(Education Today Society Tomorrow) in India
TASC co-organized the first ETST (Education Today Society Tomorrow) conference at Asia Plateau (the Initiatives of Change center) in Maharashtra – India between January 8 and 12, 2024. The preparation for the conference started six months ahead through bi-monthly online meetings with colleagues from India, Indonesia, Australia and the UK.
Five Lebanese and one Syrian educator who know about TASC vision were invited to attend ETST. Three were already familiar with Initiatives of Change, while three others were new to the network. They all gave valuable input during the Plenaries, the Workshops and the Open Spaces.
The conference included three plenaries, six workshops, one open space to share educational books and tools and a networking session for forging collaborative partnerships among educators. Each day of the conference started with an “Inner reflection” and ended with a family group gathering and a cultural input. The attendees also had the chance to walk together to Tableland. All was preceded by an opening conversation by Professor Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma, while the valedictory speech was given by Professor Gerald Pillay, former dean of Liverpool Hope University and current president of Initiatives of Change – International.
The Plenaries addressed the following subjects:
- The role of education in promoting an inclusive and compassionate world vis-à-vis societal extremism and violence.
- The role of critical thinking and reflection in education vis-à-vis the challenges posed by social media and fake news.
- The power of ONE.
The six workshops deepened the plenary topics. The conference resulted in creating a network among participants, hence sharing knowledge and tools, with the many possibilities for in person or virtual training visits ahead. The network will be meeting every trimester. A complete report about the conference will soon be shared and a book on outstanding teachers like the ones met during “the power of ONE” plenary will be co-created by the participants.
