Sangsaeng No 39

No.39 Spring 2014

Living Together Helping Each Other

Exploring Colourful Asia Higher Education, the Right Vector for Broader Change Shining Blue Pearl of Central Asia Interview with the EFA Global Monitoring Report Team ISSN 1599-4880

contents 3

Director’s Message

4 Special Column

Higher Education, the Right Vector for Broader Change

7 Focus: Exploring Colourful Asia 7 12 17 22

12

Holi- Indian Festival of Colours and Joy Shining Blue Pearl of Central Asia What a Dish, China’s Spice of Life Korea’s Traditional Colours and Their Presence in Daily Life

7

4

27 Best Practices 27 30

Wars Past Used to Promote Peace Education The Mosaic of Understanding

34 Comic Relief

22

Ab Hara’s Dream

35 Special Report

S a n g S a e n g ( 상 생 ) i s p u bl i s h e d three times a year by the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) under the auspices of UNESCO. 120, Saemal-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 152-050 Tel: (+82-2) 774-3956 Fax: (+82-2) 774-3958 E-mail: sangsaeng@unescoapceiu.org Web: www.unescoapceiu.org/sangsaeng

Towards Global Capacities Education

38 Interview

Making the Right to a Proper Education Universal

42 Letter

A Must-be Programme for Educators

44 Peace in My Memory

Battling Dyslexia Through Images and Inspiration

47 Understanding

the Asia-Pacific Region

Thailand’s Rock Art Opens Gates of History

50 APCEIU in Action

Living Together Helping Each Other

ISSN 1599-4880 Registration No: 구로바-00017

Cover photo: Vivid colours of gulal

Publisher: Utak Chung Editor-in-Chief: Kwanghyun Kim Editor: Sunmi Ji Copy Editor: Yoav Cerralbo Designed by: Seoul Selection Printed by: Pyung Hwa Dang

powder used to celebrate Holi in India

SangSaeng (상생) , a Korean word with Chinese roots, is composed of two characters: Sang (相), meaning “mutual” (each other) and Saeng (生), meaning “life.” Put together, they mean “living together,” “helping each other,” which is our vision for the Asia-Pacific region. SangSaeng (相生) aims to be a forum for constructive discussion of issues, methods and experiences in the area of Education for International Understanding. SangSaeng also seeks to promote Global Citizenship Education, which is one of the three priorities of Global Education First Initiative launched by the United Nations in 2012. © Sungman Lee

Signed articles express the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of APCEIU.

Facebook /unescoapceiu Twitter @apceiu Google+ +UnescoAPCEIUorg2014 Homepage www.unescoapceiu.org

© APCEIU

Director’s Message

APCEIU staff with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova (sixth from left) during her official visit

T

he use and appreciation of colours can be effective tools to

that celebrates the start of spring, Director Neeharika presents the

explore cultures. Among the five senses, humans absorb 87

meaning of this holiday which unites all Indians regardless of their

per cent of the information flowing around any given day through

age, gender, ethnicity, and religion to share their colourful delights.

their eyesight. Therefore, every process of perceiving and using

In another story, Dr. Nozim takes us into a journey through the

colours reflects the cultures that surround human beings.

fascinating world of the blue domes in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

As you may have or be about to read in this issue of SangSaeng,

Furthermore, Professor Choe and Dr. Cho give us an opportunity

the colours that are intimately connected to our everyday lives can

to get a taste of colour perceptions and usages in China and Korea,

help us understand the different cultures in the world better.

respectively.

Colours matter. Since we are in a rapidly changing and closely

At the beginning of this year, I felt jubilant as I envisioned how

intertwined world, colours are gaining more importance in our

colourful APCEIU’s future will be. On 3 February 2014, UNESCO

daily lives than ever before. For instance, we understand the

Director-General Irina Bokova officially visited our office in

meaning of traffic light; wherever you are, red means “stop” and

Seoul and applauded APCEIU’s efforts to foster global citizenship

green means “go.”

towards a Culture of Peace. Aligned with ongoing global solidarity,

It is clear that any form of education, be it at home or in school, is what made people in every corner of the world comprehend the

APCEIU will take a leading role in solving educational imperatives towards the post-2015.

meaning of these colours. Otherwise, we would be in a panic mode

I hope the compelling articles in this colourful issue of

when we encounter traffic signals. Mutual understanding of, and

SangSaeng will rejuvenate your interest in Education for

interest in different cultures are in line with the example above.

International Understanding initiatives and values. Moreover, I

That is to say, they require our effort to learn about each other.

would like to cordially encourage you to participate in various

The ultimate goal for this spring issue of SangSaeng is to spur mutual understanding through the myriad of colours found in

APCEIU’s activities in order to understand and harmonize your own colours with the world.

Asia. To achieve this aim, this issue of SangSaeng endeavours to encapsulate multifarious stories from all over Asia.

With the introduction of Holi, the traditional Indian festival

Utak Chung Director

3

© AWU

Special Column

Higher Education, the Right Vector for Broader Change

By Kamal Ahmad (Founder, Asian University for Women, Bangladesh) mkamalahmad@gmail.com Mr. Kamal Ahmad

“L

andscapes can be deceptive. Sometimes a landscape seems

traditional notions of sovereignty, culture, and the nation-state are

to be less a setting for the life of its inhabitants than a

being challenged and reconsidered.

curtain behind which their struggles, achievements and accidents take place,” wrote art historian John Berger.

It is tempting to assume that this trajectory is happening everywhere, as even the very word “globalization” implies. But

So goes the contemporary narrative of globalization. There is

the truth obscured by this setting is that there are far too many

no question that the world is more interconnected today than ever

places where sectarianism, ethnic conflict, and religious extremism

before.

remain the norm and in fact may be on the rise. Especially in many

The interconnectedness has risen not only through movement

parts of the developing world, economic globalization may indeed

of people and manifold increases in global trade but also through

have arrived, as the surging numbers in trade would suggest, but it

supra national frameworks for organizing states that favour

has not always brought tolerance, collaboration, or understanding

collective identities such as the European Union.

to places previously wracked by conflict and extremism.

We want to believe that the world is opening up, that identities are broadening and cultures blending, and that a trajectory toward tolerance and respect of the "other" is unavoidable.

Furthermore, it is true that as people, ideas, and goods move faster and more easily than ever before, one side effect is that 4

Cultivating Peace A Culture of Peace like the one promoted by UNESCO does not result from mere declarations; it must be actively cultivated, as UNESCO has recognized with its Education for International

© AWU © AWU

© AWU

© AWU

Higher Education, the Right Vector for Broader Change

Spring 2014

Students participating in various activities at the university

Understanding initiative. In such a context, it is critical to promote

goal; 2010 saw a 90 per cent enrolment in primary education in

understanding and tolerance among citizens and among young

developing regions.

people in particular.

But while primary education is hugely important, and the

The values of multiculturalism and tolerance are most likely

MDGs rightly focused on that critical achievement, we are now

(though of course not guaranteed) to prosper in democratic

at a point where we can and should turn to secondary and higher

societies. Here, there is reason for optimism: according to the Polity

education, where significant enrolment and gender gaps remain. It

IV database, the world now has nearly 100 democratic countries—

is at this level that young men and women gain the tools to become

twice the amount that existed in 1990.

global citizens.

In this way, we are closer than ever to the Culture of Peace and

Without higher education, talented young people miss out on

understanding that UNESCO envisions, but there is still work to

opportunities to participate in an increasingly specialized global

be done, and, as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

economy and to be catalysts for positive change in their developing

recognize, education is a critical part of that work.

societies.

