Robin Cole-Hamilton - Massar- Cultural Transformation in Syria

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Massar Life is a journey…

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Transcript of Robin Cole-Hamilton - Massar- Cultural Transformation in Syria

Page 1: Robin Cole-Hamilton - Massar- Cultural Transformation in Syria

Massar

Life is a journey…

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• Syria: one-party state; 18+18m population; commodity producer; GDP c$42bn; oil/water short; sanctions; Iraq

• Change: role of government; private sector; global relationships. Old Guard factor

• Tiny/fragmented/no civil society/ third sector

• 40% of Syria’s population <15 years old; 60% <25

• 5% of young people with personal access to a PC, <2% of all web content available in Arabic

• Formal education system based on rote teaching; values knowledge over competences; stigmatises failure

• High youth unemployment; lack of basic business skills

The context in 2004

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• Systemic, institutionalised bystander syndrome

• Dominance of inhibitory “rules”; orthodoxy; dependence on instruction, permission

• Absence of non-formal learning opportunities

• Premium on traditional professions as career, esp. medical; talent drain

• Knowledge economy opportunity – value chain

• Empty promises, white elephants, Damascus-centred

• Cultural integrity, cultural disparity

• Concept shift: “children’s museum” “citizenship”

• [Responsibility, Participation, Contribution, Individual]

Early analysis

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Massar

• Project began February 2005

• Non-governmental, not-for-profit

• Mixed funding model

• Provides non-formal active learning opportunities through multiple channels

• A national programme, open to all (1.5% special needs)

• Works in partnership with government and other NGOs

• Fosters competences (life skills), “the habits of citizenship”, new attitudes, new perspectives

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Through science-based, hands-on experiences we will foster in the young

people of Syria a deeper understanding and appreciation of their world, and empower them as individuals to contribute actively

and positively in building their future.

The vision

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Five steps towards responsibility

Drawing on work of John Darley, Bibb Latané and Erwin Staub

• I am self awareness, critical thinking, confidence, sense of worth, curiosity

• I understand knowledge of the world, connection to people, issues, choices

• I can self direction, capability, creativity, licence to fail, collaboration

• I should values, empathy, insight, care, inclusion

• I do contribution, engagement, activity,result, catalyst

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by directly reaching

8 million5-21 year-olds

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Massar channels

• Touring programme - >190,000 attendance to date

• Regional centres - Lattakia 2007 (+Homs, Aleppo)

• Web & ICT - portal, programs, computer labs (+OLPC)

• National discovery centre - Damascus 2012/13

• Events plus national/local media

• “Safe space” for expression, experiment, exploration

• Work phases: PARTNER, DEVELOP, DELIVER, EMBED

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Touring programme

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Regional centres

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Web & ICT

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Discovery centre Damascus

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Events

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Massar characteristics

• Content – exploration, issues-based, towards action

• Programmes – validate, involve, collaborate, pro-social, inclusive

• Platforms – “space”, permission, structure, user-ownership, open-source

• Partnerships – with, not for

• Communication – heroes, exemplars, catalysts

• Non-formal learning – fun, hands-on, multiple learning styles, social, challenging

• Values – internal as well as external

• Long-term – generational change

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Citizenship in action

• Recycling project

• Charity fun run

• Blood donor database

• Teaching IT skills to old, blind, deaf

• Young journalists special needs project

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Massar’s own journey

• It’s happening

• Impact: c350,000 reached directly; c50,000 on-line; c400,000 indirectly (media) – drop in the ocean!

• Influence on emerging schools curriculum, comms and ICT, social development (Massar as common thread)

• International interest eg HBS, OSI, OLPC

• Two regions in development; discovery centre under construction; growth rate dependent on building sustainable resource/income models

• Brand is trusted by stakeholders

• Making the case for change, alternatives, possibility

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Lessons

• Belief (in young people, purpose, future), respect

• Up-front thinking gets to the deep What For?

• Deliver!

• Cultural sensitivity; response, not imposition

• Catalysts act as multipliers

• The organisation must represent/“live” the values

• Be honest about long haul, get quick touchable wins

• Create partnerships, ownership

• Communicate obsessively, but don’t over-promise

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Responses

“It opens up the eyes of children to the larger world and helps them explore and become self-dependent” – parent

“We felt free to put our thoughts into words and I felt that my opinion was being heard and respected” – teenager

“I wish my parents could have been here to see that I have opinions” - 12-year-old

“Children remember information they gather themselves much more than that passed to them through conventional teaching” – teacher

“Now that we have Massar I no longer feel we are less privileged than children in the west” - 14-year-old

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“We may not have changed anything but

we changed ourselves.”

Massar volunteer, age 16, 2009

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“A small revolution.”

HE Mrs Asma Al-Assad