Unpacking the Imaginary in Literacies of Globality
by Dr Mia Perry
As global mobility and communications proliferate, ever-increasing exchanges and influences occur across cultures, geographies, politics, and positions. This paper addresses the practice of literacy education in this context, and in particular the nature of engagement across difference and the role of the imaginary in literacies of globality. Grounded in a theorisation of difference and the imaginary in spaces of learning and inquiry, the paper proposes a methodological framework for working across difference that acknowledges and engages with the inevitable but enigmatic resource of often conflicting imaginaries in literacy practices.
Read Here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01596306.2018.1515064
Reference: Perry, M. (2018) Unpacking the imaginary in literacies of globality. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education,(doi:10.1080/01596306.2018.1515064)
SFA Documentary: Cultural Practices and Perspectives
By Elson Kambalu, Art House Africa
On the 17th January 2018, the Sustainable Futures in Africa hub in Malawi held a workshop on “Exploring the role of Arts in Development Projects” held in Lilongwe at the beautiful Child Legacy International premises.
Helen Todd of Arts and Global Health Center Africa (ArtGlo) introduced the World Café method of participants working together and developing ideas. Sitting in mixed groups of artists, development practitioners and academicians and brainstormed on sustainability topics and how arts can play a role in such work. Elson Kambalu, Lilongwe based artist created the below documentary on some of the work that SFA partners in Malawi do.
For more information about this event, read SFA Malawi’s Research Administrator Stewart Paul‘s reflection on the day here: https://sustainablefuturesinafrica.com/2018/04/11/art-and-development-walking-hand-in-hand/
SFA Network Seeks New Ways of Managing Elephants
The University of Botswana’s Department of Adult Education led an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Sustainable Futures in Africa (SFA) Network for a workshop on human-wildlife interactions at the Mmadinare Main Kgotla on August 14, 2018. The Patriot on Sunday, a Botswana national Sunday newspaper, has featured the Sustainable Futures in Africa’s research trial, community event and community partnerships in a recent article discussing wildlife management:
Local Knowledge for Environmental Sustainability
By DrTwine Hannington Bananuka, Dr Alex Okot and Dr Mia Perry
Sustainable Futures in Africa (SFA) hubs in Scotland and Uganda partnered together to publish in The Daily Monitor to celebrate World Environment Day. The article discusses research conducted by SFA Ugandan hub in partnership with partners ECOaction and the community members of both Apala and Albertine region.
North-South Research Partnerships Must Break Old Patterns For Real Change
By Dr Mia Perry and Dr Deepa Pullanikkatil
Since the 1940s major world powers like the US, the UK and the United Nations have made moves to spread their scientific, economic, industrial, and human rights progress to countries and regions that are seen as less developed, vulnerable or deprived in one way or another.
And yet from where we stand as individual researchers, with funding and passion to share, we see an unsettling and consistent characteristic of this development history. The global north has experienced a gradual increase of economic strength and environmental protection, through jobs, career development, cheap goods and services.
Meanwhile, the global south has undergone a sustained degradation of autonomy, fertile land, food security and cultural literacies. All this has occurred through an imposition of foreign ideas, materials, ideologies and knowledge systems. That’s why we’re trying to do things differently.
Read a recent publication by Sustainable Futures in Africa’s Co-Directors Dr Mia Perry and Deepa Pullanikkatil in The Conversation on why beating poverty needs partnerships and collaboration – not just money …
Beating Poverty Needs Partnerships and Collaboration – Not Just Money
Nigeria recently surpassed India to become the country with the highest number of people living in extreme poverty: 87 million. Nigeria is oil rich and boasts Africa’s fastest growing economy. Yet six of its people fall into extreme poverty every minute.
Read a recent publication by Sustainable Futures in Africa’s Coordinators Dr Mia Perry and Deepa Pullanikkatil in The Conversation on why beating poverty needs partnerships and collaboration – not just money …
Dr Mia Perry on The Voice of the Cape
On Monday 20th August the Sustainable Futures in Africa network was delighted when Dr Mia Perry, network co-Coordinator was invited to speak on The Voice of the Cape, a South African radio show to speak about the recent article in The Conversation on ‘beating poverty’.(https://theconversation.com/beating-poverty-needs-partnerships-and-collaboration-not-just-money-101145)
We’re incredibly excited to be live on @VOCfm today at 16:45pm CAT. Network PI @MiaJPerry will be discussing “Beating poverty” @UofGGCID #SouthAfrica #beatingpoverty #sustainabledevelopment pic.twitter.com/hwX2kINedX
— S F Africa (@SF_Africa) August 20, 2018
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
Skills Development for Community Youth
ECOaction has partnered with a local girls school, Nabisunsa Girls School, to motivate youth in the community to reduce, reuse and recycle! Reagan has described how their school grounds have been transformed into a colorful urban garden with greenhouses for growing crops. It is hoped that the skills that these pupils will gain through this experience will help the youth tackle unemployment.
Dr Grace Lubaale of Kyambogo University spoke to The Daily Monitor, a Ugandan newspaper praising Reagan's community work, outlining that:
“Instead of many educators clinging to old and increasingly ineffective methods of teaching, it is better to use innovative teaching methods. This will help to produce a type of students that think outside the box, who can use what is available to bring about something new,”
“The amount of rubbish we create is constantly increasing because we have no proper disposal policy and if all our students are trained on how to manage this waste, they can extend the knowledge to the bigger communities,” says Reagan Kandole of ECOaction village, Banda.
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