The Green Changemakers: January 2012

Monday, January 30, 2012

Project Planning and Mass Dissemination for Domestic Biodigesters in Developing Countries

http://www.ppre.uni-oldenburg.de/53196.html

Biogas Workshop 2011.

Scripts

Presentations

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication

Green Economy Report

http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/greeneconomyreport/tabid/29846/default.aspx

Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication

The Green Economy Report is compiled by UNEP’s Green Economy Initiative in collaboration with economists and experts worldwide. It demonstrates that the greening of economies is not generally a drag on growth but rather a new engine of growth; that it is a net generator of decent jobs, and that it is also a vital strategy for the elimination of persistent poverty. The report also seeks to motivate policy makers to create the enabling conditions for increased investments in a transition to a green economy.

Download the Full Report (631 pages - 43MB)

Download Chapters

Title page

Acknowledgements, Forward, Contents

Introduction

PART I: Investing in natural capital

	Agriculture This chapter provides evidence to inspire policy makers to support increasing green investments in the sector, and guidance on how to enable this transformation. It aims to enhance food security, reduce poverty, improve nutrition and health, create rural jobs and reduce pressure on the environment.
	Fisheries This chapter demonstrates the current economic and social value of marine fisheries to the world, and estimates the sector’s full potential if it were managed within the framework of a green economy. It also explores how to foster much needed reforms and channel investment that will help shift marine fisheries to a more sustainable future.
	Water This chapter identifies the contributions that water can play in assisting a transition to a green economy. It makes the case for early investment in water management and infrastructure to make greater use of biodiversity and ecosystem services. It also provides guidance on the government arrangements and policy reforms that can sustain and increase the benefits associated with such a transition.
	Forests The chapter on forests assesses the gap between “business-as-usual” in the forest sector and the role of forests in a green economy. It reviews the current range of green investments in the sector and how they are likely to affect both the timber industry and ecosystem services on which the livelihoods of the poorest depend.

PART II: Investing in energy and resource efficiency

	Renewable Energy This chapter makes the case for increasing investment to green the energy sector with a focus on the renewable energy supply. It describes the current world energy supply and the growing role of renewable sources of energy within it, as well as discusses the challenges and opportunities facing both governments and the energy sector.
	Manufacturing This chapter looks at the costs to the sector under a “business-as-usual” scenario and offers a number of strategic approaches to encourage green manufacturing investments in different technologies. It argues that investing in greening manufacturing can often be profitable to business and increase employment, while reducing pressure on the environment.
	Waste The chapter identifies the contributions that the waste sector can play in assisting in a transition to a green economy. It provides guidance for policy makers, and identifies the economic, environmental and social impacts of investments in the waste sector.
	Buildings The chapter makes a strong economic case greening the building sector, and provides guidance on policies and instruments needed to bring about this transformation. The chapter encompasses both new construction and the retrofitting of existing buildings, with a focus on urban areas, which are expanding and now home to more than half of the world’s population.
	Transport This chapter examines the role of transport in a green economy. Drawing on the Avoid, Shift and Improve strategy, it highlights the challenges and opportunities of shifting to a greener transport system. It also examines the various options and conditions required to enable such a transition.
	Tourism This chapter shows how green investment in this sector can contribute to economically viable and robust growth, decent work creation and poverty alleviation, while improving resource efficiency and minimising environmental degradation. It makes the case for investing in “greening” the sector and provides guidance on how to mobilise such investments.
	Cities The chapter makes a case for green cities. It describes the environmental, social and economic consequences of greening urban systems and infrastructure, and provides guidance to policy makers on how to make cities more environmentally friendly. It includes a summary of green practices and looks at the enabling conditions needed foster green cities.