Our best hope for continuing on the path to democracy and

Higher Side of MDGs The second goal of the MDGs is to achieve universal primary education by 2015. Already, we have made great strides toward this

peace is a network of leaders forged in environments of cultural diversity and intellectual curiosity and rigor. At its best, this is what higher education can do.

5

Special Column The MDGs also give prominence to gender

Providing that space for students

parity and women’s empowerment. Here, again, it is higher education that will make the difference.

to reflect allowed solidarity to emerge from a collective recognition of the historical suffering.

We have achieved gender equality in primar y education, an impressive and praiseworthy accomplishment. But, if opportunities do not open up for women in higher education, we risk losing yet more

In an increasingly globalized complex world, this is precisely how higher education can and must be harnessed to transform societies for the better.

generations of talented women who have a

becomes possible.

We look for a demonstration of courage, for unless these young women have already demonstrated a remarkable degree of courage, they cannot be expected to serve as leaders; we look for a sense of outrage at injustice, for if injustice does not stir them, we fear the compass of their soul may not be set in the right direction; and, finally, we look for evidence of a sense of empathy, for if they are

great deal to give to their societies as leaders

not moved by the woes of other people, their

—higher education is one of the most effective instruments for promoting women’s empowerment and advancement, not only for individual women, but as vectors of broader change.

claim to leadership will run hollow.

From its founding, we have deliberately sought to bring together students from disparate cultures and countries, even at times from factions that are literally at war with one another.

Example in the Unlikeliest of Places It was this need that spurred the creation of the Asian University

Foe No More

for Women (AUW) in Chittagong, Bangladesh in 2008 and a good

For example, the university’s first class had a roughly equal amount

example of what can be done when goals are set and achievements

of Tamil and Sinhalese students at a time when those ethnic groups

are made.

were engaged in a civil war in Sri Lanka.

AUW was envisioned as a place where young women from across cultures, religions and nations come together to learn. These talented young women will inherit the paradoxes of globalization

Most of the Sinhalese students had never met a Tamil person before, and vice versa, until they arrived at AUW. But, in spite of a long legacy of conflict and distrust, those students developed a measure of trust and friendship through a

and identity-based conflict in the future.

The students therefore learn not only to tolerate difference, but

process of structured communication and reflection.

to embrace it. In fact, we believe that it is only when young people

It was no surprise that when the civil war in Sri Lanka came

from varied backgrounds come to live side-by-side, confronting in

to an end, AUW students—Tamil and Sinhalese together—made

their very personal ways their inherited notions of the “other,” that

the trek to Jaffna to voice their support for reconciliation and

a transformation from a communal to a more humanistic identity

demonstrate that young people can start a new page in Sri Lanka’s

© AWU

history.

Of course, no one culture or ethnic group has a monopoly on suffering, but the common threads of fear and misunderstanding underlie so many situations of ethnic conflict and oppression.

When people come together in the right framework and ask the right questions, they can overcome those factors and work toward peace and understanding.

Last year, we held a conference where students—Afghans, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, and others—could come together to tell their stories, both personal and historical. We called it the Passover Conference after the Jewish holiday dedicated to telling the story of the Exodus of the Jewish people out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt.

Providing that space for students to reflect allowed solidarity to emerge from a collective recognition of the historical suffering.

In an increasingly globalized complex world, this is precisely how higher education can and must be harnessed to transform Students with diverse backgrounds and nationalities

6

societies for the better.

Ancient Wisdom in Asian Traditional Houses

Holi- Indian Festival of Colours and Joy

Š Eric Lee

Spring 2014

A child covered with colour gulal powder People completely covered with colour gulal powder

Š Indian Tourism Office

By Neeharika Singh (Director, Indian Cultural Centre in the Republic of Korea) itc.seoul@mea.gov.in

7

© Eric Lee

Focus

A child covered with colour gulal powder

I

ndia, a young nation with an ancient civilization, is home to

Hiranyakashipu who believed he was divine and insisted that his

disparate religions and ethnicities.

people worship him.

The country’s rich social tapestry is adorned with a rainbow

However, his own son Prahlada was a devotee of Lord Vishnu.

of year round festivals and festivities. One of the most popular,

(Hindus believe in reincarnation and the Holy Trinity—Brahma

colourful and joyous of them all is the ancient festival of Holi which

(the creator), Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer).)

finds reference in ancient Indian texts and mythological stories.

In spite of several threats from Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada

Holi is essentially a harvest festival which is celebrated on a full

continued offering prayers to Lord Vishnu. Eventually, Prahlada

moon day, as the mild Indian winter begins to gradually recede and

was poisoned by his father, Hiranyakashipu, but the poison did not

blossoms begin to sprout, lending fragrance to the clean and crisp

work towards its toxic end and turned to nectar in his mouth.

spring air.

Since this first attempt did not succeed, Prahlada was ordered

Two integral elements of Holi are the evening tradition of the

to be trampled by elephants but the act also did not work and

burning of a bonfire on the day of Holi and the daytime playing

Prahlada remained unharmed. Next, Prahlada was put in a room

with colours.

with hungry, poisonous snakes and yet survived. Much to the king’s

Holi comes from the word “hola”, meaning to offer oblation or

surprise, all of Hiranyakashipu's attempts to kill his son failed.

prayer to the Almighty as a thanksgiving for a good harvest. It is

Finally, he ordered young Prahlada to sit on the lap of Holika,

also to remind people that those who are good and believe in God

Hiranyakashipu's demoness sister, who had received a boon of

will prevail, and those who are evil will be reduced to ashes, as the

being immune to fire.

mythical character Holika.

Prahlada readily accepted his father's orders and prayed to Lord Vishnu to keep him safe during this very difficult and trying time.

Father, Son’s Fiery Origins According to legend, there was once a demon king called 8

To everyone’s amazement, as Holika burnt to death, Prahlada emerged unharmed. Since then, the salvation of Prahlada and

Holi- Indian Festival of Colours and Joy

© Eric Lee

Spring 2014

A bonfire to re-enact the destruction of demoness Holika

the destruction of Holika are celebrated as Holi, symbolizing the

is that all differences—age, gender, ethnicity and religion—are

victory of good over evil.

forgotten in the ensuing competition to outdo each other.

“India's festival of Holi celebrates life, love and the long-

Grudges are forgotten, strains disappear, friends get closer and

awaited spring,” remarks The Daily Beast pithily. There are regional

new friendships are struck. Even flora and fauna are not spared,

variations, except for the levels of energy and enthusiasm that

which begin to temporarily adorn hues unintended by their

remain constant.

Creator. And, of course no Indian festival can be imagined without

A day before Holi, typically at or after sunset, a bonfire is lit

sumptuous food, sweets and drink.

to re-enact the destruction of demoness Holika. Ritual offerings

A special drink called thandai is prepared for the occasion,

are made to the fire, which are considered sacred by Indians. It is

made of milk, almonds, spices and sugar. It could also contain

accompanied by singing, dancing and roasting of grains.

bhang (the leaf and flower of the cannabis sativa plant) overindulgence of which could result in loads of mirth and delirious

Splashing a Rainbow On the next day, Holi is celebrated with a riot of colours – flower petals, powder and liquids. It is impossible to step out onto the streets and not to be smeared with colours.

antics. Resulting anecdotes regale the protagonists and others for a long long time to follow.

