016. Teaching and Training in Health Policy and Systems Research: Global Status and Priorities. Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
  • George, A., Lefevre, A., Schleiff, M., Mancuso, A., Sacks, E., Sarriot, E. 2016. Expanding Evidence Approaches for Improving and Sustaining Community maternal, Newborn, and Child Health: Preliminary Report. Report for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
  • Tancred, T., Schleiff, M., Peters, D., Balabanova, D. 2015. Global Mapping of Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) Teaching. Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, W.H.O. Report and background document for an expert consultation on teaching HPSR. Available at: http://healthsystemsglobal.org/twg-group/4/Teaching-and-Learning-Health-Policy-and-Systems-Research/.
  • Pappas, E., Schleiff, M., Pappas, J., Puentes, R., Taylor-Ide, L., Taylor, D. 2015. Curriculum Plans for Community Health and Prevention, Entrepreneurship, and Family Agriculture. The Pew Charitable Trusts and University of the World.
  • Rodrigues, D., Schleiff, M. 2014. Department of International Health Research Mapping: Final Report. A review and past and present foci in research within the IH Dept. at Johns Hopkins and recommendations towards a strategic plan.
  • Gupta, S., Hyder, A., Schleiff, M, Tran, N., Ghaffar, A. 2014. Global Consultation on Capacity Development for Health Policy and Systems Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, WHO.
  • Schleiff, M. 2013. Community-based Versus Community-directed Approaches. Tropical Health Matters guest blog post, December 17, 2013. Available at: http://malariamatters.org/community-based-versus-community-directed-approaches/.
  • Schleiff, M. 2013. Analysis of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Initiatives for Global Action Towards Greater Equity in Health: Primary Health Care and Social Determinants of Health. Masters Thesis, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
  • Report by WHO Watch and the People’s Health Movement on the 65th World Health Assembly. Global Health Watch. May 2012. Geneva, Switzerland. http://www.ghwatch.org/sites/www.ghwatch.org/files/WHOWatchReport_May2012.pdf
  • Schleiff, M. 2011. Return to Haiti—And Haiti to Haitians. Huffington Post blog post on May Goldwasser’s RED page, May 25, 2011. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-goldwasser/red-the-book-return-to-ha_b_551215.html
  • Schleiff, M. 2007. A ‘Beautiful’ Cause of Death that Had Me Dying for a While in: RED: The Next Generation of American Writers-Teenaged Girls-On What Fires up their Lives Today. Ed. Amy Goldwasser. Hudson Street Press, New York: 2007.

DAN WESSNER
January 25, 2024

DAN WESSNER

Professor & Director, Bending Bamboo Project

dan.wessner@future.edu

Education

  • ​Ph.D. University of Denver Korbel School of International Studies
  • ​J.D. University of Virginia School of Law
  • ​M.Div. Princeton Theological Seminary
  • B.A. Stanford University
Biography
He is developing, modeling, testing, and marketing integrative education platforms for at-risk and affluent communities to collaborate on the SDGs per local contexts and within planetary boundaries. His lead on the Future Generations University accreditation process addresses the specific and universal learning of globally dispersed student and alumni bodies. He works among universities and nonprofits to find lasting solutions to vexing development challenges, and thus helped launch the Posner Center for International Development- a collaborative space of sixty international nonprofits headquartered in Denver, Colorado. He has served on several boards of organizations committed to education and best development practices.
Publications
  • “Learning beyond the Light Bulb among Least Developed Countries based on a Sustainable PV Solar
  • Utility Model.” New Brunswick, NJ: Global Health Technology Conference Proceedings, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (2014).
  • “Development and Peacebuilding.” International Encyclopedia of Peace. New York: Oxford University Press (2009).
  • “Vietnam: Post-Conflict Peacebuilding.” International Encyclopedia of Peace. New York: Oxford University Press (2009).
  • “Addressing Fundamentalism by Legal and Spiritual Means.” Human Rights & Human Welfare 57-76 (2003) (http://www.du.edu/gsis/hrhw/volumes/2003/wessner-2003.pdf).
  • “Pacifist Pedagogy and the Bush Doctrine.” In Teaching Peace: Nonviolence and the Liberal Arts, eds. J. Denny Weaver and Gerald Biesecker-Mast. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003, pp. 147-63.
  • Review Essay. Perry Bush, “Two Kingdoms, Two Loyalties: Mennonite Pacifism in Modern America, and Glen Stassen, ed. Just Peacemaking: Ten Practices for Abolishing War.” The Conrad Grebel Review 18:2 (Spring 2000), pp. 95-98.
  • “From Judge to Participant: The United States as Champion of Human Rights.” In Debating Human Rights, ed. Peter Van Ness. London: Routledge, 1999, pp. 255-77. Published earlier in Critical Asian Studies 28:2 (1996), pp. 29-45.
  • Monkey King & Sage: Hanoi’s Politics of Syncretism. Doctoral dissertation in International Studies (archived online, June 2001). Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver.
  • “Floating to the Unknown.” Global Justice 1:2 (Summer 1995), pp. 39-47.
  • “Denver Community Development through Edgar’s Eyes.” Global Justice 4:2 (Winter 1994), pp. 36-39.
  • “Vietnam Comes Full Circle.” Areopagus (Hong Kong) 7:1 (1994).
  • “Outer Continental Shelf Revenue Sharing for Coastal States.” Virginia Journal of Natural Resources Law 3:131 (1983), pp. 131-61.

Yu, Huiling, Class of 2015 – (China)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Strengthening the Effectiveness of Conservation by Involving the Local Community in Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve

Huiling’s study addresses the issues stemming from the top-down management and inadequate resources of Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve in China by seeking ways to involve the local community to participate in co-managing conservation and community development endeavors. The park lacks a management plan, has very limited staff, poor work equipment, inadequate levels of training, and a minuscule operational budget. It also suffers from severe degradation due to overgrazing, engineering damage, climate change, and illegal mining and poaching. In order to perform research and create a community conservation project, Huiling used funding from UNDP-GEF to create a three-way partnership between the local government, local community, and outside experts, including Future Generations China. Before starting conservation activities, Huiling conducted community participatory research in the form of household interviews, semi-structured interviews, participatory rural appraisal, and focus group discussions. From what he discovered through his research, Huiling makes the following recommendations to create a conservation program for the park: 1) build from successes, such as the community ecological patrols to prevent poaching and the use of traditional culture to educate poachers, future generations, and outsiders on the importance of preserving wild animals and the land, 2) form a three-way partnership between the local community, local government, and outside experts, 3) make decisions based on evidence rather than anecdotes, and 4) focus on behavior changes in community members to encourage the protection of the land.

Windsor, Mavis, Class of 2007 – (Canada)

July 1, 2019

Practicum Summary:

Gvi’las: Our Way of Life

Mavis Windsor’s practicum concerns the inherent relationship of the Heiltsuk Nation and the wild salmon from a conservation and social perspective. Mavis Windsor was raised on the Heiltsuk Reservation in British Columbia, and thus sought to examine how the Heiltsuk Nation should move forward together in a respectful and honorable way. In his study, he recounts the history of the Heiltsuk in the pre-contact era as a tribal group with a distinctive culture. Due to the Heiltsuk Nation’s location on the central coast of British Columbia, over time the Heiltsuk people developed a traditional system of ecological knowledge that embodied the use and conservation of land resources, including the wild salmon. Windsor highlights the importance of the wild salmon as a social tool for the transfer of Heiltsuk values as well as its role as a communal food sustenance. In addition, Windsor discusses the challenges associated with cultural identity, pointing out that the Heiltsuk culture has survived despite socioeconomic problems and underrepresentation in government. In conclusion, Windsor suggests the Heiltsuk Nation retake control of their history that has been driven and written by “nonHeiltsuk” over the past 200 years.

Udoh, Ikwo John, Class of 2005 – (Nigeria)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Academy Community Readiness for Change

In his research, Ikwo Udoh analyzes data collected among the Eguns in Makoko, located in the Lagos Mainland Local Government of Lagos State. The study employed an entry point for community readiness for change survey in order to measure the ability of members in the Egun community to act together, transformative energy among the community, the community’s readiness for positive change, and the community’s ability to sustain a change process. In addition, Udoh wanted to identify an entry point for beginning a change process in the community as a whole. In this study, Udoh found that illiteracy was very high in the community, and basic education and healthcare were the areas in greatest need of intervention. Using statistical data to analyze social factors, it was discovered that although transformative energy was found among the community, those living in the community were unable as to what their immediate problems were, the Egun community were at the level of vague awareness on the community readiness continuum, and the community required a change process focused on building community capacity to motivate leadership and prepare the community for action. Ultimately, Udoh determines that beginning a process of change in unstable conditions would not be a waste of time or resources, for the transformative energy and faith need to move the community from one level to the next will translate into the community’s overall empowerment.

Tshering Yangzom, Class of 2007 – (Samtse, Bhutan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Ja Thungay: Let’s Drink Tea

Tangzon’s practicum examines the relationship between alcohol and poverty in one of Bhutan’s poorest rural indigenous communities, the Lhops, located in the south-western region of the country. For years, the Tarayana Foundation, founded by Her Majesty the Queen of Bhutan, has focused on improving the Lhop community’s living standards through skills training programs, educational scholarships for children, and providing maintenance fees so that the poor may fend for themselves. In Yangzom’s research, he discovered that while economic opportunities were accessible to the Lhops community, many of them were still heavily dependent on alcohol, especially men. He cites many contributing factors to this dependence, including the lack of access to a road, which inhibits opportunities for community members to buy, sell, and trade. Yangzom also analyzes whether women could be used as a force to bring about social change in the community in a bottom-up approach to prevent and mitigate alcohol-related problems by using information, education, and communication in hopes that individuals will change their behavior. Yangzom recommends focusing on changing socio-cultural norms about gender and drinking while remaining sensitive to the Lhop culture. He also cites the importance of carrying out this approach in a sensitive and serious way, in which the community is involved in every step of improvement, due to the fact that the community has already been patronized by surrounding communities for their problems with alcohol and productivity.

Tien Ngo, Nguyen, Class of 2007 – (Vietnam)

July 1, 2019

Practicum Summary:

Using Intercultural Communicative Competence Learning Platfom to Increase Student’s Communicative Skills and Intercultural Competence at An Giant University, Vietnam

Ngo Tien Nguyen’s research practicum examines a new methodology to develop communicative skills and intercultural communicative competence for English students at An Giant University in Vietnam by employing more intercultural-based materials and activities. At the university level, English acquisition in Vietnam relied heavily on Western-cultural based textbooks for many years. These learning texts do not reflect the culture of nonnative English speakers, resulting in strong communication skills via the English language, but a lack of intercultural competence that prevents students from being successful global citizens. In order to improve intercultural competence, Eastern Mennonite University and An Giant University created the Intercultural Communicative Competence Platform (IC3) designed to provide a new learning experience for English students. To test the effectiveness of the learning material on language learning so that it is improved for the benefit of the student, an action research experiment was undertaken. Using data collected from students’ tests, questionnaires, and interviews, students were analyzed to find how intercultural competent they were in terms of motivation, knowledge, attitude, and confidence. Although the students observed from the experimental class showed growing improvement in basic language skills and intercultural competence, results were not as high as expected, partially due to a lack of indicators to measure intercultural competency. Nguyen recommends improving IC3 material with more diversified activities and updated information related to intercultural competency.

Stanley, Antoinette, Class of 2014 – (Namibia)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Effects of Career Guidance on Grade 10 Learners’ Readiness to Make Career Choices in Namibia

Antoinette’s research analyzes the effects of career guidance on student ability to make career choices at Jan Mohr Secondary School in Namibia. In Namibia, most students entering tertiary institutions lack direction in their course selection and do not possess clear motivations for their chosen field of study, which is attributed to inadequate career guidance and assessment of individual learners, nationwide. In result, students often develop into discontent workers, after leaving their secondary institution without having gained proper knowledge of employment opportunities that fit their skills and interests. In Antoinette’s study, she determines whether grade 10 learners who received more career guidance would be more prepared than their peers who did not receive guidance. Thirty-five subjects were randomly selected for the experimental group that received guidance, while the thirty-five remaining subjects were randomly selected as the control group, and did not receive career guidance. The data was collecting using a career readiness questionnaire, which was distributed to the experimental group twice, but the control group one time. In her data analysis, Antoinette discovered that her hypothesis held true: students who received career guidance were far more prepared than their counterparts who were not presented with a guidance opportunity

Stanikzai, Mohammad Zakir, Class of 2015 – (Afghanistan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Role of Community Development Councils in Conflict Resolution at the Village Level: A case study of Dushi and Khinjan Districts of Baghlan Province in Afghanistan

Zakir’s research seeks to identify what role Community Development Councils play in resolving conflicts at the village level in the Dushi and Khinjan Districts of Baghlan Province in Afghanistan. At the village level, locals are faced with conflict over land disputes, livestock, water, armed aggression, and other violence that leads to civil and political instability. In order to address regional imbalance and equity, the government of Afghanistan launched a number of development and reconstruction programs to emphasize the process of development and peace. These National Solidarity Programs aim to build capacity by encouraging Afghan communities to identify, plan, implement, and manage their own reconstruction and development projects and lay the foundation for strong local-governance through Community Development Councils. After carrying out a series of case studies and interviews, Zakir determined that Community Development Councils are indeed effective in mediating conflicts at the local level. However in order to sustain the CDCs, he recommends improving the councils by creating government-ordained guidelines for which types of conflicts the councils can mediate, investing in conflict resolution subcommittees, incorporating more respected elders into mediation, and providing additional training in conflict resolution.

 

Shirzai, Ajmal, Class of 2011 – (Afghanistan)

July 1, 2019

Practicum Summary:

Strengthening Synergy and Coordination Among Local Governance Institutions

The purpose of Ajmal’s research is to find and analyze ways to strengthen synergy and coordination among different local governance institutions in Afghanistan. After the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in 2003, various local government institutions have received funding, but have little or no understanding how these funds will be allocated to best serve public interests. A lack of synergy and poor coordination exists among the institutions and elites and warlords continue to hold significant influence on decision-making at the local level. Ajmal states the intent of his study is to understand the roles and functions of local government institutions, explore and analyze the interaction among local institutions, and to identify a way to apply a SEED-SCALE, bottom-up approach to improve their effectiveness. He focuses on four villages of Surkh Rod and Behsud districts in the Nangarhar province of Eastern Afghanistan. Ajmal recommends the promotion of a decentralized government with independent local institutions who are aware of each other’s duties in order to strengthen the political structure and coordination among branches.

Samali, Constantine, Class of 2013 – (Tanzania)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Street Children in Tanzania

Constantine’s research practicum concerns street children in the Kasulu district of Tanzania and the factors that propel children onto the streets. A street child is defined as any girl or boy who has not yet reached adulthood, for whom the street, unoccupied dwellings, and wastelands, has become his or her source of livelihood and who is inadequately directed, supervised, or protected by responsible adults. Constantine sites abject poverty as the underlying cause forcing children onto the streets, which is often worsened by the death of one or both parents, abuse at home, and the need for the child to contribute to the family income. Using focus group discussions and questionnaires distributed to health workers, social workers, teachers, farmers, students, and community leaders, Constantine discovered that contraction of HIV/AIDS, children abandonment, domestic violence, alcoholism, single parenting, family separation, and dropping out of school, irresponsible families, and verbal, sexual, and physical abuse cause children to turn to the streets. Of these factors, death of parents, domestic violence, and household poverty were the top contributors. Often parents of street children succumb to HIV/AIDS, and more often than not, children have contracted the disease themselves. In order to positively affect the situation of street children in Tanzania, Constantine recommends promoting community sensitization, in which individuals in the community are motivated to protect children and their rights. In addition, she recommends instigating self-help Groups so that peers may share their stories and positively motivate each other, forming committees that influence policy concerning the rights of children, training self-help group members on effective and safe income generating activities, and incorporating women into the self-help Group structure as positive forces influencing a child’s human development.

Sakhizada, Besmillah, Class of 2013 – (Afghanistan)

October 12, 2022

Practicum Summary:

Health System in Afghanistan

Besmillah’s research study was conducted to analyze the role of Family Health Action Groups and Community Health Workers on the betterment of peoples’ lives without outside support in the Siyadara and Rostam valleys of the Yakowlang district in Afghanistan. In order to collect data, 20 Community Health Workers and Family Health Action Groups were interviewed, observed, and served as participants in focus group discussions. From the data collection, Besmillah discovered that community workers who gathered health information from discussions amongst their target communities struggled with finding transportation to visits in their area, decreasing access to community workers at high need sites. Also, community health workers do not get paid during training; Sakhizada presents information supporting that community health workers will be more dedicated if the government and supporting organizations provide financial incentives for these workers.

Said Habib, Arwal, Class of 2009 – (Afghanistan)

July 1, 2019

Practicum Summary:

Changes in Afghanistan’s Community-Based Health Care

Said Arwal Habib’s research addresses the existing policy frameworks that are in place within the primary line ministries, at a national level, and the changes that took place in the Department of Community Based Health Care in the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan. Within his study, he discusses the design and implementation of the Community-Based Health Care system and analyzes the outcomes and impact of the system on affected communities. In 2002, the Ministry of Public Health started training volunteers who would work out of health posts in larger villages, aiming to cover 100-150 households. Said Arwal Habib concluded that the program depends on the participation of the people, and the program will grow only when there is peace in the country.

 

Sagar, Rohan, Class of 2011 – (Guyana)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Ethnic Conversations in Sonic Spaces

Rohan’s study examines the historical settlement, cultural identities and values, the phenomenon of music, and the role of music in the preservation and sustenance of ethnic and cultural identities in Guyana. The research focuses on three distinct but interrelated subjects: the historical settlement in Guyana, traditional and contemporary musical genres of Guyana, and the development of an integrated music curriculum. He provides an overview of historical colonization and the exploitation of human and economic capital by Europe which led the way for ethnic and communal interdependence. Rohan’s research reconstructs the social environment that enabled specific compositions and music performances to foster inter-ethnic peace, harmony, and communal transformation. His study concludes by advocating an expanded music curriculum that interrogates the legitimacy of Guyana six ethnic and cultural identities, and advances the historical social and cultural context that created Guyana’s education system. Rohan concludes his study with a newly developed music curriculum for Guyana that will restore, revitalize, and sustain ethnic and cultural values while building a tolerant, bonded society.

Safi, Maryam, Class of 2013 – (Afghanistan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Increasing Women’s Participation in Afghan Elections

Maryam Safi’s research aims to discover the problems associated with women’s participation in Afghan elections and the ways to improve conditions preventing participation. Using qualitative and quantitative research methods, Safi presents the importance of women’s participation in the election, trends or challenges of women’s participation in the election, solutions for existing problems and the realities of upcoming elections. She conducted 100 questionnaires and interviewed 22 individuals, along with implementing 2 focus group discussions with representatives of people in the Afghan parliament, members of civil society organizations, government officials, members of political parties and community remembers in order to complete this research. From her research, Maryam concludes that the majority of people believe in the importance of women’s role in shaping a safe and secure future in Afghanistan, and that women’s participations in elections is essential. She also points out that threats of insecurity, Afghan culture, family issues, gender inequality, lack of electoral awareness, lack of access to polling centers are major trends hindering women’s participation in elections. She recommends that the government of Afghanistan, the international community, and local citizens should support women’s participation in elections and influence figures who represent Islam in the community such as religious leaders and scholars.

 

Robillard, Louiino, Class of 2013 – (Cité Soleil, Haiti)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Konbit: Finding Haitian Solidarity in Modern Times

In Louino Robillard’s research practicum, he examines the tradition of Konbit in Haiti, a system rooted in rural Haiti in which peasants help each other cultivate the earth. Over the years, Haiti has steadily grown more dependent on foreign aid, causing Haiti to become known as the “Republic of NGOs.” Realizing the negative effects that foreign aid has inflicted, including a representation of Haiti as a backward, poor, charity case, Robillard sought to focus his research on a current success in Haiti– the aforementioned Konbit system. This study uses qualitative research in order to determine how people are performing konbit and the ways in which konbit is interpreted and understood amongst practitioners. Using informal consultations with people in different domains and areas across Haiti, Louino discovered that the four areas where konbit is employed are the agriculture, economic, community, and cultural domains. After completing consultations, Louino drafted a questionnaire and developed case studies and informal focus groups to get his results. He concluded that konbit is not just a traditional cooperative, but a “system of solidarity in which Haitians who are motivated by their consciences voluntarily participate in collaborative action that preserves their livelihoods, their cultures, and their interdependence, in any aspect of life.” Louino believes that if Haiti is without a direction, then going back to konbit will restore solidarity among the people. To do this, he recommends entering konbit into the Haitian constitution, teaching konbit in the educational system, educating international aid organizations on konbit, developing politics of konbit, developing a symbol of konbit, and convincing the Haitian Diaspora to collaborate with their hometowns to include the practice of konbit in development.

Robertson, Jackie, Class of 2011 – (Guyana)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

From Crisis to Empowerment Opportunity For the Community of Mahdia, Guyana, SA

Jacquelene’s study was designed to discover whether the three-way partnership approach could serve as a mechanism for empowering residents in the community of Mahdia, Guyana, and accelerate the community development process. The three entities involved in the partnership are the following: 1) the central government, who will supervise and provide funding for projects, 2) nongovernmental organizations who will assist with training and empowerment programs, and 3) the local community, who will participate and support the programs, thus instigating a bottom-up development technique. The main goal of the project was to introduce the SEED-SCALE strategy to assist in organizing a citizen-organized approach to development where a traditional government structure is absent. Using a case study approach in which groups were observed, monitored, events documented, sessions videotaped, and public documents analyzed, Jacquelene determined that a three way partnership filled the gap of a traditional strategic partnership, and contributed to achievements among the grass root-level where all sectors are involved in the advancement and empowerment strategy.

Reese, Wendy, Class of 2009 – (Vermont, United States)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Fighting for Survival: Healing the trauma of a broken community through capacity building in Nuestro Barrio, Phoenix, AZ

Reese’s research examines the process of social change and healing in a low-income, primarily Hispanic community in a Voluntary Acquisition and Relocation Sound Mitigation program (VARS) implemented by Sky Harbor Airport and the City of Phoenix. The VARS program offered relocation opportunities for those affected by aircraft noise in the Nuestro Barrio neighborhood adjacent to Sky Harbor Airport. The study explores how residents who chose not to participate in the VARS program and remain in their neighborhood improved the quality of life within their community. Reese uses her experience as a nonresident, societal action science researcher to address how structural violence, or constraints placed on human potential due to economic and political structures, is affected by capacity building, community mobilization, trauma healing, and the development of community partnerships.

Rasuli, Moh. Nasir, Class of 2007 – (Afghanistan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

The Role of Health Committees in Strengthening the Peripheral Health System in Takhar, Afghanistan

Nazir Rasuli’s research reviews current practices in the healthcare system at the peripheral level as well as compliance with the Ministry of Public Health, Community Based Health Care policy and health committee guidelines. Due to Afghanistan’s ranking 173 out of 178 on the United Nations Human Development Index, the Basic Package of Health Services for primary health care and the Essential Package of Health Services were created as strategies for community based health care for secondary and tertiary levels of Primary Health Care in 2002. Since the defeat of the Taliban in 2001, medical services in Afghanistan have primarily been provided by NGOs contracted through the Ministry of Public Health. A decade ago, only 9 percent of Afghanistan’s population of 28 million people had basic health coverage; today, nearly 85 percent of the population has access to basic health care within a 2 hour walk. In order to conduct his research, Rasuli conducted interviews and focus group discussions with leading health workers, health shora members in 4 health facilities who serve as the committee and council, and the public health directorate. The specific issues Rasuli addresses in his research is the deficit in managerial and technical capacity of the health council’s members in monitoring the health facility and strengthening the health system, and the low awareness of health council members about their relevant roles and responsibilities in the national community based health care program. Ultimately, Rasuli concludes that providing training for health shoras on conducting and managing meetings, creating capacity building programs by NGOs, increasing interactions between the community and the health facility, and updating heath shoras on current staffing conditions should be included in a comprehensive strategy to improve the overall effectiveness of the health shora and overall Community Based Health initiative.

Rabten, Sonam, Class of 2014 – (Bhutan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Studying Effectivenss and Sustainability of Sawmill and Wood-Based Industries in Thimphu, Bhutan

In his research practicum, Sonam explores the sustainability of wood-based industries and supply and demand market regulation in Thimphu, Bhutan. Although there is strong political will to protect Bhutan’s 72.5% forest cover, fast population growth, developmental activities, and the resulting demand for timber fuel challenges the likelihood of forest protection in the future. In Bhutan, per capita wood consumption is relatively higher than that of neighboring countries, with 95% of households reliant on timber for lighting, heating, and cooking. In his study, Rabten found that there is an excessive amount of waste in the processing of timber at sawmills. In order to reduce waste in sawmills and therefore decrease logging activities, Sonam recommends training sawmill workers in new waste-reducing practices, investing in new, more efficient technologies, repurpose wasted wood offcuts, producing byproducts such as briquettes, and involving all stakeholders in policy making and decision making about timber production.

Paya, Pir Mohammad, Class of 2013 – (Afghanistan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Decision-Making Processes Regarding Children with Acute Respiratory Infection and Acute Diarrheal Disease in the Charahi Qamber Internal Displaced Population Camp

The goal of Pir Mohammad Paya’s practicum study is to better understand the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and decision-making processes with regard to children with acute respiratory infections and acute diarrheal diseases in Qamber Interna Displaced Population Camp in Afghanistan. This study also seeks to better understand the underlying factors and to collect relevant information to design effective interventions in efforts to reduce the prevalence of communicable diseases among the children in the Internally Displaced Population Camp in Kabul. Using qualitative data assessment in the form of focus group discussions split between male and female groups, 7 participants were identified to participate according to certain qualifying factors. These qualifying factors required that women have at least one child less than 5 years of age, each man was the husband of a woman participating the FGD, and all subjects participating signed the translated informed consent. After conducting an analysis, it was determined that both participating men and women had a very poor overall understand of acute respiratory infection and acute diarrheal disease. Pir Mohammad Paya recommends initiating an awareness campaign within camp using posters, stickers, brochures, and aired messages through mass media. He also advocates for a mosque-based educational approach in which religious leaders facilitate public health education and home-based visits by trained female community health workers. In the long term, he recommends the establishment of a girls’ school where a female teacher would be culturally acceptable, distribution of hygiene kits, an increase in trained community health workers, strengthened health education programs in health facilities, and increased access to safe drinking water to reduce the prevalence of infectious disease.

Patterson, James, Class of 2005 – (West Virginia, USA)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Can the Partnership of African American Churches use the SEED-SCALE Process to equip Black Churches to become agents of empowerment in their communities in West Virginia?

James Patterson’s research examined the history of the Partnership of African American Churches in West Virginia to determine whether the churches could use their energy to instigate social change. In order to establish parameters for the ability of the churches to implement social change, James used the SEED-SCALE model of community mobilization and empowerment, which stands for Self-Evaluation and Decision Making and Systems for Communities to Adapt, Learn, and Expand. After conducting an analysis of PAAC’s activities and partnerships, James determined that the organization is implementing the SEED-SCALE model at the Stimulating Community Awareness, Learning, and Energy level, but is not implementing the model at the Self-Help Centers for Action Learning and Experimentation and Synthesis of Collaboration, Adaptive Learning, and Extension Levels. Inevitably, the research revealed that the capacity of congregational communities was not being built. In order to build organizational capacity and develop leaders of social change, James recommends the PAAC develop Self-Help Centers and engaging in adaptive learning experiences, which will help address the fundamental issues of empowerment.

Oun, Sivan, Class of 2007 – (Cambodia)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Assessing Health Knowledge and Practices in Households for Childhood Pneumonia

Sivna Oun’s research practicum assesses the effectiveness of World Relief’s “Light for Life” Child Survival Project in the Chey Nikum and Chipaing Health Center catchment area in Ponhea Kriek-Dombe Operationa District and Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia. During the course of the Child Survival Project, 318 Care Groups with 2490 village volunteers were created to perform education and community mobilization to prevent sickness, including childhood pneumonia. Among the 16 health centers in the project area, two of them were randomly selected as research sites for the knowledge, diagnosis and treatment of childhood pneumonia. Oun found that the overall percentage of mothers who correctly used antibiotics to treat their child for pneumonia increased by 3.2%; the final survey showed that among the children who were sick and treated with pneumonia, none died over the last 8 months of program implementation due to the positive impact of the Child Survival Project.

Onyeizu, Uchenna, Class of 2014 – (Nigeria)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Transmission of Indigenous Knowledge and Practices in Nigeria: The role in sustainable yam production.

Uchenna’s study focused on the channels of transmission of indigenous knowledge and practices for promoting sustainable yam production in Nigeria, and the methods used to learn these practices. In Nigeria, the yam, which is consumed by the majority of the Nigerian population, is considered an important contributor to food security and reducing poverty. However, after the discovery of crude oil, stakeholders in Nigeria’s economic development began to neglect agricultural food production, which was once the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. Using a three-pronged approach including a literature review, a case study of the Bawri Community, and the Uchenna’s personal experiences, Uchenna conducted a research study addressing the future of the yam in the economy and health of the Nigerian people. The study revealed that the annual New Yam Festival, held at the end of each rainy season, is a key channel and opportunity for the transmission of indigenous knowledge of yam production. In order to sustain the transmission of yam production knowledge between the older generation and the younger generation, Uchenna believes that the government should take on the role of enabling systems and events to facilitate the transfer of information.

Norbu, Tsering, Class of 2009 – (China)

September 28, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Establishing a Pendeba Society for Community Change and Conservation in Qomolangma National Nature Preserve

The Pendeba Society, previously known as the Pendeba program, has faced many challenges throughout the years. The original Pendeba program was created in 1996 by Future Generations in Tibet as a method for local leaders to gain skills related to environmental protection, conservation, healthcare, women’s education, sustainable livelihoods, and renewable resources. In 2008, largely due to rapid economic development in China and an unstable political situation in Tibet, the Pendeba program was terminated. Norbu, who previously worked with the Pendeba program in Tibet, realized the significant impact felt by locals when the program was discontinued. Traveling from village to village, he faced the same question from the locals– what became of the Pendeba program that had captured the profound interest of the community? He knew he had to do something. He needed to go local. He decided to take the bottom-up, seed-scale strategy to a new level by seeking the support of the Chinese government. Norbu faced many challenges and restrictions. He spoke to countless officials, locals, and the movers and shakers in the community who continually offered him support. One of his supporters included Mr. Gongu Duoji-La, the first Tibetan mountaineer to climb Mt. Everest, who happened to be from a town close to Norbu’s own birthplace. After countless setbacks, frustrations, and tribulations, Norbu created the Pendeba Society as a civil organization registered in both China and Tibet on June 26, 2009. In 2012, the Pendeba Society was conferred as a Top Grade Civil Organization by the Department of Civil Affairs of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Recognition continued, and in 2014 the Pendeba Society was selected as winner of the Equator prize by UNDP and winner of the Environmental Prize by the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection. Although the difficulties of functioning as a community development organization still rest as an everyday reality, the Pendeba Society stands as an example of what one individual can accomplish if his or her heart is dedicated to the cause. Norbu expressed, “As a leader, you should have a strong passion to do something and have infinite patience to do them in many different ways until you realize your dream.” Norbu, in all his efforts, is a beautiful example of what our students accomplish at Future Generations University through our Master’s in Applied Community Change.

Nderitu, Stanley Mwaura, Class of 2013 – (Kenya)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Ethnic Based Conflict in Kenya: A Comparison of the Effects of Violent Conflicts on Youth and Other Community Members in 2007 and 2013 Elections in Kuresoi

Stanley Nderitu’s study analyzes the effects of ethnic conflicts in Kenya and how the violent conflicts affect the youth and other community member’s social life. After the 2007 election in Kenya, over 600,000 people became internally displaced due to ethnic conflict. Even prior to 2007, ethnic conflict has disoriented the social life of Kenyans, particularly people of the Kuresoi constituency. In order to conduct the research, Stanley used questionnaires and follow up interviews with 200 randomly selected respondents. Half of the sample were high school students, while the other half were community members. After summarizing the data in tables and correlating the opinions of students and community members, it was determined that there was no significant difference in both constituency’s opinions. Ultimately, the study determined that tribalism and a low level of interaction among the ethnic communities were the primary precursors of election violence. To avoid negative attitudes from influencing youth in the future, the following interventions are recommended: 1) Enhancing civic education, 2) establishing institutions that equip youth with skills and knowledge that will increase the chance of youth being employed or involved in gainful engagements, 3) streamlining the delivery of government services and taking advantage of new constitutional dispensation without devolving devices such as corruption, 4) promoting community policing, and 5) enhancing campaigns against tribalism and entrenching national cohesion through peace education.

Munro, Suzanne, Class of 2011 – (Guyana)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

SEED-SCALE approach for improving community livelihood and conservation: The case study of Masakenari Village

Suzanne’s research addresses the impact of money on the values of the Waiwais people in the last decade after receiving external grants provided from conservation International in 2006 to manage their lands as a Community Owned Conservation Area. Prior to declaring their lands as a conservation Area, the Waiwais people depended on a traditional subsistence economy of trading and bartering. However, after receiving funding from external agencies, the community transitioned to a cash based economy. In her research, Suzanne assesses the impact a cash based economy has had on the culture of the Waiwais, including a high level of dependency on external funding. Furthermore, she discusses the SEED-SCALE approach and how it could contribute to positive reformation of the community livelihood and conservation initiative in Masakenari village.

Mulhovo, Hermenegildo, Class of 2009 – (Mozambique)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Potential Determinants of Youth Violence in Maputo Neighborhoods

Despite the opening of governance to popular participation in Mozambique since the beginning of 2008 to the end of 2010, urban areas, especially the capital city, have been the stage of violent demonstrations and lynching practices by young populations. In his research, Hermenegildo aims to analyze the factors that influence the population from suburban neighborhoods of Maputo, Mozambique, in particular young people, to resort to violent and aggressive attitudes in solving their problems and claiming their rights, despite the increase in space for citizen participation in governance. To guide his study, Hermenegildo proposes a question, “What makes youth groups have a tendency to use direct violence as a way of expressing their voice, in spite of democratic institutions and channels created to assure citizens participation in local governance?” Through research, he discovers that there was an increase in poverty in Maputo during the past five years, characterized by the deterioration of living conditions of the urban population, an increased population, and the rising cost of basic services and products. His study also reveals that there is a severe limitation in current municipal programs regarding who the programs cover and how resources are allocated, which inhibit these programs from effectively combating poverty. Dependence on foreign capital and a restricted budget limit municipal programs from reaching their full potential, along with the failure to include citizens in the formulation of local development programs and public services. Hermenegildo concludes that youth groups are living in an environment where counter-satisfaction factors are dominant in creating an attitude geared toward violent practices and aggressiveness in solving their problems, which cannot be improved unless the local governments in peripheral areas are strengthened to bring legitimacy to its democratic institutions.

Mukwatu, Bruce, Class of 2005 – (Zambia)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Zambia for Community Change

In his research practicum, Bruce Mukwatu examines the factors associated with a decrease in the community support structure in Zambia in order to effectively contribute to the support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). Currently in Zambia and many other African countries, young people contract HIV/AIDS through unprotected sex and return to their communities to have children. Unfortunately, many parents subject to HIV/AIDS die, leaving their children behind to live with grandparents or worse, on the streets. In his conclusion, Mukwatu recognizes that there are projects in Zambia being implemented to address issues concerning OVCs. Mukwatu also proposes a solution– the creation of The Zambia Academy for Community Change project, that trains existing institutions and community development practitioners how to work more effectively with communities so that they can respond positively to issues relating to OVCs. In this, more NGOS and community-based organizations will be involved in addressing the needs of OVCs, and will be exposed to the SEED-SCALE process of bottom-up development to bring about sustainable social change.

Michael, Patricia, Class of 2013 – (Nigeria)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Upsurge in Criminal Activities in Nigeria

Patricia Michael’s research practicum examines three peace-building initiatives that were implemented to reduce social tensions and crises, improve relationships, reduce poverty, and sustain peace in the Kwale community of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the contribution of the peace-building programs, and determine the reasons behind the increase in criminal activity in spite of these peace building initiatives. Using qualitative and quantitative data collection methods including questionnaires, individual interviews, review of the peace initiative documents, and person observation, Patricia determined that the EU-MPP3 peace initiatives achieved its initial objectives, but other programs such as the USAID CALM program were terminated due to a lack of funding and the electoral violence in 2007. Therefore, the USAID CALM project was unable to succeed in its peace-building goals. In addition, Patricia’s research concluded that the increased rate of criminal activity was a result of irresponsible and insensitive leadership, bad governance, and unemployment, greed on the part of the youth, poor upbringing, and poverty. Michael recommends life and technical skills training programs for youth so that they may access jobs in the oil industry, inclusion of compulsory peace education in schools, and off-farm trainings.

Meya, Samuel, Class of 2014 – (Malawi)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Exploration of Sustainability Mechanisms for Wash Interventions in TA Mphuka in Thyolo District in Malawi

In Samuel’s research practicum, he explores the factors that have contributed to failure for communities of Traditional Authority Mphuka in Thylo District in Malawi to stain their Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives. The goal of the study is to allow development agencies to realize the existing gap in approaches and work on a solution for the sustainable implementation of community initiatives after the withdrawal of agency staff. Communities where development agencies have worked often expect service providers to continue managing projects, such as boreholes, taps, and shallow wells that were “handed over” to the community after a certain point. In his study, Samuel highlights the fact that roughly half of WASH initiatives fail to function sustainably after the withdrawal of development workers due to the community’s lack of knowledge on how the tool functions, and lack of ownership over the project. Through his research, Samuel formed recommendations that could improve the effectiveness and sustainability of WASH initiatives. These include highly participatory programs that engage relevant stakeholders such as the community, government, NGOs, civil society, and local leaders, creating an environment conducive to community ownership of a project, bottom-up management projects, clarifying community commitment, monitoring and evaluation programs, eliminating early exits by development groups, using local community organizations in carrying out WASH initiatives, and mainstreaming WASH tools using sanitation marketing.