PART III: Supporting the transition to a global green economy

	Modelling The analysis carried out in the GER focuses on the transition towards a green economy, characterised by high resource-efficient and low carbon intensity, assessing the needs for a short to medium term transition and evaluating the impacts of a longer-term greener economic development.
	Enabling Conditions The report demonstrates that certain enabling conditions need to be created and maintained to attract investment in green economic activity. This chapter focuses on the measures that could be feasibly introduced in the short to medium term by governments at all levels, and explores a suite of policy options and tools available to promote a global green economy transition.
	Finance The chapter examines how the green economy is currently being financed and explores the priorities and potential methods for increasing these investments. It makes the case for scaling up financing to help drive the transition and amplifying the financial sector’s role as an agent of change.
	Conclusions Synthesis for Policy Makers [Arabic Chinese French Portuguese Russian Spanish] Summary of Conclusions [Arabic Chinese German French Japanese Portuguese Russian Spanish] Press Release 16 November 2011 Download the Full Report (631 pages - 43MB) Green Economy Multimedia

Samso: The energy self-sufficient island

http://www.ngpowereu.com/news/samso-energy-self-sufficient/

By Dan Jones | 11/30/09 - 10:30

748digg

Samso Energy Self-Sufficiency

Inhabitants on the small Danish island of Samso have collaborated to form a social energy revolution. The small Baltic island has become one of the first industrialised places in the world to qualify as being totally energy self-sufficient.

As the location for next month's UN climate change summit, this comes as a huge propaganda win for Denmark, who can now boast a region that can be used by the rest of the planet as the blueprint for future green energy production. It all started in 1997 when Samso won a competition between five Danish islands to become Denmark's "Renewable Energy Island" by presenting a 10-year plan to convert its energy consumption from oil and gas to clean technology. Back then Samso was in crisis because one of the island's main businesses - a slaughterhouse employing 100 workers - was forced to close down.

The self-sufficiency dream

Engineer Ole Johnsson, from the mainland town of Aarhus, became fascinated by the competition and saw Samso as the ideal place to realise this energy self-sufficiency dream. As reported by UK newspaper the Independent, after studying the island's annual wind-speed and sunshine-hour records, he calculated how much energy the island could produce from wind turbines and other alternative sources and concluded it was possible to beat conventional sources. He sent the plan to Copenhagen and it won.

Since then 21 wind turbines have been built on Samso - an island 30 miles long and 15 wide - 10 on a sandbank off the island's south coast and another 11 dotted all over the island, and is now considered one of the most successful green-energy projects to have got off the ground since environmentalists started raising the alarm about climate change three decades ago.

Alongside the turbines, the houses in Samso's 22 villages are heated by power plants that rely on furnaces fired by wood chips and straw and farms of man-sized solar panels inhabit the fields, kept trim by herds of sheep.

The project also creates new jobs as the island's plumbers and carpenters have now all become experts in energy-saving home conversion and insulation techniques, and even get the opportunity to carry out installations in mainland Europe and the US. Being a skilled worker from the world's only "Renewable Energy Island" is proving to be quite a USP.

Inoffensive wind turbines

Samso's initial army of NIMBYs had to be won over by the idea of a green energy revolution on their island, but things such as inoffensive wind turbines of the "harmonious" - as opposed to the more offensive "gorilla" - type, which means they are all painted the same colour and have a standard height and blade length, helped to ease the transition.

But despite the utilitarian nature of Samso's achievements, the real winners of the project are the big financial investors. One of them is Jörgen Tranberg, who owns a 250-acre dairy farm. With help from the bank, the 55-year-old farmer invested 2.5 million euros in wind turbines. He paid 1.2 million euros for the one on his farm he owns outright and he is half-owner of one of the offshore turbines, too. He claims that on a good day the windmills alone can earn him 3,000 euros, as told by the Independent.

Like it or not, it is these sort of numbers that will truly get the ball rolling on similar schemes across the globe. The uplifting sentiment of helping to save the world through renewable energy will not be enough to ensure it replaces traditional sources. Governments and investors need to know that the numbers add up, and if they follow the example set by Samso and the Danish government, they will.

Friday, January 20, 2012

11 Lessons from Nelson Mandela

By odemagazine.com

Looking back on his 93 years, there are 11 lessons (from many) that I would like to share from his legacy which would help us make a small but positive mark in our society. Here they are:

1. Determination in fighting for the right thing. Nelson Mandela’s fought against apartheid which was a struggle of more than 50 years from 1943 when he joined ANC to 1994 when South Africa became independent and he became president. Of these years, 27 were in prison.