Holi-days Around India

Gaggles of youngsters armed with dry colours, coloured solution,

Though Holi is enjoyed throughout India, nowhere is the

means to fill and spray others with coloured solution, balloons that

celebration as grand and exciting as in the city of Mathura (Lord

can hold coloured water, and other creative means to colour their

Krishna’s birthplace) and the adjacent town of Vrindavan (the

targets patrol and dominate the roads looking for their “prey.”

region where, according to the Mahabharata, the deity Krishna

Furthermore, friends visit each other’s homes to paint them with all imaginable colours. What makes this holiday truly special

spent his childhood days), in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

9

© Miri Lee

© Miri Lee

Focus

People celebrating Holi with colour gulal powder in the temple

People from all over the country and even abroad converge

poles and trees. Youngsters compete in building human pyramids

to these places to witness the most colourful of week-long events.

to smash the pots with bare fists to the cheers and encouragement

Everyday there is a different kind of a celebration. A major

of hundreds (and even thousands) of onlookers. This ceremony is

attraction is the lath-mar Holi where women playfully hit the men

called the Matki Phod (Breaking the Clay Pot).

with sticks.

Holi is probably the most widely celebrated festival in India

Holi in India’s eastern state of West Bengal is celebrated by singing classical songs meant only for the occasion and playing musical instruments. In the northern agricultural state of Punjab, people demonstrate their skills in martial arts. In Goa, a western state, it is celebrated with bands, parades and night-time musical fare.

An elephant festival is held on the eve of Holi in India’s western desert state of Rajasthan. Elephant beauty-contests, parades

which helps erode physical boundaries of So here is a primer for the uninitiated. Grab some colour gulal powder, wear white clothes, catch hold of your friends, smear them, give them a tight hug, stuff their mouths with sweets and let the child in you come to the fore. In short, just have fun! Why wait, take a shot at it today.

and tugs-of-war make for great viewing and excitement.

In some parts of the country like Gujarat and Maharastra, a related tradition is to hang earthen pots of buttermilk high up on 10

colour, creed, and gender. It is particularly meant to re-enforce friendships and melt away grudges.

Holi is the only festival when even adults can behave like kids and play pranks on each other. It is said that Holi rejuvenates old hearts which acquire a young rhythm. This year the Festival of Colours was celebrated on March 17.

So here is a primer for the uninitiated.

Grab some colour gulal powder, wear white

clothes, catch hold of your friends, smear them, give them a tight hug, stuff their mouths with sweets and let the child in you come to the fore. In short, just have fun! Why wait, take a shot at it today.

Holi- Indian Festival of Colours and Joy

Š Miri Lee

Spring 2014

People throwing colour gulal powder each other

11

Focus

Shining Blue Pearl of Central Asia: Samarkand

Š Armen Avakyan/ APCEIU

By Nozim Khabibullaev (Director, State Museum of the History of Temurids, Uzbekistan) dilkur_1980@mail.ru

12

The dome of Gur-e Amir

Shining Blue Pearl of Central Asia

© APCEIU

© Armen Avakyan/ APCEIU

Spring 2014

The mausoleums of Shah-i-Zinda

“I

f you challenge our power, look at our buildings,” is the sentence inscribed above the entry of Amir Temur’s Ak-

Saray Palace in Shakhrisyabz.

Amir Temur was a ruler of a great empire that covered West,

Golden blue ceiling dome inside of Tilya-Kori madrasah

2750th anniversary.

Still to this date, the city has preserved its culture, art and unique architecture. Like in the past, the historical monuments of Samarkand still impress visitors with their beauty and grandness.

South and Central Asia, and founded the Temurid dynasty in Mawarannakhr (Transoxania), which is the ancient name used for the part of Central Asia corresponding approximately with modern-day Uzbekistan.

The magnificent medieval monuments of Samarkand are a testament to the architectural development that was predominant during the rule of the Temurids (1370–1507).

Many travellers who visited Samarkand during the medieval period described it as the most beautiful city in the world because of its many palaces and spectacular buildings and gardens.

During his journey to Samarkand in 1403, Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, ambassador from the court of Henry III of Castile, noted that the city has many palaces surrounded by orchards and vineyards, and between these orchards passed streets with open squares.

Samarkand, situated at the crossroad of the Great Silk Road in Central Asia, was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 under the name “Samarkand—Crossroad of Cultures.” In 2007, the ancient melting pot of the world’s cultures celebrated its

Classic Blue Domes Crown Buildings One of the great examples of Central Asian architecture is Registan Square (15th-17th centuries), which stands at the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand.

Registan (“sandy place” in Persian) is a square surrounded by three madrasahs: Ulugh Beg (1417–1420), Sher-Dor (1619–1636) and Tilya-Kori (1646–1660). Put into a unified context, these buildings complement each other even though they were built during different periods in history.

The blue domes decorating these architectural marvels easily inspire many visitors. One who sees the various blue colours accentuating these buildings could come to the conclusion that “Samarkand is the blue city.”

Architectural monuments built during the Temurid period were decorated with ceramics and gold carvings. On sight, there are no words to describe the magical feeling one has when they see the bluish-gold lights emanating into the sky of Samarkand.

One thing is for sure, in order to feel the blue coloured 13

Registan Square consisting of its three madrasahs (from left to right: Ulugh Beg, Tilya-Kori, and Sher-Dor Madrasah)

magic piercing into the sky from this ancient city, one has to visit Samarkand to appreciate its aura.

architectural ensemble.

Another blue-domed architecture decorating the city is the

Ulugh Beg Madrasah, located on the left side of Registan

Bibi-Khanym Mosque. The monument is situated between Registan

Square, was constructed according to Muslim traditions in full

Square and the ancient site of Afrosiyob which has today become a

conformity with the requirements of the times. It is the classical

hilly grass mount. It is also a popular mosque for Friday prayer.

example of a spiritual educational institution of Central Asia.

According to the manuscripts, the mosque was erected by

On the opposite side of Ulugh Beg stands Sher-Dor Madrasah.

the order of Temur in 1399-1404. The entrance that leads to a

Meaning “having tiger,” Sher-Dor is decorated using natural

wide yard is decorated with round minarets. There are two cupola

colours and bright ornaments graced with madder plants such as

constructions with ayvans on the crossing axis.

mulberries, grapes and lemons.

On the longitudinal axis, just opposite the portal, is the main

Tilya-Kori Madrasah (“gilded”), located at the far end of the

mosque building with its own entrance and octagon minarets. The

square’s entrance, was not only a residential college for students,

building’s huge hall is covered with a double dome. The decorations

but also a grand mosque (masjid). This madrasah is located in the

are very different and rich from other sites in the city. There are

northern part of square and is the final building in the Registan

a lot of carved marble tiles and panels, glazed and unglazed tiles,

14

© State Museum of the History of Temurids, Uzbekistan.

Spring 2014

majolica and mosaics. According to Gonzalez, 90 elephants were

drum and is famous for its simplicity and for its solemn

employed to carry precious stones from India to decorate the

appearance.

mosque.

The construction of the mausoleum itself began in 1403 after

During the reign of Temur’s grandson in the first half of the

the sudden death of Muhammad Sultan, Temur’s heir apparent and

14th century, Ulugh Beg artisans built a big stand intended to hold

his beloved grandson, for whom it was intended. However, when

the Koran and decorated it with magnificent carvings. Nowadays,

Temur died in 1405 during his military campaign to China, it was

it is located in the mosque’s yard. Bibi-Khanym mosque is a

decided to bury his body in the mausoleum.

masterpiece of medieval architecture. It affected the architecture of all Central Asia as well as of Iran and Afghanistan.

The Amir Temur Mausoleum (Gur-e Amir) is another strikingly decorated monument that employs the colour blue. The monument is covered with vegetative and geometric mosaics and epigraphic ornaments.

The octagon shaped mausoleum is covered with a cylindrical

Later, the building also became the final resting place for his sons Shahrukh and Miranshah and grandsons Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan as well as Temur’s spiritual mentor Sayyid Baraka.

Under Temur’s reign, Samarkand became the capital of his empire and was filled with beautiful and unique architectural monuments.

