Over the years, we have been inspired by our partners and see the potential of our network. In our role as facilitators, we create various opportunities to learn from one another. The goal is to provide a platform for those not traditionally seen as experts and establish spaces for traditional knowledge, co-learning and exchange. In doing so, we believe grassroots initiatives are strengthened, and sustained transformational change is possible.
Create Opportunities for Exchange
The first step is creating opportunities through our curriculum for exchange between communities we work alongside. Simply asking folks to travel with us to another country, village or city provides a hands-on learning opportunity to see different approaches to community engagement and development in action. Thus ensuring the community is empowered as experts and we are not taking ownership of traditional knowledge for our own gain.
Partner with Universities
& Student Groups
Universities often provide an important linkage between grassroots action and policy, making them an indispensable partner in our work. More importantly, young people are key for transformational change, and our programs take steps to work with student groups locally. An afternoon of exchange with folks from a host institution is not enough. We believe local students should have the same opportunities as those studying abroad with Western Washington University. This allows for more meaningful immersion, and local students, often from urban areas, can learn about places and people they may not have otherwise ever visited. The learning opportunities created through our programs have long-term impacts on future generations. Huyen and Thao are two examples of alumni from our Vietnam program that are doing fantastic work!
Learn from our Network
Facilitate Peer to Peer Learning
There is power in learning from peers outside of the traditional classroom setting. This is true no matter your age, and it has been key to allow communities to learn from one another because it fosters collaboration instead of competition. When learning this way, participants can build on each other's strengths and connect their lived reality locally to the broader context. Mr. Nhuong and farmers from Thanh Dong Organic Garden in central Vietnam, pictured here, have shown us the potential of peer-to-peer learning, as they work to teach other communities about asset-based community development, livelihoods and watershed conservation. Instead of taking years to build local trust and overcome the challenges left behind by failed development projects, the process is accelerated, and participants take ownership of their future vision. In the end, communities create a network for collaboration, which can profoundly benefit local livelihoods and environmental conservation.
