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| On
December last Democracywatch launched a new course entitled
Democracy Training Programme popularly known as GGTP.
When we talk to people about GGTP the initial reaction
is usually: A course on democracy! What on earth is it?
May I take this opportunity to explain in brief the why,
what and how related queries regarding the course? Thank
you. |
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| Like
a few other NGOs Democracywatch also works
towards promotion and awareness of democracy
and good governance in the country. It conducts
opinion polls, carries out campaigns, holds
seminars, workshops and hard question sessions
on problems close to home. Its training idea
is a relatively new initiative. It lasts for
four months. Out of this four months the first
2 ½ months consists of in house training
and research while the next 1½ months
is devoted to internship. At the end of in
house training the students submit their research
reports. On the other hand they have to record
their experiences in a process diary through
out the internship period. Finally they are
evaluated on the basis of the research report.
Further, they are deemed to have completed
the internship period on submission of the
process diary. Besides all through the class
time they fill out self- audit grids so as
to evaluate their own development. |
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| It
grew out of the need for the development
of a new generation of leadership who
will enact good governance in their
respective areas in future Bangladesh.
What are the qualities of a good leader
in a democracy? Before designing the
curriculum we had a lot of discussions
on this. Three attributes embrace most
of the traits identified e.g. knowledge/information,
skill, attitude. Therefore the training
tries to: |
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Impart
useful information on good governance
and democracy. |
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Provide
technological, cognitive and socio-linguistic
skills. |
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Encourage
democratic attitude. |
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training has two folds: content and process. |
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training covers the knowledge part through the content.
We have a syllabus on democracy and good governance. It
is flexible and responds to the needs of the time. The
students get a basic idea on the concept of democracy,
good governance, are informed about the structures of
different organs of the state, the human rights laws. |
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try to provide skills and promote attitude through the
process of teaching and learning. We have activities like
debates, presentation, media watch, governance watch through
photography, group work, parliament visit, and internship
with various NGOs. Our concentration is on developing
confidence, interpersonal skills, making them proactive
and honest, increase their self-direction, reflection
abilities. Through the process they learn to use the computer,
OHP, camera, video camera, write letters, reports, minutes
of meetings , acquire problem solving and analyzing skills,
learn how to contexualize and personalize problems, conduct
a social survey and opinion poll, research methodology
etc. |
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| During
my formal education there was a concept distance between
the text and my own life which had no immediate application
in day-to-day life. It was as if we were preparing for
some future purposes. To top it all, the learning exercise
was mostly rote learning. Freire calls this kind of learning
an education for domestication, which destroys creativity.
In GGTP creativity and reflection are key words.
The
curriculum is based on the principles of adult education.
Adult educators like Kolb, Mezirow, Paulo Freire have
given most importance to the experience and self-direction
that adult students bring into a learning situation.
Learning occurs when students are able to reflect on
their experience and afterwards act in the light of
their new knowledge. According to David, Kolb learning
is "the process where knowledge is created through
the transformation of experience" (Kolb, David
A. 1984, Experiencial Learning, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:
Prentice Hall).
It
gives more importance to the process of adaptation and
learning as opposed to content or outcomes. The kind
of learning process that the students undergo in GGTP
can be expressed through the following learning cycle.
It is an adaptation of Kolb’s experiential learning
cycle.
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