Act as a Doughnut

Our EU-co-funded project, “ACT as a Doughnut,” is finalized and shared with the broader network of partners in 40+ countries. Partners in Morocco, Croatia, Lebanon, and Kosovo are currently reusing and upgrading all materials and tailoring our approach to the local MENA region context. We are extremely proud of this result. Our societies face multiple crises: climate and environmental, increasing gaps between those who "have and have not," lack of (jobs) perspective, (Im-) migration, and a generic distrust in institutes, especially amongst our "Gen Z" youngsters.

ACT as a Doughnut is our quest to find a creative and innovative answer to youngsters' lack of engagement in taking action, creating their own future, and building together a sustainable urban context. Our needs analyses showed that all partners lacked appropriate non-formal educational materials.

Together, we took this 30-month journey to discuss, learn, share, and tailor global concepts like Artivism and DOUGHNUT Economy Materials to youth work and education. We believe, with the help of our friends at https://community-arts.net/ and https://doughnuteconomics.org/, we are among the first globally to pilot these concepts

ACT as a Doughnut aimed to engage, connect, and empower youngsters to be active citizens and co-create "their "thriving city. We developed educational materials and trained youth workers who trained local associated teachers in the domain of social science/citizenship. Their students created a city portrait and used the power of imagination to imagine what their thriving city would look like. Second, based on education materials, they advised active citizens of their city on the best next steps.

Our primary target groups are youth workers, students aged 15- 19 years, and their teachers. Our secondary target groups are city representatives and Associated Partners. All youngsters deserve a quality education and ACT to create their future. We knew by experience and are backed by reports that we faced gaps in all five countries.

Our main objective is to boost youngsters' positive and active participation to create a sustainable future in their local community based on shared (EU) values.

We developed Non-Formal Educational materials to;

• be used by youngsters on social cohesion AND environmental challenges; they run projects and realize their inclusive democratic participation;
• support teachers on new key competencies, create a new curriculum and co-create transnational insights

 Our sub-objectives:

• creating innovative curricula or courses using creativity, arts, and culture
• learn about social inclusion within the boundaries of our planet
• grow didactic and educational skills via blended learning (development of key competencies)
• to engage youngsters to start community projects and provide feedback as co-creator of new education formats (inclusive democratic participation)
• to build an ecosystem with the students as an accelerator in co-creation with their community and local government for sustainable change
• to pilot the Doughnut theory in Education
• to grow the network of Arts for social change via Education

Result 1 “Engage, connect and Empower" handbook; a ready-to-use and scalable handbook/ with Non-Formal educational materials in 6 languages. (Dutch, English, German, Polish, Romanian, Slovakian,

Result 2: An online "train the trainer" course is being offered; youth workers and teachers are trained. The course is scalable and available online in six languages.

Result 3  "ACT as a Doughnut community projects"; ca 60 students per country (in total 300) implemented (split in 5 teams) projects in their communities and chose out of the five categories of the Doughnut theory (so per country 5, in total 25 projects);

1. a) "Empowered" (focusing on the topics of Peace & Justice, Social equity, Political Voice, and Equality in Diversity);
2. b) "Connected" (focusing on the topics of connectivity, community, mobility, and culture);
3. c) "Enabled" (focusing on the topics jobs, income, education, and energy)
4. d) "Healthy" (focusing on the topics of health, housing, water, and food)
5. e) "Local-ecological"- (the environmental dimension)

The local community in their city experienced the ideas that the students put into action (via the 5 projects) and representatives of the city gained insight into the ambitions of their youngsters and learned that youngsters can become active citizens and co-create to realize the local strategies

Result 4: ACT Relay; Students learned from their peers in other countries, deepened their understanding of the contexts in the five countries and their own insights into how to create a thriving city, and finalized the 25 recommendations (5 per category) for their city representatives. In total, we received 125 recommendations.

Result 5: ACT in Education Lab (Knowledge Platform) Our methodology, the lessons learned in general, and the 25 recommendations per city were shared on our platform that is linked with the CAN and DEAL knowledge base. 5 City portraits were also shared on this and the DEA platform

Moreover, feedback from participants showed a great impact in quantity and quality:

- The projects guided by youth workers and teachers involved ca. 300 students
- The 5 multiplier events hosted 150 stakeholders to foster the ecosystem needed for transformation
- Education proved to play a responsible role as a driver of transformation in their cities.
- Youth workers grew in impact as they grew their skills and quality formats for social innovation
- Teachers gained didactic and personal skills and learned how to use a broader education portfolio relevant to a digital era
- Students were engaged and empowered as they ran innovative projects and embraced the co-creator role of blended formats.