15

Focus Temur made great contributions to the cultural development of

Since the 11th century, Sufism, the mystical form of the Islamic

the city’s infrastructure. He ordered that stones and bricks be used

faith, spread throughout Central Asia. It bears mentioning that

to line the surface of the broad streets he wanted his city to have.

Sufism is closely linked to the practice of geometry, above all, in

To this day, the preparation of the colours used to decorate Samarkand’s architectural wonders remains a mystery. Certainly, using natural colours on Temurids’ Renaissance works probably helped to preserve the integrity of these architectural monuments.

the form of symmetries as a way of giving physical expression to mystical thought.

The architectural tiles of the medieval madrasahs in Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Shakhrisyabz are examples of stylized geometric shapes such as a decagon, a pentagon, a

Meaning Behind Blue

hexagon, a rhombus and a bowtie.

The patterns use grid systems and

Indeed, the distinct characters that © State Museum of the History of Temurids, Uzbekistan.

are related to the rainbow colours are connected to the different emotions we all have.

Different colours were purposely selected to be used for highlighting and decorating architectural monuments, handicrafts or traditional clothes.

Scholars, poets, painters, engravers

© State Museum of the History of Temurids, Uzbekistan.

the names of each colour and their symbolic meaning.

Since the colour blue symbolizes life, there is no doubt in my mind that this representation of our existence embodies the spiritual heritage of our ancestors.

Geometric patterns in Islamic architecture and ornamentation were used as much for spiritual as for artistic reasons.

The Temurids architecture and

emphasis on geometry and symmetry.

The design of tiles represents models of possible construction of perfect quasicrystals in modern applied physics.

Many mystical schools established in Transoxania and Khorasan (Yassavia, Kubrovia, Kodiria, Naqshbandia) used the colours representing blue,

In other words, their wisdom, The architectural decors of Shah-i-Zinda

yellow, red, black, green, white and

The Sher-Dor Madrasah

colourlessness to describe the human

The shining blue domes in Samarkand are a reflection into the human soul—they offer an insight into the lucidity and brightness of the mind, they explain a person’s activity throughout his or her life, they are a treasure trove of colours that portrays one’s feelings and delves into the universal and moral aesthetic delights life offers.

If the colour blue is described as the representation of the human soul, then we can denote that Samarkand is a blue, young, virtuous city located in the heart of Central Asia.

Blue is the symbol of devotion, sincerity, victory and glory. It is the symbol of luck and the sky. In ancient history, the colour blue represented water.

Therefore, architectural masters in Central Asian ceramic design mostly used the colour blue because it is a symbol of the light-blue skies above us. That is one of the reasons why the blue domes of Samarkand are compared to the skies they continuously point to.

16

projections.

which is particularly noted for its

between more than 200 colours, knew

to generation, remains alive forever.

and distinguish three-dimensional

design developed into a distinct style,

and calligraphers could differentiate

which is passed down from generation

colour-coding to highlight symmetries

soul.

In some places, the colour blue used in homes was a sign of protection from the evil eye. With this purpose, patterned ceramic dishes or its two broken parts were placed on two sides of a fence surrounding a house.

The common denominator connecting the shades described as sky blue, light blue and dark blue is the colour blue.

Etymologically speaking, blue literally means water in Arabic.

The colour blue is the symbol of mutual understanding, devotion and loyalty. It is the colour that brings certain calmness to the heart, fends off troubles, and delights everybody.

Even today, the national flag of Uzbekistan uses colours that represent a deep meaning based on heritage and a historical context that dates back to the times of Temur. To further these metaphors, the colour blue in the Uzbek flag symbolizes and conjures images of clear skies and pure water.

What a Dish, China’s Spice of Life

© Julia Frost

Spring 2014

Sichuan peppercorn

What a Dish, China’s Spice of Life Experiencing China Through its Regionally Diverse, Distinct Spicy Food

By Geumdan Choe (Exchange Professor, Soochow University, China) cuijd@dreamwiz.com

17

Focus

Spicy Map of China

Source: www.mychinesetutor.org

T

he country that is China conjures up images of the colour red; a colour that represents luck or good fortune in China and is

easily seen everywhere in the country.

Besides its predominance in everyday life, the colour red can be found in different types of Chinese food. Most of these dishes are spicy, made with red peppers.

Nowadays, Chinese restaurants can be easily spotted in many parts of world, but Chinese dishes served in those restaurants are not the same as the ones that are served in China because they are mostly transformed in order to cater to the local taste palette.

When tourists visit China and try the local food, many of them fail to adapt to the original culinary delights of the country. They end up eating the food that they brought from their home country or lose weight by the time they leave. Local spicy dishes are well beyond their expectation because they are just too hot to bear.

Breaking Down the Spice The Chinese have different preferences in food depending on where they live. Furthermore, Chinese foods can be divided into eight culinary traditions which are not only based on geographical locations but also on the food’s complexity, history, cooking features, climate, resources and life styles.

Though there are some overlapping recipes, generally, each cuisine is distinctive and brings its own style and flavour to the mix.

These eight regions are Chuan for Sichuan cuisine, Jing for Beijing cuisine, Lu for foods from the Shandong region, Su covers Jiangsu dishes, the region of Hui covers Anhui culinary delights, Xiang is known for Hunan (Mandarin) recipes, Min represents Fujian foods and last but not least is Yue for Guangzhou (Cantonese) cuisine.

Dishes in the southern areas taste sweet while people in the northern areas prefer salty foods. In the east, the food is spicy while people in the western areas make their food sour. Some foreigners

18

What a Dish, China’s Spice of Life

© Sungman Lee

© Geumdan Choe

© Katherine Preston

© China National Tourist Office, Seoul

Spring 2014

Facing Heaven Chili

Sichuan hotpot

Stinky tofu

Mapo tofu

may say that Chinese dishes are greasy, but the spiciness found in these dishes removes the greasiness.

As you can see from the spicy map of China, in more than half of the country’s regions, Chinese people enjoy spicy foods.

There is an old saying, “Sichuan dogs would bark if the sun rises in the morning.” The region is humid and there is no heating system. To fight the cold and humidity, people enjoy mapo tofu or Sichuan hotpot.

Other than people living in Sichuan and Chongqing, there are

Sichuan peppers grow straight up, in the same direction as the

many other regions where people enjoy spicy foods (made with red

sky it faces and are about the size of an adult pinky finger. Though

peppers) in every meal such as Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi,

the size is small, Sichuan peppers taste extremely spicy compared

Anhui, Fujian, Shanxi, and Shaanxi.

to other peppers.

Especially, people in Guizhou and Hunan love spicy food and as the intensity of spiciness goes up, so does their enjoyment.

Resting on top of the melange of ingredients found in a Sichuan hotpot, you may notice pea-sized black-reddish Sichuan

In Sichuan, it is a common belief that people fear dishes that

peppercorns floating in the mix. The fruit of the Sichuan

are not spicy. Also, if you are a young lady from Sichuan, you are

peppercorns is red when it is fully ripe, and turns reddish black

often referred to as a spicy lady because you not only enjoy spicy

when it is dried.

food but you are also likely to be confident and have a strong character.

At this point, you might wonder why Chinese food gets spicier

The Chinese describe the taste as paralyzing because it makes the inside of one’s mouth and throat dull. Also, long ago, these Sichuan peppercorns were used as an anaesthetic.

and redder as you move to the south. What is the cultural and regional background behind the people’s preference for spicy food?

The preference for spicy foods highly depends on the region.

The idea that Chinese people love spicy foods probably originated from the people living in Sichuan.

Sichuan’s spicy dishes have become popular in many countries, but the level of spiciness is very different from local Sichuan dishes.