McLennan, Kim, Class of 2011 – (San Francisco, CA)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Mobilizing the capacity of families and local providers in the rehabilitation in post-earthquake Haiti: A Multiple Case Study Report

McLennan explores the history of Haiti and its relationship with international aid agencies, and analyzes the long-term effects of these agencies in Haiti after the earthquake disaster in 2010. Through her research and personal experience as a rehabilitation worker, McLennan that post earthquake disaster relief efforts in Haiti lack on emphasis on local capacity building, and largely disregards the needs of the disabled population– which increased significantly after the earthquake. McLennan concludes that relief efforts would be more effective and development initiatives more successful if the focus was on building local leadership skills that help mobilize beneficiaries and providers that are not dependent on outside agencies and expertise.

Mallick, Shahid, Class of 2011 – (Bangladesh)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Water Pollution and Social Change in Bandladesh

Shahidul’s study seeks to understand and explain how industrialization and its polluted effects to rivers induce social change to protect the environmental, ecology, and livelihoods around the Bangshi River. The Bangshi River is an important tributary of the Barhamaputra-Jamuna river system in Bangladesh and also a main resource for local people of Ghughudia. This research focuses on options for sustainable and environmentally friendly industrialization for community change and improvement of the economy and employment rate in Bangladesh, specifically in the village of Ghughudia. Two questions were examined: 1) What are the perceptions of different actors in regards to water pollution, and 2) How can these actors be mobilized to reclaim the rights of the people? To gather qualitative information, Shahidul conducted focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and descriptive surveys. The representative stakeholder groups include fishermen, farmers, small businesses, milkmen, and students from Ghughudia, while owners of industry, politicians, media counterparts, and civil servants were identified outside of the Ghughudia village. In order to promote social change, Shahidul recommends identifying stakeholders interests and encouraging behavioral change, education on environmental water management, capacity building for local government, advocating for consumer awareness, and an overall environmental campaign backed by livelihood opportunities.

Magat, Paz, Class of 2013 – (Philippines)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

The Role of the Scholar-Athlete Games in the Development of Peacebuilders

Paz’s research focuses on the Scholar-Athletes Games program, which is a primary contributor to the field of Sport for Development and Peace. The purpose of his study is to measure the effectiveness of the program using quantitative and qualitative methodology, including an online survey system and virtual focus groups. The results revealed that the Scholar-Athlete Games alumni exhibit attitudes and behaviors that serve as peace indicators, although the Games are not necessarily the sole reason for these reactions.

Madiwa, Chido, Class of 2014 – (Zimbabwe)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

The Impact of the Women Development Fund on Women of the Johanne Marange Apolistic Church in Mutasa, Zimbabwe

Chido’s practicum study investigates the impact of women economic empowerment programs housed in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender, and Community Development in the Mutasa district in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. The study was conducted in order to find methods to encourage development agencies and the government to conduct research and inquiries on the way that women and girls in the Johanne Apolistic Church can be empowered. In order to collect information from thirty respondents, a descriptive survey, questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions were used. Ultimately, the research found that empowered women exhibited stronger, more positive self-esteem, and felt more prepared to take on higher level positions within the church and society as a whole. In addition, empowered women who were more economically secure contribute to household food security and increased disposable income, which in turn has a multiplier effect on the family. In the religious realm, women’s empowerment contributes to gender equality. To increase economic opportunities for women and overall empowerment, Chido recommends providing more funding for women in the church through a gender mainstreaming strategy and creating networking opportunities among women.

Lhendup, Ugyen, Class of 2014 – (Bhutan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Building Comunity Collaboration in Watershed Rehabilitation in Chendona Village, Paro, Bhutan

Ugyen’s research practicum focuses on the problems associated with watershed degradation in the Chendona Village of the Paro district of Bhutan, which include a lack of drinking water, inability to practice sanitation, agricultural fields unfit for farming, and food and income insecurity. The contributing factors to the water shortage problems in Bhutan are associated with human impact and climate change, and include watershed degradation, over-harvesting which results in excessive runoff, wild fires, the country’s topography, terrain, and changes in precipitation. Chedona Village was chosen as the research site due to the community’s experience with water shortages. Until recent decades, the community had practiced a sustainable forestry management system through communal forest management and private forestry which maintained the health of the surrounding watershed and the small streams within it used for drinking water. In order to identify solutions to the water shortage crisis and initiate interventions to improve the situation, Ugyen conducted a community consultation meeting, household surveys, field observations, report presentations, and focus group discussions in the Community of Chendona. In his results, Ugyen recommended mass community replantation projects to allow the absorption of run-off into the groundwater, the creation of conservation policies with input from locals, community awareness and education workshops, and the implementation of community-based participatory by-laws to control legal and illegal logging in critical watershed areas.

Lham Tshok, Tsering, Class of 2009 – (Bhutan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Neomicrocalamus Andropogononifolius in Kangpara, Bhutan

Tshering Lham’s study concerns the depletion of Neomicrocalamus andropogonifolius, also known as ringshu bamboo, in Kangpara, located in the eastern district of Trashigang, Bhutan. Communities in this region use ringshu to create fine bamboo products to sell in urban markets, but they must travel further and further away from their villages to find materials for their work. Using ground field surveys, social and economic data, and an analysis of local perception and government policies, Lham assessed the factors that contributed to the decline of the ringshu population in local forests. Ultimately, he found that a lack of local institutions, a gap in forest policies and implementation, limited scientific and technical knowledge and skills in sustainably managing ringshu, contributed to the profound decline in the ringshu population in local forests.

Latigo, James, Class of 2014 – (Uganda)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Exploring the Significance of Indigenous Knowledge Applications in Resolution of Land Conflicts in Acholiland, Uganda

James’s research practicum explores alternative means toward resolving land conflicts that arose after the return of Acholiland inhabitants who had been forced out of their homes were permitted to return to their homeland. In 1994, in an effort to subdue the Lord’s Resistance Army, the Uganda People’s Defense Force relocated Acholiland inhabitants to Internally Displaced Persons Camps. As the Acholi people returned to their community, they faced many challenges associated with the redistribution of land, including land-grabbing by politicians, civil servants, the business community and local and national investors. In many areas, these disputes resulted in the re-displacement of people, destruction of property, and even the loss of life. In this case communities that once lived together found themselves in the midst of a second war. In order to collect data over a twenty month period, James focused on the lived experiences of the Puranga Clan, which he documented through historical memory practices, interviews, observations, and focus group discussions. After analyzing his data, James constructed the following recommendations to resolving land conflicts in Acholiland: engage lawmakers to identify loopholes in the Land Act and push for amendments that will protect the land and its rightful owners; educate the masses on the practices of land law using radio, schools, and training programs; empower lower courts to handle less contestable rulings; and involve traditional practices as complimentary methods of resolution to formal procedures.

Lampert, Ellen, Class of 2007 – (Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Seeking Opportunties for Positive Change on the New Mexico Border

Ellen Lampert’s research practicum examines cross-border state and local policy in the context of federal directives in New Mexico, specifically the border situation and those who determine the policy that affects the situation. To carry out her study, she first studied the history of the situation and identified contributing factors such as historical trends and racist rhetoric. She then described the existing situation in terms of recent developments that included a rush to increase border security in the aftermath of international terrorism, socioeconomic disparities that drive Mexican economic migration, drug and human smuggling, paramilitary vigilantism, the border wall mandate, Congressional representation, and unrealistic or conflicting policy. Lampert’s final step in her research is to explore the possibilities for defusing or halting negative rhetoric being encouraged at the federal level that has adverse effects on the state and local community and the way that policy-implementing groups and individuals can work towards a plan for positive resolution. Lampert concludes that the primary problem regarding the decision to build a wall is failure to discuss adequately what the border region should look like in the future. In order to improve relations between the New Mexican community and the US Government, there should be an officially agreed upon vision and strategic plan, constructive dialogue, joint infrastructure projects, and good academic, trade, and labor relations, which will be more mutually beneficial than a wall with armed troops.

Lamacova, Jarka, Class of 2007 – (Czech Republic)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Study:

Effectiveness of Czech Youth Learning about Global Issues

Lamacova’s research focuses on the effectiveness of two programs he developed, Global Village and Summer School of International Development Assistant, for high school students in the Olomous region of the Czech Republic. Lamacova studies the way that both programs increase high school students’ awareness about global development issues, because students do not have a chance to discuss these issues in school since the Czech school system is information-based and not skill and attitude-based education. After analyzing both programs using questionnaires and focus group discussions, Lamacova determined that the Summer School of International Development is a more effective mechanism for changing the mentality of youth. However, the Global Village program still offers an introduction for schools and teachers to address issues such as the unequal distribution of populations and resources, even if it has not proven to catalyze a shift in youth mentality to a more global perspective.

Laing, Ashlei, Class of 2014 – (Newton, NH, United States)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Designing the landscape of human livelihoods through the regenerative and healing educational methodologies of Permaculture

Ashlei’s research was conducted through a pilot project designed for an Italian Agriturismo community, or a collection of small family farms, in the Italian province of Grosseto in Tuscany, Italy. The objective of the project was to examine the possibilities of improving livelihood opportunities in Agriturismo communities through the implementation of regenerative and healing permaculture education programs. The project had three phases: preparation of a Permaculture course, facilitating the course, and follow up data collection on the course. In order to determine how an Italian Agriturismo community will design itself in a permaculture lifestyle to enhance their overall livelihood, Ashlei conducted a case study, a survey, follow up interviews, and site visit experiences after offering a 72 hour course on Permaculture and additional trainings in the community of Grosseto. Ultimately, she discovered that 83% of students thought the course was a positive experience and enjoyed Permaculture, and 67% admitted to lifestyle changes and thought of the course as a catalyst to future endeavors and livelihoods.

Karim, Razaul, Class of 2009 – (Bangladesh)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Exploring the Contributions of Village “WASH” Committees in Achieving “WASH” Program Objectives and the Empowerment of Rural Women in Bangladesh

Razaul Karim’s research practicum focuses on the study of the contribution of Village Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Committees to achieve the WASH program objectives and to empowering the rural women of Bangladesh. Village Wash Committees address existing water and sanitation situations of their village and identify issues that require urgent action. VWCs focus on reaching the poor, providing hygiene education to the entire population, and focusing on women’s participation in decision-making. Karim measured women’s empowerment by using seven indicators: voluntary efforts and active participation, ability to influence major decision-making, expression of voice, knowledge and skills, freedom of mobility, control over resources, and self-image, sense of self-confidence, and leadership roles. Using questionnaires, interviews, observations, focus group discussions and document analysis, Karim found that VWCs, cluster meetings, and informal interactions have helped women to improve their social capital and sense of empowerment. Women were found to be more engaged during VWC meetings and capable of making more decisions at home. In addition, women were also found to have more ability to interact with elected officials, and waterborne diseases decreased in result to VWCs. Overall, Karim concluded that knowledge and awareness-building interventions such as the Village Wash Committees, require community participation in order to procure the most positive, effective results.

Kanno, Dr. Tage, Class of 2007 – (India)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Health Behavior Among Tribal Mothers of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Dr. Tage Kanno’s research practicum examines whether training selected women in the villages of Arunachal Pradesh, India will result in wide dissemination of knowledge and help bring about a positive change in the health-related attitudes and behaviors of the people in the entire village. The region of Arunachal Pradesh faces numerous challenges associated with health, including the location of villages in remote places with little or no access to roads, transportation, or information, the fear of vaccination due to the traditional, nonclinical roles religious leaders have played in healthcare, and the lack of trained staff to work in clinical facilities built by the Indian government and other development agencies. In this practicum, Dr. Kanno focuses on the effect of Future Generations Arunachal Pradesh’s approach to building the capacity of communities to improve health and diseases among tribal mothers by training Village Welfare Workers who are expected to share their knowledge to members of her group about health, and who will in turn further spread the same knowledge to men and women in the village. In an effort to provide Future Generations Arunachal Pradesh with a formal evaluation of its programs, Dr. Kanno examines whether a possible increase in knowledge and awareness has led to desirable changes in the behavior of the trial mothers in Arunachal Pradesh, and whether this change in behavior has led to the better utilization of various health care services provided by the government. Overall, Dr. Kanno determines that the villages whether Future Generations programs were carried out in the last eight years prior to the survey did far better than the control villages in terms of positive health behavior among the mothers. It was found that the FGA program has made the most progress in its promoting of home-made ORS as the first line management of diarrheal diseases and steam inhalation for pneumonia, improving nutritional support of children with diarrhea, and washing hands post-defecation to prevent illness. In addition, boiling water is more common in the intervention area, along with the less frequent use of alcohol. Overall, Future Generations Arunachal Pradesh has proved to be effective in implementing health programs across the region.

Kaggwa, Margaret, Class of 2007 – (Uganda)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Feeding Patterns Among HIV Babies at Upper Mulago Hospital in Uganda

The main objective of Margaret Kaggwa’s practicum study is to investigate the problem of breastfeeding among babies who are HIV positive at Upper Mulago Hospital Postnatal and Young Child Clinic in Uganda. The HIV pandemic is widespread in Uganda, and one of the greatest challenges in the field of health. There is significant evidence that the HIV virus can be transmitted from mother to child though breastfeeding. The objectives of the study were to establish the socio-demographic background of the custodians of the babies, recognize feeding patterns among the HIV positive babies, and to identify factors that influence these feeding patterns. Using face to face interviews, focus group discussions, and questionnaires, Kaggwa collected data from mothers, fathers, or other caregivers bringing babies to the postnatal and young child clinic. Inevitably she determined that the majority of babies were aged between 11 and 14 weeks, and below the recommended, or average weight margin. She found that the majority of parents were not subscribing to optimal feeding patterns due to inadequate knowledge of how mixed feeding patterns can affect a newborn, as well as a lack of education on how HIV is spread from mothers to their children.

Kadoma, Anthony, Class of 2013 – (Uganda)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Adapting Poverty Reduction Strategies in Uganda

Anthony focused his practicum study on the Nyamanga Community in the rural area of Kyenjojo district of Uganda, where the majority of community members live in abject poverty. In remote rural areas, smallholder farmers do not have access to vehicles or proper roads to transport their products, and market linkages are weak or nonexistent. They also lack access to financial services and technology to help prevent disease and pests from destroying their crops. In cooperation with members and policy makers, Anthony used in depth interviews and focused group discussions to analyze the different strategies and successes associated with eliminating poverty. Anthony points out that enabling environment and policies at the community level will not help if the impoverished individual is not motivated to propel himself out of poverty. In order for individuals to become motivated and envision a path of out poverty, he recommends that governments set up infrastructure projects such as building roads and searching for markets for agricultural produce, in addition to setting up schools, health facilities, and businesses where people can buy local products. A lot of the time men, the head of the household, will earn a substantial amount of income, but due to patriarchal culture, alcoholism, and poor money management, earnings quickly disappear, without any benefit to the rest of the family. However, the study did show that households in which the wife and husband worked together were more likely to lift themselves out of poverty. The three characteristics needed to fight against poverty that were encountered the most often during this study were hard work, financial discipline, and an independent mind with the effective use of personal judgement. Anthony concludes that to reduce poverty among community members, individuals need to change their behaviors and empower themselves to take responsibility for their own development, diversify sources of income, investing, and to practice being trustworthy, faithful, and hardworking.

Kabadege, Melene, Class of 2007 – (Rwanda)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Neonatal Mortality Rates: Causes and Strategies to reduce rates at Kibogora Hospital Zone in Rwanda

In her research practicum, Kabadege calculates the newborn mortality rates in the Kibogora Hospital Zone in Rwanda, analyzes the causes of new birth mortality, and discusses the best strategies for reducing mortality rates through an analysis of local data. In order to calculate mortality rates and discern the causes of neonatal death, Kabadege used data from a community-based health information system through verbal autopsies with mothers who had experienced a newborn death, in-depth interviews with key informants in the Rwandan health care system, and focus group discussions with local care groups. Inevitably, Kabadege determines that the underlying factors contributing to newborn mortality were a lack of antenatal care and access to a healthcare facility, premature births, complications in delivery, and delay in seeking care of newborns. Suggested strategies to prevent newborn mortality include promoting antenatal care and facility deliveries, improving newborn care, promoting subscription to health insurance plans, and promoting family planning. In addition, adopting strategies used by the Child Survival Program such as community mobilization, targeting community leaders and families, and seeking out community developing committees, could greatly reduce the rate of newborn mortalities.

Jacques, Savela, Class of 2013 – (Cité Soleil, Haiti)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Using Sports for Social Development and Promoting a Better Image of Cité Soleil

In her research practicum, Savela examines the relationship between sports and other collaborative games and whether or not Future Generations Haiti could use sports to encourage a gradual change in the trends and evolution of prejudices between residents of the community of Cité Soleil in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Historically, sports games have been used as a method of social integration and unification between people from different cultures and walks of life, as well as a way to instill national pride among citizens. Savela bases her theory that sports can help in unifying the slums in Cité Soleil on the thoughts of M. Ban Ki-Moon, who is the Secretariat General of the United Nations. He claims that sports are an important factor in social change and peace, and contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development goals set up by the United Nations. In Savela’s research, questionnaires, interviews, and documentaries were used to access whether the relations between citizens living inside and outside of Cité Soleil could improve due to unification through sports. Savela concludes that while sports cannot be used as a development tool on its own, sports events between communities can foster psychological comfort needed to boost morale, unify citizens and break down sociocultural and economic borders— all circumstances required to pave the way for peace.

Hussaini, Reyhaneh Gulsoom, Class of 2015 – (Afghanistan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Cultural Dialogue: An approach to social cohesion in Kabul City, Afghanistan

Reyhaneh’s research practicum focuses on the challenges and opportunities of intergroup dialogue between the Sikh and Muslim populations in Kabul City, and seeks to identify what impact this dialogue has on promoting social cohesion and mutual understanding. In order to collect data on the learning processes of and outcomes for youth of different ethnical backgrounds, Reyhaneh created a program dedicated to the promotion of peace and social cohesion through cultural dialogue. Using surveys, observations, and interviews, the study revealed that community members believe that cultural exchange through conversations and involving women as leader’s discussions have a great impact on improving intercultural relations between the Sikh and Muslim communities. In order to strengthen social cohesion between the two ethnic groups, Reyhaneh recommends implementing national policy with both parties involved, raising awareness about cultural exchange, addressing issues of prejudice and bias in communities, and including intercultural dialogue in public school curriculum.

Hotak, Amanullah, Class of 2013 – (Afghanistan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Study of Perceived Positive Deviant Communities in South and Southeast Afghanistan

Amanullah’s practicum focuses on community’s uncommon, but successful behaviors and strategies that have successes in managing security, development and peace building in their areas without any outside intervention. Using field-based listening techniques of open-ended questions and observations and questionnaires, Amanullah explores the determinants and dynamics in the existence of practices in positive deviant and non-positive deviant perceived communities in the Khogyani District of Nangarhar and Andar and the DehYak District of Ghanzi Province and Khoshi District of Logar Province. Through his study, he was able to identify and learn how communities have traditionally succeeded in maintaining peace and security in their villages—positively deviant communities, while whereas their neighboring communities with the same resources have not achieved this peace—non-positive deviant communities. In Taliban-controlled regions of Afghanistan, any raising of the community voice against the Taliban’s rule of law is considered deviant, and is considered a punishable sin. Through his data collection, Amanullah found that communities who did experience some resistance against the current regime, a deviant community, had the authority to act and resolve their issues without involving other parties, but only if the community institution is respected, maintained, and practiced. These social systems have either been developed by their forefathers or recently developed by their own action, but normally in the presence of Taliban military force or wealthy families with the resources to enforce these rules. Although it is often accompanied by armed force, Amanullah discovered that communities with strong local leadership that promoted the interests of the local community were more often than not communities that experienced high levels of peace and security. Amanullah believes that actively engaging the local community can increase communities’ opportunities for peace.

Hickson, Traci, Class of 2005 – (West Virginia, USA)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Future Generations: A Global Learning Community

Traci Hickson’s research draws upon the theory of social constructivism to understand the process by which norms and ideas emerge within an organizational context and to present practical models for Future Generations, an NGO that is struggling to internalize a norm it seeks to promote. Non-governmental organizations work to promote issues such as global climate change, poverty, and human rights, on the premise that the promotion of ideas as well as the successful demonstration of new ideas and methods will impact social change on a global scale. Due to the increasing criticism associated with NGOs due to claims of not following the philosophy that they promote, Hickson decided to examine how NGOs internalize, practice, and diffuse the norms that they seek to influence. The paper is organized into three models that provide methods for internalizing and diffusing ideas and norms within an organizational context. These three models, epistemic, communities of practice, and learning organizations, are evaluated to identify principles and collaborative learning and sharing that could benefit Future Generations. In conclusion, Hickson puts forth a proposal of how Future Generations can internalize and diffuse the norm of collaborative learning and sharing within its own organizational context which highlights the importance of an organizational dialogue focused on what it means to be part of a global learning community and what value this is to the organization, its staff, and partners. In order to do this, Future Generations needs to commit itself to engaging in a global dialogue to achieve the community “walking forward together.”

Habibi, Popal, Class of 2015 – (Afghanistan)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Research on why youths are sacrificing their lives and committing suicide for militants: a study on the influence of culture, location, and economy on their decisions

Popal Habibi’s research identifies the comparative factors that motivate youths to join militant groups in Afghanistan. Research was collected by interviewing 38 individuals including youths who returned from militant groups, their family members, community members, and members from rule of law agencies. Also, two case studies discuss the recruitment stories of two youth who returned from militant groups. The research shows that militants are developing their own recruitment plans based on community context, ethics, and personal interests of the youth. Unintentionally, youths have fought for the personal interest of groups, countries, or leaders for decades. In the Nagrahar and Parwan provinces of Afghanistan, the majority of youths interviewed were motivated by wrong religious information, poverty, family conflict or unemployment, as well as in some cases, gaps between the government and local people as a result of a weak government. Another factor includes the government’s inability to provide basic services to the community, resulting in mistrust in the government as well as desire to join militant groups for economic and security reasons. A lack of accurate information on the motivation factors associated with recruiting youth creates problems and confusion in the policy design for constructing counter-narratives and interrupting the youth recruiting processes. In his findings, Popal determined that the militant’s recruitment process is different for each individual, taking into consideration ethnicity, education, interest, culture, and age. In order to prevent militant recruitment in the future, Popal recommends creating sessional workshops and seminars in government peace and stability programs on relevant contextual subjects revising the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program for those who are returning to a peaceful life in a secure place after being involved in a militant group, strengthening the rule of and justice system, and identifying what youths are specifically looking for and providing them with a desirable alternative.

Gruber, Meaghan, Class of 2014 – (Barre, MA, United States)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Community Voice in a Multi-Stakeholder Decision Making Process for a Proposed Health Clinic Project in Horminguero, Siuna, Nicaragua

Meaghan’s study focused on the community of Hormiguero in Siuna, Nicaragua and examined the local Collaborative Health Care Clinic Casa Materna’s role in complex multi-stakeholder processes. Through various tools such as observations, consultations, semi-structured interviews, Meaghan analyzed the participation of stakeholders that live in the USA, Siuna, and the community of Hormiguero. She found that although stakeholders with power, such as NGOs, government officials, and businesses, may consult communities on their needs, these organizations who have funding and therefore power, often fail to involve community members in decision-making processes. Meaghan points out that communities are best positioned to determine how their community functions or does not function, their history, and how to achieve goals together. In her conclusion, Meaghan discusses the importance of the three-way partnership and the interplay of different sets of power characteristics that each player contributes to the success of a project, and how these partners can better serve the needs of the community through effective collaboration.

Garretson, Bethany, Class of 2014 – (Keene Valley, NY United States)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Genograms to Resources: Wilderness therapy and family dyanmics of at-risk youth

Bethany’s research practicum examines family dynamics of male at-risk adolescents in a New York wilderness therapy program through the creation of genograms. A genogram is created with simple symbols representing gender and lines to illustrate family relationships, which are color-coded with a provided key. In her study, Bethany uses her personal experience as a wilderness therapy guide to interview clients about their family situations, although she changed the names of clients to protect their confidentiality. From the genograms created by participants and follow-up interviews, she found that the overarching characteristics of adolescents considered “at-risk” include the absence of a father figure, a weakened family structure, learning disabilities such as ADHD, lack of self-confidence, academic troubles, overcompensation by mothers, and drug use. The absence of a father in an adolescent’s daily life is often caused by overworking, divorce, and death. Additionally, Bethany found that adopted children often struggle in understanding their situation, and in return develop unproductive coping habits. In order to improve the effectiveness of wilderness therapy programs in the United States, Bethany suggests eliminating unwilling escort services, taking on a more holistic family healing approach, and allowing participants to come to their program on their own, as a mutual decision between the parent and child.

France, Shondell, Class of 2013 – (Guyana)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Root Causes of Youth Violence in Sophia, Guyana

Shondell’s research seeks to identify the impacts of youth violence in Guyana and the communities that are perceived as hot spots for violent activity in order to develop interventions to redirect youth energy towards positive community development. Shondell focused her study on the community of Sophia, specifically the Pattensen and Turkeyen areas located east of Sophia. Out of the 35,000 residents of Sophia, roughly 16,000 of them are youth. For the purpose of this study, Shondell refers to the WHO definition of youth violence, which defines it as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, exerted by or against children, adolescents or youth adults, ages 13-29, which results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development, or deprivation.” Common problems in the community that contribute to youth violence include youth idleness, unemployment, a high school dropout rate, teen pregnancy, and theft, accompanied by illiteracy and high incidences of poverty. Shondell used focus group discussions, key informant interviews, youth surveys, and documents to create an evaluation of the youth violence condition in Sophia. From her data collection, it was determined that having family or friends involved in violence, police labeling, and poverty were the three main contributors to violence in Sophia. Other factors attributed to violence include boredom, family problems, lack of activities, school problems, gangs, and a need for respect. In order to protect youth from violence, Shondell mentions the incorporation of conflict resolution and critical thinking skills into education, as well as promoting interventions in schools, community groups, clubs, faith-based organizations, and other peer groups that could persuade youth away from violence activity.

Eversley, Travis, Class of 2011 – (Guyana)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Youth Empowerment: Assessing and Addressing the Lack of Agency and Empowerment experienced by youth participants of Buxton/Friendship North

Travis’s research focuses on developing capacity and increasing youth empowerment and agency in the community and to encourage local capacity building in the community of Buxton Friendship in Guyana. In 2002, Buxton Friendship experienced an infamous jailbreak which catapulted the country into an unprecedented crime wave. The community became policed by criminals, and those communicating information with outsiders were executed. These events completely dismantled and disempowered the community. In his research, Travis explores youth empowerment and local development by implementing a pilot program with 15 to 25 youth in the community, which he hopes to expand to neighboring communities and eventually, country-wide.

Eversley, Shellon, Class of 2011 – (Guyana)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

HIV/AIDS and Dependency in Guyana

Shellon’s study was undertaken by Agape Network Inc., a faith-based NGO located in the community of Sophia, Guyana. Agape focuses on reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and offers hope to People Living with HIV/AIDS through program activities that benefit Orphan and Vulnerable children, youth, and adults, such as leadership skills training and capacity building initiatives. The overall objectives of the study include determining the degree of dependence of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) on Agape Inc.’s programs, and generating useful data that will serve as a new foundation for designing new program interventions that work toward the goal of having PLWHA become self-reliant. Using interviewing techniques, Shellon concluded that even though people have benefited from capacity building and skills trainings, they continue to be dependent on Agape Inc. programs. She recommends a continuation of the skill training program and providing financial assets and other capital to start up a business after completing the training.

Engola, Brenda, Class of 2013 – (Uganda)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

People to People Peacebuilding in Karamoja, Uganda: A case study of inter-ethnic dialogies in Moroto and Napak districts

Brenda’s study examines how effective people to people approaches have been in bringing representatives of conflicting groups together in Karamoja to interact in a safe space with the ultimate goal of peace building. The study focuses on interethnic dialogue in the Moroto and Napak districts of Karamoja and investigates the opportunities and considerations for enhancing the efficiency and impact of these interventions. The underlying causes of conflict in Karamoja include cattle raiding, the forging of alliances between clans to take advantage of other clans, and colonial and government policies that exploited or marginalized the sub-region for decades and thus hindered the region’s opportunities for growth and development. By employing qualitative data collection methods, Brenda discovered that 98% of community respondents and 94% of key informants agree that dialogue has contributed to safety, security, and peace in Karamoja. In the past three to four years, the development related issues have been increasingly featured during dialogues, encouraged by shared visions for conflict resolution, prevention, and joint decision making. In order to improve people to people practices, Brenda recommends involving women and youth to expand the likelihood of durable change at the individual and community level. In addition, various stakeholders need to become more aware of conflict and matching conflict analyses with the appropriate interventions. She points out that stakeholders could rush dialogue plans to fit within their work plans and politicians run the risk of exploiting dialogue for their political pursuits. Involving representatives from every sector of the community can help prevent exploitation. Documenting dialogues, building sustainability, involving soothsayers, and transitioning from a military-led law enforcement to civilian-led enforcement are additional recommendations to ensure the success of peace to peace conflict resolution in the years to come.

Digi, Tsering, Class of 2009 – (China)

September 28, 2018

Practicum Summary:

A Case Study of Hope Corner Voluntary Group in Lhasa, Tibet

Through gathering information from its members and participants, Tsering Digi explores the way that the organization Hope Corner, of which she is a founding member, can better promote positive social change within the community of Lhasa in Tibet Autonomous Region of China. This research also seeks to evaluate the impact of Hope Corner’s activities on young children and adults in the community of Lhasa, which is not only a holy place for Tibetan Buddhists, but also an important cultural and economic center in Tibet. This study addresses the problems associated with rapid economic development, including a widening gap between rich and the poor, the increased importance of material goods, alcoholism, gambling, computer game addiction, and a disregard of traditional moral standards. During the past several years, Hope Corner Voluntary Group established six regular activities to respond to the need to build trust, consciousness, identity, and knowledge through different forms of communication: English Corner, Tutoring for Community Children, Language Exchange, Scholarship, Mentoring Program, and Social Welfare Projects. Tsering recommends that Hope Corner recruit more stable volunteers to maintain current activities and initiate new activities and seek recognition from the government to increase the possibility of receiving more funding to create programs that meet the needs of the community. In addition, Tsering acknowledges the need for a more effective administration, which can be established by distributing tasks and improve record keeping. Other improvements that can be made include forming partnerships with local organizations, creating marketing materials to promote awareness of Hope Corner, and holding sessions at English Corner to collect the thoughts and ideas of community members.

Dahal, Santosh, Class of 2013 – (Nepal)

June 1, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Human Trafficking in Nepal

Santosh’s practicum focuses on human trafficking in Nepal, which was started by the Rana regime when they began bringing girls from neighboring districts and Kathmandu valley for sexual exploitation as domestic workers. Gradually, this exploitation has expanded to include internal, cross-border, and international levels of trafficking, with trends shifting from forced prostitution to organ transplantation. To collect information, Santosh used participatory tools such as questionnaires and interviews to identify the community attitudes regarding human trafficking victims of 24 respondents from the Bhaise Village Development Committee in the Makwanpur District. Santosh’s primary objective was to discover the details of trafficking in the region, and to identify the underlying causes of the practice. The study found that human trafficking occurred due to the lack of employment opportunities and resulting low incomes, which make it difficult, specifically for women and children, to live a comfortable life. It was also discovered that the traffickers are primarily relatives of those being exploited, even their immediate family members. Other contributing factors to trafficking include infertile land, lack of education, and poor irrigation, leading to limited income opportunities and a limited food supply. Thousands of women and children are trafficked to India each year, which serves as either a destination for those seeking prostitution, or a transit route for trafficking in the Gulf States and South-East Asia. In order to reduce instances of human trafficking, Santosh recommends educating foreign governments on the situation, and providing income generating activities for vulnerable community members.

Budhathoky, Pradeep, Class of 2014 – (Nepal)

May 29, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Climate change adaptation policies and its application at the empirical level: Gap analysis from the community perspective in Nepal

Pradeep’s research practicum is focused on the effects of climate change in Nepal, and the adaptive policies in place to prepare for resulting environmental challenges. Pradeep states that developing countries like Nepal are at a greater disadvantage than developed countries in the face of climate change, due to their limited resources, knowledge gap, and lack of institutional capacity. Agricultural communities at the local level in Nepal are particularly vulnerable to the unexpected changes in the natural climatic system which is disrupting their ability to earn a living. Although national policy has been developed related to climate change in Nepal, most local districts are unaware of these policies or do not know how to adapt them to their current administration, creating a gap between policy and actual implementation. In order to determine better ways to effectively implement policy on the local level, Pradeep conducted a research study in the districts of Kailali, Bardiya, Banke and Chitwan by collection information through focus group discussions, questionnaires, and participatory observation. In order to improve Nepal’s climate policies and implementation practices, Pradeep recommends providing additional training for local, community-based and civil society organizations to build capacity for policy implementation, and creating a climate adaptation fund to strengthen the resources of future programs.

Brown, Kelly, Class of 2005 – (Canada)

July 1, 2019

Practicum Summary:

For Our Children’s Tomorrow

In this practicum study, Kelly Brown discusses the Heiltsuk National Land Use Plan and the Bella Bella Fish Plant Business, two initiatives undertaken by the Heiltsuk Nation in British Columbia to empower the local community to take ownership of the regulation of their natural resources and development. Using SEED-SCALE methodology, Brown addresses the challenges faced in her community, including post colonialism, economic development, and engaging the community. She concludes that in order for the Heiltsuk people to begin progressing as a healthy sustained community, they must stay focused on sustaining their health and economy by following through with the Heiltsuk National Land Use Plan and Bella Bella Fish Plant Business. This includes identifying proper experts to implement the plans and proper government officials to work with. Brown believes that the Heiltsuk people will achieve a sustainable community model if the aforementioned recommendations are addressed.

Bongyereire, Joy, Class of 2009 – (Uganda)

May 29, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Irish Potato Production in Kisoro District of Uganda

Using field surveys and a desk review of materials gathered from various departments at the Kisoro District Local government, Joy created a socioeconomic analysis of the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical sprays as opposed to organic practices in the production of Irish potatoes in the Kisoro District of southwestern Uganda, a region with one of the last developed economies in the country. Joy asks key questions in her assessment, including what are the perceived benefits and barriers to adopting organic product of Irish potatoes by farmers in the Kisoro District and what kind of inorganic fertilizers and sprays are they actually using– and what are their effects? Her studies concluded that better farming systems for Kisoro would include rotational farming, mixed farming, organic farming, and fallow system. However, these farming practices require large plots of land, which is not feasible for all smallholders due to the high population density per square mile. Joy recommends instituting demographic controls through the Ugandan Government to ease pressure on natural resources, especially land and forests. She highlights the direct correlation between the use of natural resources and economic health in Uganda, pointing out that careful management and long term planning can lead to increased agricultural and forestry productivity.

Bess-Bascom, Donell, Class of 2015 – (Guyana)

May 29, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Housing and Women’s Empowerment: A case study of the Hinterland Housing Pilot Project in Guyana

Donell’s study examines the role of Amerindian women in the Hinterland housing pilot project in Guyana. The primary objective of this project was to address the housing needs of 9 communities in regions 1 and 9 of Guyana by disbursing subsidies for the construction of complete houses or new zinc roofs and rain water harvesting systems. Donell’s research analyzes whether the housing project had any impact on gender equality and women’s empowerment, and seeks to influence the National Housing Policy regarding interventions for marginalized groups. The study found that now that the basic needs of adequate shelter and water resources had been met, women who participated in the pilot expressed aspirations and had even taken action to pursue other needs in their lives. At the household level, women desire further improvements in housing conditions and increased income generations. At the community level, women would like to see infrastructural development, increased educational and economic opportunities, and a more important role in community leadership. Overall, the active participation of women in the housing project was integral to the project’s success, which initiated a shift in women’s perceptions of their own capabilities and control over resources and their own lives. For the future Donell recommends the creation of gender sensitive program development to encourage female participation in projects, with institutional means to measure progress.

Bell, Shannon, Class of 2005 – (Kentucky, USA)

May 29, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Primary Health Care in Cabin Creek: A Proposal for Community-Based Change and Empowerment

In her research practicum, Shannon Bell outlines a compelling case for a Primary Health Care model for Cabin Creek, WV, where she has worked for several years. Bell argues that in order to address the overarching health problem in poverty-stricken communities is to unlearn traditional, preventative methods of addressing health care and to adopt in place a system that addresses the physical, environmental, cultural, economic, political, and social health of the community as a whole. Cabin Creek, which was once a bustling coal mining town with a population of over 100,000 that relied on subsistence farming, is today characterized by its high teenage pregnancy rate, an employment rate higher than the state average, and a sedentary lifestyle which contributes to reoccurring health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. Due to a lack of economic prosperity, unaddressed environmental health issues, and a generally disempowered community, Cabin Creek’s residents suffer from high rates of depression and poor health care. Bell believes that by using the SEED-SCALE model in which you build on a community’s successes, the Primary Health Care model can be introduced by progressive actors in the community who are currently involved with community development and improvement projects.

Bayissa, Telile, Class of 2007 – (Ethiopia)

July 25, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Youth Radicalization: Second generation Somali youth and support for Al-Shabaab in the U.S.

Telile’s research focuses on the radicalization among second-generation immigrant youth in Western countries, the terrorism group Al-Shabaab’s relationship with the Somali Community in the U.S., and existing strategies used to counter the recruitment of youth in the U.S. into Al-Shabaab. Telile points out that second generation radicalized groups most likely have a normal life and little if any criminal history, but are often subject to discrimination due to their Muslim faith and ethnicity. In result, these radicalized youths feel alienated from their societies and develop a hatred for the West in return. Telile discusses the challenges Somali youth face in creating their identities in the U.S., the sense of isolation many Somali-Americans feel, and how these sentiments contribute to radical Somali nationalism that drives support for Al-Shabaab in the U.S. From this research, Telile concludes that Somali nationalism and a need for identity, more than religious fanaticism, leads Somali youth to participate in terrorist groups. In order to prevent radicalization, Telile recommends the U.S. government gain a broader understanding of the culture of Somali youth and the challenges they face in the U.S., and to develop leadership opportunities for Somali youth to serve as agents of peace through community organizing. These initiatives could give Somali youth motivation to be involved in the development of their country and a sense of identity and purpose in their lives that they so greatly need to avoid radicalization.