Our follow-up strategy, as described below in this report, resulted in unique scalability potential as we shared this on a global level with NGO's in 40+ countries via the MP NL network and the partners in their regional and national networks.

We express our gratitude to our local funders and EU as main co funder to enable and facilitate these scalable results.

Partners

Fotografie en storytelling workshops bij STIP VSO

MasterPeace, Aad van Vliet en STIP VSO kijken terug naar een leuke eerste samenwerking met storytelling workshops door middel van fotografie. In juni 2024 verzorgden we verschillende lessen waarbij de leerlingen van 2 klassen van het STIP VSO ons meenamen in hun leefwereld.

Tijdens de eerste les gingen we met de leerlingen in gesprek over fotograferen. Want wat doet een fotograaf eigenlijk? Een fotograaf maakt natuurlijk foto's, maar om foto's te maken is het heel belangrijk om goed te kijken. Aad nam de leerlingen mee in het concept van kaderen. Door het kijken door een passe partout ontdekten de leerlingen dat er hele andere perspectieven kunnen ontstaan.

Natuurlijk zijn de leerlingen ook zelf op pad gegaan om foto's te maken. De leerlingen zaten allemaal in hun laatste jaar op STIP VSO en kregen de opdracht om foto's te maken van wat ze nou echt gaan missen als van de school af zijn. Waar de ene leerling het nog niet zo goed wist, sprintten anderen al naar de gymzaal, de aula, de voetbalkooi en hun favoriete leraar. Als huiswerk opdracht voor de volgende les maakten de leerlingen 3 tot 8 foto's van iets wat zij in de week meemaakten.

Tijdens de tweede les gingen we met de leerlingen in gesprek over de foto's van hun ervaringen van afgelopen week. Een aantal dingen die naar voren kwamen waren: sport, gamen, voetbal kijken, lekker eten en mooie ervaringen met vrienden. Hierna gingen we met de ene groep rondom de school op pad om foto's te maken van iets wat gek of raar is. Hier kwamen grappige foto's uit van verloren kledingstukken, gekke auto's en gekke reclame. Mooi om te zien was dat sommige leerlingen dezelfde dingen hadden gefotografeerd maar op een hele andere manier. Met de andere klas gingen we op pad om foto's te maken van iets wat ze mooi vonden. Het was lekker weer dus er kwamen mooie foto's uit van bloemetjes, bomen en natuur. De huiswerk opdracht voor de laatste les was om 3 foto's te maken van waar je blij van wordt.

Tijdens de laatste les bekeken en bespraken we samen de foto's waar iedereen blij van wordt. Dingen als huisdieren, lekker eten, de zon, vrienden, een moeder, mooie bloemen, verzamelingen en leuke ervaringen werden afgebeeld.

Het was heel mooi en waardevol om een inkijkje in de leefwereld van deze leerlingen te krijgen en hun helemaal uit hun schulp te zien kruipen als ze praten over iets waar ze blij van worden en we hebben daarom ook al plannen gemaakt om dit in het volgende schooljaar nogmaals, met meerdere klassen te gaan doen.

*Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie. De hier geuite opvattingen en meningen komen echter uitsluitend voor rekening van de auteur(s) en geven niet noodzakelijkerwijs die van de Europese Unie of het Nationaal Agentschap weer. Noch de Europese Unie, noch het Nationaal Agentschap kan ervoor aansprakelijk worden gesteld.

MasterPeace COOL Talk Series: Redefining Leadership Beyond Gender Norms

On 28 June 2024, MasterPeace conducted another COOLTalk as part of a series titled "Gender and Leadership: Redefining Leadership Beyond Gender Norms." The event brought together 25 participants from different parts of the world, spanning four continents, reflecting a truly global perspective.