Sichuan is located in the deep south. It rains every night so you hardly see the sun in the morning.

Peeking Inside Jars In Sichuan, every house ferments powdered red peppers, garlic and ginger in a special jar. After it has been fully fermented, they use it in cooking.

In Hunan, famous dishes are made with pickled fish or pork.

More than 70 per cent of Hunan’s population is comprised of the Dong people. Hunan is surrounded by lakes and mountains, so fresh fish and pork are a good source of protein in the region.

19

Š Geumdan Choe

Focus

Jars filled with suan yu and suan rou

Due to its hot and humid climate, their ancestors developed salting practices to preserve food. In November and December,

little throughout the year. It reminds them of their hometown or their mother’s cuisine.

people catch fat carp and remove its intestines, then dip it in

In the past, wealth was represented by how many jars of suan

cheong ju (refined rice wine) to remove the fishy smell. After that,

yu or suan rou they had, not by how much livestock or farmland

they fill the fish with dried peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and

they owned. It shows their love for this certain type of dish.

garlic and place them in a jar. They then sprinkle salt on top of the fish and wrap the jar.

As a main ingredient, suan yu is made with pork and accentuated with dried peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and garlic between the pieces of pork, and then placed one on top of the other in a jar. Also in this recipe, they sprinkle salt on the food and wrap the jar. After a month, oil secretes from the pork and carp. People may choose to eat it raw or broil it.

These dishes are well-suited for serving VIPs or for an important event. Usually, these dishes are sour, salty, and spicy.

If you are planning to try this dish for the first time, let me warn you, you may not like the taste. However, people in this region cherish this food, so they save it in a jar and eat it little by 20

Necessity is the Mother As we move towards the north, Shanxi is located deep in China and the climate is cold and dry.

Due to geological factors, there are limited types of vegetables and fruit that can grow so it is more difficult to cultivate vegetables and fruit that contain vitamin C. In order to curtail this deficit, people in this region also enjoy spicy foods that contain vitamin C-rich peppers. The mode of preparing their foods is by frying powdered red peppers and mixing it with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and black vinegar (local specialty) to make a red pepper paste. This special mix is

What a Dish, China’s Spice of Life

Š Rubygarden

Spring 2014

Red decorative items wishing luck in China

considered one of the famous dishes from the region.

Flour-based foods such as noodles or plain steamed bread are

clothing from top to bottom including her undergarments during their wedding ceremony.

served at every meal. At times, when they do not have any side

Today, people who still preserve their traditions wear a red

dishes, they bring out fried red pepper paste and a bowl of black

belt around their waist every 12 years, the year in which they were

vinegar to mix it with noodles or eat it with plain steamed bread.

born (following the Chinese Zodiac) to prevent any bad luck from

The Chinese prefer the colour red to any other colour and dried red peppers are used in all spicy dishes.

occurring.

Some put a red and green ribbon around their new car and keep it under their rear bumper until the sunset, wishing for peace.

Red is Life For Chinese people, red is the colour that blocks all the bad luck and opens a door to prosperity, providing strength and vitality.

The Chinese flag is also red, and the same colour is used in many celebrations and events.

On the Chinese Lunar New Year for example, the Chinese write chun lian in black on a red background and post it on both sides of their front door.

Another example can be found with brides who wear all red

The Chinese use red envelopes for family events. However, there are some people who are not aware of this tradition and put money in a white envelope (used for funerals) which can be considered discourteous in Chinese culture.

It seems that many Chinese dishes are red not only because it stimulates appetite but also people wish to share prosperity and abundance through spicy foods.

Translated by Christine Seonyoung Hwang

21

Focus

Wedding ceremony depicted in Gisan Genre Paintings

Korea’s Traditional Colours and Their Presence in Daily Life

By Seungyeon Cho (Senior Curator, National Folk Museum of Korea) syco522@korea.kr

22

Spring 2014

Korea’s Traditional Colours and Their Presence in Daily Life colour is given a special meaning in combination with social rules, customs, and ideologies. The continuous and repetitive use of these meanings becomes enculturated within a specific region and creates a common semiotic system. This enculturation takes colours beyond the dimension of perception to a conceptual dimension of colour consciousness which is sometimes institutionalized by society.

The creation of meaning behind colours is not a matter of personal and individual preference or use, but involves the history, ideology, language, and customs of a society as well as elements of nature such as land and climate in which the society exists.

Thus, as a conceptualized commonality among people of the same culture, the consciousness and meaning behind colours can be a vital clue to understanding the socio-cultural characteristics and contents of a specific culture.

Traditional Colours of Korea There are colours that pop up in our minds when we think of a certain country, and these colours usually symbolize the national characteristics derived from the country’s history.

One of the major elements of Korean culture is the pursuit of harmony with nature. This tendency can be found in all cultural aspects of Korea, and colours are not an exception.

This effort to live by the principles of nature and the universe

© The National Folk Museum of Korea

was realized through the philosophical tradition of yin and yang, and the five elements of nature, and gave birth to the foundation of Korea’s traditional colours, the obangsaek (five directions of colour).

While colours are merely perceived today, ancestors of Korea added life to the colours by giving the colours meaning based on their ideologies and philosophy.

The five directions that the word obang points to are the east, west, south, north, and the centre, and the meaning and symbolism of each direction is attributed to a colour.

Obangsaek are also called obangjeongsaek (obang formal colours), and this term represents the five colours of blue, red,

A

yellow, white, and black.

ll objects have colours as a part of their physical attributes.

With these colours placed on each of their given directions—

These colours work as a cultural mark, acting as a sign or

blue on east, red on south, yellow on the centre, white on west,

symbol within the same culture.

Humans recognize an object’s property and existence through

black on north—obanggansaek (obang relation colours) are placed in between the formal colours.

colours and the stages through which this cognitive process occurs

These ten colours are used according to the principles of yin

lead us to specify the attributes of the object and further develop

and yang to maintain the order of the universe and to bring peace

symbolisms which are shared by the same cultural community.

and harmony, and together, they create Korea’s ethnic colour

Thus, the social perception of colours and their symbolization

system.

become a strong element of culture in a nation or ethnic group.

Although colours are perceived primarily through sight, each

What must be given most attention in understanding obangsaek is the relations between and among the colours.

23

Focus The harmony of colours is called sangsaeng (coexistence) or sangguk (complete opposite) depending on the relationship between the colours. Sangsaeng is used to express the complementary relationship of colours that create a lively effect when put together, and sangguk is used to express how colours maintain balance by preventing any one colour from overshadowing another.

In Korea, obangsaek are not just colours representing directions but also symbolize seasons and even philosophical perspectives on religion and the universe.

Of the five elements of nature, blue represents wood and the season of spring and as such, birth, life, and creation. It is also used to fend off evil spirits and wish for good luck.

Red represents fire, creation, passion, and activity, and is the strongest colour for preventing evil.

Yellow symbolizes earth, the centre of the universe (and so, placed as the centre of obangsaek) and is considered the most precious colour only to be worn by the king.

White is used to symbolize metal and possesses the meaning of innocence, truth, and purity. Black represents water and was thought of as the colour that oversees human wisdom.

Obangsaek, Colours from Nature The five colours of obangsaek are made from nature – plants, animals, and minerals.

Blue is made from either minerals or mercury plants, while white is derived from Cornish stone or chalk, and, in the case of oriental paintings, often from seashells, which were heated in fire and ground into fine powder.

The most representative material used for making yellow was orpiment, with which the colour, king’s yellow, can be made. Other shades of yellow used were gamboge made by solidifying the sap of wisteria and cork tree yellow which was used for book covers because of its protective qualities against insects. Gardenia was also often used to make bright yellow colouring.

