Multiworld Multiversity Taleemnet The End of Education 1 Eurocentrism in Social Science 3 To School or Not to School 7 Network websites 2 Universidad de la Tierra 4 Interview with “walk-outs” 8 Multiversity Tracts 5 Vinoba Bhave on Teaching 9 Vazhviyal Multiversity goes to Unschooling in Pakistan 10 Malaysia 6 Love Letters to Kamiriithu 11 Ploughing a Lonely Furrow 12 2003 Vol.I No.2 War on Iraq: The End of Education? In the intervening period between the priceless heirlooms of the ancient publication of the first and second issues of civilisations of Mesopotamia, Sumeria, Kamiriithu, the world of human beings has Babylon? How do we teach the next genera- been transformed in a most profound and tions that the destruction of history and tumultuous manner. scholarship was required in order to safe- The illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq guard fuel supplies for American cars, stub- by a country reported to be celebrating for bornly pursuing not just the end of history, some time now “the end of history” has but the end of the planet as well? frontally assaulted our most cherished Can any decent, civilised citizen from any human ideals. We have to seriously consider part of the remaining profoundly human now whether the “end of history” in the societies of Asia, Africa or South America United States of America has come to mean ever again pretend that flying to the US will the “end of education” there as well. any longer get him or her an “education”? What kind of “education” would allow the What education? Education to become a brutalisation of the innocent people of Iraq, plague, a pathogen, a disease? and earlier, of Afghanistan? Which system Post-Iraq, many will say that the direction in of learning would justify the open theft of which we are headed is largely towards resources from a nation kept forcibly impov- making the planet a more miserable place for erished for a dozen all the people fated to live in these times. years? Can one ever Others, however, have a better view. Munir applaud a high-tech Fasheh wrote me recently, for instance: war against a nation “What is ugly is not new, it has been there of undernourished all the time, especially since the invasion of people, many chil- the Americas. What is new, and to me marks dren? a new phase in human history, is the new The rulers of these spirit, as manifested for the first time in highly “educated” and human history, in millions of people from all so-called advanced walks of life and backgrounds and regions societies of the going out on the same day in more than 600 United States of cities around the world and saying no to the America, the dominant inhuman logic. They did not go United Kingdom out for support of a charismatic leader or and their crony ideology (as what happened in the sixties) but allies violated every for feeling that the dominant logic will soon conceivable law known to civilised society. reach and wipe out everyone. This spirit, They resorted to unacceptable levels of these manifestations reflect the main human violence against innocent civilians. They lied treasure which consists of what people and and fabricated documents to show that the cultures have. The danger of wiping out life Iraqis had weapons of mass destruction. By from this earth is there, of course; these their unilateral use of brute force, the maniacs have the tools to do it. But, I feel invaders created overnight a country bereft things are and will be swinging the other of civic life and education (and a planet direction in the coming future.” emptied of international law as well). The publication of Kamiriithu and its mes- For decades, the United States has been a sage is therefore timely. Multiworld’s associ- magnet for people seeking “quality educa- ates have no desire to conduct themselves as tion” from around the world. The “brain pall-bearers of the glorious ideals associated drain” of several years has ensured that with “education”. But the Multiworld commu- “the best and the brightest” of young people nity is convinced that offering more and from all across the planet end up in Ameri- more children to the altar of “American- can universities. How did this allegedly inspired” educational institutions and their brilliantly endowed country descend almost life-less curricula can only make the globe a more terrible and galling place to live in. As overnight into this abysmal sewer of human t r t e e s l w e N s r ’ o k t w N e rl d o u l t i w M T h e depravities? Arif Tabassum wrote recently, we can never Education ought to have prevented the need forget that “the nuclear bomb is a product of of war and all else associated with this schooled minds.” terrible human disease. We associate We may not be able to stop the American education with the hopeful long term curing war machine in its tracks as yet because of the human pathologies associated with all there is today simply no institution large war, just or unjust. These ideals failed in enough to hold the clinically insane, thor- the United States where even school chil- oughly schooled individuals who control and dren take up guns and spray their teachers direct it. and colleagues with lead in senseless bouts But we can begin right now by taking greater of violence. So what can be expected of their care about how we undertake the education political leaders? of our children: that we never surrender In fact, the violent American conquest of these most precious gifts from God to be Iraq symbolises not just the failure of trained for service in a system that can only UN MUNDO EN QUE QUEPAN MUCHOS MUNDOS education in the United States, but its benefit and strengthen this manic cabal of rejection as well. anti-civilisation, anti-culture terrorists and With what face shall we teach American thieves that claims it has reached the end of students about the beginnings of human history – and of education as well. civilisation knowing we collaborated in the Claude Alvares destruction of museums that housed the 2 Multiworld Network websites multiworld.org taleemnet.org indiaorganic.org multiversity msn page Multiworld.org is the main This site is exclusively for re- Yusef Progler from the UAE Multiworld website. This site deals exclusively with porting on discussions and ex- the field of organic agricultural runs an independent Multiver- We are encouraging educa- sity website which also features periments dealing with learn- science. tional activists in every country ing experiences outside school exciting new discussion mate- within the South to have their Traditional agriculture in walls or outside the framework almost all countries has been rial, rare articles and reports own Multiworld chapter and on Multiversity themes. of ‘factory schooling’. replaced by imported agribusi- site, operated by their own core Taleemnet is actually the You can access the site at: group. Naturally, several of ness science based on use of co- first major site dedicated exclu- pious synthetic chemicals and http://groups.msn.com/multi- these will be in their own na- versity sively to de-schooling or pesticides pushed by huge cor- tional, regional or local lan- unschooling experiments in Join the discussions there. guages, with crosslinks to the porations. Asia, Africa and South The site is frequently updated main Multiworld page. In several countries, in fact, America. and the discussions way out. The main website will even- farmers have been cut off from Everything relating to the re- tually host discussions in the The site aims to create an inherited knowledge of farming principal languages of the international community of and are now finding it difficult gime of Western academic stud- ies is being challenged with de- South: Hindi, Chinese, Swahili, parents and students who take to survive with an alien system termination, verve and imagi- Spanish, Arabic, Farsi etc. a decision to “walk-out” of of growing crops that is not only Multiworld.org, for the mo- school and resume learning us- increasingly unprofitable but nation. Progler is also editing a se- ment, also hosts the Multiver- ing their own resources. that actually devastates the en- ries of short booklets containing sity site. It also hosts the dis- Educators, parents and vironment as well. cussion dealing with the teach- students are encouraged to For the moment, the infor- essays by important scholars who have attempted to chal- ing and implications of (colo- visit the site to learn about the mation available relates lenge in a fundamental way nial) international law. mental and spiritual damage largely to the organic farming There are crosslinks that that is done to children and movement in India and Malay- Western academic culture and its various associated compo- will take you to other learners when they submit sia. nents. Called the “Radical Es- multiworld sites, including themselves to the coercive pro- The site provides linkages those dealing with schooling cesses of schooling. to several organic farming sites sentials Pamphlet Series”, the essays appear in the format of (taleemnet) and organic agri- After reading the critique, within the country and abroad. colourful booklets (see p.5 of culture (indiaorganic). We are parents may be interested in It reports on intellectual also providing linkages to sev- knowing what other parents are work carried out by farmers this issue for more details). In- eral other sites which are work- dian editions of these books doing in different parts of the and innovations in the area of ing in similar directions.