The two speakers for the series were Elma Berisha, Head of the Research Department at SIT-Center for Counseling, Social Service, and Research Kosovo, and Ayush Joshi, Director for Advocacy, Campaigns, Communication, and Media (ACCM) at Save the Children International Nepal. The session was moderated by the human rights advocate and Creative Resource Mobilizer (CRM) at MasterPeace, Saugat Jung Pandey.

The event started with an introduction by MasterPeace's Creative Resource Mobilizer (CRM) Ashwini Dhakal, who provided an overview of the MasterPeace COOL Talk series and how the idea came about. He highlighted the diverse global participation and emphasized the representation of both the Global North and Global South among the speakers. This set the stage for the discussion on new leadership paradigms and the evolving role of women in leadership positions.

New Leadership Paradigm

The moderator started the discussion by posing a question about the new leadership paradigm and the increasing visibility of women in leadership roles. He mentioned that "leadership has no gender". He cited examples of prominent women leaders in politics, such as Kamala Harris, and in the corporate world, such as those leading organizations like PepsiCo and General Motors.

Elma Berisha responded by describing leaders as agents of change and transformation. She shared how a trainer from Harvard University reshaped her concept of leadership and criticized historical examples of brutal leaders like Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Caesar. She emphasized that the new leadership paradigm contrasts sharply with the old, which was hierarchical and fear-based.

She explained that modern leadership is about inspiring and empowering others, promoting egalitarianism, and fostering a cooperative and inclusive environment. Elma also noted the generational shift, with Gen Z and Gen Y more inclined towards diversity and inclusion rather than traditional leadership modes.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Global South

Ayush Joshi offered a perspective from the Global South, noting that patriarchy remains pervasive and shapes societal roles and expectations. He discussed the unconscious biases that influence leadership perceptions, citing examples from daily life where women's decision-making is often overshadowed by male preferences. Ayush stressed the need to challenge these norms and biases to diversify leadership and recognize the capabilities of women and marginalized groups.

Gender Stereotypes and Social Norms

The moderator shifted the conversation towards gender stereotypes and social norms that limit women's leadership opportunities. He also cited the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report of 2023, which showed that the percentage of women in leadership is lower than that of men in every sector and, surprisingly, also lower in sectors traditionally considered to be women-dominated, such as healthcare, well-being, education, and NGO’s.

Elma highlighted the significant gender gap in leadership, with women making up almost 50% of the global workforce but only a quarter of leadership positions. She discussed unconscious gender biases and the importance of equal opportunities, emphasizing that women should be paid equally for the same work as their male counterparts. She also pointed out the dual influences of nature and nurture on gender roles and expectations.

Ayush, agreeing with Elma, added that gender stereotypes and norms hinder diverse leadership. He shared a story from Jajarkot, Nepal, which was recently struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake where a girl challenged a harmful norm related to menstruation where menstruating women were not allowed to touch cows or drink their milk as they were considered to be impure during that period. She challenged this norm and demonstrated leadership informed by knowledge and rational decision-making. Ayush argued that diversifying leadership requires addressing deep-seated societal norms and biases and that only when more women can be encouraged to take up leadership roles.

LGBTQ+ Leadership and Inclusion

The third question focused on LGBTQ+ leadership and the need for inclusive leadership. Elma connected this to the broader theme of diversity and inclusion, emphasizing that genuine leadership must embrace diversity for pragmatic gains, such as better innovation and financial performance. Ayush added that inclusive leadership should be continuous and intentional, not just limited to symbolic events like Pride Month.

Q&A

The session concluded with questions from the audience. One question addressed uplifting rural women's leadership, to which Elma responded that cooperation and support from urban leadership are crucial for women in rural area to come forward. Similarly, another question focused on increasing knowledge on inclusion, particularly for the LGBTQIA+ community in the Global South. Ayush suggested starting with sensitization training to address biases at home and school. He also shared a success story of sensitizing teachers and school management in regard to LGBTIA+ issues.

Elma shared an inspiring story of her senior partner, Rinida Das Frost, who founded the Frost and Sullivan Malaysia office, demonstrating how role models can make a difference. She added that Frost, who was initially there in Malaysia with her husband to take off their child and be a housewife, later was bored with staying at home and wanted to do something about her career. That it when she started Frost and Sullivan Malaysia Office. Similarly, Ayush emphasized the importance of positive role modeling and empowering underrepresented communities to diversify and achieve inclusive leadership.