Red was made most commonly from red sand and was used in making lacquer-ware and seal-ink, writing charms, and also as medicine. Safflower and madder plant was also sometimes used for red colouring.

Black was most commonly used as the ink for calligraphy, which was made by mixing burnt pine barks with natural glue.

Black could also be got from black stone or burnt rice paper plant.

These five colours from nature have a strong connection to the daily lives of Koreans. Based on the principles of yin and yang and the five elements of nature, Koreans have used the five colours together as a way to bring together the five elements of nature.

In all areas of daily life including clothes, food, and housing, the five colours were used according to their meaning and symbolism, sometimes differentiated in terms of use and social class and other times, as a way to push away the evil and bring good luck.

Such usage of colours has been preserved throughout history

Obang flags used in shamanistic ceremonies

24

© The National Folk Museum of Korea

© Taehan Hong

in part as Korea’s valued traditional culture.

Colourful eaves of Geunjeongjeon of Gyeongbok Palace

Korea’s Traditional Colours and Their Presence in Daily Life

© The National Folk Museum of Korea

Spring 2014

Obangsaek

Obangsaek in Daily Life

and woman.

Korea’s traditional obangsaek are closely related to Korean daily lives. In these colours, one can find the wisdom and values of Koreans in using colours to bring good luck and protect from evil in daily life.

dots put on the face of the bride are thought to shoo evil spirits that are jealous of the newlywed.

Korean traditional jackets, jeogori, with rainbow-coloured sleeves were also meant to protect the wearer from evil and to bring a long and healthy life.

In weddings, blue and red were the most commonly found colours and were used on

accessories of splendorous colours and shapes for weddings and on festive days to bring in good spirits.

Both the formal and relations colours of obangsaek used in knots were used as decoration. One can also see how diversely and

Obangsaek used in bridal clothing represent longevity and prosperity, and the red

Obangsaek were noticeably incorporated in the clothes and

Korea’s traditional colours, the obangsaek, have also been influenced by the various cultural aspects at each historical period of Korea and incorporated them into its own flow of culture, which continues its colourful presence even to the present day in the daily lives of Koreans.

the cloth for packaging ceremonial food and chicken, the strings placed with the dishes, and the candle used on the wedding table.

The blue and red represent yin and yang, and thus, also man

with care obangsaek were used in traditional Korean embroidery. Traditional embroidery was a way to bring the element of beauty in clothing as well as a way to show social class and position based on the beliefs of indigenous religion.

In terms of food, the tradition of bordering soy sauce pots with a gold string strung with a red pepper meant to prevent evil spirits from entering the pots.

Red bean porridge and rice cakes covered

with red bean paste were also used to fend off dark spirits.

Obangsaek were incorporated into all periods of life from birth to death. On the 21st day or the 100th day from birth, as well as for important ceremonies, white rice cakes were served because white 25

Focus was considered sacred.

dignity of royal palaces and temples.

The principle of yin and yang, and the five elements of nature

The traditional culture of colours reflects the ideology and

had a firm place in traditional Korean food, and conscious efforts

characteristics of the people as well as directions, seasons, and

were made to bring together the five tastes (spicy, sweet, salty, sour,

natural environments of the land, entangling these different

and bitter) and the five colours in the food that is served.

elements with complexity.

Obangsaek can be found in housing as well, and Korean

Korea’s traditional colours, the obangsaek, have also been

ancestors have used red clay as the main construction material and

influenced by the various cultural aspects at each historical period

pasted charms written in red on the walls on New Year’s Day to

of Korea and incorporated them into its own flow of culture, which

bring in good luck and fend off evil.

continues its colourful presence even to the present day in the daily

In particular, wooden buildings were coloured in obangsaek to

Translated by Shinai Kwon

Š The National Folk Museum of Korea

decorate as well as preserve the materials, and also to represent the

lives of Koreans.

Rainbow-coloured traditional jacket (jeogori) Traditional wedding ceremony clothes (back)

26

Best Practices

© Compassvale Secondary School and Suhaimi Afandi

Spring 2014

Poignant messages ‘In Remembrance’ of the war dead by visitors

Wars Past Used to Promote Peace Education

By Mark Baildon, Suhaimi Afandi, Chelva Rajah (National Institute of Education, Singapore) mark.baildon@nie.edu.sg

B

uilding a Culture of Peace requires dismantling the culture of war. Critical

and empathetic thinking are important tools in this effort, wrote Swee-Hin Toh in SangSaeng Magazine.

Peace education should help students become more aware of the images, messages, and artefacts in their culture that promote and perpetuate war, violence, and militarism.

Often, these are consumed in media

Peace education should help students become more aware of the images, messages, and artefacts in their culture that promote and perpetuate war, violence, and militarism.

Often, these are consumed in media and the larger culture without much thought and shape of the ways young people think and feel about conflict, war, and peace.

and the larger culture without much

students think about how history is constructed and used, why particular historical sites were created, and how they can shape ideas people have about the past with a highlight on the ways we want students to make an empathetic connection to the past, to feel on an emotional level the ways different people are affected by war.

We view these skills and dispositions as necessary to promote peace education for the 21st century.

Fieldtrips can be used to help students

thought and shape of the ways young people think and feel about

become careful and critical thinkers about artefacts, architecture,

conflict, war, and peace.

sites, monuments, historical markers, and museum displays as

I have listed guiding questions we use in this program to help

sources of evidence about the past.

27

The Kranji War Memorial and Cemetery

Historical sites also offer opportunities to empathize with those who were affected by war and to develop greater concern for others.

War Memorials to Promote Peace Education There are a number of ways monuments and memorials can be used to promote both history education and peace education.

Students can be encouraged to consider the story that is

© Compassvale Secondary School and Suhaimi Afandi

© Compassvale Secondary School and Suhaimi Afandi

Best Practices

Compassvale Secondary students partaking in proceedings on Remembrance Day

o What contexts help me understand what people thought, felt, or did?

• What values, ideas, or feelings are expressed through this site? o In what ways does the site help me understand the perspectives people had in the past? o What evidence from the site supports my ideas?

• What are other ways different people might think or feel about

conveyed by a particular site as well as alternative storylines about

this site and the history it represents?

those not depicted by the site, such as citizens or children. They

o How might someone from a different country, culture, or

might also take a reflective view to consider their own responses

perspective think and feel about this site and the history

We use the following guiding questions to help students think critically about historical sites: • What does this site tell me about the past? o Describe the people, objects, symbols, designs, etc. that you see.

that it represents? o Why might they have different reactions?

These questions can be tailored more specifically to have students directly engage with the war, the monument or memorial that were designed to commemorate.

o What information about the past does the site provide?

• Who sponsored or created the site and why was it created? o For what purposes was the site created? o What might they want viewers or visitors to think, believe, feel, or do?

• What techniques are used to influence me as a viewer? o Why are certain objects or people shown or placed where they are? o How are words, symbols or images used to influence what I think or feel?

The following questions guide students to view the site in more empathetic ways: • What clues does the site provide about what people thought, felt, or did in the past? o What evidence from the site supports my ideas?

28

© Jitendra Patel / CEE

(feelings, thoughts, etc.) and why they have these responses.

Empathetic Questions for Growth Using three war memorials in Singapore—the Kranji War Memorial, the Civilian War Memorial and the Cenotaph—we demonstrated how empathetic questions might be used with students and the kind of responses they might engender. The answers are written as responses that might be typical of a student visiting the site.

What clues do sites such as the Kranji War Memorial provide about what people thought, felt, or did in the past?