Bayat, Farid, Class of 2015 – (Afghanistan)

May 29, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Street Children in Kabul City, Afghan Children After Decades of War: Challenges and Opportunities

Farid’s study examines the situation of street children in Kabul City and seeks to understand the reasons behind child labor in urban areas in Afghanistan. The purpose of this research is to advocate for street children through the Afghan Voluntary Network and the Child Protection Action Network. Three decades of civil war in Afghanistan carried heavy consequences; often children lost their parents in conflict or one of them became disabled. In result, children often abandoned education to help support their families by working. Under Taliban rule, women are not permitted to work, so male children and adolescents must enter the work force as the head of household. According to the National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment conducted in 2007, roughly 1.9 million children, 21% percent of 6-17 year olds, are child laborers in Afghanistan. Using a qualitative approach, Farid conducted focus group discussions, semi-structured questionnaires, informal conversations, and observations to collect his data. Through his data analysis, Farid discovered the main causes of child street labor are poverty, addiction to opium, displacement, unemployment, a war affected family, and a family with a disabled head of household. He also highlights the negative effects of short term, donor-driven projects conducted by NGOs such as overlapping work, lack of expertise in the field, and a failure to recognize the needs of children. In order to ameliorate the situation, Farid recommends that the Afghan government provide educational and economic opportunities for street children, promote child advocacy through volunteerism, collect accurate data about the needs of street children through the government, and develop a plan to fight opium addiction.

Bala, Yamini, Class of 2007 – (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

May 29, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Primary EduCare: Toward a New Model of Education in Detroit

In Yamini’s research initiative, she examines two related topics: a two-year community-based study undertaken by the Detroit Summer Collective to equip youth to speak out on the causes of the “drop-out crisis” affecting Detroit Public Schools, and an heuristic inquiry about the Education in Human Values model as a potential solution to the problems identified in Detroit schools. Nearly 80% of Detroit’s high school students fail to graduate, and 40% of students voluntarily drop out of school. Yamini’s theory of change states that Detroit youth must be meaningfully engaged in the search for solutions for change to occur, and the long overdue repurposing of schooling must include human-values development as a basic function of schools. This study addresses the causes and solutions to the drop-out crisis, as identified and experienced by Detroit youth. Using a Live Arts Media Project, the Detroit Summer Collective discovered the three major causes that Detroit youth attributed to the drop out crisis: 1) a perceived lack of respect among students and between students and teachers, 2) a prevent practice of criminalization of students at schools, and 3) a perceived lack of relevance between the subjects taught at school and the skills needed for daily life. LAMP students offered solutions, including the mandatory implementation of school-wide respected curricula, implementation of restorative justice practices, and programs aimed at teaching youth to employ academic skills toward real world problem solving.

Ahmadzai, Yasar, Class of 2015 – (Afghanistan)

May 29, 2018

Practicum Summary:

Women’s Participation in Elections: Why Women don’t Actively Participate in Elections in Helmand

Yasar’s practicum study examines why the participation of women in elections remains low in the Helmand region in southern Afghanistan, particularly in the 2014 election as it was heralded for its high turnout of voters of which 35% overall were women. To explain why this statistic provides an incomplete picture, Yasar conducted interviews with women from different sectors in the Helmand region and later completed statistical analysis of the results for greater comprehension. Yasar found that the reasons for low participation largely stemmed from lack of awareness of the rights and responsibilities of women regarding elections, as well as security concerns for the women travelling to the polling centers, which themselves are an issue as they are sparsely located in regions such as Helmand. Several diverse solutions were presented, ranging from an increased presence of female polling center workers to enhance safety and combat corrupt officials forcing women voters to vote for a particular candidate, to cooperation with respected centers of information such as schools and mosques to educate citizens about this issue. More large scale recommendations are for the Departments of Education, Justice, and Religion to collaborate and take responsibility for awareness and corruption. Yasar moves that addressing these issues being experience by the marginalized members of its society is the way to a sustainable social change in Afghanistan.

NAWANG GURUNG
December 20, 2023

NAWANG GURUNG

Assistant Professor, Regional Academic Director

nawang@future.edu

Education

  • M.A. Future Generations Graduate School
  • M.S. New Hampshire College
  • B.A. University of Massachusetts
Biography
Nawang S. Gurung studied to be a Civil Overseer in Butwal, Nepal, and earned his Master of Science in Community Economic Development in Boston. Back home in the Himalaya, his 45 years community-building has included health care center and bridge construction, off-grid hydro power, and multiuse water systems. Under the United Mission of Nepal and Future Generations, Nawang has directed integrated community health and development programs in Nepal, India, and Tibet, China. Most recently, Nawang serves as the Chairperson of the Barun Bachaon Task Force responsible for implementing Biomeridian monitoring of climate impacts in Nepal’s Barun Valley.

LUKE TAYLOR-IDE
July 29, 2023

LUKE TAYLOR-IDE

Vice President of Community Engagement & Assistant Professor

luke@future.edu

Education

  • Ed.M. Harvard University
  • B.A. College of the Atlantic
Biography
Luke Taylor-Ide serves as Vice President of the Community Engagement Division—advancing the University’s worldwide network of participatory action research partnerships—and Assistant Professor for the University. He has over fifteen year of experience working with the University to foster partnership with communities, policy-makers, as well as academic and technical experts. Taylor-Ide has led multi-year assignments with Future Generations in Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and central Appalachia. As a member of the University faculty, his current academic interests center on teaching practical applications of SEED-SCALE in community-health, disaster risk mitigation, and sustainable livelihood development.

Taylor-Ide started Future Generations Appalachian Program in 2016 to help landowners find new economic opportunities through sustainable forest use. As Vice President, he continues to oversee strategic direction of the Appalachian Program as well as a lead researcher. His research focus centers on the intersection between Agroforestry, Agri-tourism, and Outdoor Recreation for the sustainable development of Appalachia’s economy. He is co-founder and President of the Pendleton County Farmers Market as well as a Trustee for the Pendleton Community Foundation.

Publications
  • “A Handbook on SEED: Initiating Growth—Appendix A,” in Just and Lasting Change: When Communities own their Future 2nd edition, editors Daniel C. Taylor and Carl E. Taylor, (Baltimore Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016)
  • “A Handbook on SCALE: Growth in Improvement & Participation—Appendix B,” in Just and Lasting Change: When Communities own their Future 2nd edition, editors Daniel C. Taylor and Carl E. Taylor, (Baltimore Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016)
  • “Multiple perspectives for poverty reduction in Indonesia”, Co-Authored: Sofo, Francesco; Wicks, Alison; Sofo, Michelle; Miranti, Riyana; Taylor-Ide, Luke. Strategic Planning for Successful Startup Ventures in Developing Economies. Eds. Pattnaik, P.N., Pandey, S.C., & Shukla, M.K. http://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/call-details/1620. Forthcoming publication in 2016.
  • “Impact on under-5 child mortality: a case demonstration from the central highlands of Afghanistan.” World Health Organization: Community-based Initiatives newsletter, 6, 5 (2010).
  • Interactive Instructional Website—“www.seed-scale.org.” (2010)

PAULA COLLIER
December 15, 2022

PAULA COLLIER

Instructional Technologist

paula.collier@future.edu

Education

  • B.S. West Virginia State University
  • A.S Eastern WV Community & Technical College
Biography
Paula joined the Future Generations team in 2016 with an administrative role and grew to love the field of learning technology and instructional design. She graduated from West Virginia State University in the spring of 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. While at Future Generations, Paula has enjoyed traveling to attend country programs and conferences to learn about the latest technology and to meet the global students. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and enjoying West Virginia nature. Paula also enjoys volunteering at her local community center to help aid the elderly community. She is a native of Hardy County, West Virginia.

MICHAEL RECHLIN
December 20, 2023

MICHAEL RECHLIN

Research Professor, Appalachian Program

mike.rechlin@future.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. State University of New York, College of Environmental Science & Forestry
  • M.S. University of Michigan
  • B.S. University of Michigan
  • AAS Paul Smith’s College
Biography
Mike Rechlin has practiced sustainable forestry and protected areas management in the United States, Nepal, India, and Tibet for thirty years. He has extensive teaching experience and has designed educational programs for many international groups visiting the Adirondack Park of New York State. Presently retired, Mike has held academic appointments at Principia College, Paul Smith’s College, and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He served as the dean of Future Generations Graduate School from 2010 to 2013. He presently resides, and makes maple syrup, in Franklin, WV.
Publications
  • Boyer-Rechlin, Nathan, Gregory L. Bruland, and Michael A. Rechlin. 2016. The effect of Agricultural Land Use on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities and the Applicability of Family Level Bioassessment Metrics in Southern Illinois Headwater Streams. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science.
  • Rechlin, Mike. 2015. Maple Syrup: An Introduction to the Science of a Forest Treasure. McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, Newark, OH.
  • Twery, Mark, Elizabeth Olson, Gary Wade and Mike Rechlin. 2013. Changes in Abundance of Vascular Plants under Varying Silvicultural Systems at the Forest Ecosystem Research and Demonstration Area, Paul Smiths, New York. Northern Research Station. Research Note: NRS-160. US Forest Service.
  • Rechlin, Mike and Scott Schneberger. 2012. The Natural Choice: Why Bark’s the Best Camp Cover-up. Adirondack Life.
  • Rechlin, Michael, William R Burch, A. L. Hammett, Bhishma Subedi, Surya Binayee, and Indu Sapkota. 2007. Lal Salam and Hario Ban: The Effects of the Maoist Instugency on Community Forestry in Nepal. Forests, Trees and Livlihoods. Vol. 17. 245-253.
  • Rechlin, Michael and Ritu Baruni. 2006. A Passions for Pine: Forest Conservation Practices of the Apatatani Peopla of Arunachal Pradesh. himalaya. Vol 26 no. 1 and 2. 19-24.
  • Rechlin, Michael and Hans MIchielen, 2005. Making Maple Syrup in a Land of Funnel Cakes and Pulled Pork. The Maple Digest.
  • Song, Yajie, Guoqian Wang, William R. Burch and Michael A. Rechlin. 2004. From Innovation to Adoption: Lessons From 20 Years of the SHIFT Forest Management System in Sanming, China. Forest Ecology and Management 191: 225-238.
  • Rechlin, M. A., A. L. Hammett, W. R. Burch, and Yajie Song. 2002. Sharing the wealth: A Comparative Study of the Distribution of Benefits from Community Forest Management in Southern China and Nepal. Journal of Sustainable Forestry 15(2): 1-23.
  • Sowers, Fred, Michael Rechlin, Manzoorul Haque and Satish Prabasi. 1994. Forestry and the Environment: Nepal Case Study. Working Paper No. 201. USAID, Washington, DC.

KELLI FLEMING
November 10, 2022

KELLI FLEMING

Assistant Dean for Academic Innovation & Chief Academic Officer

kelli.fleming@future.edu

Education

  • M.A. Lesley University
  • B.A. Macalaster College
Biography
Kelli Fleming joined Future Generations having moved back to Western Virginia after living and working in Wellington, New Zealand since 2010.Kelli was born near London, England and spent her early years on the Indian Subcontinent of Bangladesh, Nepal & India. She received a Masters in Intercultural Relations and International Higher Education from Lesley University. Prior to joining Future Generations, Kelli was working at the University of Otago in New Zealand developing online teaching capacity.
Kelli lives in Blacksburg, VA with Dave and their two boys, Asher and Eli.

How to Equip Yourself to Make the Change You Wish to See

November 22, 2021
From January 10th-22nd of this year, Professor Daniel C. Taylor guided several participants through a unique learning experience in India. Here, they learned about Gandhi’s powerful, non-violent method of social change and how they could apply it to their own work while visiting sites that played key roles in the Mahatma’s own life and journey to becoming a leader for change. One of the participants in this certificate course, Tonny Muteesasira of Uganda, shares his impressions of the course…

“Without action, you aren’t going anywhere.” –Mahatma Gandhi

Working with Professor Taylor, a renowned scholar and practitioner of social change, we explored Gandhi’s approach for motivating others to come together to affect positive social change and Taylor’s theory of SEED-SCALE.

Learning on the front porch of Gandhi’s Sevagram Ashram

Read more…

Greetings from the Western Hemisphere Alumni!

May 18, 2022
Did you know that upon graduating, every Future Generations University alumni joins a global network of social change practitioners from around the world? Within Future Generations Center for Research and Practice, alumni belong to 3 regions (Asia, Africa, and the Western Hemisphere), and are each represented on the Board of Trustees by one of their own.
This week, the alumni representative for the Western Hemisphere, Ellen Romm Lampert, gives us an introduction to some of its diverse members and their work!

 

Hi! My name is Ellen Romm Lampert, and I am presently the Future Generations representative for the wonderful and diverse Western Hemisphere Alumni.

Although the Western Hemisphere Alumni group has the smallest number of members, we have by far the largest geographical area. Just look at a map! Western Hemisphere Alumni hail from North America, the Caribbean, Central America and South America, including Canada, the U.S., Nicaragua, Haiti, Guyana, Peru, and Bolivia. We speak English, Spanish, French, and quite a few localized languages, as well. This blog introduces a few of our very dynamic female alumni. A future post will introduce some of our male alumni.

Read more…

Participatory Research and Plant Breeding in Honduras: Improving Livelihoods, Transforming Gender Relations

November 22, 2021

Did you know that Future Generations University regularly hosts live research seminars with development professionals of all backgrounds from around the world?

Check out the recording of February’s seminar below on participatory research and plant breeding in Honduras, and learn how its being used to improve livelihoods while transforming gender roles!

Follow us on Facebook to keep posted on the dates of upcoming seminars and for information on how to join in!

This seminar is presented by Dr. Sally Humphries, Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
_____________________________________

Sally was director of the international development studies program at Guelph for 12 years. She has worked with Honduran researchers for 25 years to support a program in farmer participatory research. The Honduran NGO Foundation for Participatory Research with Honduran Farmers (FIPAH), emerged out of this work and is today a well-respected organization, both locally and regionally. Sally worked for the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) between 1991-94 and helped to adapt one of the methodological approaches developed in CIAT, known as the CIAL methodology, to conditions in Honduras, where it is widely, and successfully, used today. FIPAH, Sally, and her students, have published a variety of articles/chapters/reports on this experience.

Alumni Update: Anthony Kadoma

November 22, 2021
This week, we hear from Anthony Kadoma, a Future Generations University alumnus working in Uganda. Anthony began his MA journey in 2012 with a focus in Peacebuilding. Throughout, he maintained continuous engagement with his existing community work in Kyenjojo district, in western Uganda. Anthony says that learning with and from the community was crucial during his studies, as it was where he put into practice what he was learning. Read on to learn more about Anthony’s work and experience!

In 2014, Anthony implemented a project on developing guidelines for disseminating practicum findings at the community level. During this project, practicum findings on the topic “Adapting Poverty Reduction Strategies at Individual, Household and Community Level: Practicum Research Conducted in Nyamanga Parish, Bufunjo Sub-county in Kyenjojo district, Western Uganda” were presented to the community members.

Listening attentively to issues raised by local community members.


Read more…

Holiday Greeting from the President of Future Generations University

November 22, 2021

 

Dear Future Generations Family,

 

As 2017 comes to an end, we take pause to think about all for which we are grateful. We also look to 2018 and what we hope the new year may bring for our organization and for the world. In both cases, the continued friendship of our supporters is a large part of the answer.

 

As a world-circling organization, you, our Future Generations family, is what sustains us and knits us together. We’ve thrived over the past year because of your support. Our global team grows with the great work of so many.

 

We look forward to another year of this partnership as we all draw inspiration from those working around the world to bring peace and sustainability in those places most in need.

 

Future Generations thanks all who have helped grow a universe of learning for the greater good, and wishes you a joyous holiday season and a new year filled with peace and happiness.

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Dan’l

 

Meet Kelli Fleming: Future Generations University’s new Assistant Professor and Director of Learning Management!

November 22, 2021

 

Having grown up in Surkhet, Nepal, Kelli has long been aware of Future Generations from its work there. She went on to pursue a Master’s in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University and has held a number of different roles in higher education throughout the years with her latest being in the online distance learning world. She has focused on the pedagogical approach to this unique field, finding the best ways to teach online in an interactive and engaging manner with her global audience in mind.
For the last 7 years, Kelli lived in New Zealand (as shown in her beautiful photos accompanying this entry) with her husband and their two young boys. There, she took on tailoring the online learning experience to fit mid-career global professionals for a program run by the University of Otago at its medical school in Wellington.
She worked with the aviation medicine program, which was fully online and taught the principles of the subject to general practitioners all over the world. Once a year, the program hosted week-long site visits to learn best practices from major airlines. The emphasis on building learning around these face-to-face interactions shares a purpose very similar to that of Future Generations residentials.
Kelli notes that although the content of her past program is very different from the Future Generations Master’s program, there are many similarities upon which she’s excited to build. Her experience with a fully online program fits very well with Future Generations move to make residentials optional, and she is already very familiar with the learning platforms used here (Moodle and Zoom).

 

“I knew nothing about aviation medicine,” Kelli says, “but a lot about teaching online isn’t necessarily in the content. Much of what makes it a fruitful platform is the scaffold around which you build the learning. And that’s what I’m here to help facilitate for Future Generations.”
Kelli and her family moved back to the United States in the summer to be closer to their larger families and currently reside in Blacksburg, VA. On what appealed to her about seeking to join Future Generations, Kelli says, “I’ve always lived sort of an international life, so I was excited about being able to live in Blacksburg while remaining involved in the global education world. I also really like the idea of a dedicated non-profit that’s doing some big things from a small place in the U.S. for other small places around the world. I’m looking forward to working with others focused on global community.”
Bringing her background work to play in the Future Generations context, Kelli will be leading project management and tech support for our learning management systems, as well as working with staff on the assessment front to develop innovative learning activities to showcase in students’ e-portfolios.
The removal of mandatory residentials, Kelli notes, changes where the teaching energy goes. She will help maximize online activities so that they remain inviting for students. It’s important in a blended platform like ours that someone be in place to keep that energy going. Some keys to this will be in the development of new teaching artifacts, implementation of effective online simulations, and by keeping up the engagement in online forums.
With online learning, there is an ever-present challenge to create a learning community that keeps students involved through methods other than traditional classroom setting. However in many ways, Kelli likes to think online learning can be made to be even more advantageous than classroom learning. It leads the way to innovation and opens the opportunity to learn from others around the world.
One of the things our new Learning Management Director finds the most rewarding is supporting students that already have very busy, full lives and helping them to work their ongoing education into their life balance.
Kelli looks forward to laying a foundation with the upcoming Class 2019 that will lead to the best student experience possible and to tailoring a learning platform that doesn’t make students feel as though they’re being held back by the technology, but rather guided forward by it.
Future Generations is very excited to be taking this step forward with Kelli leading the charge– please join us in extending her the warmest of welcomes!

Practicing Conflict Management & More in Africa
November 22, 2021
This week on the blog, Future Generations alumnus Jonathan Tim Nshing shares with us some of the impressive work he’s completed, as well as details a particular project he and another graduate undertook after winning an alumni collaboration grant from the Global Network…

Jonathan’s Background with Future Generations:

Jonathan’s Master’s Practicum Thesis

Recently, I carried out a project with the support of Future Generations University called Promotion of Peace Awareness Among Youths in Cameroon. More information on this work can be found on the Facebook page of the Cameroon Youth Partnership (www.facebook.com-cameroon-youth-partnership). This project was funded by the Davis Projects for Peace, USA and was carried out in 2015.

 

Last year 2016, I and another alumnus, Uchenna Rowland, implemented a similar project entitled: “Documenting and Analyzing Traditional Conflict Management Techniques in Africa. Case Study: Nigeria and Cameroon,” which was funded by an Alumni Frant awarded annually by Future Generations Global Network. This project valorized African traditional methods and institutions of conflict management. We also came up with a procedural manual on traditional conflict management techniques in Africa.

 

Nexus Fund builds & strengthens local
communities to help prevent mass attrocities

I completed another related project in March of 2017, entitled “Deconstructing the Terrorist Narrative among Young People in Cameroon,” funded by the Nexus Fund, USA. We came out of it with findings indicative of the process of radicalization of young people in Cameroon and produced the working document “Youth De-Radicalization Compendium.”

 

At the moment, we are implementing another project funded by the Future Generations Global Network on the provision of two hand pumps to the Garyea Community in Liberia and the extension of the Nboung Water Network in Nboung-Nkwen, Bamenda.

Liberia:

 

Garyea Town is part of the Yelequelleh District, Gbartala, Bong County. It has been in existence as a community for more than fifty years. The community has 11 households with a population of 1350 persons. Of that number, 37% are females. The town has seven satellite villages with a population of 300 persons. Garyea geographical position has remain a challenge for the community for many years. It is located on a mountain of rocks making it difficult for the people to access water for survival. In fact like other communities where water are found in creeks and streams and serve as point for drinking, Garyea source of water comes from the rocks on the mountains which for many reasons are insufficient, dirty, and difficult to get. As the community seeks new source of water for drinking, so are they exposed to many water borne diseases.

 

The project is designed to rehabilitate a damaged pump and also construct a new pump for the community. The project will provide resources for training of pump mechanics and technicians as part of the Community WASH Committee so that maintenance will be guaranteed going forward. The project will provide training and awareness in the areas of gender, environment, disabilities, and WASH. The project is inclusive of water and sanitation awareness for the community. The project will work with existing leadership on the grounds like the CWC to provide leadership for project implementation. The project is expected to last for one year to be turned over to the community. The project will be implemented using a tripartite memorandum of understanding between DCS, local community and the Bong County WASH Office.

Cameroon:

Nboung village is one of the neighborhoods or villages located in the Bamenda III Sub-Division in Mezam Division of the North West Region. It is about 15 minutes drive from Bamenda City, situated along the road from Bambui Four Corners to Nforya in Bafut SubDivision. It has an estimated population of 1000 inhabitants. The village has never had pipe-borne water. The villagers trek for as much as 2 kilometres to access water from open streams and sometimes they rely on wells that are hardly treated and not safe for drinking, as such they are exposed to water- borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera among others.

 

This project aims at supporting the extension of the Nboung Water Project Piping network in Nkwen Bamenda. This village does not have pipe borne water but have succeeded to build their catchment and a water storage tank. What is left is the extension of the piping network from the catchment area to the village square over a distance of 1.5 kilometres. The inhabitants of the village will then be able to connect the water from the main water network or grid into their homes. The village water committee will thereafter construct seven stand taps around the village

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The following are photos of the project that we are currently doing with funding from Future Generations Global Network, which includes the construction of two hand pumps in Garyea County, Liberia and extension of water supply in Nboung, Cameroon:
Hand pump construction in Garyea County, Liberia
Water supply extension in Nboung, Cameroon
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This week’s blog was contributed by Jonathan Tim Nshing, a member of Future Generations University’s Class of 2015. As a school counselor by training, Jonathan has over thirteen years of service, having worked with schools, youth groups and local communities in the North West Region of Cameroon. It is also important to note that Jonathan is the founder of the Cameroon Youth Partnership. Cameroon Youth Partnership is a community-based organization aimed at the empowerment of young people through offering them information and counseling on youth related issues such as jobs, sexuality, HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, peace advocacy, and fighting violence in all its forms.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you wish to support the work of the Cameroon Youth Partnership, please contact: cayopnet@yahoo.com or jnshing@future.edu. You may also contact Future Generations on our behalf. If you wish to specifically support the water projects in Liberia and/or Cameroon, contact Future Generations or Future Generations Global Network.

 

Graduation Reflections
November 22, 2021

 

 

Today on the blog, our Chief Academic Officer, Christie Hand, takes the time to share with us just how special the last residential and Commencement were for the Class of 2017…
There is nothing quite like the privilege of spending two intense weeks with Future Generations University students on one of their field residentials. I just returned from the Philippines where nineteen students in the Class of 2017 – from the three regional cohorts of Africa, Himalaya, and Appalachia – gathered for their Term IV residential and for the celebration of Commencement. The setting was perfect – the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction’s beautiful James Yen Center in Silang, Cavite, just south of Manila. Dr. James Yen, the founder of IIRR, was passionate about participatory and people-centered development. Likewise, Future Generations students are passionate about making a positive impact in their communities.
The residential began with four days of instruction and practice in Building Bridges through Intergroup Dialogue, facilitated by U.S. Institute of Peace instructors, Dr. Alison Milofsky and Ariana Barth. Students worked on skills in active listening, examining beliefs and assumptions, and negotiating identity as they prepared to facilitate their own dialogue. Building on the trust developed over their past two years together, they were able to navigate sensitive issues which often involved sharing on a deep personal level.

 

Following the dialogue course, students enjoyed a two-day field visit to Taal Lake and Volcano Protected Area, meeting with the NGO Pusod, which has ambitious goals of ensuring a pollutant-free and sustainable ecosystem of Taal Lake and a disaster preparedness plan for the people on and around Volcano Island. Pusod is run by a small, and very capable, team under the leadership of Executive Director Ann Hazel. One of the highlights was crossing by boat to Volcano Island where we hiked or road on horseback (some of us did both!) up to the crater. Steam escaping from vents at the top reminded us that it is still an active volcano, and is eventually due for an eruption.
Back in the classroom at the Yen Center, students enjoyed four days of Strategic Leadership instruction with Dr. Ben Lozare, Director for Training and Capacity Building at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Communications Programs. Ben has been co-teaching the leadership course with Dr. Henry Mosely since Future Generation’s first Master’s cohort. Henry, unfortunately, could not make it to the Philippines, but Ben had no problem engaging students the whole time with his passion, his stories, and wisdom gained over many years of experience in international development. Particularly appropriate was the recounting of his involvement in the nonviolent People’s Power Movement in the Philippines during the 1980’s, which led to the departure of President Marcos, and laid the foundation to the leadership and communications principles which Ben ascribes to and teaches. Students came away from the course with a deeper understanding of shared vision and the role that socially accepted fiction plays in their community work.
Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction was the final course of the residential, taught by IIRR President Isaac Bekalo and trainer Wilson Barbon. As this is an area of expertise for IIRR, they were able to share frameworks for assessing hazard prevention and mitigation as well as analyzing community vulnerability and disaster risk. A half-day field visit to Rosaria, on Manila Bay, helped students to put the principles in context as this area is in particular danger from typhoons. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers are trained to respond to typhoon warnings, mobilizing the community and ensuring prompt evacuation to higher ground. They also train youth in disaster preparedness skills and strategies.
And the climax of the residential? Celebrating the graduation of students who, after 20 months of hard work, earned their MA in Applied Community Change. In a ceremony highlighting student diversity and unity, each of the regional cohorts chose a speaker and a song to share. Zerihun Damenu, Director of IIRR’s Ethiopia country program, spoke for the Africa Cohort followed by the song Africa Unity presented by all 12 students representing Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, Somalia, and Ghana. Mone Gurung, Program Coordinator for Future Generations Arunachal, spoke for the Himalayan Cohort, followed by the Nepali song Hami Bikaska Sahajkarta Haun (We are development facilitators) powerfully led by Bhim Nepali and accompanied by other Indian (from Arunachal Pradesh) and Nepali students. Ashley Akers of West Virginia represented the Appalachian Cohort with her speech and signing of a portion of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “moving forward” speech: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Country Roads was appropriately chosen as the Appalachian student song but was given an international flair with students and faculty from around the globe joining in.

 

As students crossed the stage to receive their Master’s hood (green and blue lining for the school colors with citron for the field of social work), their diploma, and to shake hands with Future Generations University President Daniel Taylor and IIRR President Isaac Bekalo, we realized that this was not a completion as much as a commencement, or even a continuation. They were recruited into the program as community change agents and they would continue to facilitate transformation in their communities, equipped now with tools and skills that they didn’t have before. As alumni of Future Generations University, they join a Global Network of alumni and community practitioners, who will continue to challenge and encourage them.
So thank you to the Future Generations students for the privilege of working with you, and thank you to the community members, family members, and faculty who have inspired each of our students. A special shout out also to the Regional Academic Directors, Nawang Gurung (Nepal), Firew Kefyalew (Ethiopia), and Luke Taylor-Ide (West Virginia) for guiding and mentoring the Class of 2017 throughout the full two years. May we all continue to move forward in the work to which we are called.
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Christie is committed to ensuring that higher education is relevant and accessible to all. The benefits and opportunities available through education should not be for a select few. Towards this end, she is enthusiastic about trying new models and approaches which help to increase the reach of higher education and enable greater success. Her style is that of facilitation, empowering students to take responsibility for their own learning, and becoming life-long learners. Christie has been working at Future Generations University since 2007.

 

The Future and the Appalachians
November 22, 2021
For the Central Appalachians, including our home state of West Virginia, the future needs to look very different from the past. The region’s historic reliance on the coal industry to support family livelihoods, and to support government services, no longer works. The future demands a new economic model, but where do you get one? Professor Mike Rechlin weighs in on an innovative way he’s led Future Generations in approaching this task…
Class members on the first day of the Sap Collection Residential

You can start by looking at what works, and build on that success. You can replace the energy found in coal with the human energy to innovate. You can develop partnerships between not-for-profits, government and people eager to see change. If that sounds like part of the mantra of Future Generations University; well, that’s because it is. And maybe that’s why West Virginia’s newest University just might be in the “sweet spot” when it comes to the future and the Appalachians.
Participant Karen Milnes measuring trees
with a diameter tape
When Future Generations Graduate School Dean Mike Rechlin retired from his duties on North Mountain, he planned on moving on up to his home in New York State. Instead he moved his activity up to the backside of Spruce Knob to help establish the Dry Fork Maple Works. Seeing the potential for growth of a new industry in the State, one that sustainably used a renewable forest resource, Mike help organize the West Virginia Maple Syrup Producers Association (WVMSPA). Fast forward 2 years, and applying that mantra of build on success, rely on human energy, and develop partnerships, he is now helping the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) to develop this growing sector of the State’s economy. It’s also why Future Generations University is partnering with the WVDA and it’s Warriors and Veterans in Agriculture program to offer a course titled Maple Sap Collection and Syrup Processing.
This past September, Mike crisscrossed the State offering seven Maple Syrup Production seminars to over 75 interested participants. Through partnerships developed by Future Generations University with the WVDA, the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance, the WVMSPA, and West Virginia University, those interested in moving into this industry are now enrolled in the Maple Sap Collection and Syrup Processing Course. Completing this course will require participants to enter into a mentoring relationship with a syrup producer already successfully established within the State. The seminars, the course, and the WVMSPA are all driven by a palpable sense of human energyeager to see change.
As course participant and army veteran Jeremy Ray said last weekend at the courses first residential, “nothing is happening in Nicholas County, where I live (and whose property butts up against a closed coal mine). I just want to get something going, to make it better.”
Crew members recording plot data
When Mike Rechlin told the University’s Director of Research, Mieke Schleiff, about this growing relationship between Future Generations and this maple syrup business, he let her know that the focus of his course was on tree biology, evaporator chemistry, ecology, and math, not SEED/SCALE. Fair enough, but stepping back a bit to look at the big picture, it kind of looks like it is. And, it just might be that “sweet spot” where Future Generations University can apply its unique perspective to the future of the Appalachians.
Alisha and Baby Oriana making use of a Biltmore Stick
Interested in this unique learning and entrepreneurship opportunity? Visit https://learn.future.edu/local/staticpage/view.php?page=maple_cert or call the office at 304-358-2000 to find out more pricing and enrollment options!

 


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Mike Rechlin has practiced sustainable foresty and protected areas management in the United States, Nepal, India, and Tibet for thirty years. He has extensive teaching experience and has designed educational programs for many international groups visiting the Adirondack Park of New York State. Presently retired, Mike has held academic appointments at Principia College, Paul Smith’s College, and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He served as the dean of Future Generations Graduate School from 2010 to 2013. He presently resides, and makes maple syrup, in Franklin, WV.

 

 

 

 

Alumni Feature: Meaghan Gruber
November 22, 2021

 

Today on the blog, we hear from Meaghan Gruber, an alumna of the Class of 2014. Meaghan discusses how her Future Generations education has aided her work in her field and how it still comes into play in her current role with Cacao&Terra Nicaragua. Meaghan has also been the recipient of two Alumni Collaboration Grants from the Global Network. Read on to find out more!

 

 

Meaghan credits her education with Future Generations University for challenging her to think outside the box in her work. When she started her Master’s, she was working with an NGO that worked towards development across several different sectors. Future Generations’ inherently multi-sectoral approach allowed her to apply what she was learning directly to her work, team, and community, thereby enhancing her success in her work and enabling her team to more effectively evaluate their next steps. The most beneficial aspect of the program for her was the diversity of her fellow Master’s students. She says that this led to thinking about new ideas in different ways, creatively collaborating across the world, and understanding similarities in challenges and how those challenges may be addressed. Most importantly, Meaghan says, “They taught me new ways to see the world—for that, I am forever indebted.”

 

She again applied this basis to her action research Practicum, which looked at community voice within a proposed health clinic plan in a rural community. Applying her knowledge of the three-way partnership, she provided invaluable research on behalf of her NGO, which was then able to work successfully with the community, other NGOs, Ministry of Health, and government to launch the project. Meaghan says that it’s given her a great sense of pride to know that her practicum work wasn’t just another proposed development project pushed onto a community, but rather a collaborative effort based on community energy.

 

Most recently, she’s been working on a social enterprise called Cacao&Terra Nicaragua that focuses on reforestation via the planting of cacao, as well as produces value-added fine-quality chocolate. This is completed in partnership with communities, cooperatives, and government. Says Meaghan, “I’m constantly inspired by the organization, determination, and creativity that I witness on a daily basis in my work.”

 

 

Of SEED-SCALE, Meaghan makes frequent use in her work, as she feels that many parts of this theory are essential for positive and sustainable community change. In her work, the principles of working with human energy, building from success, and using three-way partnerships are always used. Meaghan had observed that often NGOs or individuals work alone in communities or without fully involving the community or other actors, leading to failed projects. She asserts that working collaboratively with all actors represented ensures a much more sustainable future for the projects and the communities that make use of this approach.

 

Building from success and learning from the successes of others has enabled Meaghan to take informed next steps that have brought her work to SCALE. From having applied SEED-SCALE in their work with cacao plantations and chocolate making, her team is now working in collaboration with new associations and co-operatives that are working together in chocolate-making and sustainable livelihood alternatives.

 

One of the most rewarding parts of this process for Meaghan has been seeing how her work has sparked behavior change using SEED-SCALE. By focusing on community change via the planting of cacao and chocolate making in the northern region of Nicaragua and with the award of a Future Generations Alumni Collaboration Grant, Meaghan’s work has not only aided in reforestation efforts, but has also evolved into making value-added products with cacao. The progression towards chocolate-making has given Meaghan the opportunity to work closely with young people from Waslala, Nicaragua, as well as different actors in the area. Meaghan’s position of being from the United States but having been settled in Nicaragua for the last 10 years has also allowed her to aid the company in forging connections, improving communications, and product distribution, thereby further bringing this project to SCALE.

 

To learn more about Cacao&Terra Nicaragua, please visit: https://chocolatenicaragua.com/
Or check them out and follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catenicsa
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Meaghan was first drawn to community change work when she travelled to the northern mountains of Nicaragua in the early 2000s. It was here that she began to question how lives could improve in areas such as the one she was visiting; areas that are poor in resources, but infinitely rich in the quality of its people and their collective capabilities. After dedicating her university years to studying the socio-economic and historical contexts that had given rise to the conditions present in rural Nicaragua, she returned and began working with NGOs that were focused on water access, school building, scholarship programs, and alternative income programs. Throughout, she remained the most inspired by the people she encountered in her work and the communities that were working together to improve life for their children. This prompted her to begin her journey with Future Generations. We’re proud to have such an exemplary individual among our alumni and continue to be inspired by her scaling up of her work.

 

Happy Dashain from Future Generations!

May 29, 2018

A greeting from Himalayan Regional Academic Director and Assistant Professor, Mr. Nawang Singh Gurung:

Dear respected Future Generations University network and global family members, alumni, friends, and communities around the world,
HAPPY DASHAIN AND DEEPAWALI (TIHAR) TO ALL!
Future Generations is a globally united family, and it may be of interest to learn about a different culture’s religion, beliefs and values! So, I’m sharing a bit about a very special holiday I celebrate in Nepal, Dashain and Deepawali. Dashain has been celebrated since ancient times as the longest-lasting national festival in Nepal. (Similar traditions are also celebrated in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Pakistan, and parts of India).
Dashain is the most auspicious festival of the Nepalese people. During Dashain, relatives from abroad countries come home to celebrate. It starts from Ghatastamna in last week of September (which falls on today!) The main day of Dashain is Bijaya Dashami (Sept. 30).
After the unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah (c. late 1700s), a modern Nepal and a new tradition was set by bringing Phulpati and Jamara to our capital, Kathmandu, from the Gorakhkali Temple by a Magar priest.
According to Hindu mythology, a demon called “Mahisasur” had caused pain and suffering amongst humans. Then the goddess Durga Bhawani killed the demon to relieve the humans. In other myths, it is celebrated after the victory of our god, Rama, over the Ravan (devils). In all accounts, Dashain is a festival symbolizing the triumph of truth over evil.
The worshipping of the Nawadurga Bhawani (Taleju Temple) during the Nawaratra (nine nights of worship) from Ghatastapana  is an ancient tradition. It is mentioned in the Devi-Puran: “Ram had proposed of launching war against Rawan in Lanka on the occasion of Bijayadashami in Ashwin Shukla Nawaratri.” Similarly, it is mentioned in the Padma-Puran: “Rama had killed Rawan on the day of
Chaitra Shukla Chaturdashi.”
People of any caste, whether Hindu or Buddhist, take Tika (blessings of abundance) from senior family members in order of precedence after worshipping the god Durga and all their machines — like vehicles, computers and other gadgets they use daily to earn a living.
—
Happy Dashain and Deepawali to all our students, staff, and friends who will be celebrating this week! 

