Partnerships, Innovation Build Healthy Communities
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NEWS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF LEARNING FEBRUARY 2012 VOL.17, NO. 1 COL Learning for Development 4 PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATION BUILD HEALTHY COMMUNITIES COL IN ACTION: COL emphasises programmes that are local, collabo- • The Kenya Community Media Network, working FOSTERING GOVERNMENTAL rative and participatory. Radio and mobile phones are with Farm Radio International, picked up COL’s SUPPORT FOR OER the primary vehicles used, supported by face-to-face training module on Integrating Mobile Telephony discussions and efforts by community partners to and carried out a workshop for media and com- encourage participants to adopt healthy practices pro- munity development groups in Nairobi, Kenya in 8 moted in the learning programmes. November. More than 700 people, almost half of them women, • Staff from the Caribbean Institute of Media and IN FOCUS: have taken part in COL-sponsored training related to Communication (CARIMAC) in Jamaica worked MEASURING THE IMPACT OF the design and delivery of community learning pro- with the Ministry of Health and local stakeholders LIFELONG LEARNING FOR FARMERS grammes during the current Three-Year Plan, 2009- to design a community learning programme about 2012. The programmes are based on strong maternal health in Dangriga, Belize. partnerships, particularly at the local level. A total of CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 13 48 community groups in 10 countries are harnessing the potential of non-formal open and distance learn- EVENTS: ing (ODL) to promote healthy communities. ASHA KANWAR APPOINTED INTEGRATING ICT IN HIGHER Most recently, in September 2011, participants EDUCATION from 14 Commonwealth countries took part in a PRESIDENT OF COL meeting of community learning partners in Cape Professor Asha Kanwar, one of the world’s leading Town, South Africa. In addition to sharing best prac- advocates for learning for development, and cur- tices and mapping out future plans for COL’s Healthy 16 rent Vice President of COL, has been appointed Communities initiative, the partners made impor- President and Chief Executive Officer. She suc- ED-TECH NEWS: tant connections that are already leading to greater TABLETS TRANSFORM ceeds Sir John Daniel, whose term as COL’s Presi- “south-south” co-operation. eREADER MARKET dent ends on 31 May. The week-long Cape Town meeting focused on the Dr. Kanwar has over 30 years of experience in use of media for non-formal learning about commu- NEWS.....2 teaching, research and administration. In addition nity health and development, particularly in resource- to the several books, research papers and articles COL PARTNERS. .12 poor settings. to her credit, she has made significant contribu- EDITORIAL. .12 Increasingly, COL’s Healthy Community partners tions to gender studies, especially the impact of PEOPLE. .13 – national and regional media, health and develop- distance education on the lives of Asian women. ment groups – are collaborating among themselves, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW RESOURCES. .15 sharing resources and best practices. NEWS PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATION BUILD HEALTHY COMMUNITIES CONTINUED FROM COVER • The Media and Training Centre for Health in South Africa is The growing presence of mobile phones is proving to be a game working with the Health and Social Development Association of changer for educational broadcasting and community learning pro- Sierra Leone to design a community learning programme about grammes, as it is in other fields, providing increasing alternatives for water and sanitation in Kailahun District. interactivity and vastly improving marketing and assessment. • Maraa, a media and arts collective based in Bangalore, India, and the Regional Media Centre of the Secretariat of the Pacific ONLINE COMMUNITY LEARNING TOOLKIT Community collaborated with the World Association of Community Delegates at the Cape Town workshop provided input for an Online Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) to run a “training of trainers” Community Learning Toolkit, which will help media and com- workshop on developing participatory learning programme in munity groups develop participatory learning programmes. The Bangkok in December. Toolkit will walk groups through the steps of the programme devel- opment process, outlining best practices from existing programmes. COMBINING RADIO AND mLEARNING The beta version of the Online Toolkit was launched at the end Educational broadcasting on local radio has several distinct advan- of 2011 and will be freely available on COL’s website later this year. tages over face-to-face learning including: COL and its partners are also collaborating with Farm Radio In- • Accessibility: Learners only need access to a radio and don’t need ternational