2. Never sell out on your beliefs. Nelson Mandela while still serving in prison had repeated offers from the apartheid regime to accept release for independence in small portion of South Africa called the Transkei, from where he hailed from. He simply turned them all down.

3. Be ready to change your tactics. In 1960 Nelson Mandela together with other leaders set up the military wing of ANC. After being released from prison in 1990, Mandela would eventually renounce all armed tactics and once again resort to peaceful negotiations.

4. Know the facts. Mandela was an astute lawyer and during his incarceration, his jailers in the 1980s, repeatedly attempted to get him to renounce militarism; however he remained adamant in his belief that prisoners cannot enter into contracts – only free men can negotiate.

5. Admit our mistakes. In interviews later in life, Mandela admitted that the ANC had committed some human rights abuses and even criticized anyone who attempted to deny it.

6. Reconcile with your enemies. Nelson Mandela worked on the setting up the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.

7. Sharing with others. Mandela has shared his life in books and through post retirement charity organizations that work on ills affecting the world today.

8. Lead from the front. When the Springboks rugby team won the 1995 rugby world cup, Nelson Mandela presented the winner’s trophy to the Captain Francois Pienaar while wearing a replica of Pienaar’s no. 6 Springboks t-shirt. This was a symbol that served to further heal the very tangible racial tension, in South Africa.

9. Letting go. Nelson Mandela became President in 1994 and in 1999 chose not to run for a second term, yet he could have won by a landslide. He instead handed over to Thabo Mbeki.

10. Smile. Mandela is also known for his big smile when he is meeting with people all over the world.

11. Serve humbly. Graca Machel once said, “I found this simple man,” as she described him in 1998 just before they were married. Indeed his actions of “letting go” of a presidency, of forgiving his captors, serving tea to his guests, and many more are testament to the humility and person of Nelson Mandela.

If applied, these lessons would make the world a better place and for that may God bless Mandela and give him many more years to inspire us.

Psychology for a Better World: Strategies to Inspire Sustainability

About the book

Psychology for a Better World is for people who believe it is worth trying to make a world in which both our species and the ecological systems we are part of can flourish. The book is based on the latest research in psychology and is jam packed with action strategies. It offers new ways to think about how people interact in social settings, why we are tempted to stick with what we know, and how the same characteristics that currently keep us hooked into unsustainable practices can be used to move us forward. The final chapter is a guide to help you analyse what you are doing to contribute towards a better world, and how you can be more effective while simultaneously increasing your personal wellbeing.
Listen to Niki’s interview about Psychology for a Better World with Kim Hill on the Radio New Zealand website and her interview with Sustainable Simon on the 95bFM website.

About the author

Niki Harré is an associate professor at the University of Auckland where she has taught social and community psychology for twelve years. Her recent research projects have focused on sustainable communities and schools, positive youth development and political activism. In 2007 Niki edited, with Quentin Atkinson, the book Carbon Neutral by 2020: How New Zealanders Can Tackle Climate Change. Niki is an active member of the Pt Chevalier Transition Town.
Niki’s homepage and contact details

Get the book

Order hard copies for $15 each
Download a free PDF copy
Booksellers please email: n.harre@auckland.ac.nz

Niki's Blog about Psychology for a Better World

If you are interested in the ups and downs of publishing and promoting a book, check out my blog.

Reviews

Summarising fascinating research and insights from social and positive psychology, Niki persuades us in a personable and convincing way to look more deeply at our motivations and strategies when advocating for improved social and environmental conditions. Our intuitive approaches of arguing more aggressively with our perceived opponents, and telling others how wrong they are, are often not effective ways to get lasting behavioural change. Instead Niki provides a wide range of evidence to show that boosting positive emotions, role modelling, understanding the power and dynamics of identity and moral context all need to be authentically applied if we are to be effective change agents. This involves looking at our own motivations very carefully, which can be uncomfortable, but which Niki admirably does herself throughout the book. This book provides an urgently needed example of using sound evidence from the social sciences, particularly psychology, to engage people more positively in environmental sustainability. It also has a broader applicability, providing insights on effective advocacy for other areas of social change, for instance health promotion.