Musings of a Naturalist IV: Loango: An Elephant Eden
November 22, 2021
We were edging along the Rembo Ngowe river in a small outboard, hugging the east bank in hopes of seeing a Giant Kingfisher or the Palm-nut Vulture, when we rounded a bend to suddenly come head to head with a magnificent Forest Elephant feeding on a grassy peninsula, its yellowish and relatively straight tusks nearly touching the ground. The animal stopped chewing, surveyed the situation, and deciding that we were too close for comfort, slowly backed away, disappearing rear-end first into a curtain of green…
We encountered the elephant in Loango, a 1550 square kilometer national park that fronts on the Atlantic Ocean in Gabon and we were here to learn about the Congo Rainforest Biome as well as hear about Gabon’s conservation successes. Loango has been called the ‘Eden of Africa’ and this may be the case, but Eden, like Shangri-La, is an overused word, one that connotes varying images to different people. Eden, to me, brings up a vision of a garden paradise where food supplies are inexhaustible, where plants and animals exist in balance, where animals roam without fearing man, a place of peace and beauty. Such may exist in one’s mind, but certainly not in western Gabon – at least not as yet.
However, if we were to say that Loango is an Elephant Eden we would not be far wrong, for Loango is indeed an elephant sanctuary, a place with a fairly uniformly hot climate, copious quantities of food, and with protection from hunters.
We rounded a bend in a small outboard to suddenly surprise a
Forest Elephant, Loxodonta cyclotis, feeding on a grassy peninsula
poking into the slow-moving Rembo Ngowe river. While this animal
did not show alarm, it did stop eating and slowly backed into the forest.
The white bar at the lower left-hand edge of this picture shows the rim
of our boat and indicates how close we were to this magnificent creature.
As it was, I was surprised that this elephant backed into the forest as I couldn’t remember seeing elephants departing in this way – Savanna and Indian elephants usually swing around before fleeing. In addition, I had never been suddenly this close to a wild elephant without it showing considerable alarm. This morning there was no sign of aggression, no ears tilting forward, no trunk in the air, no trumpeting. This certainly spoke of the splendid protection afforded by the park and that the animal had not had bad encounters with humans.

 

 

The elephants that roam in Loango are Forest Elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis), a species that a DNA study published in 2001, showed was different from Savanna Elephants. Subsequent papers have confirmed this separation, and indeed the elephant in front of us did have a distinctive ‘feel’ to it. The tusker, even though fully mature and somewhat aged, did not seem inordinately large even at our close range and it also appeared to be a dark. We had read that the tusks of a Forest Elephant (when compared with a Savanna species), are straighter and yellower and ears are smaller, rounder. A Forest Elephant also has four, not five, toes, but we were so taken with the encounter that we forgot to count. In any case, the toes were well hidden in the grass.
The characteristics of these Gabon elephants are adaptations to a dense forest habitat, where small size would be useful, where relatively straight tusks would help to lift impeding vegetation out of the way, and where ear size, a part of their cooling system, would not be as necessary in forest shade as in open grasslands. In addition, a darker skin would blend with the darks of forest shade. But why four and not five toes? I have no idea.
Furthermore these elephants, as befitting their habitat, do not associate in large herds. During our time in Gabon, we encountered solitary animals, or a mother with a calf, or small groups of four or five animals. The largest gathering we saw was eight individuals clustered around a clump of trees in the middle of a wide, green marsh. Elephants also seek out clearings in the forest, locally called bais, where they are perhaps attracted by the soil’s mineral composition and where they associate with others,
Forest elephants move seasonally, frequenting soggy marshlands during the dry season and moving back into the lowland rain forests when the wet returns and the marshes flood. While in the marshlands, elephants feed on a variety of grasses and rushes, including papyrus, and in the forest they consume a wide variety of leaves, bark, and fruit. Some forest trees benefit from the presence of the elephants as the animals eat the fruit and then distribute seeds over wide areas. Indeed the seeds of some trees, including the 30-meter tall Navel Fruit, Omphalocarpumin the Sapotaceae family, germinate only if they have passed through the animal’s digestive system. In addition, the health of a forest may be assisted by the elephants breaking off branches and trampling the undergrowth to help light reach the ground and foster plant growth. In some parts of West Africa, the original forest composition has noticeably changed following the disappearance of elephants.
(Navel Fruit trees are part of what has been called the Megafaunal Syndrome which theorizes that in past ages very large fruit may have evolved in order to attract very large animals (the megafauna) and thus assist in wide seed dispersal (for more see Megagardeners of the Forest – the role of elephants in seed dispersal, by Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz and Stephen Blake in Acta Oecologica, posted online 22 Feb 2011).)

 

 

Any thought of elephants immediately brings to mind the grim straits that the Forest Elephant and all elephant species face. Elephants need space but with habitat loss and fragmentation this is a fast diminishing commodity. Besides space, rampant poaching is a dire on-going threat that will be eliminated only when human needs are adequately met and when there is no market for ivory – or bush meat. There are many on-going efforts to deal with poaching so we retain the hope that elephants will indeed survive in the wild.

Gabon had received little conservation attention and Loango was almost unknown until zoologist Michael Fey’s well-publicized on-foot transect across the Congo Basin, a journey that ended in Loango in 2000. With Longo now on the map, the forward thinking prime minister, Omar Bongo, created the National Agency for National Parks in 2002, and this body decided to protect thirteen areas of special biological interest as national parks. These now occupy ten percent of Gabon’s land area.

While elephants, as a charismatic group, attract special conservation interest, their protection and the retention of their habitat also benefits many other species which, in Gabon, includes Lowland Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Red River Hogs, African Gray Parrots, and Slender-snouted Crocodiles, all indicator species of the Congo Rainforest Biome. And also benefitting from habitat protection are Giant Kingfishers, Palm-nut Vultures, and the African Rock Python, species I had previously encountered in other areas of Africa – but never in these numbers.

 

The Red River Hog, Potamochoerus porcus, is one of 19 species is the family Suidae. These hogs search the forest floor in tropical rainforests of West Africa and are found from the Congo Basin west to Guinea. Their preferred habitat is good forest as well as open edges of streams and marshes where they search for tubers, fruit fallen from trees, and even carrion. In addition they look for the balls of forest elephant feces which they break apart to feed on the undigested seeds of trees such as Balanites wilsoniana. While Wild Red River Hogs usually roam in small groups of up to ten animals, the large assemblages seen in Loango indicates fine habitat and good protection.
In the bird world, African Gray Parrots are perhaps the most accomplished mimics of the human voice but in the wild they don’t sound like humans at all. On the first morning at the Loango Lodge, I stepped outside my cottage to hear a melodic chorus some distance to the left. Those wonderful, mellow voices at varying pitches, sounded like orioles. But several orioles singing together? Most unlikely. This was a puzzle.

 

But not a puzzle for long as I was soon told that these were African Gray Parrots talking. Parrots singing like orioles? Seemed most improbable, as members of the parrot family screech and squawk. But sing? No way! So I walked over to the trees where the birds were moving about and sure enough: Gray Parrots.

 

In the bird world, Grays are perhaps the best imitators of the human voice (Talking Mynas are a close second) and Alex a captive Gray, one of the most famous representatives of its species, was taught to ‘say’ over 100 words. But not only that, this remarkable bird seemed to understand what the words meant. Additionally, it was demonstrated that Alex could count up to six and could recognize seven different colors (for a splendid biographical account see: Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg, first published in 2008 by HarperCollins).

 

Gray parrots are much in demand as caged birds – and this poses a dilemma for this parrot, as it does for all cage bird species. In the past the capturing of wild birds (often chicks or eggs robbed from the nest) has been a income source for some but these days with tightened regulations through CITES treaties, heightened publicity of illegal acts, and well trained customs officials, the illegal bird trade has diminished – not finished but much reduced.

 

One good way to impede nefarious wildlife activities is to recruit the best village ‘poachers,’ and train them as ecotourism guides. When the economic benefit of guiding outweighs remuneration from poaching, the same hunters often make outstanding wardens. We saw this in action in Piaui State in Brazil where income is generated by showing visitors the stunning Hyacinth Macaw.

 

Iguela Lagoon, a large fresh water lake with brackish water towards the Atlantic Ocean, is a special feature of the northwestern part of the park. Much of the territory immediately around the lake is marshland, waterlogged during the rainy season, but transformed into vast grassy swards in the dry season. Slightly raised terrain inland from the lagoon, often small ridges, support stands of tropical forest in which animals such as White-nosed Monkeys and the Red River Hogs live. Forest elephants are at home in either terrain and when green grasses sprout during the dry season elephants emerge from the forest into the marshes.

 

Even during the short dry period, the time when we were in the park, the water channels running into Iguela Lagoon remain filled, but with banks exposed enough to host rows of palms, their long leaves often drooping over the water. And with the palm canopy punctuated by tall trees, this is a perfect habitat for the Palm-nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis).

 

The Palm-Nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis), a raptor primarily of wet equatorial forests in western Africa, might best be called a vulturine eagle for its head is totally feathered, save for red facial skin, and the bird features acrobatic aerial courtship displays, rolling and diving. Besides the bird sometimes attacks living prey, occasionally picking disabled fish off the surface of the water or eyeing the occupants of a chicken coop. This vulturine eagle does feed on carrion but its primary food source is nuts of Elaeis and Raphia palms.
Eagles and Old World vultures are closely related and the Palm-Nut Vulture looks and acts like a black-and-white eagle, especially in aerial courtship displays and when attacking live creatures such as chickens. Their name is appropriate as these birds feed primarily on the nuts of the palms (especially Elaeis and Raphia), but they also consume dead fish – as do American Bald Eagles and the African Fishing Eagles. During our Gabon visit we did not see this species scavenge and thus the name Palm-nut Vulturine Eagle would be appropriate, or perhaps the alliterative Vegetarian* Vulture would be at least partly applicable.
Gabon is also a stronghold for the Slender- snouted Crocodile Mecistops cataphractus, one of four African crocodilian species. This rainforest reptile thrives best in shaded, aquatic situations and is known from the Congo Basin and surrounding regions as well as living in rainforest patches that extend west along the African coast to as far as Senegal. The crocodiles living in far western Africa may well represent a separate species. Whatever, population numbers are uncertain but the crocodile is usually listed as critically endangered and Gabon likely harbors one of the highest concentration of this species with Loango and its Iguela Lagoon and the shaded waterways is one of the best hopes for this species.
On occasion, most crocodiles like to haul out of the water to spend time on dry land. However, few exposed banks exist along the Mpivie or other rivers in lowland Gabon, so Slender-snouted reptiles often clamber up trunks of dead trees fallen into the river.

 

This, small, long-snouted crocodile (adults rarely run to more than three meters in length) is a fish eater, the snout slashing sideways when detecting prey. It also supplements its diet with aquatic reptiles (turtles are a favorite) and the occasional bird or mammal. From time to time, crocodiles like to haul out of the water but as very few open banks exist in Loango, the reptiles climb onto protruding logs, often managing to clamber up a dead tree trunk sticking out of the water at a slant of up to 25 degrees. In Loango the reptiles are not hunted for their meat or skins (as they are in many areas of this biome) so the animals we encountered were remarkably tolerant of our approach. However, if our boat floated too close for comfort, the crocodiles suddenly launched off the logs and belly flopped into the water.

 

This crocodile is a mound nester, and towards the beginning of the rainy season a female will gather vegetation into a pile on the bank and then lay around 20 large eggs in the mound. These eggs take a long time to hatch, one report listed 110 days, during which period the female stays near the nest but does not assist with incubation. However, when the youngsters begin to cheep as the eggs hatch, the female digs into the mound to free her offspring so they can swim out into the flooded marshes.

 

 

The slow-moving, shaded Mpivie River is ideal habitat for Slender-snouted Crocodiles as it supports a splendid fish population and there is ample shade from the Eleias palms and other trees lining the channel. This habitat is also much favored by kingfishers as well as the African Finfoot and the large, Pell’s Owl, both rare bird species.
Gabon’s thirteen national parks are the ‘top down’ variety, reserves imposed by officials on areas of special conservation interest. One does need to start somewhere but in the long run, the top-down system has been effective – over the long haul – mostly where initiation has been followed by strong community outreach and where people living in or near the protected areas are incorporated into the economic benefits of the conservation plan. Without community cooperation, and the members assisting in surveillance to help maintain their economic asset, most plans don’t succeed, or succeed only if governments invest huge amounts of money in order to patrol the area.

 

No two conservation areas are alike so programs need to be flexible and adapt to what works within the given context, and in Gabon we can be thankful both for the government initiatives and also for the evolution of conservation thinking has led to a point where locals are included, not excluded, in plans.

 

Much of the terrain inland from Gabon’s southern Atlantic coast features a mosaic of lagoons and waterways, and the people living here are masterful fishermen. Hunting in Loango National Park is not permitted but fishing for local consumption is allowed, the operations supervised by park authorities. This mid-afternoon image shows a park ranger recording the ‘take’, which includes catfish and other freshwater species while staff from the Akaka tented camp bargain for dinner.
A multiuse concept covering areas of special significance, initially voiced in the 1970s, works well in many places. This scheme envisions three zones – or adaptations thereof. A core zone is a strictly protected area where entry is granted by special permission. This is surrounded by a buffer zone where limited, sustainable use activities, including low impact tourism and recreation is promoted. And all are flanked by an outlying transition zone in which people live and where sustainable economic activity, such as ecotourism lodges or selected logging, is encouraged and where various stakeholders work together to ensure a long-term, on-going benefit to the people in the area.

 

Gabon still has a long road ahead to reach the point where their national parks are protected for the long term, but a fine start has been made so future generations of elephants as well as people can be thankful for the vision and the effort that is evident today.
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Pictured is Dr. Fleming with a staff member of
Loango Lodge; the photo was taken on‘Gorilla Island’ near the
Loango National Park where there is a rehab center for rescued gorillas.

This week’s blog piece and photos make up the fourth installment in our Musings of a Naturalist series, courtesy of our own Dr. Robert (Bob) Fleming: Professor Equity and Empowerment/ Natural History. Having grown up in the foothills of the Himalayas in India, Bob has long been interested in the beauty of nature. This progressed into a fascination with natural history and cultural diversity, leading him to obtain his Ph.D. in zoology. He has explored many of the planet’s special biological regions, ranging from the Namib Desert in Africa to the Tropical Rainforest of the Amazon, and the Mountain Tundra biome of the Himalayas. He has worked for the Smithsonian’s Office of Ecology and the Royal Nepal Academy and, along with his father and Royal Nepal Academy Director-Lain Singh Bangdel, he wrote and illustrated “Birds of Nepal,” the first modern field guide to the birds of the region. In addition to his work with Future Generations, Bob is the director of Nature Himalayas, a sole proprietorship that he began in 1970. Through this company, Bob has led some 250 outings. He currently lives in the temperate rainforest of western Oregon in the USA’s Pacific Northwest.

Many thanks to Dr. Fleming for another great contribution!

Using the SEED-SCALE Model to Assess Access to Education in Engikaret, Tanzania
November 22, 2021

 

To bridge academic research with field research conducted in Engikaret, Tanzania, Taylor Lee presents her findings in regards to access to education and the role it plays there. Using the SEED-SCALE model and associated core principles outlined in Just and Lasting Change, she used her research to evaluate Engikaret’s access to education, operating on her belief in its ability to increase opportunities for individuals living in rural, resource-poor environments. Observation and personal communication led Taylor’s investigation with Maasai community members, government agents, parents and youth of the community, as well as community liaisons operating through or in conjunction with Nyayo Discovery. She primarily focused on the general community’s understanding of access to education and how this pertains to community opportunities and well-being…
7th Year Students at ECPS.
Core Teachers: Sion and Priska.
Guest Teacher:Taylor

 

Introduction

 

Social change within a community can only be sustained when multi-layered partnerships are organized in the context of community empowerment, wherein the needs and wants of the community are center to the movement. Such is the case with access to education in rural Tanzania. The Maasai of Engikaret have been empowered over the last decade through shifting social values to promote access to education for the community’s youth. I bore witness to partnerships between local leaders, regional government, and outside agencies; all of which empower the Maasai of Engikaret to continuously improve access to education to the benefit of the community’s overall health and well-being.

Principle One: Rising Aspirations Lead to Action

The Maasai of Engikaret live in a resource-poor and geographically isolated area, with an estimated population of 4,000. While resistant to overt cultural change, I found the Maasai of Engikaret open and willingly promote formal education as a means to generate opportunities within the community. The community’s openness to supporting formal education (such as enrollment in primary school) reflects Principal One of the SEED-SCALE model, which asserts that when promoting sustainable community programs, such as access to education, assessment leading to action should begin with evaluating the strengths of the community.

 Within these strengths, I could see the hopes and dreams of parents wanting their youth to have the opportunity to attend primary school. As evidence, Engikaret has two primary schools. New Vision Primary School is a privately funded, faith-based school whereas Engikaret Community Primary School (ECPS) is a government funded, public school. While there are resource discrepancies between the two schools, the focus of my observations leads me to conclude that within the larger community context, there is a community-driven want to provide access to education for the youth of the area. Further, within the parameters of Principle One, is the need to assess how communities understand education as it relates to community health and well-being.

Officially, the community supports education, at least through the primary grades for the majority of the community’s children. I gleaned this informal information through participation in multiple Maasai community discussions. I had ample opportunities to meet with the mamas of Engikaret, who repeatedly stated that they want their children, regardless of gender, to be in school. While the position presented by the mamas highlights how the Engikaret Maasai have embraced social change through the verbal promotion of education, it is of interest that there are school-aged youth, primarily girls, who are not enrolled in either of the community’s primary schools. This observation led me to inquire about the rates of girl to boy enrollment within the public school system of Engikaret. Interviews with the public school teachers confirmed that more males are enrolled and supported in school attendance than girls. Perhaps this reflects traditions that “might create obstacles to healthy change.”

 Evaluating challenges to healthy change does not mean to focus on the negative; rather Principle One acknowledges that when assessing community strengths one should not “ignore problems.” I suspect part of the reason for lower girl enrollment stems from the Maasai’s traditional gender roles. Traditional expectations of Maasai women are focused on marriage, child rearing, and home duties rather than on building gender equality through access to education. It is not to say the community does not embrace healthy change– from my observations of the Level Seven class at ECPS, I saw more female students enrolled than I had initially expected. Within the Level Seven class ,I calculated 43% of students were female, compared to 57% male. This data reflects a 23% increase in girl enrollment rates within the last generation.

Another obstacle I observed with regards to youth accessing education surrounds the initial rollout of education programs by the Tanzanian government. The government mandate requiring youth aged 7-13 to attend primary school was not initiated nor initially supported by the Maasai. Thus it did not stem from a community-driven desire. Because of this, it appears the Maasai had little involvement with the placement of ECPS. The repercussions are that many primary aged school children walk long distances to and from school each school day. According to teachers at ECPS, children may have to walk up to an hour one-way to access the school building. Parents in the community also have concerns with their children crossing the highway to get to the school building; this is especially concerning for the younger students. As the community has come to support formal education, I was able to observe how the community has taken action to help mitigate some of the obstacles students face on the journey to school.

 

One clear way the community has supported the students’ journey to school is seen in how the students move as a group. Many children were observed arriving at school in groups, comprised of family members and neighbors. Within these groups arriving at school, it was apparent that there were always older children with the younger children. The grouping of students to ensure the safe passage to school proves the community of Engikaret has found a community-based approach to supporting access to education. Further, as school enrollment increases, the government, this time with the collaboration of the Engikaret Maasai, is looking to build a second primary school. The hope is to shorten the journey for students. As the community’s aspirations regarding access to education rise, I believe the Maasai community of Engikaret will show a greater capacity to advocate for the building location of the new public school when the time comes.

 

Rising aspirations is a strong motivator for social change, a motivator that is conceived from the community’s perceived positive development. I believe that as the community observes how access to primary, secondary and university education improves the quality of life for those individuals, they then will promote the equal access to primary school enrollment for more of their community’s youth. For example, in visiting a boma that showed more development than others, such as solar panels to meet the family’s energy needs and buildings that required less maintenance by the females of the family, I asked Patrick (Nyayo Discovery liaison between the community and global visitors) if this family was considered wealthy. His response was not that the family was wealthy but that the family’s son had completed primary, secondary and university education and therefore had the capacity to take advantage of opportunities that impact the health and well-being of the household. I believe Patrick’s response reflects elements of Principle One; social growth begins with improved conditions for some community members that in turn spark interest and participation in social change by others.

 

Based on my observations, the community of Engikaret is driven to overcome obstacles presented by their geographical isolation and resource-poor living conditions. The value of formal education is held in high regard and desired by the majority of the Engikaret Maasai. For example, I observed at least one primary school aged child enrolled in school per family. Social change is a slow process. However, as the community experiences more access to opportunities because of education, I believe the community’s interaction and support for the education system will increase.
Mamas of Engikaret

 

Principle Two: Three-way Partnerships and Malleable Leadership

 

For large-scale social change to occur, such as empowering communities through access to education, the construct of community needs to be redefined. In the context of empowering people through access to education, “the community” is not limited to the geography of participants. Rather community is defined as a holistic approach involving anyone with a shared vision and capacity to enact change. In this context support for education comes from multi-dimensional partnerships all of which have various degrees of connectedness to the community. I observed how the broader notion of community leads to educational access in the Engikaret area. For example, top-down support is evident through funding for school buildings and supplies by both public and private funders. When evaluating systems as complex as formal, community education, there is a fundamental requirement to have some degree of top-down support. While exclusive top-down support is not associated with community-driven programs, it is associated with a three-way partnership model outlined in Principle Two. The Engikaret region is geographically isolated and resource-poor; thus top-down support alleviates some of the financial strain associated with maintaining a school.

 

Additionally, Principle Two outlines the need for outside-in involvement as it can spark innovation. This aspect of Principle Two is seen in the observed partnership between Nyayo Discovery and the Maasai of Engikaret. Nyayo specializes in increasing the economic platform of the Engikaret community through increased tourism, cultural awareness and utilizing the human energy of global volunteers. Outside-in support for community development as it pertains to access to education was something I, a participant in Nyayo’s global volunteer and tourism program, was able to experience firsthand.

 

Because of my affiliation with Nyayo and my background experience as a US teacher, ECPS invited me in to teach several lessons to the Level Seven students. Through this experience, I have come to understand the hardships of educating in the face of adverse conditions, most notably the utter lack of resources. Fortunately, one of the ways outside-in support fosters innovation is through the sharing of ideas, best stated by Taylor and Taylor, “The value of outside-in [support] has little to do with who and everything to do with what.” In this regard, sharing teaching methods with ECPS teachers allowed the growth of resources in the form of easily adopted learning games. In reflection, perhaps this is why the teachers were so eager to learn then employ these games regardless of my presence.
From my point of view, one of the most important aspects of Principle Two is the malleability of roles, specifically leadership roles. A key contributor to the success of any community-driven program is shifting from outside-in or top-down leadership to leadership by those who are directly impacted by the efforts of social change. While I was not privy to evidence directly showing how roles have shifted in the Engikaret community, I was able to observe leaders among the Maasai that allowed me to infer that the community’s affiliation with Nyayo Discovery has generated leadership roles that may not otherwise exist without the outside-in partnership. For example, I was able to work directly with two Maasai leaders, Loshiro and Peter, who serve as liaisons between the Maasai and global volunteers. The work Loshiro and Peter do represent how an outside agency, such as Nyayo, can foster leadership within the community. Community leaders are better able to embody the needs, wants and realities of the community, which in turn promotes social change from within the community.

 

Lastly, Principle Two highlights the immense importance of social change derived from bottom-up support. Bottom-up support relies on human energy found directly within the community to meet the goals set forth by the community. Within the context of access to education bottom-up support was seen in the employment of Maasai teachers and support staff at ECPS. From my experience, having systems utilize local employment strategies creates a stronger economic platform for rural communities. Additionally, teachers with a deep-seated understanding of the traditions, values, and realities of Engikaret can offer higher equitability to students. As evidence, Maasai community teachers face unique language barriers. Traditionally the Maasai people speak Maa, however schools across Tanzania teach in Kiswahili and English. Having a native Maa speaker, like those I observed at ECPS, allows more students and families to access education, and educational resources comfortably.

 

Maasai children herding after school and before the enrollment age of 7.
NAU students: Aubrey Babcock and Taylor Lee

 

Principle Three: Assessing Social Change through Community Perspectives

 

Assessing the progress of any social change program requires that the assessment use community values and realities, in other words, “locally relevant” evidence. I believe that this may be one of the greatest challenges facing the Engikaret community within the context of access to education. Education often is viewed by distant third parties, with mandates and successes outlined for review by policymakers, stakeholders, or partners who may have little insight into challenges facing the community. In reflection, I have come to understand how outside definitions of success or success marked by goals that may or may not be relevant to the community, may have adverse consequences on social change.

 

Specifically, the progress Engikaret has made in creating access to education can be viewed in two ways. First, it can be viewed from the community’s perspective, a viewpoint that celebrates increased enrollment, even if it means only one of each family’s children is in school. In turn, this same data can be viewed from a value system not aligned with the realities of living in a geographically isolated and resource-poor environment; a viewpoint that is removed from the idea that the family’s immediate livelihood may be in jeopardy if all school-aged children were enrolled. From perspective two, it could be argued that the community of Engikaret is not providing access to education, adversely partners may pull funding due to low success rates.

 

However, in support of the community’s celebration of progress, ECPS projects that of the Level Seven class, 60% of those students will be promoted on to the secondary level. ECPS projected data unveils the continued progress at providing access to education as seen over the last decade in the community of Engikaret. I believe that when operating under the guidelines of principal three, evaluators must have a clear and consistent guideline for measuring success, one that relies on the realities facing the community.

 

Conclusion

 

The Maasai of Engikaret are operating within a framework supportive of social change, inspired and brought to fruition by organizations that recognize community-driven partnerships relevant to improved access to education, result in increased health and well-being of all community members. Evaluating access to education using the SEED-SCALE model allows partners to highlight community successes and build upon them. Secondly, access to education as a community-driven program, will be a sustainable movement if actions are supported through layered partnerships. The most influential of layered partnerships are those that expose the human energy within the community to generate bottom-up support. Lastly, goals, success, and progress must be defined in terms of community realities. Only then can the markers of success or the addendum of goals be aligned to actual community needs and wants.

 

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This week’s blog contributed by Taylor Lee. Taylor has a passion for promoting equitable education in underserved communities, and is currently teaching in rural Arizona with predominantly Navajo youth. While her work is focused on delivering access to high quality science education at the middle grades, embedded within her classroom work is providing youth and families with meaningful experiences that inspire students to seek post-secondary opportunities. She believes that the cycle of poverty, often associated with under-resourced communities, can be broken when youth have equitable post-secondary options readily available. She works in collaboration with community partners to provide such pathways to her students through exposure at the middle grades level.
In addition to teaching, Taylor is currently completing her last semester for her Master of Secondary Education through John Hopkins University. While this endeavor has take n the majority of her focus, she was able to participate in Norther Arizona University’s Study Abroad program during the summer of 2017. She believes that this opportunity to explore the communities of Africa was a life-changing experience which made her a stronger educator.

 

Equip Yourself to Make the Change You Wish to See
November 22, 2021
As Future Generations looks forward to offering a special opportunity, Equip Yourself to Make the Change You Wish to See: Learn Mahatma Gandhi’s Social Change Methods, a chance to study at Gandhi’s powerful Sevagram ashram, this blog posting provides some background. His methods are highly relevant for dealing with today’s challenges…

Gandhi’s ashram in Sevagram, India– participants in the certificate course Equip Yourself to Make the Change You Wish to See spend part of their course time here for an in-depth learning experience

Mahatma Gandhi coined the term swaraj (literally, self-rule, though he preferred to translate it as self-control) to describe the growing capacity of a population to determine its future. Gandhi was in South Africa at the time, and the idea of people rising up with internal nonviolent energy for political independence was a new concept in the world. His idea was that people could take control of their own destiny through taking control of the most basic functions of life. Colonialism was a loss of control, but so too was poverty, caste, and illness. From taking control over lives came true freedom; it allowed people to own their futures.

The Mahatma was not was not internationally recognized when he came to believe in swaraj. He wasn’t even in India or thinking of the independence of India, but wanted to improve a few lives in an intentional community on a very marginal piece of land in South Africa. What would grow into a freedom movement for one-fifth of the world’s population, indeed launch all the freedom movements of the 20th Century, began on a marginal piece of land and freedom for a few.

Swaraj gave part of the answer, “a morality based in Truth” he often called it, a way by which people could define their destiny. His concern as his awareness grew was not simply opposition to the British Empire, but to the discrimination and poverty which underlay oppression. Fundamental social change was the objective, and the physical context for this control of destiny was the sparse land of his utopian South African Phoenix Colony. These then seeded an idea that would scale up into one of the world’s most powerful forces.

In some of his writing after the movement had started to expand in India, Gandhi expanded the term to gram swaraj, which is community-based freedom. Gram swaraj generates sustaining energy for the community from inside and with it self-correcting direction. It is inspired and regulated by satyagraha, the energy of Truth. Gandhi argued that the true forces that bring change in the lives of people come not from the marketplace, not from armies, not from a religion, not from political process, but from knowledge of Truth that is internalized and adhered to so that it continually corrects action. These forces that begin inside each individual then redefine society to bring authentic help to all people.

His spinning wheel visibly conveyed this message on the importance of process and the search for Truth. Each individual turning his or her wheel gave evidence of self-potential and direction. The act of spinning used resources grown in that place, locally-grown cotton, locally-grown wood that made the wheels. When people wore khadi cloth they showed proof that a becoming life could be made by them. Done collectively, homespun khadi showed that India could weave a new life, using threads of local resources from one direction, massive energy of the villages from the other. Actually wearing these clothes of their own making as flags of self-reliance as they marched, India’s people gave evidence that they were dressing in a new way: their way. Do that, and from that other freedoms will grow. Swaraj was to strengthen India with tightly wound new fiber to pull apart deep forces of oppression: caste, poverty, ignorance, fear of leprosy, and gender discrimination.

Today, as military powers send soldiers to distant lands to free people and label the liberators “peacemakers,” and as corporations are freed to cross the world for cheap labor arguing that they create local development by creating jobs that bind people to global labor imbalances, the question must be asked (even if it cannot be answered): what is freedom? While freeing people from oppression and providing jobs are both freedoms, going toward freedom in the way that “peacemakers” and corporations pursue misses a core principle that guided Gandhi: that truth was in the process, the never-ending journey faithful to the operating principles.

Professor Taylor teaching Gandhi’s methods of social change at the Mahatma’s ashram in Sevagram, India

Freedom is not given to people. Freedom is when people come together as communities to rule themselves. Joining together as communities not only liberates from these outside forces, but also it grows a momentum that, in his vision, would reach all. His was a vision for a new justice through new means: “If we are to make progress, we must not repeat history but make new history. We must add to the inheritance left by our ancestors.”

Inarguably, significant differences exist now than those present in people’s lives in Gandhi’s day. As such, it is helpful to focus just on that which Gandhi viewed as foundational: Truth. With information and instant access to anything people want to hear—information is awash now over the world pummeling people with falsehoods and facts. The worship of Truth is possibly more essential now than in Gandhi’s time. The response needed is not to abandon the quest and turn to fundamentalisms and black and whites, but to work with all the nuance that of how what is true in one locale is not in another, how what is true from one person’s perspective is not from another’s. Truth is understood through having a process to engage the facts and falsehoods. And so, a more complex set of principles is needed. To unpack in greater detail the principles Gandhi actually did use; we state them in the context of SEED-SCALE’s four principles:

1. Gandhi made sure every protest was successful. With each, he thought through whether he had enough people, picked his time carefully and understood the temperament of each British commandant, identifying especially those with values that would chafe when confronted with nonviolence. Gandhi wanted imprisonment and beating, but if these were to happen, he made sure that each brutalized person would not be in vain for with each success he knew he built strength.


2. He was a strong believer in partnerships. Top-down he got the liberal British on his side, as there was a growing powerful contingent and sentiment of progressive British. Also Top-down, he got Hindu leaders on his side through using their religious texts. Outside-in, he masterfully used the media to carry his actions to all the world. And Bottom-up, the third aspect and foundation of partnership, three hundred million people, the largest voluntary mobilization ever achieved, not only his soldiers but in giving momentum to nonviolent movements ever since.


3. Fear-filled, timid villagers stood strong against British batons. They stood because Gandhi had given them evidence for each protest—and he made certain that evidence of their protests was clear, with an attention to detail that encouraged people to wear clean white clothes so the dirt and beatings would show well on photographs all over India and the world. He studied what happened each time, treating them as ongoing experiments, then out of that new options turned up.


4. Gandhi changed behaviors among victimized people; to achieve this he taught them that their victimization was a consequence of their acquiescing behaviors. He argued that freedom did not come from killing oppressors (American, French, and Soviet revolutions had until then pointed in that direction.) Freedom comes by changing the oppressor’s behavior. To achieve that, the participant starts by changing his and her behavior. When confronted by wrong behaviors there is a tendency to blame those behaviors of others without realizing that in our behaviors that allow those of others resides a basis for such continuation.

We can all still take inspiration from his perseverance and learn the lessons he left behind in his philosophy and methods. The application is timeless and invaluable in preventing history from repeating itself. By participating in Future Generations certificate course, “Equip Yourself to Make the Change You Wish to See,” you can learn Gandhian social change methods right where the Mahatma himself taught them to his followers, at his Sevagram ashram in central India.

Learn more at learn.future.edu.
This week’s blog contributed by Future Generations founder and current president and professor, Daniel Taylor. Daniel has been engaged in social change and conservation for four decades with a focus on building international cooperation to achieve ambitious projects. He founded the nine Future Generations organizations worldwide (including the accredited Future Generations Graduate School). He also founded and led The Mountain Institute. In 1985, after providing the scientific explanation for the yeti, he led creating Nepals Makalu-Barun National Park, then, in close partnership with the Tibet Autonomous Region, Chinas Qomolangma (Everest) National Nature Preserve and Four Great Rivers Nature Preserve protecting one-seventh of Chinas forest reserves. He is one of the synthesizers of the SEED-SCALE method, an understanding of social change initiated by a UNICEF task force he co-chaired from 1992-95. Since 1995 he continued to lead global field trials of SEED-SCALE and is senior author of Just and Lasting Change: How Communities Can Own Their Futures and Empowerment: From Seeds of Human Energy to a Scale of Global Change. Among his honors, Taylor was knighted by the King of Nepal Gorkha Dakshin Bau III; was made the first Honorary Professor of Quantitative Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and was decorated with the Order of the Golden Ark by HRH Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands.

 

Cultural Poverty Reduction as a Strategic Policy
November 23, 2021




Future Generations University believes in the importance of supporting its alumni and creating a community of changemakers. It is for this reason that Future Generations Global Network awards a number of collaboration grants every year for which alumni can apply to implement projects that embody our philosophy and demonstrate the SEED-SCALE method. This week, we hear from Rohan Sagar and Suzanne Munro, who received one of these grants in 2016 to fund their research into cultural poverty reduction…

 

 


 




The Cultural Poverty Reduction as a Strategic Policy project funded by Future Generations Global Network was a response to the ethnic and social landscape of Guyana. This project was conceptualized and implemented by two alumni, Rogan Sagar and Suzanne Munro, of Future Generations University (then the Graduate School), Class2014. The project implementation period commenced in August and concluded December2016, and was built around three main components: (a) Research, (b) Applied Ethnomusicology, and (c) Observations, which was an application of Evolutionary Psychology. Essentially, the project as a research praxis validated the main hypothesis encompassing ethnic and race relations and the outcomes validated the application of Applied Ethnomusicology as a possible bridge between present political structural policies and a culturally based epistemic.

 

 

Our research component sought to establish a baseline of cultural knowledge bymeasuring depreciation (of fixed variables or not known by the respondent). According to research articles on Evolutionary Psychology and Music Psychology,”‘music is the main marker upon which identity is constructed.‘” Therefore, according to the research objectives, the level of knowledge of ethnic based traditional musics will be an indicator of the broader levels of cultural knowledge. The data is clear that interethnic as well as intra–ethnic cultural awareness exists at very low levels, with less than25% of the respondents actually aware of their own ethnic identity constructs. The majority of the respondents(75%) also indicated lack of awareness of the identity of specific cultural tools indigenous to their specific social group, and could not relate to indigenisable sonic designs. In Evolutionary Psychology this phenomenon could be referred to ‘psychophysical’ and provides a referential marker located in the absence of being rooted within one’s own identity; this response then became a referential point of departure to locate from the respondents own experiences their relationships to other groups.






To understand and diagnose the openness or receptivity of respondents to multiculturalism and multiethnic universals, the project relied on the principles of Applied Ethnomusicology. Here the process was guided by the alumni and two facilitators: Mr. Somdatt Ramessar and Mr. Handel Neptune. The scope of this component was confined to observation and was tested on the youth demographic. According to new studies on music and its impact on the brain, specific rhythms and melodic designs usually generate psychophysical indicators on which was premised the main hypothesis. What both the investigators and facilitators noted was the presence of genuine positive reactions to rhythms and melodic designs that could be defined as both indigenous and endogenous. We found this behavior not to be surprising given the existence of evidence of cosmopolitanisation within Guyanese society. Two percussive rhythmic pieces identifiable to two ethnic groups, Africans and East Indians, the Patois Hand and Keherwa Taal or(8 beats) as well as two vocal materials, Ba Ta Taa and Harey Krishna were used in this exercise . Additionally, the Amerindian percussion instrument, the Sambura, was used to interconnect as a part of the overall orchestral arrangements.