The creators of the site want people to know that the dead gave their lives for freedom. As a memorial to honour those who died during World War II, viewers are reminded that the site should be a place of respect for visitors. It represents deep emotions for the fallen, solemn observation and reflection, and informs people

Wars Past Used to Promote Peace Education

© Compassvale Secondary School and Suhaimi Afandi

Spring 2014

© Compassvale Secondary School and Suhaimi Afandi

Students reflecting on notions of peace in the context of Singapore’s war past

The Civilian War Memorial

values or background).

Others might be angry at the loss of life caused by the war, some might feel great sadness, but most can see the need to commemorate the shared experiences of local communities during the war.

The Civilian War Memorial, for example, is significant as it commemorates and acknowledges the many ordinary civilians in Singapore who lost their lives during the war.

It is an important reminder to value peace. This memorial also balances the seemingly militaristic tendencies that characterize other war memorials in Singapore.

Encouraging Responses The questions we have proposed can advance both history

about World War II.

education and peace education. They encourage students to

What values, ideas or feelings are expressed through these sites?

consider who created war monuments and memorials, for whom,

As a memorial that serves to honour those who died in both

and for what purposes. They also encourage students to think

World Wars, sites such as the Cenotaph make me feel indebted to

about and question their own and others’ responses to these sites

those who died so that I might live in freedom. The idea that freedom

and to war.

has to be defended is central to war memorials in Singapore.

By showing the names of every person who died, both the Kranji Memorial and the Cenotaph mark the individual

These questions can empower teachers and students to more fully understand how the past, present, and future are constructed through the interpretive practices of history.

contributions made on behalf of the defence of Singapore. The

Having empathy requires students to consider the perspectives

people who constructed this site want future generations to

and emotions of those affected by war, both in the past and the

remember the sacrifices made and the need to defend freedom.

present.

What are other ways different people might think or feel about war memorials and the history they represent?

Other people might have different perspectives of the war (because people view war in very different ways depending on their

Through empathetic understanding, teachers and students can begin to consider how war impacts different people, the views on war and peace that others may hold, as well as their own responses to war and its consequences.

29

© Port Lincoln Primary School Aboriginal Education Team

Best Practices

The Mosaic of Understanding: Coming Together – Learning Together – Growing Together

By Brian Gabb, Ann Lord, Vicki Bradbery, Jodi Kennedy (Port Lincoln Primary School Aboriginal Education Team, Australia) Brian.Gabb206@schools.sa.edu.au

Students participating at a mosaic workshop

T

he beginning pieces of this community mosaic were fashioned

struggle to find each other and fit.

approximately 40,000 to 50,000 years ago when the first

Port Lincoln Primary School looks to the cultural strength of

Australians migrated from Southeast Asia to the island continent

the first Australians, the Aboriginal people, to align its teaching

we call Australia.

and learning compass and to connect children’s learning on a

Similar to a mosaic art piece consisting of many separate

foundation of belonging, cultural identity and a way of being

pieces and made from different materials and colours, modern

together. This belief exemplifies the global and human values of

Australia is a developed, pluralist society. Australian schools cater

respect, diversity, unity, peace and harmony.

and provide a learning platform for a diverse range of students and families.

The school story begins with a simple planned action based on the key intent of broadening the children’s understanding of

The many opportunities and paradoxes that lie within this

culture by connecting with the local Aboriginal community; a

diverse and busy western “learning and earning lifestyle” can

priority in both the school’s Aboriginal Education Plan as well as in

result in separation, a loss of community connection and cultural

the Australian National Curriculum.

identity. Hence, the “mosaic pieces” of community sometimes 30

Planting the Seeds of Tomorrow Using the key Aboriginal themes of caring for Mother Earth— connection to the land, animals, plants and water—the Aboriginal education team and students planned to establish an edible garden.

The belief was that by engaging students in the planning, planting, harvesting and using of the garden’s produce, teachers and students would be able to surface the key understandings of sustainability, respect and nurture.

Inviting the Aboriginal community to join provided a complementary link that enabled students to experience and understand the deep spiritual significance Aboriginal people have of the land as custodians of their natural environment.

Funding was achieved, and the planning was put into action. A series of community and student working bees helped to establish the garden beds.

Visiting a local market garden allowed students and community members to gain valuable insight about local gardening conditions and plant selection. The planting by students began in earnest at the school while fruit trees were added to the garden precinct a little later.

As the garden took shape and the first signs of growth

concepts of learning, community and life.

Continuing and expanding on the themes of belonging, respect and cultural understanding, 90 students from the fourth year of primary school and their teachers were invited to participate in the next phase of the project.

After reading and discussing a local dreamtime story about the formation of local sand hills, the students investigated further the idea of how traditional Aboriginal people viewed the environment and respected and cared for their resources.

This unique connection to the land was often demonstrated through totems, a symbolic native animal or plant of significance to an Aboriginal community.

Traditionally, Aboriginal people had respected and protected their totems as it represented themselves, their environment and their livelihood. From this learning, the students chose one native plant or animal of personal significance to design and create into an artistic form.

Once this had been done, the children then worked with local artists and Aboriginal community members to draw a picture of their animals or plants.

Because these pictures were going to be included in a mosaic

appeared, students, families and teachers became interested and motivated about the project.

Pieces Coming Together As student, community interest and involvement grew the volume of casual traffic by family and community members became more regular.

This movement of people to the school made visible the importance of community and connection. The garden was strategically located near the Aboriginal Education Room and more and more families came to see this room as a meeting place © Port Lincoln Primary School Aboriginal Education Team

for learning and socialization.

Their Place became a place to be strong and belong; a place to connect and learn.

Students waited in line in the mornings before school started to visit the room and check in with the Aboriginal Education team members or to catch up on school work.

“From little things big things grow,” is a powerful lyric from a well-known Australian song that captures the struggle of the traditional owners of the land, the Aboriginal People, to achieve the political and legal rights to own tribal lands.

This lyric describes what next took place. As the momentum for students, community and teachers grew through the gardening project, conversations and planning fostered into new ideas while also strengthening the beginnings made to further connect the core

An animal of personal significance created into an artistic form

31

© Hashikami JHS

The Mosaic of Understanding

Spring 2014

© Port Lincoln Primary School Aboriginal Education Team

Best Practices

The yarning circle, a symbolic tool used by Aboriginal people over the millennium

instalment, the drawings had to be simplified for presentation purposes, and colours had to be deliberately chosen for impact. The process of achieving this took several weeks.

Planting Bonds

The mosaic designs have captured key ideas and brought the community together. By crafting these pieces with the community, the school has formed a uniquely beautiful and lasting symbol to

During the mosaic workshops, students

guide its global literacy compass; a

mingled with community members, listened

compass with the cardinal points of

to their personal and cultural stories and

respect for diversity, unity through

established strong relationships.

This personal bonding has added a depth

belonging, peaceful actions and harmonious relationships.

of appreciation and cultural understanding rarely achieved through the formal teachings by research, reading and testing. The key intent of connecting, working together as a community and fostering cultural understandings and sensitivities were being felt and met.

As the student mosaics took shape, the metaphoric mosaic of the people coming together in harmony to create a common 32

purpose was aligning the school’s compass and providing a powerful model of “being” that was observed and felt by the rest of the school. The momentum was contagious.

Finally, after many weeks of enjoyable and rewarding making, sharing and laughing, the 90 individual student mosaics were completed.

The mosaics were grouted and diligently cleaned and then meticulously mounted on colourful poles to be positioned through the school as a permanent reminder of the learning that had been achieved and the

importance of community ownership and belonging.

As with the Aboriginal culture, the children at Port Lincoln Primary School had created a totem or visual representation of their belonging and connection to others and the land.

The conversations continued and the pieces fell into place for the next phase of the project.