Hugh Norriss, Mental Health Foundation, New Zealand

Psychology is the study of mind & behaviour and should therefore harbour essential information for anyone interested in how humans may be able to change in order to create a more sustainable society. Alas, little has been done to take full advantage of this and so Niki Harré’s new book is particularly welcome. A key argument of her crisp and lucid discussion is the need to drag environmental issues from the conventional into the moral domain for the next generation. Harré manages to navigate the complexities of moral psychology with admirable ease and insightful purpose – balancing the objective of scientifically informed political advocacy with her own struggles to be the change she wants to see in the world. This book should inspire.

Thomas Suddendorf, Professor, University of Queensland, Australia

A sensational book by a visionary psychologist and thinker. You are a national treasure, Niki. Keep up the inspiration.

Pam Corkery

Congratulations on your fabulous new book which I read, thanks to you, as a free PDF. It is so wonderful to see members of the psychology community applying their knowledge and insights as you do in order to make a positive difference at this dangerous point human history.

John F. Schumaker, Author of In Search of Happiness: Understanding an Endangered State of Mind

Niki Harré is a highly regarded academic social psychologist and a sustainability advocate. Her book applies the latest psychological research to understand the dilemmas sustainability advocates and activists face and gives sound advice on how to grasp opportunities for change. Her account of the role identity plays in Chapter 4 is simply magnificent! This chapter makes the task of building a workable synthesis look easy. But identity is not only one of the most important human motivators but also one of the most vague and confusing areas of the social sciences. Niki offers a compelling and highly accessible analysis of this difficult territory, putting together in Part One a hugely impressive review of all the relevant work and the latest findings. Part Two is then an original and thoughtful application of the action principles she deduces from the research. Anyone interested in understanding the wellsprings and implications of belonging, action and affiliation must read this chapter.

Margaret Wetherell, Emeritus Professor in Social Psychology at the Open University, UK

Psychology for a Better World is really easy and enjoyable to read and offers so much insight and resources and depth. Thank you so much for putting it in the world, it is a brilliant resource.

Maya Nova, Mindbalance

Psychology for a Better World: Strategies to inspire sustainability is a labour of passion that carries the reader all the way through to the end. It is largely targeting sustainability advocates and those who have strong inclinations towards a more sustainable world. Dr Niki Harré draws on different approaches to sustainability and shows which ones work best and then explains why. As you turn the pages, you will be exposed to a variety of issues and concepts from identity, intention, and morality to copying and the long lasting benefits of positive emotions. It is well researched, accessible, easy to read, and packed with case studies and practical examples. The most important message? If sustainability is to work, it needs to become a way of life. This book tells you how. If you believe in a better world or are flirting with sustainability, this may be the addition your library is waiting for.

Tomas Pernecky, Ph.D, School of Hospitality and Tourism, AUT University, New Zealand

Self-help Guide for Sustainability Advocates

The final chapter of Psychology for a Better World brings together the strategies for change discussed in the book, and provides worksheets to enable you to decide where to put your energy. You can download the worksheets from the link below. Please note that they are designed to be used in conjunction with the book.

self-help guide worksheets.docx (19 KB WORD)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Earth Debates

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/biodiversity/earth-debates/index.html

How do we plan a future that nurtures a healthy world alongside the needs of a growing population?

Have your say in the run up to the Earth Summit 2012 by getting involved in the Earth Debates and help shape the future of our planet.

In June 2012, experts will meet to set the agenda for a sustainable future at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Earth Summit 2012). The summit is also known as Rio+20 because it is being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20 years on from the first momentous Earth Summit which also took place there.

What are the Earth Debates about?

At 4 themed debates, a panel of leading experts chaired by Richard Black, the BBC's environment correspondent, will tackle key issues at the heart of the Earth Summit'sgreen economy agenda.