What the researchers and facilitators did note as an interesting find was the dichotomy between the research findings (the less than25% knowledgeable marker) and the observational high ratio positive response. The research seems to suggest that the demographic in question, the youth, seems to be more susceptible to endogenisation, a process likely to have generated greater traction outside of their primary place of habitat. What is yet to be discerned is the impact of this endogenous experience within ethnic enclaves, additionally the research protocol did not address or clarify this fundamental question. Guyana is often called the ‘land of six races’ which is often a source of pride and is a benchmark used to establish comparative distinctiveness between the high levels of co–existence here in Guyana and ethnic or race based conflicts universally. From the Amerindians, who it is scientifically accepted were the first settlers in this part of the world, to the other four ethnic groups who were forced migrants as a consequence of European colonial adventures and conquest, Guyanese have found a unique method to co–exist.
But this phenomenon is not without it‘s historical antecedent. Historians have commented on pre–Independence race relations as always being on the positive side, except of course for a few misadventures which somehow became characterized as ‘race–related incidents’, until the early1960s when serious race and ethnic violence erupted causing population dislocation, ethnic realignment, and killings. The Cultural Poverty Reduction project being aware of the historical roots of co–existence, as part of the project’s declarative objectives, attempted to resuscitate and re-germinate these positive deviances to, as indicated previously, contribute to a cultural epistemic that previously existed. The main results will be included in the policy paper, which is another of the project’s objectives and was submitted for publication. It was the studied opinion of many experts that what contributed immensely to the positive race relations in the colonial era was the strong bonding between ethnic groups, perhaps in common opposition to the then colonial authorities, and for which there were many a good reason. However, it is also that this ‘discovery’ of the ‘other’ generated significant empathy post–realization that the immediate social conditions demanded co–existence and the presence of any other options were in themselves not only significantly reduced but quite dangerous.

Out of this condition arose evidences of homogenous and heterogeneous communities, mix marriages and relationships, and the interethnic experimentation with the phenomenon, creolization. Creolization was for all intents and purposes a grassroots learning process when ethnic groups were forced to coexist, not deliberatively, but through the many life sustaining mechanisms, and knowledge and awareness essentially blossomed so that each one got to know the ‘other’ culturally. Some of these phenomena include social concepts as weddings, celebration of births and deaths, commerce, as well as sharing other ecological spaces. As Guyana progressed towards Independence political self–governance awareness was gaining traction amongst the citizenship and in1953 Guyana elected its first form of self–government after winning universal suffrage. But in1962-4 Guyana entered into a dark period as the country descended into civil unrest and riots, largely as a consequence of the fracture of the then single largest political party along ethnic lines.



In their conclusion the Cultural Poverty Reduction, project leaders wish to reiterate that the cultural policy research paper was designed and built in accordance with the 7 Tasks of the SEED–SCALE research method; the full research paper was submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed academic journal; other visual materials are also available on the first author’s website: www.socio–historicalethnomusicology–GUYANA.com. The project leaders wish to thank Future Generations Global Network for its support to help realize this project; additionally, project implementers are pleased to facilitate greater awareness of Future Generations University and its work worldwide.

 

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Rohan Sagar read for his Master’s Degree at Future Generations University, in his thesis he argued for a multicultural approach to music education in Guyana where he resides. Rohan is also an ethnomusicologist presently conducting investigations in the traditional musics of Guyana amongst the Native American, African and East Indian populations. His most recent project was research assistant to the Evolutionary Psychology project with Harvard University.

 

 

 

Suzanne Munro is a graduate from the University of Guyana, where she studied Environmental Studies. Further development of her education took place in the obtaining of a Masters Degree in Community Change and Conservation through the Future Generations Graduate School. Ms. Munro has worked at Conservation International (CI) for over 10 years, where she focuses on grants management, community development, and conservation. Currently, she is with the Government of Guyana as a Procurement Specialist working under the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). When not at work, she is active in a small group of women that focuses on early exposure and availability to reading in young children.

How Do Communities Experience Peace in Their Daily Lives? Future Generations Researchers in Eight Countries Went to Find Out!
November 22, 2021

Summary

To help people monitor accurately whether their communities are safer (more peaceful) over time or not, this post summarizes the initial experience with a method that Future Generations is testing. If Everyday Peace Indicators (EPIs) prove to be relevant and reliable, then we plan to continue to refine the methodology and utilize it in other sectors, such as conservation and health. The EPIs that are identified span across many aspects of life and may include indicators such as the number of religious and cultural events and rituals that are performed or the number of people who are actively working (men and/or women) in a community.
This map shows the eight countries where research into Everday Peace
Indicators was conducted.

Background

In January 2017, researchers in eight countries (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Guyana, Nepal, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Sudan, and Uganda) set out to understand how urban and rural communities as well as local peacebuilding experts experience and determine that they can measure peace in their everyday lives.

Typically, methods used to study peace yield complex, scholarly results that are not directly relevant, useful, or sometimes even intended for communities to understand. Through development of ‘indicators of peace,’ this project, through local participation and local ownership, seeks to produce sensitive local understanding of interventions in peacebuilding and conflict transformation. The assertion is that communities are best placed to measure and interpret their own peace. The research methodology builds on prior and ongoing research on Everyday Peace Indicators (EPIs) at the United States Institute for Peace (USIP).

As lead researchers on prior EPI work—Pamina Firchow and Roger Mac Ginty—describe this approach as:[i]

[Developing indicators of peace] is participatory action research that seeks to find out people’s perceptions of their own conflict rather than impose narratives on them. The research asks local people, through focus groups, to develop their own set of indicators.…
Future Generations is also particularly interested in this methodology due to our history of peacebuilding research and our peacebuilding concentration within our Master of Arts degree program. There is in-house research and academic work that the university wants to build on. Development of indicators for peace is consistent with the community change ideals that the graduate school has been teaching. Moreover, development of indicators of peace is in line with what is taught and practiced in SEED-SCALE. The university is keen to pursue a research agenda in developing indicators of peace, an effort that will be augmented by the partnership it has begun to develop with USIP.

 

Methods

This study included focus group discussions in at least two sites in each country. The sites were selected to represent urban and rural contexts within the country and were selected based on communities where our research team had connections and was able to establish and build on trusting relationships in order to undertake this participatory research. A total of 20 sites are represented in the study findings including four sites in Guyana and four sites in Afghanistan and two in each of the other countries.

At each site, focus groups were held separately with men, women, boys and girls—expect in Nepal where the men and women were divided into two groups each based on caste and youth were merged into one group for each site in order to be responsive to social norms and ensure an in-depth, productive dialogue. The purpose of these focus groups was to hold an open brainstorming discussion with each of these demographic groups in each community about how they experience peace—first very broadly and then progressively honing in on tangible and then countable things from their everyday lives that could indicate whether their community was becoming more or less peaceful over time. A total of 80 focus groups were held across the 20 sites.

After the initial focus groups were completed, the researcher(s) at least site compiled all of the discussions into one long list of potential KIs for peace in that community. Then, representatives from each of the initial focus groups were brought together to discuss, refine, and then vote using a multi-voting process on a focused list of about 10 countable indicators that best reflected peace in their communities.

In parallel with the focus groups, a series of key informant interviews with local peacebuilding experts were conducted in each country. Respondents included university faculty, government officials, law enforcement officials, nonprofit organization leaders, United Nations representatives, youth and youth advocates, and others. Between four and seven interviews were conducted with a variety of different respondents in each country for a total of 35 interviews. The results from the interviews and focus groups were compared and contrasted for each site and often showed similar alignment on the priority issues, but different understanding of each one.


Selected Findings

The indicators identified in this research spanned many sectors and nearly every aspect of everyday life as well as the day-to-day experience of some of the large-scale conflicts that often claim center stage in the global media. While peace remains a complex, sometimes intangible, and multi-faceted concept, many of the indicators that were identified were actually related to the ability to do very basic activities necessary for daily life, and of relevance in pretty much every community around the world. Three common themes related to the findings across sites are summarized here.

Employment: Being able to access employment or a way to support and sustain a family was a frequently raised theme. This was important for men, women, and youth and valued at both the household level as well as in larger savings groups or cooperative efforts among community members. One report noted:
Coming together in the form of groups was rare. The groups would become victims of attack by warriors. With peace now, there are many social and economic groups coming up. For instance, there are village savings and loan associations. (Uganda)

Roads and other infrastructure: Access to communities by road as well as other infrastructure such as availability of electricity and internet services was a theme across many sites.

If [the] government is focusing on investment on infrastructure can be an indicator of peace. That means if the government assigns more budget on it… and less on military budget. (Ethiopia)
Infrastructure services…facilitate people’s activities for growth and development thereby contributing greatly towards their presence of peace. (Uganda)

 

Education: Access to schools, functional school systems, equal opportunity for boys and girls for education, educational attainment of youth, and expansion of fields of study and private school opportunities all featured prominently among identified indicators. One report described the linkage between education and other contributors to peace and conflict:
If the school at least works 4-8 hours a day based on the grades/classes children will be busy with learning and progressing, but if not, children will be at risk of pulling and children clashes which in most cases escalate to parents-to- parents fight. (South Sudan)
Traditional and culture: Often, conflict disrupts traditional practices and rhythms. A theme emerged through this research on the importance of communities being able to carry out traditional festivals, rites of passage, and religious celebrations. Some findings also noted that new cultural practices, such as creating new songs about violence and revenge, could be a sign of worsening conflict.
Cultural and religious sites are the binding factors of social cohesion, but after the 10 year long conflict people believes that people are falling apart and peace can be attained when you go to the temples and be part of the cultural events. (Nepal)

 

Discussion

The concept of peace has many different meanings. Even for a number of the researchers who implemented this study are already engaged in some kind of work related to conflict resolution, youth and women’s empowerment, anti-radicalization, and related efforts, they noted gaining additional understandings of what peace means to people in the communities where they work and to local experts around them. Throughout the process of conducting this research, many of the researchers commented on how they gained new, different, or more nuanced and in-depth understandings of peace from talking with communities and local experts. A number of new relationships, potentials for collaboration, and dialogues within communities were also sparked by this participatory inquiry.

One of the recurring challenges within this research study was that the identified indicators were so specific to the local context. In a number of countries, similar or identical indicators were proposed in the urban and rural sites, but their meaning was different or even opposite. An example of this is schools being open in Afghanistan—in urban areas, this was a sign of relative peace that children could attend school but in the rural area where this study was conducted, schools being open indicated that the territory was being occupied and the schools managed by the occupiers and was therefore not a sign of peace.

Next Steps

The research team is developing a full report and also a peer-reviewed journal article in the coming months. In addition, the Africa-based sites are planning to put together a regionally-focused policy brief targeting African decision-makers and something that can be distributed in paper format as well as electronically. Finally, each implementer of the methodology has identified key next steps to directly facilitate that the identified indicators get utilized. Some examples of the kinds of utilization that are planned include:

1. Building the most relevant and salient indicators into community workplans, projects and project evaluations, and organizational strategic plans

 

2. Advocacy with local leaders, including government officials, religious leaders, and law enforcement, for local peacebuilding priorities and ways to track progress on them

 

3. Training and awareness-raising among peace-related service providers (law enforcement and other social services) and communities at large about local understandings of peace and conflict and dialogue about how to address local issues

 

4. Seek additional resources—funding as well as mentorship, time and other resources—to enable communities to work to improve on the indicators that are the most important to them

 


[i]Mac Ginty, R. and Firchow, P. Everyday Peace Indicators: Capturing Local Voices Through Surveys. Shared Space: A Research Journal on Peace, Conflict, and Community Relations in Northern Ireland.
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Post by Dr. Meike Schleiff with input from the researcher team members*
Meike brings a background of community-based mentoring, teaching, and program implementation to Future Generations University. She has worked extensively with communities and young leaders in Haiti through GROW project, the non-profit that she co-founded with Haitian colleagues, and has also been engaged in community development planning, implementation, evaluation, and training in Guyana, Ugandan India, and the Appalachian region in the USA
*Vincent Abura, Chiranjibi Bhandari, Abdishakur Hassan-Kayd, Amanullah Hotak, Fisseha Getahun, Anthony Kadoma, Firew Kefyalew, Omer Marouf, Andualem Mitiku, Sushila Chattergee Nepali, Uchenna Onyeizu, and Rohan Sagar (Picutred as listed from left to right below:)

 

The Konbit Bibliyotek Project
November 22, 2021
#KonbitBibliyotek is a community crowdfunding campaign started by Haitian community activists affiliated with Future Generations with the goal of building a library in Cite Soleil, which is Haiti’s largest ghetto. By combining Haitian traditions, such as konbit (cooperative communal labor), with the modern tools of social media, this initiative has spread like wildfire across Cite Soleil and beyond! To date, it has already brought more than 3000 people together to raise around $12,500, with 3,641 books collected. Keep reading to find out how this movement evolved and why it’s so important…

Background

Cite Soleil is a municipality that lies on the northwestern edge of Port au Prince, Haiti’s capital city. As mentioned above, it is known as Haiti’s largest ghetto. Cite Soleil has experienced a vicious cycle of political and gang violence, which leads to economic and social marginalization, which in turn creates the conditions for more violence. The stigma associated with Cite Soleil is significant, which not only reinforces the social isolation of the community, but has been internalized by many of its young people who see that society only expects them to grow up to be criminals.

However, the vast majority of people living in Cite Soleil are ordinary people trying to make an honest life for themselves and their families. Cite Soleil is full of young people with talent, potential, and dreams of a better future. Over the past six years, a social movement named Konbit Soley Leve has dedicated itself to identifying, strengthening, and highlighting all that is positive about Cite Soleil, and working to change the image that the world as of this community. In the past year and a half, there has actually been a truce between the major gangs of Cite Soleil, leading to an unprecedented period of peace that the community would like to build on.

The Library Story

In early 2017, a group of young artists and intellectuals in Cite Soleil decided that it was important to build a library in Cite Soleil. Over the past decade, there had been a lot of investment in youth spaces, but these spaces were mostly for sports. They brought the idea to Konbit Soley Leve, who advised them that instead of writing a proposal to a donor, they should first look for support in their own community. They should give ordinary people in Cite Soleil the opportunity to participate in making this dream a reality, that they should be the first donors. So Konbit Soley Leve and the youth group began to go door to door with a cardboard box, asking for contributions.

For the sake of transparency, each time someone contributes, the donor would take a

selfie and post it on Facebook with the hashtag #KonbitBibliyotek. The funds are counted every Sunday at the local radio station, where everyone was welcome to observe. At the end of the weekly count, a progress statement would be circulated on social media.

 

The campaign went viral. People across Cite Soleil, many living on less than $2 a day, began to donate, then across Port au Prince, then Haiti, then the world. Schoolchildren gave up their lunch money, strangers who overheard about the project on public transport asked to contribute. A volunteer once drove all the way from Port au Prince to Les Cayes (an eight-hour round trip) just to pick up a single gourde that a little boy wanted to contribute. The idea was to change the perception of who is a donor and who is a beneficiary, and give people a chance to participate in a community vision.

Progress to Date

After 25 weeks of fundraising, 3,123 individual donors have contributed 1,080,771 gourdes (approximately $12,432 USD), and 3,641 books.

An architect from Cite Soleil has designed the plan of the library, which is a grand vision. It is important that the library be an impressive building because people in Cite Soleil are tired of being treated as second-class citizens – they believe they deserve a first-class library. The library may cost as much as 10 times as much as has been raised so far – but given the remarkable success to date and how much the community believes in this vision, there is confidence that the library will be built.

Help has come in many forms. The local authorities in Cite Soleil have already dedicated a space for the library in Place Fierte – the public park in the heart of Cite Soleil. Young Haitians have volunteered to provide graphic design and marketing services, to produce promotional songs and videos. A company performed the land survey for free (which would have otherwise cost $7000), and a construction company has volunteered to build the library without payment. There are already commitments for, once the library is built, furniture, free internet, and language classes. There are groups that have volunteered to train young librarians for free.

This project is called Konbit Bibliyotek for a reason, because it leverages the principles behind the traditional Haitian practice of Konbit: if everyone contributes what they can, we can collectively achieve what no one could achieve alone. The community has already done so much and gone so far – and it is now looking for more friends and allies to join in, and help turn this dream into a reality.

The Impact

If this dream is realized, it will mean many things. First, it will provide an accessible space to promote learning, research, and debate in the heart of Cite Soleil; this will become a new center to provide community services. Second, it will help to change the image of Cite Soleil, both to young people in the community and to the rest of the world. Third, it will provide a new model of community-driven development and a statement of how Haitians can lead the way to a different future.
A community-led effort to build a library in the heart of Cite Soleil is important in several ways: on a practical level, it provides an accessible, neutral space for young people to further their studies, have educational discussions, and learn research and computer skills. It also encourages inter-neighborhood friendships. On a symbolic level, the community is claiming space to promote nonviolence and education; the process itself brings neighborhoods together around a common vision of education.
Ultimately, the project will help to shift perceptions inside and outside of Cite Soleil. Young people in Cite Soleil will see the value their community places in education, which will encourage them to stay in school (along with practical supports the library provides). A prominent community-supported library will also challenge external stigma about Cite Soleil. All of this will help promote social integration, empowerment, and future employment for Cite Soleil’s youth.

How You Can Help:

• Share the story. It’s important for people to know that this is happening, as it will help to change the image of Cite Soleil

• If you are in Haiti, contact Robillard.louino@gmail.com to arrange a visit to the library site, or to arrange dropping off books or making a donation.

• If you are outside of Haiti, you can contribute through our Global Giving site: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/konbitbibliyotek/#me

• If you have any expertise, connections, or services to offer in support of this vision, contact Robillard.louino@gmail.com

 

For more on Konbit Bibliyotek, check out https://veritesoutanbou.wordpress.com/2017/02/28/konbitbibliyotek/.

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Louino Robillard is a Haitian community leader who was raised in Cite Soleil, Haiti’s largest ghetto. He has co-founded the Konbit Soley Leve movement, the Cite Soleil Peace Prize, and many other grassroots social change initiatives across Haiti. He graduated from the Future Generations Graduate School in 2013 with a Master’s in Applied Community Change and Peacebuilding.

Future Generations University teams up with AmeriCorps West Virginia!
November 22, 2021

 

Volunteer in an Appalachian community while earning a Master’s degree… That’s the vision that Future Generations University has been pursuing for the past 2 years and is now excited to finally begin this fall with a small pilot class. Working in partnership with AmeriCorps West Virginia and its associated organizations (Volunteer West Virginia, High Rocks, and the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area), Future Generations University will craft a unique learning experience focused on Appalachia while building upon our proven and tested pedagogy and curriculum…

 

Volunteerism can be a gateway to higher education. In exchange for two years of community service with West Virginia’s AmeriCorps, volunteers are now eligible to receive a Master’s Degree in Applied Community Change.

 

“We’re so excited to share the news that Future Generations University will leverage AmeriCorps service and the Eli Segal Education Awards to attract and keep young talent in West Virginia,” said Heather Foster, Executive Director of Volunteer West Virginia. “As we look to the future, AmeriCorps provides an important opportunity to continue engaging people of all ages in solving problems through service and volunteerism.”

 

In exchange for a year of service, AmeriCorps volunteers receive an education award of $5800 per year, living-allowance of approximately $12,000, and work experience. Future Generations University will match the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award dollar for dollar. With a $23,200 scholarship possible, AmeriCorps volunteers could complete the program for as little as $1,800.

 

West Virginia ranks third in the Nation for producing AmeriCorps volunteers. Each year over 1,000 individuals serve as AmeriCorps members in the state. Many AmeriCorps volunteers serve in their hometowns, while others come from across the country to make West Virginia their home for the year. AmeriCorps members change lives through mentoring, respond to disasters -like the June 2016 flooding, increase access to healthy and local food, preserve historic properties, and many conservation activities working with state agencies and non-profit entities alike.

 

“With 25 years of experience building community capacity and preparing change agents worldwide, Future Generations University is very excited to extend a one of a kind opportunity to our home state of West Virginia! Through this innovative partnership with AmeriCorps West Virginia, we are working with the most dedicated organizations and individuals to offer an unparalleled education to communities in the greatest need,” said Luke Taylor-Ide, Regional Academic Director for Future Generations University.

Read on for an overview of the program!

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Curriculum Overview
Introduction to Social Change—Introduction to various schools of thought regarding community change and development, with a focus on methodologies for local,
sustainable social change.

 

Volunteer Management—Skills-based course on effective recruitment, training, and management of volunteers for project and field managers working in non-profit organizations.
Community Leadership—Exploration of leadership styles and strategies for application in groups, organizations, and communities, with an emphasis on leadership development.
Communications for Community Change—Applied course that surveys various communications platforms and practices and asks students to cultivate skills for effective and persuasive communication.
Financial Administration & Non-Profit Management—Organizational management skills and strategies for making effective plans & partnerships as well as basic financial project and program management.
Healthy People, Healthy Communities—Examine the intersections between poverty, primary healthcare, and community change, with a focus on finding people-based solutions using available resources.
Community-based Natural Resource Management—Couples natural resource management & conservation methodologies with approaches to promoting sustainable livelihoods & local ownership.
Advanced Seminar on Applied Community Change—Examine the challenges and processes of scaling up positive impact to larger regions and/or populations.
Project-based Research in Community
In order to maximize the amount of credits associated with each member’s experiences learning by doing while participating in AmeriCorps service, students enrollment in the MA program will complete continuous Project-based Research (PRC) in their host communities with direct mentorship from faculty culminating in a capstone product that documents their individual learning in an Appalachian community.
· Students complete independently designed projects and research in community with faculty mentorship
· Each term’s Project-based Research is showcased in an online ePortfolio demonstrating formative learning process
· Upon completion of the program, students have a comprehensive portfolio documenting their summative learning journey for their graduate studies
Term 1: Graduate Study Foundations—Establishes the conceptual principles and skills
upon which the curriculum is built. Students discover what it means to be a self-directed learner and master Learning Management and ePortfolio software—tools for critical thinking, analytical inquiry, and reflective practice.
Term 2: Social Research Methods—Demonstrate through project-based research an understanding of and apply concepts and approaches to both quantitative and qualitative community-based data collection and analysis.
Term 3: Monitoring & Evaluation—Conceptual framework and practical skills for monitoring and evaluating community-based projects, reflecting with peers on circumstances and parameters related to the assessment of different social and development projects.

Term 4: Synthesis & Integration—Analyze results of Project-based Research in community from both summative and formative perspectives within ePortfolio. Students are challenged to incorporate lessons learned during their MA studies with experiential-based reflection on AmeriCorps service.

 

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About Volunteer West Virginia
An agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, Volunteer West Virginia is the state’s Commission for National and Community Service. The agency challenges West Virginians to strengthen their communities through service and volunteerism by identifying and mobilizing resources, promoting an ethic of service, and empowering communities to solve problems and improve the quality of life for individuals and families. To learn more about AmeriCorps in West Virginia visit https://www.volunteerwv.org.
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Visit https://www.future.edu/americorps to learn more about this exciting and innovative program. Sound like a good fit for you? Enrollment is still open! Applications are being accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis through August 21st.

 

Maple Sap Collection and Syrup Processing in WV
November 22, 2021

 

In 2014, after leaving his “deanship” at the Future Generations Graduate School, Mike Rechlin, a forester by training, returned to woods of West Virginia and soon found himself in sort of a sticky mess, requiring long hours at night and creating plenty of steam. Now, I know what kind of mess you’re thinking about, given West Virginia’s reputation for making moonshine, but this time what was evaporating was not corn mash, but tree sap, and the sticky mess was MAPLE SYRUP…
Sap dripping on a good run

 

In his post deanship years, Mike helped to establish the Dry Fork Maple Works, West Virginia’s largest maker of maple syrup, and further helped to organize the West Virginia Maple Syrup Producers Association. Now Mike is bringing it all back home to North Mountain with a research agenda to help increase the productivity of West Virginia maple producers.

 

Collecting sap at Principia College

Maple Syrup in West Virginia? Doesn’t that stuff come from Vermont? Good question, and the answer is, well, yes. Ever since the marketing of “Vermont Maid”, an imitation maple syrup product, Vermont has been the state most closely associated with maple syrup. That being said, Quebec Canada is actually the largest producer of the sweet syrupy substance. And, Maine, New York, and Wisconsin are not far behind. What is less well known, is that West Virginia actually has more tappable sugar maple trees than Vermont, and a history of sugaring. All across the state there are place names like Sugar Grove, Sugar Creek and Sugar Valley, places with a history of making maple syrup. The last five years has seen resurgence in interest in “sugaring,” and the establishment of new sugar camps.

 

Main lines bringing sap to the sugarhouse
at the Dry Fork Maple Works
So, how does this fit with Future Generations? For starters, Future Generations will be leading research efforts, funded through the WV Department of Agriculture, which will be looking at management practices designed to increase the production of maple syrup in Appalachia. Our climate, soils, and the way we manage the sap production process are all different from those of our colleagues up north in the New England states. The research we will be conducting will be a local adaptation of existing practices, and a climate change adaptation of those practices as the effects of global warming take hold.

 

 
Typical environmental conditions in a sugarbush

Future Generations is also working with the Department of Agriculture’s Veterans and Warriors in Agriculture Program to offer a certificate course titled “Maple Sap Collection and Syrup Production,” while designed to meet the needs of veterans, this course will be open to anyone wanting to get into the maple business.

 

 

The goal of our work is to expand the maple syrup industry in West Virginia, and to design management strategies that increase sap production, which of course increases profitability for our local producers. Increased production of a local, natural, and sustainably grown product from our abundant forest resources means economic development for rural communities, and that leads to community change. True, we are not applying SEED-SCALE directly to the measure of invert sugars in tree sap, but the result of that research will be knowledge that can lead to improvements in the lives of our friends and neighbors; and that is certainly in line with our work at Future Generations.
Whoever said that that 2.5% is the sweetest thing in a sap bucket?

 

 

For more on the Maple Syrup Collection & Syrup Processing Certificate, please visit: https://learn.future.edu/local/staticpage/view.php?page=maple_cert
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Mike Rechlin has practiced sustainable foresty and protected areas management in the United States, Nepal, India, and Tibet for thirty years. He has extensive teaching experience and has designed educational programs for many international groups visiting the Adirondack Park of New York State. Presently retired, Mike has held academic appointments at Principia College, Paul Smith’s College, and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He served as the dean of Future Generations Graduate School from 2010 to 2013. He presently resides, and makes maple syrup, in Franklin, WV.

 

Bridging the Gap: Peace Development Between the Leprosy-Affected Community and Surrounding Community in Addis Ababa
November 22, 2021
In 2017, Fisseha Getahun was one of 120 people awarded a Davis Projects for Peace Prize in order to implement a project to help those affected with leprosy in his community in the capital of Ethiopia, entitled: Peace Development between Leprosy Affected and Surrounding Communities. He saw his project as an answer to Kathryn Davis’ call to find ways to “prepare for peace” and to help those most in need where he lives. This made him the tenth student from Future Generations University to receive this award in the past seven years. In this week’s blog post, he shares some background on his project with us.
Fisseha with community representatives from the leprosy-affected
community and non-leprosy-affected surrounding community

The concept of the project came about from my work with those with leprosy in affected communities. In many countries, people affected by leprosy face a number of social and economic problems, such as discrimination and stigma. These issues are even worse for individuals who experience disability due to leprosy. They are more vulnerable to the endless stigma and discrimination than any other form of disability in our society.

Even after someone with leprosy has been cured, they’re unable to lead an ordinary life due to the consequences of lingering complications. Some of the most difficult complications experienced are they forced to live as a colony in specific area and they did not get access for education. As a result of the wide misconceptions that exist about leprosy, many of those affected are forced to leave their birth places and live in segregated groups, known as leprosy colonies. In the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, individuals who have been affected by leprosy are deliberately pushed out of the city and made to settle in a solid waste dumping site with no infrastructure and poor social services.

The leprosy-affected community of Addis Ababa is called the “Zenebework Community.” The majority of early settlers in the area were leprosy victims who largely migrated here from various other parts of the country– mainly Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, and SNNP regions. Their goal was to receive medical treatment for their leprosy at ALERT (All African Leprosy Rehabilitation and Training Centre) Hospital, formerly known as Zenebework Hospital.

After treatment, the leprosy victims were supposed to go back to their place of origin, as direct by the government, but the majority of them refused, preferring to remain in this area where they’d received treatment. This resulting settlement was named after the Zenebework Hospital, which had been established in 1932 and named after Princess Zenebework, daughter to Emperor Haileselassie. In 1949, the Abune Aregawi/Gebre Kristos Church was established in the same area, resulting in this name also being used for the locality. When construction began on the hospital in its present form as ALERT in 1967 and was later inaugurated in 1971, many other institutions, such as schools, followed. This provided a basic infrastructure that the leprosy victims had previously been completely without.

The Zenebework community was unique from its inception as it was a place predominantly inhabited by people afflicted with leprosy. Although family members of ex-leprosy victims are still migrating to this place, the trend has altered, and now people with disabilities have also started inhabiting this location. The community was a highly stigmatized one for many years, often discriminated against by the surrounding areas. Those living here were prohibited to have any contact with other communities of foreign visitors. Members of the Zenebework community were even denied the right to rear cattle or conduct other small businesses for their livelihood, as transmission of the disease to other healthy communities was feared. Nursus and other medical professionals, even the clergy and priests, refused to provide professional and spiritual services there. The establishment of the Koshe garbage dumping site in 1954 in this area further added to the poor image of the Zenebework community.
However, this has changed somewhat recently, and there is less stigma in modern days than existed previously. Although the trend is working on reversing, all of those living in the leprosy colony are still often perceived as less than human and there is still much work to be done. Their livelihood depends on begging and collecting food from the waste dumping site, and they are severely marginalized and banned from entering adjacent non-leprosy affected communities.
Although I came from a non-leprosy-affected family and grew up hearing the negative stereotypes, I had worked as a professional in a leprosy-affected community for four years. During this time, I was initially discriminate against by friends, family, other relatives, and neighbors as the only non-leprosy affected member of the leprosy community. Gradually, however, I changed their attitudes about leprosy and the leprosy affected-community for the better.

My purpose with the Davis Peace Prize has been to continue bridging the gap between the leprosy-affected community, which has been traditionally marginalized in the very worst of ways, and the larger surrounding community. To contribute to the peace and understanding between the leprosy-affected community and the surrounding communities, I incorporated plans geared towards inclusiveness and holistic development. Through this, the local mindset and correction of misconceptions would follow.



Below is an outline of the expected outcomes and major activities set in place to bring about this objective:

 

 

Expected Outcomes

Surrounding communities experience behavioral change in their attitudes and practices toward leprosy affected individuals such that community integration is improved

Increase common institutional memberships among leprosy and non leprosy communities

Improved social relations among leprosy and non leprosy communities
Utilization of services at common points is increased

Major Activities

Training of Trainers: Training on conflict management and resolution will be conducted for 20 community members including 10 leprosy affected, 10 non-leprosy affected community members. The participants will be influential male and female community and religious leaders who have the capacity to cascade the knowledge for their followers.

Experience sharing: In addition, experience sharing for 10 community leaders will be facilitated. They will adopt and scale up the initial successes within their community to broader community contexts.

Prepare radio program: Online national radio program is perhaps the best instrument to disseminate information and awareness among the general public. It helps to understand the truth of leprosy National radio program air time will be organized for the purpose of information dissemination and awareness creation.

Organizing football match events: Football team will be organized the mix from both communities to integrate them and foot ball matches will be prepared by blending families of the community.

Panel discussions: A one day panel discussion with community members and professionals will be conducted to respond to community questions and to understand the truth about leprosy.

 

For more on Fisseha’s project, be sure to visit:
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Fisseha is an Ethiopian who has more than 15 years of proven and practical work experience in different organizations. He’s worked in agricultural research institutes and both international and local NGOs, while holding different positions such as Research Technical Assistant, Development Facilitator, Project Officer, Program Coordinator, and Executive Director. He currently runs an NGO called Child of Present a Man of Tomorrow (CPMT) in Ethiopia, which works to promote the wellbeing of women and children. He is also presently studying a Master’s degree in Applied Community Change in Conservation concentration at Future Generations University to complement his backgrounds in agriculture, development and leadership.

Musings of a Naturalist III: QUETZALS AND COSTA RICA

May 29, 2018

 

This week, Dr. Robert Fleming transports us to the sight of an impressive ecotourism venture in Costa Rica…

 

The grounds of the Paraiso Quetzal Lodge. Each bungalow features a bedroom and an attached bathroom with solar-heated water. At 9,0000 feet altitude, nights can be cold (down to 5 degrees C or below) so hot water and extra quilts are much appreciated. The property is landscaped with plants that attract a variety of mountain birds including the Black-and-yellow Silky Flycatcher.
 


As we sipped hot morning coffee at the Paraiso Quetzal Lodge on the Cerro del Muerte uplift in central Costa Rica, a cloud oozed over the ridge and pushed down the western slope enveloping us in fog. But even through the mist we could make out forms of hummingbirds buzzing by and see the outlines of nearby oaks, their nearly horizontal branches seemingly decorated by a master gardener. Only oaks and similar trees with strong branch attachments can survive these conditions as the weight of the bromeliads, ferns, lichens, orchids and mosses, among others, combined with the moisture from mist and rain would spell disaster for trees with weaker joints. This was a classical cloud forest, a habitat type found at moderate elevations on many mountain slopes and ridge tops around the world…
We had traveled to Costa Rica to learn about the country’s remarkable conservation efforts and to delve into their rich natural history.  And at every turn, whether in a garden or cloud forest, birds vied for attention. Not surprising as the country lists some 900 species ranging from huge-beaked Toucans to the diminutive Green Thorntail, which weighs just 3 grams, 1/10th of an ounce.  Besides birds, Costa Rica hosts mammals, reptiles, frogs and many varieties of butterflies. And in the plant world, Costa Rica is home to well over a thousand species of orchids, including the national flower Guaria Morada (Cattleya skinneri).
One of the grandest of all Costa Rican species is surely the Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), a bird in the Trogon family. Other species also attract, but this quetzal with its iridescent green upper body and bright red underparts is unmatched. And the males in full plumage sport two elongated tail feathers that shimmer an iridescent green when waving back and forth in breezes of the forest.  
The Resplendent Quetzal  (Pharomachrus mocinno) is the largest member of the Trogons, a family of forest birds featuring some thirty species in the tropical Americas, a dozen in tropical Asia, and three in Africa.  Large trogons, such as this Resplendent Quetzal, feed primarily on fruit while the smaller ones, including the Scarlet-rumped in Southeast Asia, consume mostly insects, including caterpillars and other larva. Trogons are indicator species as they are very sensitive to deforestation, and their presence speaks of good forest conditions as they are cavity nesters, excavating their own nest holes mostly in suitably decaying tree trunks, and thus require trees of a suitable size age and size.
Conservation efforts often center around habitat protection, places where species can feed, find shelter, and locate suitable nesting or denning sites.  And one of the many instruments within the conservation toolbox is the use of a charismatic species to help rally financial and emotional support. The Resplendent Quetzal of Central America, the Mountain Gorilla in Uganda, or the tiger in India fit into this category. But whether or not a charismatic species is present in a region, the key operative is habitat preservation, an effort that benefits all species within that designated territory.  
Costa Rica is one of the world’s leaders in the total area of the country under conservation surveillance with a figure that normally appears to be between 26% to 28% in a patchwork of government sponsored national parks, preserves and wildlife refuges along with a network of private preserve, some quite extensive that often border on government parks. Of the lowland tropical forest, some 80% is now under protection. In addition, there are on-going discussions regarding adding more corridors between protected areas to enhance wildlife travel. While all these areas look good on paper, some have encroachment problems. However, one needs to start somewhere and designating an area as protected is a good way to begin.
It was not always this way.  Between 1950 and 1990, Costa Rica lost 65% of its forest cover due to clearing for commercial crops (mostly coffee and bananas), cattle ranching, and forest exploitation. Conservation endeavors began in the 1950, but much of the groundwork for today’s system was laid after 1960.  Then, in the 1980s, the protecting of Costa Rica’s natural heritage accompanied by publicity fueled an ecotourism boom.   Today programs have become so successful that in some places the flora and fauna that attracts visitors in the first place teeters on the edge of being overwhelmed (for more information see The Green Republic: A Conservation History of Costa Rica, by Stirling Evan; Duke University Press.).
Our visit to Costa Rica included time on the Cerro del Muerte uplift southeast of San Jose, where we stopped at Paraiso Quetzal, a lodge with fourteen bungalows located at an altitude of 2100m (9,000ft). Here we met Jorge Serrano Salazar and learned of his family’s splendid ecotourism effort, a program that involves members of the community living along the Pan American Highway in the Tres de Junio area.  
 
 Jorge Serrano Salazar (pictured right) is the visionary behind
Paraiso Quetzal Lodge. He is also the general manager and
stands with this cousin, Jairo Serrano, behind the reception desk. 
This is a family run operation with various members assisting as needed.  

Jorge, a member of the extensive Serrano family, grew up in quetzal country and while studying rural tourism at his local high school, realized that showing quetzals to visitors could be a key income generating opportunity for the family – if only they could work out a system.  


‘Quetzal tours’ were already in vogue in other quetzal hot spots such as Savegre Valley and Monteverde.  Eager to see one of these birds, we visited the Savegre Valley where we engaged Marino Chacon as our driver/guide.  Early one February morning he drove us slowly up the main road from the Savegre Lodge until he heard a bird and then quickly spotted a fine male sitting on a moss-covered branch in the cloud forest. There, in front of us, was an experience we will long remember:  the classical image of a stunning quetzal.
When one party locates a quetzal along the Savegre Valley road, other hopefuls gather. And this morning, with two males spotted in this sector, I noted that forty-seven other participants had assembled, all straining for glimpses of an iridescent green back or a red belly in the openings between oak leaves.  The folks at the front of the crowd were all smiles while those in the back were likely not as lucky until they moved forward.
Thinking about the competition from these semi-zoos, Jorge needed a plan. First, he needed quetzals – which he had. Then he needed an infrastructure – which he did not have.  And finally he needed viewers.
What better way to attract visitors to a special habitat than to build a place right on the spot?  Pooling money, the family opened a small restaurant in 2005. This was so successful that in 2007 they expanded the main building and added three bungalows, enabling visitors to stay longer.  And while constructing a restaurant and three bungalows was all well and good, this was not enough – quetzals do not feed in the dinning room. Jorge needed to develop a system to show quetzals to guests.

