SLOGA workshop on development education is dealing with development education and development processes and questions. The workshops is cooperating on national and European level and is active in many campaigns, CONCORD workshops and projects organized by DEEEP (Development education forum and Development education exchange in Europe Project). Based on own research activities, the workshop is also organizing events and publications.
The issue of global development and the specific development questions is a highly complex issue. For this reason, in order to understand and successfully address development processes and questions, it is necessary to adopt a multi-layered approach that takes into account all the connections between different factors that, nevertheless, form an indivisible whole. Thus all elements emphasizes in this project-clime change, economic migration, unaccompanied children, trafficking of women and girls, intergenerational dialogue-have different parts to play in the search for effective solutions to both development issues and the question of global development in general.
It is extremely important that the wider public understand what is going on in the world-the causes and effects behind abstract concept such as poverty and economic underdevelopment-and is aware of its own dependence on world events. That is why development education is crucial: for concerned as it is with education and awareness-raising among different sectors of society, it emphasizes global themes that are of vital importance to us all. Unfortunately, we are often insufficiently aware of them and, even less, understand their background and complexity. The essence of development education is to draw attention to precisely these global connections and to facilitate understanding of the causes and consequences of specific development problems. In this way, it strengthens feelings of global solidarity and helps create an environment which encourages intercultural dialogue and the appearance of intercultural society.
Then main problem teaching and informing the public about development issues is lack of awareness of the links between areas and the absence of projects that would draw attention to these links. The project ‘In diversity is strength’ through the themes it emphasizes how we are linked to global development and how particular problems impacts affect others.
In Slovenia, development education is in its infancy, which means that this project is a good opportunity for us to map out future development in this area. Through the project, we shall strive for greater recognition for the role of development education, supporting closer and better cooperation among those involved in this field –government and non government organizations, development organizations and institutions and those two have specific expertise to contribute to global development and development education. We shall emphasize the importance of long term and inclusive process to improve the organization of development education in Slovenia.
At the European Development Days in Lisbon in November 2007 there was also presented the European Strategy for Development Education and Awareness Raising, which is concerned with implementation of the Consensus. The strategy it offers is the fruit of cooperation between various European Organizations and institutions, including Slovene NGOs and the Slovene Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the Slovene presidency, the successful implementation of the strategy, at both the European and the national level, will be dependant above all on groundwork that has jet to be done in Slovenia and the majority new member states-for Slovenia is still without a national strategy for development education.
European documents can provide a good example for planning the kind of national strategy for which SLOGA and other organizations are striving. We are well aware that the strategic time frame goes well beyond the six months of the presidency, but are also aware that this period represents an ideal opportunity to start the process, which should involve civil society organizations , the relevant ministries (specially those of Foreign Affairs and of Education and Sport) as well as other educational and research institutions.
The EU knows that the eradication of poverty and the achievement of development in the way specify by European development policy requires more than simply programs of development cooperation-another important requirement is a change in the mindset and actions of the ‘developing countries’. It is development education that helps create the right conditions for the successful implementation of development policy and that, through policy awareness raising, ensures support for both, national and European programs of development cooperation. Deepening understanding of development questions and ensuring public support for development cooperation have differing but complementary roles: for this reason development education must be an important component of the development policy of every country, including Slovenia.
Recommendations from the European Strategy for Development Education and Awareness Raising, to which both SLOGA and the Slovene Ministry of Foreign Affairs have contributed:
Recommendations for governments, regional and local authorities:
Pay particular attention to development education and awareness raising within development and in (formal) education policies, programs and budgets
Put in place and support structured, sustainable programs involving ministries and civil society that encourage development education and awareness rising
Facilitate political, financial and organizational support for the integration for development education and awareness raising into the educational system, curricula and programs, as well as media action, and encourage the active participation of stakeholders in this area.
Recommendations for civil society organizations
Pay particular attention to development education and awareness raising within organization strategies, budgets and public relations
Develop and implement strategies and resources for effective and directed promotion of development education and awareness raising;
Establish partnership and cooperation with experts and decision makers within education and the media in order to integrate development education and awareness raising into existing policy and practice
Enable structured cooperation between people and organizations in the South and educators, researches and the media in Europe
Carry out and publicly present evaluations of the influence of strategies, programmes and projects for development education and awareness raising, incorporating standards of quality, success, transparency and value of money
Encourage and support critical and academic aspects of research into development education in EU member states, as well as the sharing of experience through studies, academic processes and ‘think tanks’