Your questions and comments will form an important part of these discussions, which will be webcast live from the Natural History Museum early in 2012. Find out about the 4 debate themes below and get involved.

Ecosystem economics – can we put a price on nature?

25 January 2012. Nature supplies us with clean air, pollinates our crops, and provides many other natural services. Can we calculate their value? Will doing so promote sustainable development? Share your thoughts now.
Beyond GDP – how can we measure progress?

22 February 2012. If businesses and governments are to invest in a green economy, we need to be able to measure progress. But the traditional measure of economic growth, GDP, doesn’t take into account the wellbeing of people or the environment. What are the alternatives?
Green cities in a green economy – how to pioneer a sustainable transition?

14 March 2012. Nearly 60% of the world's population is expected to live in towns and cities by 2030. So future cities will play a key role in the welfare of both people and the environment. How can we make them greener?
Food security – how do we feed 9 billion people in 2050?

11 April 2012. How can we balance the demands of feeding our growing population with maintaining an environment that can provide the other essential services, water and raw materials that we need?
Watch the Earth Debates

Watch the Earth Debates live online. The first debate, Ecosystems economics – can we put a price on nature? will be broadcast on 25 January 2012 at 19:00 GMT.
About the Earth Debates panel members

Background information about the panel members taking part in the 4 Earth Debates.
About the Earth Debates organisers

Find out more about the Stakeholder Forum for a sustainable future, British Council and the Natural History Museum.
What is the Earth Summit 2012?

Discover what the Earth Summit 2012 sets out to achieve.

5 Strategies to Help Bring Humane Education to Schools

http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/news_january2012#strategies

We have yet to hear of any situation where it wasn't possible to integrate humane education into the classroom - but that doesn't mean it wasn't without some creative and strategic thinking! So whether you're a classroom teacher or community educator, here are 5 of the most useful strategies you can use to help ease the way for bringing humane education into schools:

STANDARDS:
The easiest and most obvious way is to link humane education content to standards. With 45 states having adopted the new "common core standards" they serve as a useful means for integrating humane education into what you're already teaching. Even with strict requirements, educators can integrate humane principles and issues into their work. Teacher Alison Panik, who took our Teaching for a Positive Future online course, started integrating reverence for nature with her required math and science studies. IHE M.Ed. graduate, Christopher Greenslate, wrote an article highlighting how he integrated humane education into his teaching of language arts, including required books like Lord of the Flies. And IHE M.Ed. graduate, Kurt Schmidt has easily found creative ways to integrate humane studies into how he teaches math. If you're a community educator who wants to offer humane education presentations in schools, it's important to familiarize yourself with standards and highlight the strong connections between them and your content.
LAWS:
Many educators may not know it, but in several states, it's actually the law to include some form of humane education in their teaching (especially for younger students). Laws vary, but several states have some sort of legislation that requires teaching about the welfare of animals, character education, and/or environmental education. HEART keeps an updated list of laws related to humane education.

And, last June, Maryland became the first state to require "environmental literacy" for graduation. Other states have varying requirements for environmental studies. Introducing humane education studies to your school(s) can help the district meet legal requirements.
BY ANY OTHER NAME:
While we at IHE like to call what we do humane education, what label we use is not as important as the emphasis on the interconnectedness of human rights, animal protection, and environmental preservation and on nurturing solutionaries. Some educators call it global studies; some say social justice; some just call it education. If there's something happening in your district that aligns with humane education principles and content, plug yourself into that. There are also other programs, growing in popularity in schools, that overlap with some of the elements of humane education. Such programs offer an excellent segue for introducing humane education issues and principles. Here are 3 examples:

Character Education

While fewer than half of states either mandate or encourage character education, many districts encourage teaching positive character traits. While character education itself follows a much narrower definition and vision, teaching about values such as responsibility, caring, and respect easily translates to exploring our impact on people, animals & the earth, and what we can do, both individually and systemically, to create a more just, compassionate world for all.