Cameroon Renewed: Bridge Builders to Drive Transformation in Cameroon

Last week I visited the beautiful country of Cameroon with a country size similar to France. The 28 million people live 50 -50 in urban and rural areas. Cameroon is one of the most fertile lands and green countries I ever visited, fully aware that 35-40 % of its population lives below the poverty line.

Our visits’ focus was to boost the impact and understand the progress of our project “Cameroon Renewed” that we run (co-funded by Erasmus Plus) together with our friends of Noorderpoort; https://noorderpoort.nl/; APRO International (https://international.aproformazione.it/en/) and three local NGOs as implementing partners (https://hope4abetterfuture.com/; https://www.sopisdew.org/ https://fap-cameroon.page.tl/.

Our approach is to train local trainers on renewable energy (by the experts of Noorderpoort), social entrepreneurship and growth mindset (by experts of APRO). Based on their new capacities, they train 200 youngsters and 100 engineers from business (learning by doing).

Our impact is creating sustainable jobs, growing the educational portfolios of TVET training centers, and implementing community projects to improve communities' prosperity.

Putting the spotlights on Cameroon and its domains related to our project:

• Quality education is a key theme that needs improvement. Funding, less overcrowded classrooms, quality curricula, and trained teachers will boost the prosperity of children, students, and society at large
• Access to electricity, as this influences the daily lives of all (they face so many electricity cuts a day). What struck me is the divide between urban and rural. In urban cities like Yaoundé and Douala, almost 90% have access to the national energy infrastructure. In rural areas, this is only a poor 20-25%. Lack of access impacts safety, daily life, productivity, and job perspectives. Renewable energy has a clear Return on Investment business case!

• Power dynamics are shaped by a blend of formal and informal structures that influence governance, social order, and economic activities.

1. Formal Power: Its political and administrative institutions define the formal power structure. Cameroon is a republic with a strong presidential system. Formal governance also includes regional and local authorities;
2. Informal Power: Informal power in Cameroon operates through traditional and social networks that often bypass formal institutions. Traditional chiefs and community leaders hold significant influence, especially in rural areas. They mediate disputes, enforce local customs, and have a say in local development issues. Informal economic activities play a crucial role, an estimated 90 % of the population are engaged in the informal sector due to high unemployment and bureaucratic hurdles in the formal economy;
3. Interplay of Formal and Informal Power: The interplay between formal and informal power in Cameroon is complex. While formal institutions govern the country, they often coexist with and sometimes rely on informal structures to maintain social order and deliver services. Patronage networks and personal connections influence decisions and access to resources. This dual system poses challenges for governance and development

It is not easy to drive the transformation of Cameroon’s societies in this context, but we identified key elements of opportunities. In my learning, it is evident that trusted and competent institutions like our 3 local NGOs are ideally suited to bridge the gaps between policies agreed upon by the formal institutions and societies led by informal leaders like chiefs and even Kings.

The 3 local NGOs prepared well for our visit. Formal powers will support our projects ‘sustainability as they understand that our goals align with their policies.

During our meeting in  #Foumbot, we received the heartfelt support of regional key stakeholders:

• The Senior Divisional Officer of the Noun.
• The Regional Delegates of the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (MINEFOP) for the North West and West Regions.
• The Regional Delegates for Small and Medium Enterprises North West and West Regions.
• The Regional Director of National Employment Funds North West and West Region.

In Yaoundé, we met the secretary general of the Ministry of Education. She is a great connector, as she invited our teams to co-create using their vocational training Centre. Vocational training is one of their top three key priorities.

Our strength is that we align globally via Noorderpoort's expertise on renewable energy, APRO International's expertise on social entrepreneurship, and MasterPeace's global grassroots network for scaling, communication, and dissemination. All three play a second-line supporting role to the three local trusted NGOs who co-create based on shared objectives and regional trusted networks in formal and informal powers.

During our visit, we met informal leaders who were able to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to train 10 youngsters, perform needs analyses, and design an implementation plan. The first phase will be July- December 2024 in 26 villages with 70.000 inhabitants.

This project is a great example of fostering prosperity, creating a jobs perspective, and building bridges with and between formal and informal powers by local trusted changemakers who excel as drivers of transformation. Cameroon will indeed be Renewed!