Workshop to produce an information kit on the ideas for action
(November 23-28, 1992)
Many environmental issues involve complex and technical
information and processes which are difficult to understand. Majority of the
people do not yet understand the very basic issues related to, for example,
ozone depletion or global warming or the loss of biodiversity.
The difficult process of simplifying such kinds of information
for specific audiences is no/systematically implemented on a large scale in the
Philippines.
The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)
believes that there is currently a great need for quality educational printed
materials which can be used by teachers, trainors, educators, policymakers, key
sector leaders and others throughout the Philippines in the area of
environmental education. These printed materials will convey the
difficult-to-understand concepts into more appropriate information kits for
wider dissemination.
IIRR is aware that there are government and non-government
organizations (GOs/NGOs) that are currently producing environmental education
materials. Therefore, the primary step the Institute took was to network with
these GOs and NGOs to establish the state-of-the-art for environmental education
materials within the Philippines.
The information kit on the Ideas for Action was produced through
the use of a workshop involving technical and communication experts. The
workshop approach has been successfully implemented by IIRR to speed up and
improve the production of various technology-focused kits, such as the
Biointensive Gardening, Regenerative Agriculture Technologies, Agroforestry,
Low-input Rice Production and Integrated Agriculture Aquaculture Technologies.
The workshop was held on November 23-28, 1992, at the IIRR
Campus in Silang, Cavite, Philippines. The participants came from key
organizations involved in environmental work, such as the Bureau of Soil and
Water Management, Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), Department
of Health, Earth Station, Green Alert, Haribon Foundation, Philippine Wetland
and Wildlife Conservation Foundation, Inc. (PWWCFI), International Institute of
Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), International Resource Recovery and Recycling
Network (IRREN), Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), SEAFDEC,
University of the Philippines at Los Ba(UPLB) and Wildlife Biology
Laboratory of UPLB. Because these participants consisted primarily of the
practitioner-types, reflective of the intended user-audience, the potential
relevance of the kit was improved. In addition, the papers underwent instant
critical peer review and revision, a process which normally takes several days
or even weeks. Finally, the presence of communication specialists (writers,
editors, artists) facilitated the appropriate presentation and design of
materials.
This technology information kit focuses on Philippine situation,
is designed for learning about basic concepts, issues and problems related to
environment and natural resource use and degradation and is intended for
nationwide use by students, trainors and GO/NGO policymakers.
Workshop to Produce an Information Kit on the Ideas for Action
(November 23-28,
1992)