Social Emotional Learning

According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, Social & Emotional Learning, SEL, "teaches the skills we all need to handle ourselves, our relationships, and our work, effectively and ethically." Many schools are beginning to integrate some form of SEL into their curriculum, which provides a great connection to humane education.

Service Learning

Service Learning is another concept that's sweeping classrooms around the world. It varies in scope, but its core focus is bringing what students are learning in the classroom into the real world to address real-life issues and to help students become responsible citizens. Humane education is all about solving real-life problems, so service learning provides a terrific opportunity.
CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES:
If you want to start small, taking advantage of special school opportunities is a great strategy. If you're a classroom teacher, look for special school-wide events, like celebrations of Earth Day, World Water Week, No Name-Calling Week, or Be Kind to Animals Week to integrate humane education lessons. You may even be able to recruit your colleagues to tweak their own lessons. If you're a community educator, you can find special events as a means to plug in to schools; but also look for career days, speaker series, and other special events to offer yourself as an expert or resource.
START WITH ONE:
If you're a community educator wanting to get into schools, start by connecting with a friendly teacher who's doing humane education-related work in the classroom or community. Find out what s/he's teaching and customize accordingly. Offer to demonstrate a sample lesson and, if needed, to talk to the school administrator (districts vary as to how much control teachers have over issues like guest speakers). Once you've built one successful relationship, you can branch off from there. Word of mouth is very effective. If you're a classroom teacher, look for one other educator and invite them to collaborate with you on a small project or lesson that embodies humane education. Start with that small success and keep going.

OUR TOP 10 HUMANE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR 2011

Humane education activities and lesson plans are just one of the perks we provide in our Resource Center. We now have more than 75 humane education activitiesavailable for free download, and we add new ones often. Here are our 10 most downloaded activities as of the end of 2011:

Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged - How do our own stereotypes and judgments limit our openness and receptivity to others? This activity uses props (or photos) to explore our snap perceptions of others. (grades 4 & up)
Don't Tread on Me - What is oppression? Who gets oppressed? Why don’t we all agree about that? Participants explore their own beliefs about oppression and learn about others'. (grades 6 & up)
The World's Most Powerful Animal - Who’s the most dangerous AND the most powerful animal? We are! Lead students on an exploration of the positive and negative impacts our choices have on the planet. (grades 2-5)
Human Rights for All? - This activity familiarizes students with the Universal Declaration for Human Rights and inspires them to think about the freedoms they enjoy that others cannot. (grades 9 and up)
Two Apples - In this icebreaker, participants learn just how important words and actions are when they explore their impact on two apples. (All ages)
A Moment in Their Shoes - How will students feel spending a moment in the shoes of a battery hen or a child slave? Use this lively and thought- provoking activity to introduce human and animal issues and the connections between them. (grades 6 & up)
Analyzing Advertising - Students learn to be ad-savvy by exploring the pervasiveness of ads in their lives and by analyzing what ads are trying to sell…and trying to hide. (grades 5 & up)
Whale's Stomach - Students learn about the impact of our "throwaway" society by exploring all the different kinds of trash found in a whale's stomach. (grades 4 & up)
Word Power - Words have enormous power and often assign value. This activity explores sample words in context and what kinds of value those words imply. (grades 4 & up)
Where in the World? - Students “shop” for T-shirts to help them make the connection between what they wear and the conditions under which it’s made. (grades 9 & up)

15 TIPS FOR CREATING HUMANE EDUCATION LESSONS

Two girls on nature hike looking at something interesting

You're passionate about humane education and want to start bringing it to your classroom or community, but you haven't developed lesson plans/activities (at least this kind) before. Don't worry! Here's a good place to start: with IHE's 15 tips for creating dynamic, effective humane education lessons.

