activating

learning

Heila Lotz-Sisitka

our goalresearching transformative, transgressive learning in times of climate change …

Learning is

important BUT: what types of learning and how does this learning take

place?

IPCC, UNEP etc.

The activating learning TKN

• A 9 country transformative knowledge network (TKN) - focus on the emergence of transformative, transgressive learning at the climate -water - food security - energy -social justice nexus

Two types of social learning contexts: • SA, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Malawi, Sweden: grassroots

learning networks involving rural communities and multi-actor partnerships within a more tightly bound geographical space

• Zimbabwe, Netherlands, Colombia, India: networked social movements with multi-actor partnerships and social learning along a multi-levelled system of engagement - less tightly geographically bound

Principle of diversity History of transformative social learning mediation and researchMulti-dimensional partners (academia, civil society, policy, social movement)

our research partners • civil society, youth, academic, government and community partners across nine countries in diverse areas that are vulnerable to arising impacts at the climate-energy-food-water security and social justice nexus

• co-designing research at two levels: • at the level of our TKN partnership across 9

countries – working with multi-actor partners

• In contexts of social learning practice where we work with multi-actor groups at multiple levels

reaching agreement …. • Working things out together eg. definitions and

meanings

• listening and making sense of what we are doing together

• Re-framing research ethics and research practices to be more co-engaged

some of our research processes • Co-engaged research and learning

• Research as a generative social learning process of action and change

• Action oriented research

• Participatory, learning centred

• Creative, unusual and emergent

Co-engaged research: EthiopiaCounter-hegemonic mapping as stimulus for learning and agency at the climate-food security- biocultural diversity nexus

Inter-generational learning processes being monitored and narrated

Decision making processes being monitored and narrated

Agency and changed practices being monitored and narrated

EXAMPLE 1

Co-engaged research: South Africa

• A learning network co-learning to develop more resilient farming systems at smallholder level

EXAMPLE 2

**Communities of Learning and Action (COLA)

*WRC

*National and Provincial Departments of Agriculture

High Schools

Agric NGOs

Agric CBOs Agric College

University

Agric Extension Services

Private training providers

FarmersFarmer organisations

*ARC

Monitoring and narrating learning interactions, decision making, changes in practices

Analysis: What is transformative? What is transgressive, if so, why?

Work-in-progress: the

activating learning International Research School

Researching transformative, transgressive learning in times of climate change …

Re-framing the narrative

Case Stories in Context

Co-Engaged Methods

Learning Processes and Networks

Ethics

Thank you … and watch this space ....