 
 

And then inspiration hit.

Quetzals live in mountain oak forests but fortunately are quite flexible, as a good portion of the original forest around Esperanza, a small town near the Paraiso Quetzal Lodge, has been cleared for agriculture or animal husbandry. Small holders now privately own this land, often a farming family working from 2 to 10 hectares.  As the altitude around Esperanza is too high and damp for coffee, the farmers raise raspberries, potatoes, and other cold weather cash crops; most farmers also own two or three milking cows.
In a cloud forest, both rain and moisture from clouds is needed for the survival of epiphytic bromeliads such as these found on horizontal surfaces of oaks and other tree branches, usually sharing the surface with, lichens, ferns, mosses, orchids, and other plants. Curiously, bromeliads can occasionally take hold on power lines, a behavior rarely seen in other plant groups. Trees in these mountain forests need to have sturdy branch attachments in order to withstand the weight of the bromeliads, ferns, and orchids  all soaked with heavy rain.  The tree pictured here grew just northwest of the lodge dinning room.

In 2009 Jorge started his scheme by coaxing local farmers to search their property each morning, looking for quetzals, and should they find a bird, report to the lodge on their cell phones.  Quetzals feed on wild fruit – especially wild avocados – as well as on frogs and lizards (during the rainy season) and once breakfast is ingested they usually sit quietly on a branch for extended periods. Thus guests at the lodge who are interested – and have paid a substantial fee – climb aboard a vehicle for a ride of fifteen or so minutes to the selected farm. Once you know where a bird is resting, the chances of arriving guests seeing a quetzal is high.  Another seasonal method of locating quetzals, and one popular along main roads, is to find a nest with chicks and then watch the adult birds coming and going. The nesting season on the Pacific side of the Cerro del Muerte uplift normally begins early in March and lasts into May.

The lodge’s mission statement speaks to the importance
of taking pride in caring for Mother Nature for future generations.

Jorge’s program, started with only two farmers, but now has become so successful that his list of reporting individuals has grown to twenty-two with two more waiting in the wings.  In the high season, the lodge runs three ‘quetzal tours’ a day, each with a limit of ~6 people per group.  It is mportant to limit the number of visitors to any one site, Jorge says, so as not to overly disturb the birds. Evidence of the success of this program is that some farmers are now planting wild avocados and other fruit-bearing trees on their properties.

Most effective ecotourism efforts involve a number of steps and players. And Jorge’s program, while not replicable everywhere, certainly exhibits some components of a successful ecotourism project.  First, a species or an area of special interest (such as a sacred mountain) is identified.  Then a project needs a visionary person to propose a plan and who is willing to devote resources and time to the effort. In addition, there is the infrastructure. Visitors need to be able to reach the site and, where possible, have a place to stay. In addition, personable guides trained in natural history are a must. Also an enticing website is a distinct plus as this is a most useful tool for drawing attention to the site.
Costa Rica is located reasonably near the large North American market. This is fortunate, but an ecotourism program that depends on international guests is not totally reliable as world affairs influences travel.  Thus it is best to cater to a steady stream of local citizens and, as available, add foreigners to the mix. The Serrano family benefits from being only three hours drive from the capital San Jose, and within a six-hour drive of close to half of Costa Rica’s population.
And the family also profits not only from the quetzal but also from the quiet and peaceful nature of its oak forest location, one that overlooks a fine view towards the Pacific. Thus staying here makes for splendid interlude from the hustle and bustle of San Jose, Cartago, and other cities.  Moreover in addition to the quetzal,  hosts of hummingbirds buzz around the grounds and these, along with other mountain species, make Pariso Quetzal an ideal stopover for birders, international or otherwise.

       This Firey-throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis), one of 54 Costa Rican hummingbird species, was photographed at the Paraiso Quetzal Lodge. This is a montane resident usually found above 2000m (6,600’) altitude in central and southern Costa Rica and into extreme western Panama.  The Firey-throated is a nectar feeder, sometimes probing for food at the bases of a bromeliad flowers by utiizing holes originally made by bees. Hummingbirds also consume insects and spiders as a source of protein and are so agile that they have no trouble darting into the air to catch a flying morsel
Above all, sustainable ecotourism projects revolve around enhancing the participation of local communities. If the local residents see financial benefits, they are ones who are most likely to best safeguard the resource. And we see in the Tres de Junio area where, thanks to the Serrano initiative, farmers are now aware of the advantage of maintaining their environment and augmenting their quetzal habitat.
Jorge and the Serrano family are to be congratulated on their on-going conservation success.

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Dr. Fleming with naturalist/guide Alanzo (pictured right), Quetzal showing
farmer William (left) and Serrano family member (far left); photo
taken by James Regali, Bob’s companion on the Quetzal search.

This week’s blog piece and photos make up the third installment in our Musings of a Naturalist series, courtesy of our own Dr. Robert (Bob) Fleming: Professor Equity and Empowerment/ Natural History. Having grown up in the foothills of the Himalayas in India, Bob has long been interested in the beauty of nature. This progressed into a fascination with natural history and cultural diversity, leading him to obtain his Ph.D. in zoology. He has  explored many of the planet’s special biological regions, ranging from the Namib Desert in Africa to the Tropical Rainforest of the Amazon, and the Mountain Tundra biome of the Himalayas. He has worked for the Smithsonian’s Office of Ecology and the Royal Nepal Academy and, along with his father and Royal Nepal Academy Director-Lain Singh Bangdel, he wrote and illustrated “Birds of Nepal,” the first modern field guide to the birds of the region. In addition to his work with Future Generations, Bob is the director of Nature Himalayas, a sole proprietorship that he began in 1970. Through this company, Bob has led some 250 outings. He currently lives in the temperate rainforest of western Oregon in the USA’s Pacific Northwest.

Many thanks to Dr. Fleming for another great contribution!

Happy Father’s Day from Future Generations!

May 29, 2018
When thinking how we could give a shout out to fathers on the blog today, my mind immediately went to the Taylors. Daniel Taylor, his father Carl Taylor, and son Luke Taylor-Ide, all worked together to bring the vision for Future Generations to life. Three generations of fathers and sons working together has made this already special relationship even more dynamic. The Taylor family has long worked to promote community-based education, and each has brought their own unique approach to the field.

 

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Carl Taylor founded the academic discipline of international health and dedicated his life to the marginalized people of the world. He was also the founding chair of the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Up until a week before his death, he continued sharing his near century-long perspective with his students while working as the Country Director for Future Generations in Afghanistan.
 
 


Daniel Taylor founded Future Generations, as well as twelve other nonprofit organizations. He’s been engaged in social change and conservation for more than four decades with a focus on building international cooperation to achieve ambitious projects, and has received widespread recognition and award for his efforts.  He is one of the synthesizers of the SEED-SCALE method, and since 1995 has continued to lead global field trials of SEED-SCALE and educate the world on this method through the sharing his research and books.




Luke Taylor-Ide has worked to combine academic interest in applied education with a parallel field-oriented approach to social change, having had extended, multi-year assignments in Afghanistan, India, and rural America. His findings affected national health policy in Afghanistan in regards to enabling women, and addressed the impacts of modernization on sustainable living in India. He currently focuses on the intersection of local agriculture economies, community-based preventive healthcare, and entrepreneurship in West Virginia.

 
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I reached out to Luke to help me create todays’ post, while keeping true to the purpose of the blog, and he kindly agreed to help. We hope you enjoy the following post in tribute to fathers everywhere.
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Is there a project in particular that you all worked on that really sticks out to you?

 

Probably the most memorable project that I worked on with my father and grandfather was the “Pregnancy History Project” in Afghanistan and India. Several points are noteworthy about this project, most importantly it was the closest professional collaboration I got to share with my grandfather—it ended up being his last major research and action project. During this time, Bapu (Carl) and I traveled to Afghanistan and India to first launch a research effort to assess the impact of the Pregnancy History Method implemented 2 years earlier in Afghanistan and then also launch a parallel implementation approach in Arunachal Pradesh, India. We were closing our time in Kabul, Afghanistan when Dad (Dan’l) arrived to complete programatic work and we all overlapped for two nights in the guest house of the International Assistance Mission. One night we got into a debate about the appropriate placement and role for the concept of establishing a Shared Vision for change in community within SEED-SCALE. Each of us had a strong opinion and they were all different; we debated that point for hours in the living room until the other guests united and asked us to go to bed—we had no idea how late or opinionated we each had become. I am still not sure that any of us went to bed that night at all convinced of the other’s views—but I expect each of us thought our point had come out on top. 

 
 

What’s the greatest benefit to working with your father?

 

We get to spend a lot of time together! As a result of interacting on a virtually daily basis, usually regarding work, we have learned to adapt our relationship from one of typical father-son to being colleagues and friends. We gain insight into one another’s daily life in a way that most father-son relationships cannot do. While this can be a delicate balance, having an enduring relationship that has evolved throughout the years has allowed us to know one another professionally as well as personally, which for better or for worse has brought us closer together. 

 

 

What’s the hardest thing about working with your father?

 

At times the line between our professional and personal relationship can get blurred which adds significant strain on both. It is often difficult for us to “turn off” work when we are together. While this can have its perks such as working through a complex issue over dinner, it can also easily turn a relaxing evening into a night of work and debate. Unlike many working relationships, we are unable to cut ties completely if we have a disagreement so we generally work out our different views and are both better for it—but getting to common ground is not always the most fun. 

 

 

What’s been your most memorable interaction while working with family?

 
In March of 2008 I got a phone call from my grandfather asking me to come and assist him on the Pregnancy History Project that summer. On the call he stated that he had discussed this idea thoroughly with Dad who had authorized and approved of the idea—“everything has been arranged as long as you are willing to do it,” he said. Obviously when your 92 year old grandfather asks for your help, you say yes, so I did. The next day I spoke to Dad who said that he had just gotten off the phone with my grandfather who reported that I had requested to be involved with the Pregnancy History Project and that I had made a compelling case. By the time Dad and I both spoke to one another to discover that we each had agreed to part of an elaborate plan orchestrated by the family patriarch all we could do was laugh and go along with it. I still chuckle about the fact that my first official employment with Future Generations was the result of orchestration from my grandfather. 
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Many thanks to Luke for his contribution to today’s blog, and Happy Father’s Day from all of us here at Future Generations!

The Ecological Footprint of Afghanistan and More: A Comparison of Afghanistan with Iran and Pakistan

May 29, 2018

 

As a human, my work, behavior, and future plans all are making an impact on the planet’s finite resources– simply by living , I am using resources.

 

From the usage of water to caring for nature, building safe environments, creating opportunities for the next generations… The examples go on and on. Simply put, every one of us has a strong direct impact on the planet’s finite resources. And yet there is a huge percentage of the population of humans in this world that can’t get access to clean water. I, in one corner of this world, have more than enough access to this resource. How I am using this opportunity of having unlimited access to clean water, which is not available to others in the world, makes a large impact on our planet’s finite resources.

 

Comparison of Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan

 

Examining the similarities and differences of Afghanistan with Pakistan and Iran makes for an interesting comparison; Pakistan and Iran both are economically stabilized countries, maintain armies, industries, and have higher populations. Conversely, Afghanistan has had to grow during more than 4 decades of war, building everything from scratch, dependent upon  assistance from the international community, with very a low economic system, low revenue, and most prevalently, the ongoing threats of insurgency. This creates a large difference between Afghanistan and the two neighboring countries mentioned.

 

 
 

 

Similarities:

 

Afghanistan and Pakistan are both in Southeast Asia, which neighbors world super economic power, China. On the other hand, Iran serves as a connecting point between Southeast Asia and the Middle East. At a quick glance, these three countries are all faced with the ongoing threat of insurgency insurgency, however, only Afghanistan is currently involved in actively fighting this problem. The other two aforementioned countries are also involved, but this involvement decreases going from Pakistan towards Iran.

 

Insurgency aside, the potential for economic growth and power that exists in this region, for all three countries, is similar.  These three countries are located in an important geo-politically strategic location. If we think of the trade of natural gas from Iran to Central Asia, and consider the abundance of Iran’s natural resources, Afghanistan is the only bridge in between the two areas, which creates a big economic impact on the region. The same Afghanistan serves as the in-between for connecting Central Asia with Southeast Asia.
Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, just recently started the TAPI project, which will further establish Afghanistan as a connecting point for Central and Southeast Asia. Through this project, natural gas will be sent from Turkmenistan to Pakistan, via Afghanistan, and then via Pakistan to India. The similarities, from an economic standpoint, can be seen as significant. The contribution from all of these countries, and in general, Central Asia with Southeast Asia, makes a great impact on the planet’s finite resources. This is  especially so in the case of Central Asia’s supply of natural gas, and the high demand for it in Southeast Asia.

 

 

 

 

Differences:

 

Unfortunately, many differences also exist between these three countries. The fight against terrorism in the region, Afghanistan’s long-lasting war, Pakistan’s involvement, Iran’s involvement, etc. all makes a big difference. Furthermore, while Pakistan has access to nuclear weapons and Iran is trying to make it for themselves, or use the uranium for the energy purposes, Afghanistan has no involvement in this regard. All of which makes Afghanistan a strange white elephant in the corner of the room.

 

Both Iran and Pakistan are well-enough-stabilized countries from their economic and military prospects, while Afghanistan is not even at the initial stage of such a comparison. While Iran and Pakistan are working towards their financial and economic strategies, and thinking of  ways to grow their economies stronger and stronger for their people, Afghanistan struggles to at the very least provide a safe environment for its people, and to avoid the resulting huge migration flows of its populations to European countries.
Another big difference is Afghanistan struggling to bring peace and prosperity to its people. And while Afghanistan has a high amount of natural resources, it has not the facilities to extract or to use them. Meanwhile, Iran produces a significant amount of the oil in the world and the profits put it in a higher position than the other two countries being examined. A further complication: while the international community is trying to help Afghanistan in fighting against terrorism, Afghanistan blames Pakistan and Iran for supporting and creating insurgency in the region.
Economical differences aside, socially and politically, these three countries differ from one another. Iran has a combined version of democracy and religion, which rules the country while ignoring its minorities. Pakistan claims a democratic governance system with the incorporation of Islamic values, and has a categorized public with high, medium, and low incomes. This “normal” people can’t reasonably hope to ever become president, minister, or manager in a government institution as a result.
Afghanistan has tried the new cut-and-paste democracy of the West, with its localized values. Unfortunately, in a similar manner to Pakistan, the society is growing into categorized subsets of people, with the very high and very low income, and the middle class. This greatly limits the abilities of those not in the high income category.
Each of these countries is arguably corrupt and not honest with its people. Additionally, the nuclear facilities in Pakistan and Iran, and the usage of the uranium to build nuclear weapons or as an energy source, has had a very strong negative impact on the planet’s resources. The practices has been damaging to the environment, destroyed societies,  and brought more fear to its citizens. Religions is also a common source of power in each of the three countries, but currently all of these countries are trying to maintain positive relationships with the West.
 

 

The Main Factors Subject to Difference:


  • Huge population of Pakistan, and the ongoing fear of poverty in this country
  • The economic crises in Iran
  • The ongoing insurgency and terrorism threats in Afghanistan
  • The ongoing fear and increase in the percentage of poverty in Afghanistan

 

 

Conclusion of Differences, Potential Directions to be Taken

 

To conclude, Afghanistan has the potential to transform into the economic center of Asia. It is able to connect the central and south regions, and to connect Southeast Asia to the Middle East. Pakistan could transform its industrialized economy to one of greater success, using this to aid in the ongoing efforts against terrorism and to bring peace to the region. Iran could make its economy even stronger also aiding in the fight against terrorism so that they can expand their oil business via Afghanistan to China and Southeast Asian countries.

 

Additionally, Afghanistan’s access to unlimited water can be also be seen as a difference, and so an asset. If Afghanistan gets stabilized and in accordance with international laws and norms, it could seek to set a price for its extra water, which Pakistan and Iran currently use for free. This would benefit the country economically and help it to not rely as much on the international community. 

 

Personal Footprint

 

Afghanistan

 

There are many positive things to be said for Afghanistan that rarely get acknowledged. The natural beauty, green landscape, natural mines, rarely seen animals, and things of this nature are among our planet’s greatest finite resources.
Pakistan is a larger country than Afghanistan, with a higher population and more stability.
 
 
Iran is well-stabilized economically, due to its abundance of natural resources, especially natural gas, and an industrialized economy.
Living in Afghanistan with limited resources, and low development in terms of transportation, connection to the outside world, education, and employment, are the biggest factors that affect me and millions of others in my country. The struggle of development in the country has been very slow within the last 14 years, however, the current government creates some hope. Although negative points have been seen in the way the National Unite Government serves in Afghanistan. Two major issues: too many political factions, and the level of employment in the country remaining low due to lack of opportunity for an increased workforce.
Development in every corner of the world creates more opportunities for our resources, as well as more manageable and sustainable ways of using them. Sadly, Afghanistan is missing the essential components to follow suit, which creates an uncertain future for millions of people in the country. Education has easily risen in the last 15 years, yet the level of employment has dropped, unable to fulfill the needs of this educated generation. These factors are all directly impacting the development inside my society and overall in my country.
This lack of development and opportunity creates an international problem, consisting of issues such as the flow of migration of Afghan youths to the Middle East and Europe, the government’s struggle with insurgents and against terrorism, reliance upon the international community’s economic support…All of these factors are connected and directly relate towards my personal footprint the developments around me. 

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This week’s blog post contributed by Future Generations Alumnus Yasar Ahmadzai. Yasar has more than a decade’s worth of experience in the fields of peacebuilding, community development, democratization, and journalism. Carrying international expertise into the field of positive community change, Yasar was recently featured for his peacebuilding efforts by the Global Peacebuilding Center and the United States Institute of Peace. He previously worked with the Afghanistan High Peace Council, and also has the practical experience of working with different government institutions in Afghanistan and in the ongoing peace negotiations taking place in the country.

 
Yasar established the Afghanistan Institute of Peace, a think-tank for positive community change and peacebuilding in 2015 (www.afgip.org), using methods learned through his practical international experience with Future Generations University in the fields of peacebuilding, bringing positive change. Yasar’s goal is to promote a culture of peace among Afghanistan’s new generations.
Furthermore, Yasar has been working with Democracy International since 2011 for good governance, democratization, positive community change, and anti-corruption.
 
To know more about Yasar and his various involvements, visit the links below:

 

Empowering the Forgotten Peacebuilders: Persons with Disability

May 29, 2018

Using Self-Help Groups and Information Technology to Empower People with Disability in Tanzania: A lesson from the Nyamagana and Ilemela Districts of Mwanza City

Mwanza, Tanzania and Lake Victoria
This work focuses on empowering the forgotten peacebuilders: people with disability (PWDs), and is based on the observation that the majority of PWDs, particularly females, from developing countries like Tanzania are forgotten, uneducated, categorized as passive and unfit to participate in different socio-economic related matters. This creates a cycle of PWDs being unable to advocate for themselves because of poverty, stigma, and exclusion. Discussions around empowerment are commonly limited to activities associated with economic, social, and political empowerment. This blog piece takes the debate beyond and it defined empowerment as processes whereby individuals achieve increasing control of various aspects of their lives and participate in the community with dignity.
 
The study this piece is drawing from was conducted in the Nyamagana and Ilemela Districts of Mwanza City in Tanzania. It asked whether Self Help Group (SHG) membership and the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has the impact of acting as tools of enablement and as a means of empowering and improving the quality of life of people with disabilities. There was no common agreement, as respondents explained mixed feelings about ICT and self-help groups. The positive, negative, and challenges of ICT and SHG were detailed, ultimately, the positive impacts were found to outweigh the negative.
 
Tusaidiane Disabilities Resources and Charity Organization of Tanzania, the NGO
started by Msafiri to address many of the issues noted in this study
Essentially, the study looked into the possibility of engaging and mobilizing Communities and Technology for Social Change. Attention was placed on PWDs and care givers of PWDs who are members in associations like Village Community Banks (VICOBA), Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLA), and Community Based Organizations (CBO) that involve PWDs as members. On ICT use, attention was placed on the use of mobile phones calls, text messaging (SMS), and the open-source software FrontlineSMS. A total of 59 participants were involved in this study, mainly members in self-help groups. A variety of data collection tools were utilized for a mixed methods approach (face-to-face semi-structured interviews, phone interviews, participant observation, focus group discussion, dialogue, and desktop research methods).
 
The desire of members of self-help groups to be empowered economically was the major motivation provided by PWDs and care givers of PWDs to join in these groups, especially when driven by the possibility of getting money. Another reason was to exchange experiences and advice on how to deal with different challenges, followed by the aspiration to promote income-generating activities. The next reasons were to get loans, to promote savings, and to repay old debts. To have relationships with colleagues stood as the last reason for joining a self-help group. Only 15% of participants maintained positive views about the benefits of SHGs towards empowering persons with disability. This was aimed specifically at the SHGs’ process of facilitating members in the sharing of experiences and information, in building trust and recognition, building social and human capital through social interaction, sharing ideas and advice on how to deal with different life challenges, and finding ways of solving problems together as a team, rather than individually.
 
Disability consortium in the author’s community in the Lake Victoria
area of Mwanza
On the other side, almost 85% of participants indicated that their participation in a self-help group does not offer any benefit to them as a PWD. They specified that individual enterprises are better than group enterprises. And despite of the majority of SHG members having the goal of improving their incomes through savings and small loans provisions, it was found that most of the PWDs interviewed have experienced the inability to repay their loans, or they simply make payments after intensive follow-up and pressure through different means. This created tensions and bad relationship among SHG members. It reduced solidarity, friendship and networking. The majority neglected to make a habit of working together as a team as a result of devaluing one another based on ignorance, illiteracy, lack of trust, and inadequate knowledge about SHG benefits, among other reasons. In addition, several SHG members mentioned that it caused a disturbance in certain cases among members when they were required to follow up on untrustworthy members’ loans as they were expected to monitor their peers’ behavior to ensure the loans were being used for their agreed upon purpose as stated in the loan application. Monitoring was both costly as well as time-consuming. Furthermore, rules such as mandatory weekly savings and regular meeting attendance or weekly meetings was a difficult task to be followed, as it sometimes caused members to be absent from their day labor, while earning nothing from SHG to compensate for that loss.
It was then indicated that there are greater benefits to ICT as a connection tool for this communities’ members to help each other. This was achieved by the technology being used to change an environment that is typically disabling into one that is instead empowering, offering flexibility of time and space. ICT is enabling PWDs to be at peace with their surroundings by connecting them to the greater world. They’re operating in this manner with less discrimination, enabling them to unlock opportunities that had previously been inaccessible, their voices being heard, enabling them to live, to build, and create and maintain personal networks as they are no longer isolated as they were when compared to the pre-information period. Moreover, ICT can be used as complementary to SHGs with the purpose of strengthening communication and building networking among its members.

FrontlineSMS software as a tool for handling the SMS-based feedback was used in this project after observing that it is free and open-source software. It turned a laptop and a mobile phone into a central communications hub. Once installed, it enabled users to send and receive text messages using mobile phones. A laptop acted like a hub or server of sending and receiving SMS without requiring an Internet connection. It allowed users to send bulk text messages, stored phone numbers and names of members, and recorded all incoming and outgoing messages. All data was retained on a computer, not on servers controlled by someone else. It was found to be scalable method; messages could be sent to individuals or large groups, and it enabled two-way communication. It also supported most mobile phones handset, including the basic phones (‘dumb’ phones), which support voice and text messages only. FrontlineSMS was noted to be useful software in mobilizing people and giving feedback through SMS. It also made it easier for PWDs to deal with loan defaulters, allowing follow-up on a loan issue as a group rather than an individual follow-up. Overall, the use of SMS (text messaging) was chosen as the most effective ICT method after seeing that it is quite powerful, particularly so when considering the value fiscally, and furthermore minimizes the time required to communicate.

 

The SEED-SCALE method of social change, 
presented by Future Generations University
The conclusion of this study proposes the development of a SEED-SCALE-based curriculum as the best option to help in forming a base of sustainable empowerment and to assist in the process of repairing the human dignity of PWDs. SEED-SCALE is a useful approach that can be applied to the process of counseling and motivating PWDs, either individually or in groups, to change attitudes that favor charity. It will instead aid PWDs in moving towards observing their own abilities by learning that it is possible for them to rise above their limitations. Ultimately, it will be used to help prevent disability from getting in the way of life, progress, and success. It will accomplish this goal by leading PWDs to feel encouraged to consider how they can turn their disabilities into abilities using the special qualities they alone possess, whether or not it’s seen by anyone else.

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This week’s blog content and photos providedby Msafiri Msedi. Msafiri is a Tanzanian who works with the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance in Tanzania, where he is presently responsible for Promoting and Protecting Human Rights. Msafiri is an alumni of Future Generations University, having obtained his Masters in Community Change as a member of the Class of 2015. He is passionate about human rights, disability & diversity, empowerment, and information technology. He has worked as a volunteer with organizations for disabled people, and is a founder of the NGO known as “Tusaidiane Disabilities Resources and Charity Organization of Tanzania” (TDRCT), which is registered to work in mainland Tanzania. The Swahili word “tusaidiane” means “let’s help each other.”  Currently, Msafiri works in the organization as an Executive Secretary.

 

For more on Msafiri, click here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msafiri-msedi-58b55517/
 
For more on Tusaidiane Disabilities Resources and Charity Organization of Tanzania, click here: http://tusaidiane.page.tl/

Responsible Mining in Ghana

May 29, 2018

Mention the word mining and an apocalyptic scene pops into mind…

Mirny Diamond Mine in Russia

 

There’s no denying that mining has an impact on the environment; it affects landscapes, flora, and fauna. Natural species can be damaged or cause significantly affected animals to flee the area to escape the constant disturbance of the mining activity. Leaving a previously mined area unrehabilitated is poor practice, which has changed in most places. This is a story about good practices in mining and the growing number of companies that return the landscape to its original state in an attempt to leave as little permanent environmental impact as possible. We will examine a closure plan in this blog piece, as it works to remedy some of the environmental impact from mining activity with the purpose of leaving behind a legacy of environmental remediation and post-mining land use for the local communities in which the mine was based. 
 
SIKA Mining (name changed for privacy) is a unique mine. Throughout its development, SIKA has had 10 mines on its property, both open pit and underground, in the Western Region of Ghana. These mining sites are interspersed between many communities which have both benefited from the mining activity as well as have been affected by it. The mine hires local labour wherever and whenever possible, but highly skilled labour is also brought in from other parts of Ghana. Because of the nature of the mine, SIKA Mining shares its roads, utilities and services with these communities and maintains services for them.
A local woman walking back from her farm through the mining concession

 

This mine’s life is predicted to end within the next few years and environmental remediation programs are already fully underway.  SIKA Mining has maintained a continuous remediation program of unused areas, but this piece will concentrate on remediation of the SIKA Tailing Storage Facility. SIKA Mining’s goals in reclamation are: (1) the desire to remediate the environmental impact caused by mining activity, which can offset loss of forest, by afforestation projects that are at least equivalent to the size and type lost; and (2) to consider end-use purposes regarding socio-economic improvement: re-establishment of native forest cover, creation of varied wildlife habitat (wetlands, vegetation), and finally the creation of tourist and amenity facilities (roads, buildings) through slope stability, as well as water issues.
In 2016, SIKA Mining underwent an information/consultative period with the surrounding communities to discuss the possible uses of land after closure over a series of 9 meetings. Both the Community Consultative Council (consisting of opinion leaders from the various communities) and the EPA led these meetings regarding ultimate end-use of the tailings pond. These meetings were well-advertised open forums and ultimately community members, Paramount Chiefs, Chiefs, Sub-Chiefs, and Queen Mothers attended.  The decisions taken during these meetings found the end use of the tailing pond should be agro-forestry (mainly cocoa farming), firewood, and re-planting of native plants, trees, and shrubs.
Presently, the area is being prepared for planting. Analysis of the tailings has found that the area has a high potential for phytoremediation. In 2015, an extensive study, conducted by external consultants, was performed on the potential for contamination of plant life by the heavy metals in the tailings, and it was found that most of the species did not absorb any levels of trace elements and was fit for human usage.                
Topsoil has been placed on the old tailings. The accumulation of topsoil has a minimum depth of 20cm onto one meter of laterite, to help in the establishment of the crop. This is a mechanized process being handled by SIKA Mining using bulldozers and dump trucks for spreading the topsoil.
North and south view of tailings being reclaimed

 While this is going on, residents from local communities are being employed anywhere from 12-18 months to collect local plants and shrubs for soil control. They will also be the ones employed in the planting process of these plants, as well as in the cocoa tree initiative. The total cost of the operations will be absorbed under SIKA MINING closure plan.

 The economy of the region is based on three elements: agriculture, mining, and timber. Agriculture is by far the greatest employer of the region, involving over 65% of the labour force, with cocoa being the main economic driver of the region. Other cash crops include cocoa and palm oil. Planting in the tailings ponds is based on the guidelines established in the Mine Closure Plan, and state that there should be a minimum density of 1000 stems per hectare.
 Land tenure will be reverted to the former owners for their use. When the mining project began construction in 2000, the land that the mine occupies today belonged to the three Paramountcies and the local chiefs from these communities. The land was loaned to the mining company for duration of operation. This land reverts to these owners once mining activities cease and the land has met the criteria for remediation, ensuring that they will be the ones who benefit of the reclamation. Once the land reverts to the Chiefs, they will lease out the land for exploitation of cocoa farming. The farmers will earn their benefit from their labours.
 SIKA Mining is situated in a nature reserve, and exploitation of timber reserves is a portion of the economy. A proposal for growing trees for timber for export in the reclamation plan was abandoned to better reflect the needs of the communities. Most of the farmers live on subsistence agriculture, and their dependence on the two cocoa harvests a year leaves most of the people hunting for food in the forest. Women have small farms for growing staples and to sell in markets. As firewood is the main fuel used for cooking food and foraging for firewood in the forest reserve is common, it was decided to include a measure to plant fast growing trees for firewood using local labour. The benefits from this will go to the communities closest to the tailings storage facility in question.
Hawk hunting on talings pond

The most outwardly segment of the tailings pond reclamation plan called for re-establishing native plant species. As the mining activity has slowed in some areas, birdlife and aquatic life has already returned. At the tailings ponds each day, over a dozen predatory birds hunt for prey. As for the prey, mice, rats, snakes, smaller vertebrates, reptiles, etc., have re-established themselves, and there are also sightings of antelope returning (frequent) and some monkeys (rarely).  Re-establishing the local flora will further help usher in the return of biodiversity to the area. The collection of the local plants and the planting will also be done by paid labourers from the local communities, thereby simultaneously benefitting both the local environment and the communities.

The final use of this reclaimed land for agro-forestry and firewood appears to be appropriate based on the consultative period in 2016 and by expectations of landowners. Once the property reverts to the original owners, it will then provide economic benefits to those owners and subsequent leases.
 Each aspect of the plan does provide non-financial benefits to the communities, as well. The wood primarily intended for burning will also help preserve the surrounding forest. The planting of the cocoa trees as agro-forestry will be in line with the local communities’ economic reliance on the leaving mining industry. The benefit to planting cocoa is that the knowledge-base on techniques already exists in the local communities, so they won’t have to rely on outsiders to help them establish themselves.
 
 Soil remediation is a benefit to the community, as well as fulfilling SIKA Mining’s legal responsibilities and ensuring tailings will not pose health threats to inhabitants. The reintroduction of native species in the area is by far the most beneficial to the rebuilding of biodiversity. Mining operations have impacted the area for over 10 years, but with the efforts of restorations have already seen the return of predators and prey alike. This Mine Closure Plan does attempt to mitigate not only the environmental impact mining activities have had on the area but restore the land to its rightful owners for economic growth and help revive animal biodiversity.
Spontaneous re-vegetation on south parameter of the SIKA Tailings Pond (nitrogen-rich plants inserted for soil enrichment)
 
 
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This week’s blog and photos kindly provided by Gisèle Fortin. Gisèle is a Canadian who has been living in Ghana since 2012. She runs the NGO Sefwi Health Initiative in the Western Region of Ghana, and is presently studying a Master’s in Community Change and Conservation at Future Generations  University.

For more on Gisele, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisele-elise-fortin-903b5785/

The Gender Dimension: Women and Wildlife

May 29, 2018

 

What do women and wildlife have to do with one another? Future Generations faculty member Teri Allendorf explains why this is an essential enquiry surrounding the preservation of tigers in Chitwan National Park in Nepal.

Original text and images published in an article by Teri Allendorf for Community Conservation newsletter.
 

More and more frequently, attention is being given to the involvement of local communities as a factor in the success of conservation efforts around the world. As with all communities, men and women have different relationships with their environment due to the level of involvement that is customarily permitted. How does this factor into wildlife conservation? As put by Teri Allendorf and associate Neil Carter:

“The survival of many populations of threatened mammals depends on the willingness of human communities to coexist with them.”
Allendorf and Carter have found that women generally show more concern for wildlife, humane treatment, and support for species conservation. This is thought to be based from their caretaking and nurturing characteristics, as compared to the value traditionally placed by men on traits such as competition and autonomy. However when presented with contexts of daily negative wildlife impact, such as crop raiding and livestock depredation, women are more likely to have a negative attitude towards wildlife conservation and protection than men.
 
Experience shapes view. Tigers occasionally prey on livestock and attack people. These negative occurrences influenced the differing in opinion between men and women when asked how they felt towards tigers. Based on Carter’s previous research in Nepal, 84% of men expressed positive attitudes about tigers, while depending on the question, only 64%-73% of women felt similarly. This shift in attitude is proposed to be a result of greater direct costs of wildlife to women, women’s greater fear of wildlife and heightened perception of risk, and women’s lack of information and knowledge about the conservation of wildlife. The gendered division of labor also contributes to this divide. Women are often primarily responsible for the collection of natural resources, such as fuelwood and fodder for the household, and so are disproportionately exposed to dangers from wildlife.

These findings may seem to be contrary to one another, but Allendorf and her collaborators have found that this is a common gender gap driven by differences in belief and experience. Because women in communities such as those near Chitwan National Park in Nepal have traditionally not been included in conservation efforts, they have a lack of knowledge regarding the value of ecosystems and the protection of them. Based on a survey of 499 people, Allendorf and Carter found that the difference of opinion regarding tigers in Chitwan was a direct result of women having less knowledge about the involvement of tigers in promoting a healthy ecosystem. This then lead to less positive feelings towards the tigers in general. Accordingly, Allendorf suggests that addressing the impact of women’s access to information may be one way of closing this crucial conservation gap.
 
 
 
“People who understand interrelationships between natural and human communities value protected areas more.”


Although wildlife conservation has traditionally been dominated by men, the research conducted in Nepal by Allendorf and Carter about tiger preservation around Chitwan National Park shows that the perspectives of women are beginning to merit more value. Their findings present that the importance of women in this effort may be of crucial importance for several different reasons, the most important of which are: (1) women may be more vulnerable to environmental change and so could be more supportive of conservation as a result, and (2) women can be active agents of change for conservation efforts; by ignoring them, half of the population that can actively help to affect change is being overlooked.

This is supported by statistics that show that natural resource management groups that include women have demonstrated greater collaboration, solidarity, and conflict resolution characteristics that those with only men. These factors then in turn contributed to better, more sustainable outcomes. For example, the inclusion of women in forestry groups in India and Nepal has been directly correlated with better overall conditions and faster forest regeneration as a result of the better monitoring and rule enforcement they brought.
 
In Chitwan, this has held true in a most impressive way. Around 300,000 people live in the valley surrounding Chitwan National Park, and it’s become one of the success stories in tiger conservation for the globally endangered Panthera tigris. The population of tigers there has risen from approximately 50 in 1998 to 125 in 2015. Most importantly, it’s one of only 28 reserves in the world that can support at least 25 breeding female tigers.
 
“Unlike women in China and Myanmar, women in Nepal are not more negative toward protected areas, despite having less knowledge.”
 
Allendorf and Carter propose that this may be the case because, unlike with women in China and Myanmar in similar situations, Nepal has made more efforts to include women in buffer zone projects over approximately the last 20 years. Although the gender disparities still exist, Nepal enacted policies that recommended the inclusion of women on elected committees, which in that area often includes community forestry and buffer zone committees. Though arguably not enough to even out the gender divide, these actions have contributed to men and women being equally likely to understand the benefits of the park and what contributions the presence of tigers contribute to a healthy ecosystem.
 
These findings are important because they highlight potential pathways to increase community support for and involvement in wildlife conservation. Knowledge could be all that underlies the difference in gendered attitudes regarding wildlife management, and access to information is one of the easiest things to increase, particularly when considering the benefit it may yield. This could include initiatives such as outreach programs targeted at women to increase knowledge about particular species and their role in the ecosystem, which could in turn improve the general community attitude towards the species overall. Women could furthermore influence the decisions to poach, as well as create more long-term implications for conservation efforts by influencing their children to have positive attitudes regarding conservation and providing them with the knowledge that supports it. By including everyone in the dialogue, we move forward together for a brighter tomorrow.
 
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Original study presented in Biological Conservation journal:Carter, N.H. & Allendorf, T.D. (2016). Gendered perceptions of tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Biological Conservation; 202; 69 DOI: 10.016/j. biocon.2016.08.002.
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Celebrating Mothers: Health in the Hands of Women

November 22, 2021


To celebrate Mothers´ Day today, and every day, Future Generations Peru happily agreed to share with the Future Generations community some basic information on their project called  “Health in the Hands of Women” (MAM Project).  

 

The MAM Project was implemented in four rural districts of the Huánuco region in Peru from 2010 to 2014 in a population of 92,000 inhabitants in 180 communities, served by 27 primary health care facilities (HF).  The area is located on the eastern slope of the Andes mountains facing the Amazon basin, nine hours by bus from the capital city, Lima.