Take advantage of the wisdom that has come before. Look for relevant resources and lesson plans are already out there and adapt them for your own needs. There are organizations like IHE that offer comprehensive (as well as focused) humane ed activities, as well as organizations dedicated to animal protection, environmental protection, or human rights that provide terrific lessons and ideas.
Find a support system and sounding board for feedback, collaboration, ideas, and contacts. There is no shortage of other humane educators, non-profit groups, and professional organizations that can help you.
Educate yourself. You wouldn’t teach a foreign language without knowing it well. Be sure that you’re reading a variety of authors and perspectives, learning about the connections among humane issues, and keeping updated on news and changes in these areas. (You can also take advantage of resources such as our Teaching for a Positive Future online course and get in-depth training with one of our accredited graduate programs.)
Use what you're already doing and tweak it. If you're a classroom teacher, for example, take a lesson you're already using and modify it to include humane principles & issues. What elements of that novel lend themselves to exploring humane issues? Tweak those math word problems so that they reflect real-world concerns. Take that science study outside& pair it with nature reverence-building.
Consider: What are your objectives? What will success look like? Have a clear plan for your lessons, but build in flexibility, back-ups and extensions (for when things run too short, too long, or just wrong).
Start where your audience is. If people are struggling with urgent personal issues (e.g., homelessness, joblessness), they may not be interested in issues perceived as less immediate, such as global warming or animal cruelty, so start exploring how to inspire and empower them in their own situations, as well as working to build reverence and connection on a broader scale.
Be careful about making assumptions about what your audience already know, or what they care about. Don't assume that just because you know (or care) about global warming or factory farming or child slavery, that others do, too. If you're unfamiliar with your audience, you can use online sources (e.g., the school's or group's website) to learn more about the culture, values, and concerns of your audience and tailor your lessons accordingly. You may also be able to visit ahead of time to help you gain insights into what they're passionate about.
Integrate the 4 elements of humane education into your lessons:
- Provide accurate (age-appropriate) information
- Instill curiosity, creativity & critical thinking
- Foster reverence, respect & responsibility
- Offer positive choices & tools for problem solving
Remember that humane education isn't indoctrination; it isn't about telling others what to think or believe. Humane education sparks curiosity and helps others think critically and creatively and make informed choices. There's a difference between asking your audience to think critically about what they believe, and telling them what they shouldbelieve.
As often as is appropriate, reveal the interconnectedness of issues; tie in the impacts of what your audience is exploring with the environment, animals, and people. Everything is connected, so whatever the topic or issue, help people see how economics, poverty, climate change, consumerism, generosity, bullying, or psychology ties into doing the most good & least harm for people, animals, & planet.
Use a variety of creative strategies throughout the lesson, including plenty of interactivity and focus on developing positive solutions. Especially for younger children, stories, songs, and drama/role play are great tools for introducing topics. Remember with all audiences to use stories, not just statistics. Studies show that people can get overwhelmed and lose interest with statistics and big numbers, and that it's easier for most of us to relate on a one-to-one basis. So start by talking about about one animal, or one slave child, or one family in one community affected by climate change.
Tap into the wisdom of the group. Your lesson will be much more effective if you use the model of learning together, rather than setting yourself up as the expert to "teach" the uneducated. Give your audience opportunities to share their creative ideas and publicly explore and test their views. Give them power to lead, question, challenge, and develop positive solutions.
Be sure that you're modeling your message. Do the materials you're using for the lessons themselves reflect choices that do the most good & least harm for all? Are you showing respect for your audience? Are you handling controversy or heated discussions effectively and compassionately?
Practice practice practice. Especially if you're new to speaking in public or are offering a new lesson, practice. Give your lesson plans to a safe audience of supporters and have them give feedback. Videotape yourself and watch for ways to improve. Don't be afraid. Experiment!
Evaluate and reevaluate. This is important, both during the lesson and after. If you're trying out a new lesson and it's crashing and burning, don't keep ploughing through. Stop and ask your audience what's not working (or at least try at different tactic). Your students will appreciate your honesty and thank you for respecting their time. If you're a community educator, be sure to have your audience complete evaluations and revise your lesson based on relevant feedback. Consider keeping a notebook to document what worked, what didn't, what you'd like to try again with some adjustments, the feedback you received, etc. One question you might ask yourself when you are reflecting on a lesson or presentation you've given is: If I were to give this same lesson tomorrow, what would I do differently?