A webinar on “Engagement of Learners” was organised in the framework of the SMALEI Digital Academy on Thursday, 5 2024. The webinar is part of the SMALEI Digital Academy’s third module, which focuses on pedagogy to enable local action for sustainability and societal transformation.
The webinar was moderated and organised by August Nilson, Glokala Folk Highschool Sweden, and welcomed two eco pedagogy experts, Nikolas Berg and Johanna Anemalm.
Nikolas Berg is an ecopedagogue, speaker and author. He has worked with Paulo Freire’s emancipatory pedagogy for 35 years, in both international development with empowerment, as well as change processes in communities, organisations and companies. Co-author of books on themes such as the rights of nature and the potential of thriving local communities.
Johanna Anemalm is an ecopedagogue, adult educator and permaculture designer. She has worked within social and environmental organizing and community building for about 10 years.
In the discussions, Johanna and Nikolas discussed the importance of interconnectedness and holistic learning, emphasizing the need to include non-human elements in the learning process. They highlighted the significance of emotional connection and meaning in engaging long-term, and the necessity of considering social, ecological, and economic justice. Johanna also stressed the importance of local organization and mobilization, and the role of individual gifts in the learning ecosystem. She concluded by advocating for planetary citizenship and responsibility, encouraging a mutual and constantly developing learning process.
They also discussed the concept of applied ecopedagogy, which involves developing sustainable and just changes in various areas of life, including change processes in organizations and societies. They mentioned that this approach has been applied in courses on ecological democracy and the Village of the Future, where participants learn to empower local communities to become sustainable.