Canada to develop a distance training course on develop- to travel to physical learning centres. Audio lessons overcome ing regular farm radio programmes for rural communities. Aimed at literacy challenges, and well-produced radio is a hugely popular radio broadcasters in sub-Saharan Africa, the 10-week course will be and engaging medium. open for registration in April with a start date in July 2012. • Opportunities for participation: Community groups and individu- Find information about COL’s Healthy Communities als can be involved in designing and delivering learning content, programmes, reports, articles and other resources at which builds capacity and ensures relevance for a local audience. www.col.org/HealthyCommunities and www.facebook. • Affordability: Community radio can communicate with a large com/COL.HealthyCommunities. The beta version of number of people at a relatively low cost and build local capacity the Online Community Learning Toolkit is at in communication for development and education. http://clptoolkit.pbworks.com. ASHA KANWAR APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF COL CONTINUED FROM COVER She is also a recipient of several awards and fellowships, including learning at UNESCO’s Regional Office for Education in Africa the International Council for Distance Education (ICDE) Prize (BREDA) in Dakar, Senegal. of Excellence. “I am very pleased that Asha will succeed me,” said Sir John “I am delighted by the Board’s appointment of Professor Kan- Daniel. “In her years at COL, as Specialist for Higher Education war as President of our organisation,” noted the Honourable and, since 2006, as Vice President, she has made an immense con- Burchell Whiteman, O.J., Chair of COL’s tribution, bringing greater focus to our Board of Governors. “With her profound programme and inspiring many more gov- knowledge and rich experience of open ernments to support COL financially. I am and distance learning and her vision for delighted that COL will have a woman as COL in the medium term, I expect that president for the first time.” she will take COL to a new level through “COL is a unique organisation which a process of significant and sustainable has the ability to respond to the needs of a evolutionary change. Her personal attri- wide range of stakeholders,” said Professor butes and her international profile should Kanwar, “from the Batwa community in prove to be valuable assets.” the forests of Uganda, the rural women in Professor Kanwar joined COL in 2003 Malawi, goat herders in India, construction as Education Specialist, Higher Educa- workers in Nauru, out of school youth in tion, and became Vice President in 2006. Jamaica to ministries and tertiary institu- Her current role includes specific respon- tions across the Commonwealth. Being sibility for stakeholder engagement and programme direction. relevant to such a diverse constituency and delivering on results is Earlier, she was Director of the School of Humanities at the In- both a challenge and an opportunity that I look forward to.” dira Gandhi National Open University (India) and was Pro-Vice Former Presidents include Tan Sri Dato’ Emeritus Professor Chancellor of the University from 1999 to 2000. Prior to joining Gajaraj Dhanarajan (1995–2004) and Professor James Maraj COL, she worked in Africa as a consultant in open and distance (1989–1995). www.col.org/akanwar 2 CONNECTIONS COMMONWEALTH OF LEARNING NEWS AUSTRALIA FOCAL POINTS MEETINGS REJOINS COL CONTRIBUTE TO NEW THREE-YEAR PLAN Australia has rejoined COL as a major fund- COL met with its Focal Points ing partner. The announcement was made by in Asia and the Pacific in Sep- Australia’s then Foreign Minister, the Hon- tember and November 2011 ourable Kevin Rudd, at the Commonwealth respectively. In addition to Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) sharing details of COL’s work in Perth, Australia in October. COL’s core in the region and through- funding is provided through contributions out the Commonwealth, the from Commonwealth member states. In meetings gathered input from 2010-2011, 44 of the Commonwealth’s 54 Focal Points to help guide countries provided funding to COL, with COL’s next Three-Year Plan, six countries – Canada, India, New Zealand, 2012-2015. Nigeria, South Africa and the United King- The Asia Focal Points Meet- dom – designated as major funders. ing took place at Wawasan www.col.org/AustraliaRejoins Open University (WOU) in Penang, Malaysia from 25-27 September. Co-hosted by WOU and the COL Honorary Advisors – Dr. Caroline Ministry of Higher Education, the meeting Seelig and Ms. Jenny Williams. brought together representatives from COL COL held Focal Point meetings in all COL RIM and its regional agency, the Commonwealth four regions of focus for the Common- Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEM- wealth in 2011. These meetings make a SUPPORTS QA IN CA), with Focal Points from Brunei Darus- valuable contribution