The stated project goal was to contribute to improving the health of mothers, newborns, and infants, and to reduce chronic child malnutrition.   We wanted to demonstrate to the Peruvian Ministry of Health that it could effectively and sustainably implement at scale a model of primary health care organization and management in rural areas that could successfully support at scale a community-oriented system of health promotion that would reach mothers in the home to improve their home health knowledge and behaviors and improve maternal and child health status.

The project design centered on two over-arching strategies.  The main strategy was the SEED-SCALE methodology of Future Generations which was used to first develop and then strengthen sustainability and replicability of successful interventions.  As we all know,  SEED-SCALE emphasizes building on successes, three-way partnerships, and using local data to make local action plans.   

 

The second over-arching strategy for the MAM Project design was the Sectorization Strategy, which guides the reorganization of primary health services to focus on community health.  It was expected that this strategy would be sustained and expanded by the regional Ministry of Health. 

A major component of the MAM Project strategy was the Modular Program for Training Female Community Health Workers (CHW) in Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health.   This was a behavior change strategy that introduced innovations in the Peruvian health sector for CHW trainers (primary health care personnel), supervisors and supporters of CHW (Community Facilitators who were community members), older community women as CHW, with teaching and training materials (flipcharts and facilitator manuals), and a CHW learning/teaching method (“Sharing Histories”).
The MAM Project team of Future Generations trained the trainers (health personnel) and provided training modules and educational flipcharts for teaching mothers.  We also provided checklist-type tools that we had developed to help guide CHW to conduct home monitoring of mothers and children and to report on their activities.  
In health facilities, health personnel trainers provided monthly training workshops to female CHWs and Community Facilitators.   In communities, Community Facilitators supervised and supported CHWs.    CHWs did home visits to pregnant mothers, newborns, and children under age two to share histories with mothers, teach mothers new information with flipcharts, observe mothers´ practice of new behaviors, and detect any danger signs for referral of mothers, newborns, and infants to the nearest health HF.

 

A key project activity was the implementation and testing of the innovative teaching method for CHWs, called “Sharing Histories,” that empowers mothers through the sharing their own memories of their childbirth and child rearing experiences, hearing other´s experiences, and learning best practices by analyzing what was done correctly or incorrectly in the past.   Female CHW gained self-confidence to speak in front of others, took ownership of their own experiences, and became more effective in their home visits to other women teach them better health practices.  The MAM project tested the effect of the “Sharing Histories” teaching method as an embedded operations research project using a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

MAM worked to improve the quality of care in health facilities (HFs) by changing health staff attitudes about community health outreach and guided the development of management teams in each HF to work together on community health plans and actions.   We worked with them to do an initial self-evaluation and self-planning exercises for both of those purposes.

The final evaluation studies of the MAM Project in 2014 were compared to baseline studies conducted in 2010, major findings showed major improvements in  knowledge and practices of mothers related to health and nutrition of mothers, newborns, and children.   

Some of the key accomplishments of MAM Project include:
  • Significant reduction in chronic malnutrition in children 0-23 months of age whose mothers received one or more visits from a CHW, among mothers who could read.
  • Significant increases in knowledge of pregnancy, post-partum and newborn danger signs by an average of 16 to 48 percentage points.
  • Significant increase in newborns that were wrapped and dried immediately at birth (76% to 98%)
  • Significant increases in good hygiene and sanitation practices, including hand washing, disposal of infant feces, water treatment at the point of use, and reducing in-door breeding in dirt-floor kitchens of small animals (such as guinea pigs which are served for special meals).
  • Significant increase in the percentage of HF managed by CLAS Associations (43% to 70%).
  • Development of a new cadre of human resources for community health called Community Facilitators.  All 47 of them continue to be paid stipends directly by the municipalities in 2017 for their work to support and supervise female CHW.
  • Community Facilitators and female CHWs are recognized by health workers as being  key components for the HF-community health strategy.
  • Community Facilitators and CHWs are recognized by community authorities and municipalities as playing a critical role in improving community health.
  • The Huánuco Regional Health Directorate officially established a permanent “Center for Development of Competencies in Health Promotion” in the Acomayo Health Center which serves to sustain the new approach to community health promotion by guaranteeing the on-going training of trainers so they can continue the training and support to Community Facilitators and female CHWs on a wider scale.
  • Municipalities are increasing support to HFs by continued financing to the Community Facilitator stipends, training costs for monthly workshops, and non-cash incentives for CHW and Community Facilitators.  Municipalities expanded their investment in contracting extra health personnel, constructing and remodeling infrastructure for health posts, providing equipment, implementing services (laboratory, maternity waiting homes), and providing fuel for motorcycles or bus fare for health personnel supervision to communities.
The strategy for reorienting health services to work in communities was presented in our publication, Methodological Guide to Sectorization for Health Promotion in Co-management with the Community, which was approved by the Huánuco Regional Health Directorate (the sub-national office of the Ministry of Health) and published by Future Generations in September 2012.   A Directorate Resolution declared the Sectorization Strategy as an official policy for the Huánuco region, to be scaled up to every primary health HF in the region (about 400).
The MAM project built on the new CLAS law on collaborative management of health facilities with citizen participation to strengthen linkages between community, HFs, and municipalities. This included incorporation of community priorities in a participatory budgeting process and coordination for additional sustainable health financing from both CLAS and municipal governments.
Future Generations Peru continues with this work in a variety of ways, and currently has the signed support of the Minister of Health to significantly expand this work in Peru in support of the National Plan for Reduction of Anemia and Chronic Child Malnutrition 2017-2021.

*CLAS are Local Health Administration Community Associations – private non-profit community organizations that collaboratively administer primary health care facilities under contract with the government.

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This week’s blog post and accompanying photos are kindly shared by Dr. Laura Altobelli, Future Generations University’s Professor of Equity & Empowerment (Health) and Director of Future Generations Peru. She has more than 30 years of experience in research, evaluation, and public policy innovation and advocacy, and uses these skills to bring scalable solutions for strengthening public health systems in developing countries.

 


Voices of Future Generations: Life in the Isle of Skye

May 29, 2018

By all counts, the Isle of Sky is an isolated and rugged place. In this episode of Voices, we hear about it from someone who grew up there.

“When people aren’t near services, you might tend to make more of an effort to do things together,” she suggests, while describing the community events and pastimes on the island.
 

The Treasured Natural Spring at Mount Moroto

May 29, 2018

Text and photos by Vincent Abura, MA student of class 2017

The Karamoja region of North-eastern Uganda has seen more than violent conflict for 40 years. As part of the Community Based Natural Resource Management Course in the Master of Arts degree program, Vincent looked at how stakeholders in a scarce and treasured water source are working together to protect the resource and share the benefits derived from it.  The spring and its watershed are located in the red shaded area in Uganda below.

The watershed provides protection for the spring water, which feeds an underground storage reservoir supplying fresh water to adjacent communities.  The spring and its watershed is habitat many forms of nature, including trees, grass, birds, and insects. The water and its watershed is used for various human activities including planting tree seedlings, watering animals, construction companies, beekeeping, green housing, and a water for urban and rural population of Moroto. The stakeholders are as below.
The spring has a Water Protection Committee, of which Margaret Lotee is the Chairperson. She manages a Committee of nine members, meeting monthly for the wellbeing of the spring. They monitor the fruit trees planted in the watershed by members. The Committee’s interests in the Spring include, water availability, accessibility, restricting access by big construction companies, sustainable fruit trees to improve on the environment and for human consumption. The Spring Protection Committee conducts monthly monitoring of the spring to ensure sustainability of the flow of water in the watershed. They recently restrained the government from constructing a dam downstream that would have interfered with sustained flow of water. 
Photo caption: Two women are standing right in the protected spring and talking about how they manage it.
At the district level, the District Water Officer, Mr. Musa Lowot, says the Water Department’s interest and responsibility is to ensure human and animal access to clean and safe water, protecting natural resources such as trees and vegetation etc. in the watershed, which ensures sustainability of natural resources and protection. In addition, the District Forest Officer, Mr. John Lotyang, says the Forest Office is mandated to protect and conserve forest natural resources through working in collaboration with Environment Office and police to protect natural resources in the watershed. The interest of the Department is to protect and preserve the natural resources downstream and ensure people with livelihood activities downstream such as beekeeping, vegetables growing, car washers, beer distillers and preserve wildlife, birds and domestic animals that depend on the water shade. The District Forest Department encourages protection of up and downstream for its biodiversity through public media awareness and working with police to apprehend perpetrators of natural resources degradation.

Mr. Joseph Nyimalema, the Area Manager for National Water and Sewage Corporation (NWSC), informed me that NWSC operates under the Ministry of Water and Environment and is mandated to supply water to urban and rural communities. NWSC pumps 15,000 liters of water per hour to supply to the urban-rural populations. NWSC is a strong benefiting stakeholder of the watershed, without which it cannot meet its obligations.  The interests of NWSC towards the watershed is legal ownership of land for its 2 water generators, security and safety of its equipment. NWSC recruited security guards to provide security for the assets and safety of water pumped for public consumption.

Arok Jimmy, the Chairperson of the 20-member Resilience Adaptation Committee (RAC), promotes greenhouse and sack gardening as well as soil and water conservation through terracing. They teach communities to grow vegetables and adapt to dry land cultivation. RAC’s interest in the spring is to access water for the greenhouses and sack gardens in homesteads, also in the availability of land in the watershed to control run-off water through terracing.

A local tree nursery is also interested in the spring. An attendant, Mr. Lokoru Bernard, informed me that they are planting different types of seedlings including: K-apples, Eucalyptus trees, papaws, mangoes, and indigenous species that are adaptable to drought in Karamoja. There are approximately one million seedlings planted this year. When converted to monetary terms (assuming a seedling is sold at UGXs 500) 1 million seedlings would amount to 500 million Uganda shillings, an equivalent of $143,000 US.  The interests of the planters is to raise income for their households, which can only be done sustained spring water, employing as many boys and girls as possible and to seek popularity to attract financial support from various programmes.

Photo caption: The tree-nursery garden where the attendant is weeding the unwanted plants from the nursery.   

Over 2000 livestock drink from this spring on a daily basis. This is the most accessible and available safe water for livestock in the district. Other options include boreholes, which are shared with human populations and are overcrowded. To get the attention of the cattle keepers, I had to walk with them and their herds. According to one, Kotol Patrick, their interest is availability of water for livestock. He strongly asserted that, ‘without this source, there is no life for human beings who depend on animals for survival. We shall do everything possible, including fighting to death to ensure water is sustained for their main livelihood.’

In summary, many stakeholders depend on this spring and its watershed for their livelihoods and wellbeing. Many are actively involved in protecting the water, and each plays a unique and important role in the current use and future availability of this invaluable water source. 

University Launches Multi-Country Peacebuilding Research Study

July 24, 2023
This study is being overseen by Dr. Meike Schleiff; text and map prepared by Meike in collaboration with Firew Kefyalew
 
Rationale for the Everyday Peace Indicators (EPI) study undertaken by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and built on by Future Generations University
 
One persistent challenge to peacebuilding is the extent to which communities affected by conflict can transform their circumstances. Many become passive recipients of prescriptive interventions by external actors, or top-imposed conceptualizations and interpretations. The bottom-up role has immediate benefit to day-to-day lives. But how to measure peace (or, more helpfully, change whether it comes nearer or becomes more distant)?
 
Typically, methods used to study peace yield complex, scholarly results that are not directly useful (or sometimes even intended for) community use. Through development of ‘indicators of peace,’ this project through local participation and local ownership, seeks to produce sensitive local understanding of interventions in peacebuilding and conflict transformation. The assertion here is that communities are best-placed to measure and interpret their own peace.
 
What are indicators of peace?
 
These are signals that communities develop through participatory action research on their perceptions of their own circumstances/conflict – what peace actually entails to them.
As Roger Mac Ginty and Pamina Firchow detailed in their recent article,[1]“[Developing indicators of peace] is participatory action research that seeks to find out people’s perceptions of their own conflict rather than impose narratives on them. The research asks local people, through focus groups, to develop their own set of indicators. …[T]he research questions are identified and designed by local people. …The research is designed and administered by local researchers and communities as a way of encouraging the identification of issues that are relevant to communities at the neighborhood or village level.”
 
Examples of indicators identified in USIP’s Everyday Peace Indicators project from multiple countries around the world include: 
  • Children are in school without disruption by rebels
  • Being able to hold social events without police disruption
  • How many dogs are barking at night
  • Roads and other key infrastructure get repaired
  • Women feel safe walking in the streets
  • Able to access primary health care center 
Why is Future Generations University interested in EPI?
 
Peacebuilding is an area that the graduate school has been engaged in for a number of years. There is in-house research and academic work that the graduate school wants to build on. Development of indicators for peace is consistent with the community change ideals that the graduate school has been teaching. Moreover, development of indicators of peace is in line with what is taught and practiced in SEED-SCALE. The graduate school is keen to pursue a research agenda in developing indicators of peace, an effort that will be augmented by the partnership it has with USIP.
 
Photo caption: This map shows the 12 country sites (listed below) that are included in the current study.

What does the Future Generations University adaptation of USIP’s work look like?

This a very exciting project that currently has twelve country sites—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guyana, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Sudan, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe—where study implementers are alumni and current MA students. In addition to USIP’s series of focus group discussions to determine community perspectives on peace indicators, we have added a series of key informant interviews with regional/country experts on peacebuilding in each country in order to triangulate community- and expert-identified indicators with top-down global and regional indices and priorities. The study is in full swing now, and we will complete the first phase of indicator identification, verification, and review of potential uses by the end of June 2017. From there, we are seeking additional funding and avenues to further this work—in the field of peacebuilding as well as across other sectors in our institutional research strategy.

[1]  “Everyday Peace Indicators: Capturing Local Voices Through Surveys” in Shared Space: A research journal on peace, conflict and community relations in Northern Ireland. No date.

Musings of a Naturalist II: Gondwana Gardens

July 24, 2023

Text and photos by Dr. Bob Fleming

On our first day in northeastern Australia, in the Centennial Lakes Park in Cairns, we found an arrow pointing to the Gondwanan Evolution Garden.

A Gondwana Garden? I’d never heard of such a thing.

Gondwana, the southern part of the ancient supercontinent of Pangea, is a name well-known name in geological circles, but a garden? This was a first.

Then, on our last day in Australia, this time on Bruny Island off Tasmania’s east coast, we again came upon the concept of a Gondwana garden. Here on the 600 hectare (1,500 acre) Inala Private Reserve we explored their Jurassic Garden dotted with plants whose ancestors once grew on Gondwana.

Photo caption: This Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) grows on the Atherton Tableland in northeastern Australia and is a representative of the southern ‘pines,’ a group that likely originated in wet and cool western Gondwana. Today, Araucarias occur in an arc from southern Chile around to New Guinea, a ‘strange’ distribution pattern attributed to the fracturing of the original supercontinent.

As Australia is a continent isolated from others, it is quite understandable that many Australians are aware of the concept of plate tectonics and that continents move, ideas that were considered rubbish during my university days in the 1950s-1960s.

But how to explain the presence of kangaroos in Australia when they are not seen anywhere else in the world? The answer lies in the history of our planet.

Earth’s geological record shows that some 250 million years ago (mya) most of the world’s landmasses were melded into one supercontinent, now referred to as Pangea. Later, beginning around 185 mya, rifts appeared in Pangea and the huge landmass gradually split into two divisions, the southern section named Gondwana. In the ensuing millions of years Gondwana also fractured into parts and Australia is one of those remnants.

Today, much of the flora and fauna found south of the equator speaks of Gondwana. For example the Southern Beech, Nothofagus, survives today in an arc from southern Chile around to New Zealand, Tasmania and north into the mountains of New Guinea. Another example is the early cone-bearing Araucaria ‘pines,’ the distribution of which traces a similar arc from Chile around to New Guinea. Thus one now encounters the Monkey Puzzle tree in southern Chile (and as a garden ornamental commonly planted round the world), the Hoop Pine in Australia, and the Klinki Pine in New Guinea.

Both Nothofagus and Araucaria likely evolved in what was western Gondwana as an Araucaria fossil dating to 185 mya and Nothofagus fossil dating to about 135 mya have been found in beds from that region. Later, due to favorable conditions they continued to evolve and today survive on far-flung remnants of Gondwana.

Photo caption: This Protea roupelliaea is found in southeastern Africa and this individual was at ~1220m (4000’) in the Drakensbergs mountains of KwaZulu-Natal. Members of the Proteaceae, a plant family that includes over 1600 known species, predominately grow in southern Africa and Australia. A limited number of other species live in india and additional fragments of the original Gondwana supercontinent.

Another Gondwana connection is seen in the Proteaceae family, illustrated by the colorful Banksias in Australia and the related Proteas from southern Africa. The parrot family is yet an additional link as members proliferate primarily in two areas of the world – Australia and South America. And then there are spiders. The closest relatives of the primitive Tasmanian Cave Spider (Hickmania troglodytes) are seen in Chile.

Species that evolved early may be driven extinct by climate change or out-competed by later arrivals but on isolated continents and islands with favorable conditions, protection may allow them to proliferate. As an example, 13 of the 19 recognized Araucaria species grow only on remote New Caledonia Island.

Kangaroos are the pride of Australia, the symbol of the Qantas, the national airline, and pictured on the Australian Coat of Arms. These pouched mammals (marsupials) speak not so much of a Gondwana connection but of continental isolation. Indeed, the flora and fauna we find today on whatever continent is the result of a combination of factors including genetic and geological history as well as both ancient and modern climates.

On our last morning in Australia, while admiring the plantings in the Inala Jurassic Garden, all arranged in family clusters, and thinking about the biological threads that connect these southern lands, we were watched all the while (albeit from a distance) by a Bennet’s Wallaby and a Forty-spotted Pardalote, representatives of families found only in Australia. The natural history of this continent is very special indeed.

Photo caption: Southern Beech (Nothofagus) trees front the Pia Glacier, an ice river that drops down the western side of the Darwin Range on Tierra del Fuego Island in extreme southern Chile. The distribution of Nothofagus is from here east to Tasmania and New Zealand and then north to elevations above 2200m (7,000’) the mountains of New Guinea. Fossils indicate that Nothofagus orginated in western Gondwana and today’s disparate distribution is attributed to the breakup of that southern continent.

 

Himalayan Master’s Students Complete Residential in Arunachal Pradesh, India

May 29, 2018

The Himalayan cohort of the Class of 2017 Master of Arts in Applied Community Change just completed their Term III residential experience in Arunachal Pradesh, India between March 17-27, 2017. Their site visits were facilitated and organized by Nawang Gurung, Regional Academic Director, with help from Future Generations Arunachal, current students who reside in the area, and other local partners.

Himalayan Cohort of Master’s students in Arunachal

Students were able to interact with a number of diverse projects and programs ranging from a school working to increase access to high quality, affordable education to vulnerable children to a program demonstrating the benefits of intercropping to increase income and also health outcomes.

Himalayan students visiting area with cultivation of cardamom, pineapples, and other crops

The main learning and excitement for the group was focused on learning about examples and opportunities for promoting environmental protection, economic opportunities, and community health in tandem. Using human energy and building on local successes and assets, communities have been able to show substantial behavior changes within short spans of time and have been able to be sustain impacts over time.

Programme in China Wins 2016 Top Cummins Global Environmental Challenge Award

May 29, 2018

Cummins is a powerful global leader that designs, manufactures, sells and services diesel and alternative fuel engines. In order to reach its vision of “Making people’s lives better by unleashing the Power of Cummins” and to foster global environment improvement, Cummins initiated an annual competition from 2009 named as Global Environmental Challenge.

The top winner of 2016 Global Environmental Challenge was a water management programme in China that is being implemented by Beijing Foton Cummins Engine Co., Ltd (BFCEC) and Academy of Fuqun Environment. One of the Future Generations alumni from the MA class of 2015, Yu Xianrong, is the Programme Director at the Academy of Fuqun Environment and affiliated with Future Generations China.

Yu Xianrong in India while on residential as part of the MA degree program

The Programme, named as Source of Life—River Eco-restoration of Shang Zhuang Village (a village 60 km to Beijing city center), aims to realize sustainable watershed protection in Beijing suburb through a comprehensive multi-stakeholder approach on pollution control, ecological restoration, water source protection by action, environmental training and community participation. The programme duration is three years while 2016 is the first year.

Based on solid Need Assessment by using tools including Six Sigma and Participatory Rural Assessment, Academy of Fuqun Environment developed and implemented concrete need-based activities. Six workshops on water safety, health and zero waste were provided with active engagement from both the community and the corporate. A total of 202 Cummins employees volunteered 808 hours in testing polluted water quality, strengthening flood-control dam and clearing up garbage in the river way. Villagers’ domestic waste was reduced by 20% on average. The water quality in river way was improved as ammonia nitrogen was reduced by 26% while total phosphorus decreased by 50%.

Moreover, Academy of Fuqun Environment has fostered the development of village rule “no dumping garbage into the river”, and “rewards and punishment mechanism”. Another policy proposal – to collect domestic wastewater into a treatment plant, will be implemented in 2017 which will means 43,200 tons of wastewater will be safely treatment before discharging to the environment.

This programme has honored Cummins’ pledge that everything they do leads to a cleaner, healthier, safer environment in 2016. There is more to be expected in term of water resources conservation and community development.

Voices of Future Generations: Swami

May 29, 2018

“God is your soul and you’re always with your soul, right? Without your soul you wouldn’t be alive!”

A young child’s enthusiasm for God is infectious in this clip from Canada. He flips back and forth between chanting and explaining his god – his best friend.

This is the final track in the Voices series. To hear them all, visit our site on SoundCloud.
 

Voices of Future Generations: Penpal in the Outback

May 29, 2018

“Where you live, I think, it actually changes your opinion on quite a lot of things.”

Words of wisdom from a child living in the Blue Mountains of Australia.

This episode of Voices is about a fourteen year old girl in Sydney and her penpal – only 70 km away, but in a different world. She talks about what it’s like for her, an urban teen, to learn about life from someone her own age but living a wildly different life. But not so different in some ways as well.

“I suppose that where you live is what you make of it. It’s all about the people and the things that you love,” she concludes.
 

Musings of a Naturalist, Part 1

May 29, 2018

All of us are immersed in the natural world. We might reside near a park and be roused in the morning by a singing bird, or awaken on the 26th floor in a structure built of concrete and steel where we are be surrounded by designs and colors inspired by nature. Pictures on the wall inside might harken to the world outside.

Blue monkey at the rim of the Ngorogor Crater in Tanzania

When one notices the natural world, whether in one’s own compound or further afield, it triggers curiosity. A fleeting glimpse of a flower or catching a snatch of bird song can raise the question: what is that flower, or what bird sings? After repeatedly noticing and recognizing individuals, it is natural that one puzzles over the question: how does such a flower or bird comes to be present here? Then, as a familiarity with nature increases, one’s thinking may expand to consider the framework, the bigger picture, of how several species interacting together form a community and what environmental factors govern such groupings. 

An interest in nature, once started, is an ever-expanding realm of discovery – whether it be in nearby parks or exploring in distant lands. Travel is one vehicle that broadens horizons, takes us out of the familiar, and gives us the opportunity to connect with other people and to encounter new species. Thinking about nature around the world may lead to the realization that we all live in one biosphere on this one rather small globe in which the parameters for our survival are remarkably narrow. Thus for the sake of that flower or that bird, or indeed our own futures, we need to be caretakers of our environment.  It is no accident that Future Generations University offers a master’s degree in Applied Community Change with Conservation. If we are to leave a better world for future generations, stewardship of our natural world is essential.

Gull on the Oregon coast

Some thoughts on the usage of the term “natural history”:

At the present time the use of “natural history” has fallen out of favor. The term is very old fashioned. Very 1800s. The American Museum of Natural History, for example, was founded in NYC in 1869 and the British Museum (Natural History) in London in 1881. These days one does not study natural history but majors in fields such as ecology, biogeography, ethology, zoology, plant genetics, or other disciplines.

Yet “natural history” is a useful term and I find it hard to locate a suitable replacement, an umbrella that connotes an all-encompassing look at our world. One might use the terms nature, nature conservation, the natural world, or the world’s flora and fauna.  Nothing, though, quite replaces natural history and I have circled back to using this as a good way to indicate an overall summary of our natural world.

Dr. Robert Fleming is a Professor of Natural History at Future Generations University. This is his first in a series of articles about the natural world.

Cite Soleil’s New Community Library

May 29, 2018

The Future Generations team in Haiti has recently been mobilizing local resources to create a library in the Port au Prince neighborhood of Cite Soleil. Residents are imagining the new library as a centrally located place where people can find books, study, and share ideas.

The new Bibliyotek Site Soley (Cite Soleil Community Library) got off to a strong start with a groundswell of community contributions such as those depicted in the photos in this post. The library is the newest initiative of Konbit Soley Leve, an organization led by a team of Future Generations students and alumni.

The library is an exciting example of SEED-SCALE in action. Responding to local priorities, drawing on local resources, and building on past successes, the library effort has created a focused platform for community action and solidarity. Not only are resources for a community benefit project being pooled in a transparent and inclusive way, but people have taken to social media to spread the word and share how they have participated. Using the hashtag #konbitbiblyotek, community members created visibility for the effort and built local pride and excitement among those who contributed. Organizers looked to community members for small contributions rather than wealthy donors who might be able to fund the project with one or two checks. “Marathon” is the name the Haitians give to this process of going door to door to collect donations. Money came not only from community leaders and local organizations, but also from school children, motorcycle drivers, and once word spread, from friends around the world.

Using digital methods of sharing community plans and actions, Konbit Soley Leve has harnessed community energy and funds to create the new library—which will serve both as an inspiration and a resource for the community for years to come.

Alumnus Publishes Manual on Traditional African Conflict Management Techniques

July 24, 2023

The Procedural Manual on Traditional Conflict Management Techniques is a compilation of traditional conflict management mechanisms, actors, institutions, and symbols that have been used in select Nigerian and Cameroonian villages. Jonathan Tim Nshing (Class of 2015) compiled the manual with support from the Future Generations Global Network.

 

The manual begins with a definition of what conflict management is, and more precisely, traditional African conflict resolution methods. It looks at different types of conflict in a traditional African setting. These include: ethnic/tribal, religious, family, and land disputes, among others. It also looks at the role of each of the actors and institutions involved in traditional conflict management such as the secret society, village traditional council, quarter heads, village development groups, and religious leaders. Nshing explores the roles of common symbols and ceremonies such as plants (peace plants, fig trees, calabash, kola nuts), rituals, animal sacrifices, and the pouring of libation. Finally, he examines the idea of restorative justice – the examination of guilt, remorse, and compensation. These are core concepts in traditional African conflict management. With guilt, for instance, Nshing looks at what it takes for an offender to confess, as well as what it takes for the society to forgive the offender.

 

The manual puts all of these mechanisms, actors, symbols, and concepts into perspective by looking at their real-life application in the Cameroonian villages of Bafanji, Bambui, Bawock, Ndzah and Oku, and the Nigerian village of Ikwuano. It is not meant to be an exhaustive study, but an informative guide on traditional conflict prevention, resolution, and management in Africa.
The Procedural Manual on Traditional Conflict Management Techniques is available through www.future.edu.

Future Generations Graduate Tsering Norbu (Class of 2009) Continues to Develop the Pendeba Society as One of Tibet’s Most Influential Non-Profits

May 29, 2018

The Pendeba Society, previously known as the Pendeba program, has faced many challenges throughout the years. The original Pendeba program was created in 1996 by Future Generations in Tibet as a method for local leaders to gain skills related to environmental protection, conservation, healthcare, women’s education, sustainable livelihoods, and renewable resources. In 2008, largely due to rapid economic development in China and an unstable political situation in Tibet, the Pendeba program was terminated.

Norbu (2nd from left) meets with pendebas in the Surmang region of Tibet.

 
Tsering Norbu (Class of 2009), who previously worked with the Pendeba program in Tibet, realized the significant impact felt by locals when the program was discontinued. He faced the same question from people everywhere as he traveled from village to village -“What became of the pendeba program that had captured the profound interest of the community?”  He knew he had to do something. He needed to go local. He decided to take the bottom-up, SEED-SCALE strategy to a new level by seeking the support of the Chinese government.

Norbu faced many challenges and restrictions. He spoke to countless officials, locals, and the movers and shakers in the communities who continually offered him support. One of his supporters included Mr. Gongu Duoji-La, the first Tibetan mountaineer to climb Mt. Everest, who also happened to be from a town close to Norbu’s own birthplace. After countless setbacks, frustrations, and tribulations, on June 26, 2009, Norbu created the Pendeba Society as one of the first civil organizations registered in both China and Tibet. The challenging process also became the basis for his master’s practicum at Future Generations University.

Pendebas meet in front of ancient, eroded towers in the Dingri region near Everest.

In 2012, the Pendeba Society was conferred as a Top Grade Civil Organization by the Department of Civil Affairs of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Recognition continued, and in 2014 the Pendeba Society won the United Nations Development Programme’s Equator prize and the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Prize. Although the difficulties of functioning as a community development organization are still an everyday reality, the Pendeba Society stands as an example of what one individual can accomplish if his or her heart is dedicated to the cause.

“As a leader, you should have a strong passion to do something and have infinite patience to do it in many different ways until you realize your dream,” expressed Norbu. Norbu, in all his efforts, is a beautiful example of what a Future Generations University student can accomplish by the SEED-SCALE methodology with passion and local knowledge.

For more about the Pendeba Society, visit www.pendeba.org.

Mapping Community Success

November 22, 2021
Artisan gallery in Jacmel

Jacmel is a sleepy seaside town on Haiti’s southern coast. In 1925, it became the first city in the Carribean with electricity and it has been a bright place ever since. It has some of the best preserved French colonial architecture, its meandering brick streets are lined with colorful buildings, and its numerous artisans sell handmade jewelry, painted kalbas, ironwork, and other items. Instead of competing for tourist dollars, twenty-seven of these artisans came together in 2009 to form G27. G27 (with many more than twenty-seven members today) is a collective that shares gallery space, advocates for Jacmel’s thriving arts scene, and collaborates on larger projects. As individuals, they are talented artisans. As a group, they are a powerful voice.

G27 is one of over seventy successful community initiatives included on Wozo Ayiti, a success map created by Future Generations Haiti. Wozo Ayiti (from “wozo,” a reed that symbolizes the resilience of the Haitian people, and “Ayiti,” the Haitian Creole spelling of “Haiti) is an effort to map and document the stories of Haiti’s communities and their achievements. It is based on the Positive Deviance (PD) approach. Rather than focus on the needs of a community, PD hones in on the diversity of strategies within a community to cope with common challenges.

Two years after the earthquake in 2010, Future Generations Haiti set out to find examples of Haitians’ ability to overcome devastation and improve their own living conditions. While there was a great deal of foreign aid coming into the country, there was little attention being paid to the ways that Haitians were mobilizing themselves. Staff members consulted community leaders and organized focus groups. They put together a list of fundamental characteristics of successful community-led initiatives. Then, the team traveled the country to find and map initiatives that shared these characteristics. At each site, the local practitioners would recommend another for the team to visit. The project snowballed all across the small Caribbean nation.

Moringa tree seedlings

There is the Association of Valliant Women of Anse a Pitre (AFVA) that protects and empowers victims of domestic violence by teaching them revenue generating skills such as sewing and artisanwork. In the Port-au-Prince community of Bwa Nef, RAJEPRE is an organization that runs a community school to teach children about the importance of environmental protection and neighborhood pride. In the northern community of Limonade, residents have rallied around Basin Mambo. Basin Mambo (Mambo Lake) is a culturally significant tourist draw. The local residents volunteer by reforesting the ground around the basin, maintaining walls and canals, and providing horses and guides for visitors. Haiti is full of stories like this, of community members coming together and drawing on local assets.

Wozo Ayiti uses OpenStreetMap, an open source mapping program that was developed to bypass the restrictions on and limited availability of geographic information in many parts of the world. Future Generations students are trained in the program as part of the MA in Applied Community Change program. They use it to map assets and successes in their own communities, all over the world.

To learn more about success mapping, read Success Mapping: A Brief Guide, available at www.future.edu.

Utilizing Community Strength

May 29, 2018

Through three regions in Liberia, the Community Integrated Development and Need-Based Project (CIDNEP) reached 15,000 people in seven communities. Adolphus Dupley (Class of 2015), Associate Director with Liberia’s Department of Community Services, began CIDNEP after learning the principles of SEED-SCALE.

The influential idea for him was building on local successes and understanding community capacity. The result increased community access to essential services – education, water, sanitation, health, and agriculture – in Liberia’s most densely populated regions. “We created a partnership between all parties so needs are met.” says Dupley.

Prior to enrolling in the Graduate School, Dupley ran the predecessor project to CIDNEP. It used a one-size-fits-all approach. “There was no particular attention being paid to community capacity, knowledge, and involvement,” he remarks.

The Community Integrated Development and Needs-Based Project reached more people in its first year than its predecessor ever did. More than half are women. “We have made interventions in areas of gender where for the first time in some of these communities women are now playing major leadership roles,” notes Dupley. In addition to gender equity, the project addresses underground water pollution, forest resource management, and peacebuilding.

Future Generations Researches and Promotes Social Participation in Primary Healthcare Services

November 22, 2021

The Shared Administration Program in Peru is one of the successful community change experiences that the Future Generations SEED-SCALE methodology is based on. Co-founder Dr. Carl E. Taylor provided orientation to Peru in 1994 at the request of their Minister of Health to design a new program for primary healthcare with community participation. SEED-SCALE was then in the process of development, so the Peru program was designed on the basis of SEED-SCALE principles, while also soon becoming evidence for further development of the methodology.

Meeting of members of CLAS Las Moras, the original pilot site.

 Peru is now one of the few countries with a governmental health program that features legalized, regulated, and institutionalized community participation. A 1994 government decree gave community entities collaborative responsibility and decision-making power over the management of public resources to administer primary healthcare services. Called CLAS Associations (Local Health Administration Committees), these private non-profit entities work under contract with the state, and the medical chief of a primary care facility is executive director as the public sector counterpart. The three-way partnership involves government, health services, and community.

How does social participation reflect SEED-SCALE through CLAS? When local people identify their needs instead of only central planners, it improves equity and efficiency of public spending. The watchdog role of citizens overseeing use of public resources ensures transparency and reduces misuse of funds. Citizens can exert social control when they pressure health providers to come to work on time and treat patients well, and can make decisions on purchases (equipment, maintenance, extra staff) to ensure better quality of care. Social participation makes local health and development programs more sustainable. The CLAS program scaled-up rapidly to cover 32% of all 2,700 primary healthcare facilities nationwide because of word-of-mouth from satisfied communities. Future Generations was instrumental in development of a law on CLAS approved in 2007 by the Peruvian Congress that enhanced the SCALE-Cubed policy environment.

Future Generations has played a key role over the years in conducting CLAS program research and evaluation, preparing papers for dissemination and advocacy, and providing technical support on the CLAS program. Documents on the CLAS program in Peru are available through Future Generations University’s publications library.

Lifelong Learning

May 29, 2018

“You stop learning, you start dying,” insists Ruben Puentes, Professor and Director of Partnerships at Future Generations Graduate School. His career reflects his desire to expand – as a soil scientist for a government agency, a teacher for a U.S. university, the leader of a network of researchers in transnational migration, Associate Vice President of the Rockefeller Foundation, and a part-time potato grower on his farm in Uruguay. For Puentes, life is always a classroom.

Puentes (center) listening to a discussion between a farmer and a local expert in Manaus, Brazil.

Puentes’ task at the Graduate School is to strengthen the Master’s Degree in Applied Community Change curriculum along with student teaching and advising. “This is a unique opportunity to continue learning, not only from faculty colleagues but from students themselves.”

Puentes’ students appreciate his global experience that links community development, natural resources management, and agriculture. Most are practitioners themselves with diverse experiences, and their questions force Puentes to continue learning.

“Education is in the learning, not the teaching,” Puentes says. “Future Generations Graduate School is the place to be for those with a passion for learning; it is difficult to find a better place either to start or continue a lifelong learning journey.”

Voices of Future Generations: Puddles

May 29, 2018

At Future Generations, we often flip the role of teacher and student. Everyone has something they can teach someone else and everyone has something they can learn from someone else. This is the inherent truth in learning communities.

This week’s episode of Voices embodies just that. A father attempts to teach his daughter a lesson and ends up learning one instead.

Voices of Future Generations: Girls from Halifax

May 29, 2018

Racism. Stereotypes. Job security. These have been contemporary issues in Britain surrounding the influx of refugees and the Brexit vote. They are contemporary issues, but not new issues. In this week’s Voices track, girls from Halifax, England talk candidly about these issues in their own community.

360 Degree Feedback

May 29, 2018
Understanding oneself and making productive personal changes are difficult but rewarding tasks. Future Generations Assistant Professor Dr. Jesse Pappas, along with a team of colleagues, created the Personality Pad to facilitate these tasks. 
“The Personality Pad’s goal is to assist with self-insight and self-development,” says Pappas. “The tech platform it uses will drive a peer-reviewed process among faculty and will eventually be used among students.” The National Science Foundation has been funding Dr. Pappas’ work on the Personality Pad since 2011. In that time, thousands of individuals worldwide have used it to gain self-insight and set self-development goals. 
Personality Pad uses a system of 360 degree feedback. “Essentially, 360 degree feedback provides insight about how individuals perceive themselves compared to how they are perceived by the people around them,” reads the project’s website, www.personalitypad.org.
Dr. Pappas and his team’s goal is to adapt this well-established professional tool for personal use. Findings suggest that a majority of individuals have a greater understanding of their personality after implementing 360 degree feedback. In many cases, this leads to actionable plans to implement personal development. Pappas is also working to adapt the technology to the specific needs of Future Generations Graduate School. “One unique but challenging aspect of the Future Generations cohort module is an extremely diverse group of students, in terms of culture, previous academic training, and learning styles. The Personality Pad could go a long way in improving the teaching effectiveness of our faculty.”

Advocating for Rural Communities

May 29, 2018
From early in her career, Shannon Elizabeth Bell (Class of 2005) knew that her research must benefit the people she was studying. Bell recently published Fighting King Coal: The Challenges to Micromobilization in Central Appalachia (MIT Press, 2016). Along with her previous book, the award-winning Our Roots Run Deep as Ironweed: Appalachian Women and the Fight for Environmental Justice (University of Illinois Press, 2013), Fighting King Coal brings to light the myriad environmental injustices taking place in the coalfields of Appalachia.
Bell is currently an associate professor at the University of Kentucky. Her books and career build from her Future Generations practicum. Titled West Virginia Photovoice, her practicum bridged activism and the academy through in-depth interviews, participant observation, geospatial viewshed analysis, and document analysis.
One important insight from her graduate work with Future Generations was building from successes. She led fifty-four women in five coal mining communities through an eight month process of “telling the story” of their communities. These stories included the strengths, beauty, and challenges, as well as the participants’ ideas for change. Many ideas became realities thanks to the visibility that Photovoice provided. Roads were repaired, municipal waterlines were built, and a community park and pool were reopened. The project increased participants’ sense of efficacy and empowerment.
To learn more about Shannon Bell’s West Virginia Photovoice project, visit www.wvphotovoice.org.

Sharing Histories

June 21, 2023
Customarily, mothers are taught health lessons which, even if simplified, are paradigmatic and hard to remember. Dr. Laura Altobelli, Professor and Director of Future Generations Peru, is leading research to advance a method that transforms the training of community health workers (CHWs), leading to faster progress in knowledge and behavior change of mothers who learn from older women whom they know and trust. Through systematic recall and sharing memories of personal experiences, this innovative behavior-change method engages and empowers female CHWs to take ownership of their cultural beliefs and practices, and on those build a new collective understanding for future behavior. Community health workers gain self-confidence and can better convince other women to uptake knowledge and behavior that improve health and healthcare use in the key first 1,000 days of life (conception to age two).
Dr. Altobelli’s prior study in Peru provides preliminary evidence of reduction of child stunting when government personnel used this methodology to teach CHWs, who then taught mothers with similar methods. The earlier study showed it to be low-cost, simple-to-learn, and effective. It enhances current best practice of participatory women´s groups and home visits by providing a replicable interactive participatory method grounded in local knowledge. Findings corroborate empirically proven conceptual frameworks on memory and behavior change.    Future Generations Peru hopes to continue research on the method to demonstrate effectiveness at scale of this maternal behavior change innovation, with reduction in child stunting and anemia, supported and sustained by primary healthcare services and local government, and incorporated into global policy and programs.

Zumra: Testimony to the Power of Human Energy

May 29, 2018


This week’s entry was written by Negash Abebe, a Future Generations student based in Ethiopia. Negash and the other students met Zumra, an influential community leader, during the East African regional residential this term.
The day that Zumra arrived at the Red Cross Training Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the waitress who came to our table stopped all of a sudden and stared at one of our companions. “Are you not going to introduce me to him,” she asked, after a brief pause. “I am pretty sure I’ve seen the man somewhere, possibly on national television. Just can’t recall where.” 
We told her that she was right, and the man with a stoic face she was staring at was Zumra, the founder of the famous Awura Amba community. Across the country, almost everywhere everyone has some knowledge of the relentless Zumra and the community he formed. To many, he is a symbol of defiance, perseverance, love for humanity, justice, and equality for men and women. 
Zumra (center) with the East African cohort of the Class of 2017

At a very young age, Zumra began questioning the legitimacy and fairness of the community’s existing social structure where women were looked down on simply because they were not males and obliged to marry at a very young age. After decades of soul-searching, determination in the face of critical challenges, and hard work, he founded a community known today not only in the country, but also around the globe for its unique lifestyle and social ideals that center on principles of social and economic justice and peace. 
Awura Amba community is as much well-known as the man who brought it into existence. Nearly ten years ago, when the news of the ways of the community came in to public attention, journalists  came to speak with Zumra and other community members. It took a relatively short period of time before the name of the community, Awura Amba, became a highly celebrated brand nationwide. Some people named their businesses after the community. A popular local newspaper adopted the name. 
From the very outset, Zumra has had little interest in attracting aid or any other kind of external assistance. He truly believes that in order to bring about change in a community, the most useful asset is the unwavering human spirit. He argues that many, if not all problems of the world, are solved if and only if humans place trust in their own power to make change. Zumra understands well that despite aid to a community’s cause, change happens for real when the desired change is in fact in line with the desire of the people, and as a result everyone has set its mind and heart on it. In the passionate lecture he gave in the residential program for the Africa cohort of the class of 2017, Zumra again and again asserted that people have to believe in themselves more than anything else. 
In a country where the overwhelming majority of the population strongly believes in the value of religion, Awura Amba’s disregard for religious institutions is unusual. Zumra said that this progressive position has brought discrimination from other communities. During the previous regime, they were even untruly accused of conspiring against the then government and were forced to flee their land and seek refuge in the southern part of the country. At the time, people made every possible effort to wipe them out from the face of the land simply because they refused to believe in what others did. Every member of the community including the founder firmly stresses that God is in people’s mind and heart, and making institutions and going to one in search of God is a total waste of time. Zumra argues that the divine resides inside of people and looking outward for it is a waste of energy and time. 
To Zumra and his community, the definition of divinity extends to the level that people are divine as long as they do the right and righteous. The idea of showing respect to churches and religious institutions that people built with their own hands, while simultaneously disrespecting the people, is ludicrous. The Awura Amba community believes that both earthly and heavenly rewards, if any, are the result of one’s actions. Zumra strongly believes and passionately speaks that people are capable of creating heaven on earth. To him and his like-minded followers, action and only action speaks louder than words. 
The following day, as we left the Red Cross Training Center together, the group of students debated Zumra’s position on religion. As a young community change agent who would like to believe that reason paves the road to a better future, I listened attentively to the man’s critical thinking and liberal attitude. I was in awe. 
Zumra’s inquisitive mind, outspokenness, and tenacity in the face of injustice has put him in a difficult position since an early age. He fled from his parents’ home at age thirteen. People did everything in their power to convince him that he wasn’t “normal.” After leaving home, he spent five years traveling throughout the Amhara region. He sat alone in the middle of the night amidst wild animals and thought about social justice questions until sleep took him. 
Zumra has lived his entire life in defiance. He bravely challenges people, holds his ground, and yet keeps an open mind. He believes that the energy that keeps him going comes from his love for humanity. Standing for the disadvantaged lightens his heart. Making peace thrills him. Taking care of senior members of the community gives him immense satisfaction. To Zumra, all these aren’t only the moral thing to do, but the most rational path to pursue for a man and a community.  Zumra is a living testimony of human energy. He walked his talk, and with little to no aid, he proved the fact that it is human energy that essentially brings and eventually sustains effective community change of all kind.
Today, the Awura Amba community, some five hundred kilometers from Addis Ababa, has five hundred members. There are also thousands of members of the community who live in other parts of Ethiopia and across the globe. Members share in and advocate the ideals of the community that center on equality of gender, social and economic justice, and peaceful coexistence. Today, in the Awura Amba community a man does what women do and vice versa. Children’s rights are respected and protected and from an early age, kids are taught the values of equality, the necessity of caring for the disadvantages, hard work, and the importance of living a free life that does not detach itself from responsibility.
Awura Amba is a utopian community. Even still, it has a long way to go in terms of achieving equality of gender, social and economic fairness, and peaceful coexistence of communities. A man, who has zero formal education, and little outside aid has managed to effectively make community change possible that many nations and people still dream of. If this isn’t the power of human energy in action, I have to say, I don’t know what is.   

Bringing Home Fresh Ideas

May 29, 2018


Kristen Baskin, a Future Generations student based in Athens, Georgia, joined the Appalachian regional residential this past September. Here’s a description of the experience in her own words:
The Future Generations Appalachia residential was interesting, insightful, well-planned, and incredibly helpful for my community in Athens, Georgia. Luke Taylor-Ide [Regional Academic Director for Appalachia] planned a residential that was so organized – meals, lodging and schedule – that we could 100% focus on our learning. I’ve been working in the field of urban gardening for a long time, and eventually started a composting business, Let Us Compost.  If Let Us Compost were a bike, the residential was a living bike shop, oiling the gears, patching the holes in the tires, straightening the bottom bracket, while as I looked back upon Athens, I could see old bike paths I’d ridden a million times, new avenues to ride, and the air all around us that feeds everything.
Future Generations is so applied that I often don’t see a gap between my business, Let Us Compost, and  my graduate school work.  Even though we had to travel for ten days to go on the residential, the alignment with work at home was spectacular, relating mostly to farms, food, community health and public policy. The residential was like a GIS layer placed on top of my community and business – each site visit was a better lens into what we we’re doing, how we could improve, and mostly a lens into the assets we already had – friends, partners, dedicated customers, land to make compost, a steady stream of food scraps, a team of spirited and passionate cyclists, and a governmental landscape that made it possible for us to grow.  It was really new and difficult being away from my daughters, and I know for many people this is a big challenge for the program – but it’s really important to have that separation from your community and even sometimes your family to grow and become better.  Coming home I love my family even more, and am crafting our systems at home to be better for everyone.

The most powerful visit was the trip to Refresh Appalachia, where we learned from a farmer how to use pigs to till the soil, use milk crates for an entire start to finish egg business, and how female animals really run the farms.This particular farmer was working in a coal mine and turning it into remediated, farmable land. He used an egg crate inside his hen house for roosts, the same crates to store empty egg cartons, to haul eggs (they have perfect circles that hold them steady), to wash and dry eggs (perfect drainage system), and finally to stack the full crates of eggs in nice squares for the market.  The crates were free from a dairy and he used them for everything!  With the land and sun he had an incredibly cycle that didn’t cost very much at all. 

We visited the Capitol Market in Charleston where we saw a hand-painted public piano. I loved that it was out for everyone to see, anyone could play it and it spread joy all around. Somehow it was beautifully maintained too, and didn’t get destroyed by the weather.This taught me that if I’m going to get everyone in Athens to compost, I need for my community to understand what we are doing, and why. But more important than that, I need to involve my community more in what we are playing – asking for their input, talking to people who don’t compost and what they need to do so, and digging into the deeper environmental concerns that our community has – rather than just my own. I can set up a beautiful piano of sorts, but everyone needs to play it, the proper person needs to maintain it, and it needs to benefit the public, even if with new songs I’ve never heard. 

Let Us Compost has changed a lot since I came home – we created a knowledge management system on Evernote so that everyone can see the operations manuals and have tools that they need at any time – this was a combination of my organizational management class with Dr. Ruben Puentes and absorbing my classmate Stephanie’s mind for organization. We created better systems for events so that our staff can manage them and interact with the community in new ways. We’ve pitched two stories to the local newspaper and were printed up in both Flagpole Magazine and the Athens Banner Herald – these were pitched by community members and our bike haulers! The interview with Flagpolewas conducted by phone on the residential.  This advice came from Dr. Daniel Taylor, who told me to gather community voices rather than drawing a famous inspirational speaker – that these voices would grow composting more. A video was made about our bike hauling and I didn’t make an appearance or have any input on it which was wonderful!! It was delightful to see “my” company become our community’s company.  
Due to a conflict that occurred with a Let Us Compost staff member while I was away on the residential, I created a template for our composting pilot which allowed our farm manager to give us six months of information about how to compost weird things at a farm. Before having this report, all his information was kept secret, and he felt like he wasn’t listened to or valued. Now he openly shares his ideas and processes, so we can all be a part of it.We launched a new test pilot to pick up CHaRM materials – things that are traditionally hard to recycle, and the only people participating are our clients – so they get all the input. My classmate Ashley inspired putting this into action – hearing about her community’s struggle with recycling made me incredibly grateful for the infrastructure we had – I finally saw it as an asset! Future Generations has really stressed this point – our community voices is what should drive social change – and it can flow through SEED-SCALE‘s process. Within days the lessons from the residential were applied – and it’s been working really well – our team is united, we’re sharing ideas, following process, and repeating systems instead of creating new ones.  Thank you for my education!!
Love,
Kristen

Regional Residentials Expose Students to Community Development Successes

May 29, 2018
The Class of 2017 just wrapped up regional residential experiences in Nepal, West Virginia, and Ethiopia. Regional residentials are an important component of the Future Generations degree program because they give students the opportunity to meet face to face and explore things that are happening in their regions. Here are some summaries from each of the residentials by people who were on them.
Nepal
“We visited 7 organizations related to the program outcomes and course objectives for this term. Above all, we learned that success comes through proper planning, community participation, and stakeholder partnerships. Students gained knowledge related to program outcomes, community mobilization, and sustainable development.” Nawang Gurung, Himalaya Regional Academic Director
West Virginia
“The term II residential for the Appalachian cohort was filled with innovative organizations, creative community involvement, and grand examples of partnerships, evidence gathering, and community organization. These shining examples, amid West Virginia’s economic collapse in the coal industry, are proving communities are willing to bind together and work for a common good even if that means finding healthier, more sustainable ways of living and working. These examples stretched across a wide spectrum of organizations and places from community gardens and farmers’ markets in Lewisburg to health groups and church assemblies in Williamson and Charleston. Though they varied in application and focus they were all working towards the same goal – harnessing and expanding human energy in a way that would spark and continue community change beneficial to people, the environment, and the economy. I am glad to see such innovation and drive alive and well in my home state, but I am happier to know that I am able to apply the same skillset I observed in these communities to my own.” Ashley Akers, Class of 2017
Ethiopia
“After the great residential program in Ethiopia am just back to the office. This program was very special to me for it exposed us to unique experiences with a selection of relevant institutions and communities. All of us were so active to attend, tirelessly asking questions, and compiling our new learning around the clock. We covered a huge distance during the field visits but it was a learning process all along. With this, I like to express my appreciation to fellow students and I like to say thank you very much for the Graduate School management and faculty for giving us this opportunity. A thank you should also go to all institutions who hosted us and gave us their time generously. But most importantly, I love to recognize Firew Kefyalew [East Africa Regional Academic Director] for his special effort and attention for the great success of the program.” Zerihun Damenu, Class of 2017

Graduate School Kicks off New Year-Long Applied Research Webinar Series

May 30, 2023

Future Generations Graduate School kicked off its monthly webinar series with a strong faculty showing and invaluable perspectives from alumni. The discussion set the tone for webinars to follow. From now on, they’ll be divided into two parts:

  1. A Theoretical Discussion on topics such as why to do applied research in the first place; pros, cons, and options for publishing applied community-based research; and the ins and outs of developing strong research questions. This portion of the webinar will include expert perspectives, guest speakers, and optional background and resource materials.
  2. A Presentation of either an active research project or an idea for a future research project by a member of the team – faculty, alumni, or current student. Presenters will have the opportunity to receive feedback, constructive criticism, and encouragement from peers and mentors alike.

The purpose of the webinar series is to discuss research-related topics, learn new skills, and provide peer review and encouragement from members of the global team. It is an institution-wide effort to raise the profile of the Graduate School’s applied research, and to encourage further collaboration and capacity among the Global Network of students, alumni, and faculty. Applied research has been an integral part of the master’s degree curriculum and part of the work of Future Generations since the original research that informed its creation. This year in particular, the Graduate School is focused on scaling up and strengthening its educational offerings as well as the scholarship and practice generated by the institution.

These webinars will continue on the second Tuesday of each month through at least May 2017. The next webinar will take place on October 11, 2016. All feedback and ideas for how to make the series more relevant, effective, and meaningful are welcomed. Please send Meike Schleiff, Director of Research, an email!

Majoring in Life: The Career of Future Generations Professor of Natural History Robert Fleming

May 29, 2018


“How can you major in life? How can you major in the beauty of the world? You have to choose a major to get a degree, but those were the things I wanted to study. . . My interests are in the beauty and diversity of nature, and having my Ph.D. in zoology was a stepping stone that gave me access to different areas of the world.”

Trinidad Motmot
Trinidad Motmot
Dr. Robert L. Fleming, Future Generations Professor of Natural History, strayed from a conventional academic career in 1966. After three years of teaching biology at a high school in India, he decided he would make the entire world his classroom. “It’s confining to spend so much time in the classroom teaching and in making and grading tests and keeping people in line,” Dr. Fleming explained. In 1970, he founded a sole proprietorship, Nature Himalayas, which would bring the eager students he sought directly to him over the next four decades. Through Nature Himalayas, Dr. Fleming has organized and led hundreds of outings around the world, which have allowed him to simultaneously teach and research the natural history and rich cultural heritage of places like Borneo, Indonesia, South Africa, Australia, and more.
 
Birds of Nepal
Dr. Fleming has contributed an array of publications to the fields of natural history and conservation. He has published nearly a dozen Occasional Papers with Future Generations Graduate School, highlighting applied research and community-based approaches to social development, health, nature conservation, and more. He has also co-authored two influential books on the natural history of the Himalayan region. The first of these is Across the Tibetan Plateau, in which Dr. Fleming, along with Dorje Tsering and Liu Wulin, documents and celebrates wildlife, ecosystems and conservation efforts seen in the mountainous area. The book, with exquisite photographs capturing Tibet’s fauna and landscapes, has sold particularly well in its Chinese edition since its publication in 2007. Another wide-reaching publication, Birds of Nepal, was the region’s first modern ornithological field guide. Dr. Fleming co-authored and illustrated Birds of Nepal with his father, Robert L. Fleming Sr., and Royal Nepal Academy Director Lain Singh Bangdel. This field guide has been an invaluable contribution to the subsequent generation of Nepalese scientists, and all three of the manual’s published editions have sold out.
White-Necked Jacobin Hummingbird
White-Necked Jacobin Hummingbird
When reflecting on how his association with Future Generations Graduate School has influenced his career, Dr. Fleming notes how it inspired a significant change in perspective in regards to conservation efforts. “Back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, we [conservationists] were exclusionary, believing that national parks should not have people living there,” Dr. Fleming recalled. “Future Generations really opened my eyes to see how that system doesn’t work. . . ‘no-man, no-go’ areas like Yellowstone National Park don’t work.” Fleming and Future Generations support an alternative model to conservation which relies on citizens in the management of park systems and encourages collaboration and shared responsibility between government agencies and private landowners. In the United States, this model is best exemplified in the Adirondack State Park of New York, a six-million-acre system of which half the land is privately owned and which serves as the place of work and residence for hundreds of thousands of people; such a model encourages park growth while cutting operational costs down to a 1/3 of the national park model.
Another successful example of conservation efforts integrated with existing human communities can be seen in the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet, China, which has been a focal point in Dr. Fleming’s research career. That is the Qomolangma (Mount Everest) National Nature Preserve, which was established in 1989 and, within a little over a decade, succeeded in doubling wildlife populations, reducing deforestation by 2/3, and protecting water supplies of local villages while at the same time expanding access to health care and education.Dr. Fleming, though a self-proclaimed generalist, specializes in the Himalayan mountain system and is working on a longer monograph that, once completed, will highlight our need to think about how the entire planet is connected as one great biosphere.

The Peacebuilding Experience and Applied Research Possibilities in Somaliland

May 29, 2018
When Future Generations Graduate School Professor Firew Kefyalew was asked by a colleague to recommend a possible site for continued peacebuilding action research, his mind trailed to the Horn of Africa region (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia). This is a region he thought he knew well, for it has not been free from war and conflict for at least the last forty years. Currently, Somalia is the most affected country, plagued by a terrorist group call itself Al-Shabaab (meaning youth/youngsters).
Banner in Hargeisa showing former presidents of Somaliland.
Somalia is unique because it has a peaceful “country” within it – the Republic of Somaliland. Somaliland declared its separation from the greater Republic of Somalia in 1991, but it does not have international recognition as a separate country. Taking advantage of Somaliland’s peacebuilding efforts of the last two decades, and the presence of a Future Generations student in the republic, Kefyalew made a 3.5 day trip to Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital. “I have to admit that my knowledge of Somaliland, though a close neighbor to my country Ethiopia, was inadequate before this visit,” Kefyalew said. “What we often hear in Ethiopia is about Somalia, which has been stateless for a long time, and is now deeply troubled by Al-Shabaab. We do not hear about Somaliland – the self-declared state.
Kefyalew’s visit to Hargeisa was immensely informative and successful in terms of attaining the objective he had: learning from the ground about research needs in relation to peacebuilding by taking Somaliland as a case study. Thanks to Abdishakur Hassan-Kayd (Class of 2017), Kefyalew was able to meet with fifteen senior government officials, civil society/community leaders, and academics during his short visit. He is now exploring the possibility of coming up with a research agenda that is applicable to Somalia in particular, and the Horn of Africa in general.
“I found it insightful to learn about Somaliland’s hybrid approach to governance, which is the co-functioning of a clan-based structure represented by the House of Elders of the various clans of the country, and the formal government structure consisting of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. One other thing that caught my eye was a row of portraits of ex-presidents of this young nation. This is in stark contrast to what is commonplace elsewhere in Africa where incumbents almost always condemn their predecessors. Somalilanders’ choice to honor those who have served their ‘country’ regardless of their party affiliation is exemplary!”
Professor Kefyalew (L) and Abdishakur Hassan-Kayd (2017)
 The enthusiasm and resolve of the youth (fifteen to thirty years of age), which make up 70% of Somaliland’s population, to build a peaceful Somaliland against a backdrop of radicalized youth groups in the rest of Somalia is also noteworthy. The high value these youth place on education, and the respect for traditional systems and elders that seem biblical are some of the observations Kefyalew noted with admiration. He plans to systematically explore his observations further, and look at how they can be beneficial to the region and the rest of Africa.
An often-heard sociopolitical rhetoric in present-day Africa is about the role of the youth in the development of the continent. This emanates from the fact that over 40% of Africa’s population is within the youth age range. Paradoxically, Africa seems to have included participation in war and conflict among the developmental tasks of the youth. Somaliland’s efforts, and the spirit that surrounds their youth, defies this trend.
Following on this exploratory listening visit to Somaliland, Future Generations is now working hard to hone in on research questions and collaborations that build on its institutional strengths and history. Graduate School faculty are excited about the possibilities and look forward to sharing more information soon.

Researchers Find Encouraging Changes in Mt. Everest’s Gama Valley

May 29, 2018
Yak relax in the setting sun with Mt. Everest in the background.
From late May to early June, Future Generations Graduate School faculty conducted a research expedition into Mt. Everest’s Gama Valley. The team, led by Dr. Daniel Taylor, were following up on conservation efforts that began with the establishment of the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve (QNNP) nearly thirty years ago. The team found that those efforts have continued to expand in the intervening years. As of today, eighteen nature preserves have been established throughout Tibet, which collectively protect over 54% of the autonomous region. Within the QNNP, the team discovered that many wildlife species appear to be rebounding in strong numbers with sightings of Tibetan gazelle, musk deer, tahr (wild goat), and numerous bird species. They also found many signs of snow leopard.
Located at the base of Mt. Everest’s Hidden (eastern) face, the Gama Valley is one of seven core zones of the QNNP. Established in 1989 by the People’s Republic of China within the Tibet Autonomous Region, the QNNP represents one of the first nature preserves in the world to be placed under the direct stewardship of local people in partnership with government. Since 1993, Future Generations has worked in partnership with the Chinese government to provide technical guidance, financial support, and capacity building to the Tibetan people to sustain the QNNP.
The Researchers in front of a map displaying Gama Valley trekking routes.

In accordance with the QNNP’s master plan, official trekking packages are now being offered in partnership between park authorities and local guides ensuring that good and equitable pricing practices are being adhered to. Designated trekking routes have been created with fixed camping sites, lowering the environmental damage, while maximizing the economic opportunities for local communities. Chinese tourists are now visiting the QNNP by the thousands each year. The park’s simultaneous mandates to preserve natural beauty and create economic opportunity are introducing new challenges for local communities such as trash collection and logistics management. Despite these challenges, the team was excited to find that both flora and fauna are increasing. Now back on North Mountain, the researchers are developing responses to the problems caused by overuse.

Future Generations Prepares to Launch Applied Research Webinar Series in September

May 29, 2018
In response to requests from Future Generations alumni for a forum to interact and gain additional skills and perspectives in applied research design, methods, analysis, and publication options, the Graduate School is excited to host a monthly series of webinars on research-related topics driven by alumni and student interests! This series will be a platform and discussion space for alumni, faculty, and current students. There are also plans to include guest speakers as well to bring relevant experience and expertise to the discussions.
At Future Generations, many of our students, alumni, and faculty are actively engaged in applied community-based research and contributing to the exploration and advancement of the methods and rigor of the field. The School’s  research foci include home-centered health, people-based conservation, peacebuilding using positive deviants, effectiveness of SEED-SCALE as a theory of social change, and the pedagogy of learning through engagement with life and the world around us.
The first session, to be held on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at 8:00am EST, will serve as an orientation and listening session. Faculty will review the purpose of this webinar series, have brief introductions from participants about their current work and interests, and review several different structures and content options for the rest of the webinars in order to decide what will be the most valuable use of this forum. Subsequent webinars will be held on the second Tuesday of each month until May 2017. A full schedule of webinar dates and topics will be finalized after the first session.
Each month’s session will be recorded and will be available to Graduate School affiliates—including our alumni—via YouTube links.
If you are interested in joining any of the seminars in this series, please contact Meike Schleiff, Director of Research, at mschleiff@future.edu for more information.

Dusty Dreams in the Desolate Wilderness

May 29, 2018
Chao  Erh-Feng
State Library of NSW, Australia
In 1909, Manchu General Chao Erh-Feng and his army swept through Tibet vowing not to leave a person or a dog alive. He came disturbingly close to reaching his goal. According to Wade Davis’ Into the Silence, Erh-Feng ravaged monasteries, devastated villages, looted cities and temples, burned sacred texts, raped women and children, and killed tens of thousands of Tibetans – including over a thousand monks. His occupation of Tibet was so brutal that he gained the nickname “Butcher Chao.”
Nearly one hundred years later, a staff member at Future Generations passed away before she could complete the translation of a journal kept by a captain in Butcher Chao’s army. “While an aggressive, get-ahead army captain, (the captain and author) was also sympathetic to the Tibetans, and while in Tibet married a Tibetan girl, so he puts a sympathetic human face to the Chinese invasion of Tibet,” according to Dan Jantzen, another former Future Generations staff member who is now working to complete the translation of the journal, titled Dusty Dreams in the Desolate Wilderness. Dusty Dreams was originally published in Chinese, for a Chinese audience familiar with background information and place names that most westerners are not. In addition to translating the work into English, Jantzen is working to compile detailed footnotes and a map in order to give context to the document.
Butcher Chao came to Tibet only after both the British and the Russians formally acknowledged Chinese sovereignty over the region in the early 1900s. Fortunately for the Tibetans, Manchu power was broken in 1911 when a revolution overthrew the Ch’ing Dynasty and established the government that became a forerunner to today’s People’s Republic of China. Tibetan monks led an uprising that resulted in the capture and execution of Butcher Chao. With Chao and the Ch’ing Dynasty gone, the Dalai Lama returned to Tibet and Britain once again considered Tibet a free and independent state.

“Davis takes a particularly negative view of Chao, and some commentators are a bit kinder to him, but he was pretty ruthless,” notes Jantzen. In another account, historian Alastair Lamb refers to Chao as “one of the last great soldier-bureaucrats of the Manchu era.”

Future Generations is proud to be part of this project to bring forth a new primary document about this controversial figure and an important period in Chinese/Tibetan history. In addition to Jantzen, a number of Future Generations faculty, staff, and alumni are working to complete the manuscript and get it published.

Voices of Future Generations: Fishing with Dad

May 29, 2018
The third track from Voices of Future Generations is perfectly appropriate for Independence Day. A boy talks about fishing with his dad for Native Brook Trout in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, USA. Brook Trout live in the cool mountain streams of West Virginia, where they are also the state fish. It’s hard to imagine a more American imagine than a little kid trotting down a dirt road with his rod in hand and dad by his side. We hope you too have been able to get out and do the things you enjoy this holiday weekend. Happy 4th!

Research Methods Training in Kabul, Afghanistan

May 30, 2023


Future Generations Empowerment (FGE) conducted its first certificate program earlier this month in Kabul, Afghanistan. The training, organized by Future Generations Afghanistan’s Executive Director, Ajmal Shirzai, was designed for government officials at the Research and Policy Department of Afghanistan’s Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs (DMoYA). Trainers, all either alumni or current students of Future Generations Graduate School, focused on four types of research: Applied, Description, Evaluation, and Quantitative .
The applied research section was led by Besmillah Sakhizada (Class of 2013). Sakhizada presented his “Family Health Action Group” research that he has been working on since 2006 in Afghanistan’s Bamyan Province. Applied research, he argued, is conducted in response to a specific problem that requires a solution.
Descriptive research, on the other hand, is designed to define the objectives, facts, and characteristics to be investigated. This section was led by Amanullah Hotak (Class of 2013). Hotak discussed how he is using descriptive research to improve local governance in Central Afghanistan through his own NGO, OLSFG (Organization for Local Services and Future Generations).
Evaluation research is the process of determining the value or worth of something. It is oriented toward formal and objective measurement of the extent to which a given action, activity, or program has achieved its original objective. Tahir Khalil (Class of 2014), discussed the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program that he has been leading in six provinces of Afghanistan. The program was recently evaluated by an independent evaluator. Khalil spoke about the evaluator’s planning and execution processes, their key findings, and how they could be implemented.
Lastly, the section on quantitative research was facilitated by Ajmal Shirzai. Quantitative research generates and analyzes numerical data and usually seeks to establish causal relationships between two or more variables, using statistical methods to test the strength and significance of the relationships. Shirzai explained his research project, “Identification of Positive Deviance Communities in Eastern Afghanistan.” This research was comprised of three phases, each phase having three steps. The first phase was the collection and analysis of quantitative data using composite variables for security and development. This session helped the participants to learn how the quantitative data can be converted into qualitative information.
The training was funded through an Alumni Learning & Action Collaboration grant that FGE received in 2015. Future Generations Empowerment is an Afghanistan-based NGO that was formed in 2015 by Future Generations alumni in order to apply their skills and knowledge to community development, good governance, peacebuilding, and environmental conservation for the empowerment of local communities (mainly youths). The group is already planning a similar training for youth groups throughout Afghanistan.

Saving Children’s Lives Through Community-Based Health Interventions: Bringing Together the Evidence for What Works

July 24, 2023


Beginning in 2007 with support and input from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the World Bank, Future Generations has been actively facilitating and supporting a global systematic review of Community-Based Primary healthcare (CBPHC). To date, thousands of articles have been reviewed and over 650 articles have been included in the review of both child, and more recently added, maternal health interventions that have a community-based component.
The effort is being led by Dr. Henry Perry, a former Future Generations faculty member now at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), with collaboration from Meike Schleiff, Assistant Professor and Director of Research at Future Generations and a doctoral candidate at JHSPH, and many others. The team is currently doing in-depth reviews of neonatal health, maternal health, and health equity with additional analyses to follow.
The study has identified a number of approaches with potential and evidence for high impact community-based work, including the importance of home visiting programs, community case management of child illnesses, participatory women’s groups, and utilization of mobile health teams to provide additional outreach services.
In May 2016, the findings of the systematic review were presented at the CORE Groupannual meeting, where a global network of practitioners focusing on improving maternal and child health got to review key findings and also provide feedback and discuss the way forward.

For more information about this exciting and unique systematic review, you can check out previous publications at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17441690903330305. You can also contact Meike Schleiff for more information.

PDFs:
Building on the Current Evidence to Strengthen Community-Based Service Delivery Strategies for Promoting Child Survival 

Groundbreaking Review of Community-Based Approaches

Journey Towards the Light

May 29, 2018
Bhim Bahadur Nepali is one of many Future Generations students who is heavily involved with Share and Care, a group that works with marginalized and vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, throughout Nepal. As a self-directed project for his Graduate Study Foundations course, he worked as the production coordinator on “Journey Towards the Light,” a short documentary that focuses on Share and Care’s Advocacy on Women’s Empowerment Project (AWEP).
Bhim estimates that AWEP has directly benefited about 6,000 people. “Women and adolescent girls are aware, empowered, and transformed through direct intervention from our AWEP project,” he says. Bhim came up with the idea for the documentary in order to showcase a handful of the personal stories of some of these women. “They might be role models or sources of inspiration for others in the community.”

Voices of Future Generations: Helping Mom

May 29, 2018
In the early 2000s, Future Generations began a documentary audio project called Voices of Future Generations. The idea was to create a radio program by children, for adults. “Children endure the most difficult circumstances with joy, creativity, and hope,” read the promotional brochure. “Through their stories, children open our eyes to the smallest details, help us understand the diversity of culture and the wonders of nature, and help us solve problems by looking toward the future. Adults need to hear children tell stories of how they see the world. Unlike the news that focuses attention on the present or the past, the stories of children point listeners to the future and help to restore hope in a rapidly changing and unstable world that looms with big questions.”
The radio program never materialized, but Future Generations staff did record nine children from seven different countries, talking about things that were happening in their lives – everything from fishing to terminal illness. Most of these children would be in their twenties by now, but the importance of listening to their voices is timeless.
Over the course of the next few months, Future Generations will make these three-minute recordings available here, beginning with a young girl in Vancouver talking about helping to take care of her family while her mother is in a hospital seeking treatment for cancer.

 

Future Generations Graduate Student Works to Expand Recycling Opportunities and Education in West Virginia

May 29, 2018


West Virginia is one of the most scenic states in the Eastern U.S., if not the entire country. It’s rivers and forests, many on public lands, draw tourists from around the globe. Unfortunately, many of these beautiful landscapes are littered with trash. 

“I noticed all of the litter in these pretty natural areas and I thought that something could be done,” said Ashley Akers, a Future Generations masters candidate (Class of 2017). Originally from Charleston, Ashley moved to Elkins for an Americorps position with The Nature Conservancy. When her Americorps year ended, she accepted a job with the Randolph County Recycling Center (RCRC) and began attending meetings of the Randolph County Solid Waste Authority.
The work that Akers is doing for her degree in Applied Community Change from Future Generations overlaps heavily with her position at the RCRC. Her capstone project is to assess the possibilities for expanded recycling opportunities in Randolph County and ultimately to reduce the amount of trash that ends up in landfills or worse yet, in rivers and streams. She is looking at a number of options, including curbside pick-up, single stream recycling, and even composting.
Akers is also working to get recycling bins into school classrooms and to develop lesson plans that tie recycling to math. Students could measure, for example, how much food waste is produced in the cafeteria during a typical day. Right now, she is focusing all of her effort on Randolph County, but she is hopeful that “if we get things in place, this could be a model for other counties, other cities in the state.”

“An Imaginative and Practice-Based Example”

May 29, 2018
This is how George Rupp, former dean of Harvard Divinity School and president of Rice University, Columbia University, and the International Rescue Committee, refers to Future Generations Graduate School in his book Beyond Individualism: The Challenge of Inclusive Communities. 
The central claim that Rupp makes in his book is that modern Western individualism must engage with the more collective patterns that are common in much of the world. He makes a compelling case for enhancing local capacities – educating and training individuals within communities in order to do the work that is needed there, rather than relying on help from the outside. Not only does this facilitate the delivery of services, it prevents outmigration and keeps human capital in the community, creating a multiplier effect that continues even after relief workers from other areas are gone. Education, he writes, “cuts across all of the exemplary practices.”
He cites Future Generations’ efforts, saying “its programs are specifically designed for staff of international relief and development organizations. Students continue in their positions, interacting with faculty and other students online. Over a two-year period they participate in four one-month residential sessions with faculty and fellow students. Each student also develops a two year practicum for field-based research in his or her own community. There is limited financial aid, which together with some support from the student’s organization makes the two-year program affordable. The degree earned is an MA in Applied Community Change. I can testify that IRC national staff members have enrolled in the program to great benefit.”

Honoring the World’s Number One Healthcare Provider: Mothers

May 29, 2018

Mothers are the world’s primary healthcare providers, and the home is the world’s primary healthcare facility. Although formal health systems and facilities are necessary, effective work at the household level can both improve the overall health of populations and help the formal health system focus on those conditions that cannot be addressed by families and communities alone
Future Generations Graduate School has focused on strengthening the evidence base for community-based health through its experiences running programs and doing research with students, alumni, faculty, and partners. Central to this is the empowerment and education of mothers so that they have the knowledge and support to become more effective providers of child healthcare services as well as addressing many social determinants of health in their families and communities. Evidence of the impact of such efforts from around the world includes dramatic reductions in infant mortality rates, increased immunization rates, improved nutritional status, and many related social changes such as improved transportation and expansion of the voice of women in community life.
How can we move towards a more equitable and inclusive state of health for the world? There are myriad ways, but further supporting mothers is one of the most powerful. We know that primary healthcare interventions such as hand washing, breastfeeding, oral rehydration therapy, and use of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) that can be implemented in homes and communities tend to be more equitably available to all households in communities, especially the most vulnerable and difficult to reach sub-population groups. We also know that, if families are bypassed by or cannot access healthcare services and knowledge, their health outcomes suffer. These situations are deeply unjust, often avoidable, and can undermine efforts to move the health of the entire global population forward by leaving sub-populations vulnerable to infectious diseases and by putting strain on the formal health system through costly and often avoidable interventions.
A mother’s job is not just during business hours, or just when she feels like it. We honor every mother who contributes to the health of her children, family, and community every single day. Here is a way you can help show that respect and appreciation, too: This Mother’s Day, please consider shopping on  smile.amazon.com By using the Future.Edu account. A percentage of what you spend will come back to Future Generations so that we can continue to support mothers throughout the world. Use this link: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/20-4093450. Thank you. Happy Mother’s Day.

Future.Edu Student Emmanuel Kotin Awarded 2016 Kathryn W. Davis “Project for Peace” Grant

July 24, 2023

Emmanuel Kotin, a member of Future Generation’s class of 2017 from Tamale, Ghana was awarded the prestigious “Project for Peace” prize for his proposed project A Community United against Terrorism, a documentary film project about how a sleepy farming community in northern Ghana mobilized against a group of terrorists with suspected links to Boko Haram, the Taliban, and other groups. The award comes with a $10,000 prize that he will use to produce and distribute the documentary. For the complete story, read the press release at Future.Edu.