The Mosaic of Understanding

Spring 2014

Yarning a Yarn

With all things in place and reaching a culmination, the

Wanting to build on the theme of coming together and belonging, the Aboriginal Education team and local community members planned to create a special meeting place, a yarning circle that would be a permanent gathering place for the school and community.

The yarning circle is a symbolic tool used by Aboriginal people over the millennium to come together, share stories, transmit learning to children and keep alive the important cultural understandings and signposts that serve to maintain cultural harmony, connection to the land and an Aboriginal way of “being.”

Communication within the circle is open, honest and respectful and deep; intentional listening is also paramount.

As shown in the photo, the yarning circles were established from a rock that is native to the local area. The yarning circles provide a natural theatre for meetings and are joined by a trail.

This trail, developed by the students, symbolically connects the yarning circles just as the circles connect people. In the spirit of living, harmony and connection to the land, it was important for students to choose a place that represented these values for the yarning circles and mosaic poles.

This newly created cultural area of the school felt right and is vegetated with native plants which naturally attract students, community, parents and birds.

school planned an opening to present to the community the work undertaken by the students while also celebrating what was learning and achieved.

The celebration began with a formal flag procession and an acknowledgement of the traditional owners and custodians of the local land by the fourth year students.

The beautiful sounds of the didgeridoo followed as an Aboriginal community member played this traditional instrument from his rock seat amongst the yarning circle; he was joined there by fellow community members and elders who proudly united together in the celebration.

After the children read the poems they had prepared about their mosaic art pieces, the mosaic totem poles were unveiled to the public.

As ceremony is an important part of traditional Aboriginal culture, the celebration on that particular day was both a significant and momentous occasion for the students, the community and the school.

The mosaic designs have captured key ideas and brought the community together. By crafting these pieces with the community, the school has formed a uniquely beautiful and lasting symbol to guide its global literacy compass; a compass with the cardinal points of respect for diversity, unity through belonging, peaceful actions and harmonious relationships.

Students learning on a foundation of belonging, cultural identity and a way of being together

© Port Lincoln Primary School Aboriginal Education Team

© Port Lincoln Primary School Aboriginal Education Team

A teacher and students with a mosaic art piece

33

Comic Relief

Ab Hara's Dream

Story written by Mariyam Nihaz (Madives), illustrated by Lim Guan Hong This story was selected by the 2013 EIU Story Collection Project

34

Special Report

Spring 2014

Towards Global Capacities Education: New Developments in Research in Singapore

© Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore

By Suzanne S. Choo (Assistant Professor, National Institute of Education, Singapore) suzanne.choo@nie.edu.sg

A teacher and students in Singapore

T

he 21st century has been characterized by scholars as borderless and networked as a result of the porous exchanges

of knowledge, capital, and products among people and groups around the world. This has resulted in an unprecedented sense of planetary connectivity and the rise of flexible citizens who are globally mobile.

Inevitably, education that was traditionally characterized by order and standardization and aimed at nation building has given way to forms of teaching and learning that encourage risktaking, creative problem-solving, and the development of global consciousness.

In Singapore, the Ministry of Education has been aware of and quick to respond to these global developments.

Policy Shapes Future In fact, major policy initiatives in Singapore are often implemented in response to the effects of globalization. For example, a year after the country’s independence in 1965, the government instituted the bilingual education policy and made the study of the English Language a compulsory first language subject in Singapore despite the country’s multiethnic majority Asian population.

Despite fears that this would compromise the status of mother tongue languages, the government saw English as an important global language that would allow students to access knowledge in fields such as science, technology, and commerce from the external world, particularly the west.

In 1997, another major education blueprint was launched.

Termed “Thinking Schools, Learning Nation,” this vision was 35

© Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore

Special Report

A class activity for students to be equipped with global competencies

subsequently concretized via policies such as Teach Less, Learn

Singapore, and the United States—researchers Dr. Suzanne

More (TLLM) as well as Character and Citizenship Education

Choo (National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological

(CCE). These policies were implemented to support the

University, Singapore), Dr. Deb Sawch and Dr. Alison Villanueva

development of specific skills and competencies the government

(Teachers College, Columbia University, United States) have

deemed necessary for the country to remain economically

collaborated to develop the Global Capacities Framework. The

competitive.

Global Capacities Framework comprises four core capacities:

More recently, the Ministry of Education launched the 21st Century Competencies (21CC) framework. The framework emphasizes important global awareness and cross-cultural skills. At the same time, the framework is often translated by school leaders in programmatic ways such as in the organization of overseas exchange and immersion programmes as well as community service programmes.

Growing Globally One challenge remains—how can education that equips students for the global world move beyond competencies, skills, and programmes? How can such global education also equip students with the necessary capacities and dispositions?

Based on a three year intensive observations of classrooms in schools from six countries—Australia, Canada, China, Finland,

36

1. Critical capacity in which students develop their full critical cognitive capacities in order to be critically informed citizens of the world; 2. Creative capacity in which students follow their curiosity by questioning or imagining in order to contribute positive improvements or inventions to their world; 3. Communicative capacity in which students develop habits of observation, reflection, collaboration and are able to communicate in multiple modalities such as through image, words, sound, gesture or a integration of these modes in order to actively contribute to various discourses in the world; and 4. Cosmopolitan capacity in which students are willing to step outside the confines of their own familiar social world to experience and understand distant realities in order to

Towards Global Capacities Education

Spring 2014

engage productively with the world.

boundaries.

In the past, global education practices in Singapore schools have tended to focus on the development of discrete, measurable skills that are ironically nationalistic in their intentions.

That is, the aim is to equip students with global competencies in order that they may contribute more effectively to the progress of their nation.

This commitment necessarily involves affective dispositions that facilitate sympathetic understanding as well as affinity towards marginalized others hurt by the excesses of globalization. It is with the intention of cultivating capacities of planetary affinity and cosmopolitan belonging that the Global Capacities Framework was developed.

Following the development of the framework, researchers

Learning to Connect

are conducting an intensive study of schools in Singapore and

However, a fundamental agenda in education should be to develop

curricula and pedagogical approaches that foster critical, creative,

more other-oriented types of capacities that allow one to forge an integral sense of connection to the foreign or distant other.

Thus, a key objective of schools should involve cultivating empathetic sensibilities towards the other and developing an ethical commitment to a common humanity transcending territorial

the United States to examine the kinds of systemic structures, communicative, and cosmopolitan capacities.

Preliminary findings have shown that the framework provides a useful critical and reflective lens for both researchers and teachers to examine how global education is both imagined at the state and policy level and how it is enacted in everyday school practices.

Figure 1.

1. Interpreting 16. Engaging in multiple perspectives 15. Inter-textual /Interdisciplinary thinking

2. Analyzing 3. Synthesizing

Critical Capacity

4. Evaluating

14. Demonstrating global consciousness

Cosmopolitan Capacity

13. Real-world problem-Solving

Creative Capacity

5. Imagining

6. Questioning

12. Strategically Collaborating 11. Communicating in multiple modalities

Communicative Capacity

10. Reflecting

7. Simulating 8. Tolerating ambiguity

9. Observing

The Global Capacities Framework (Choo, Sawch, Villanueva, 2012)

37

Making the Right to a Proper Education Universal An Interview with the EFA Global Monitoring Report Team (Catherine Jere, Report Team, UNESCO) cm.jere@unesco.org

Could you tell us about the main message that the Report aims to deliver?

to read or write despite having spent at least four years in school.

This has a huge impact on many countries’ young people as they enter the market place. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, 40 per cent of 15-24 year olds cannot read a single sentence. In South and West Asia, one-third of young women cannot read all or part of a sentence.

In terms of cost, this learning crisis relates to $129 million spent annually into a false economy has failed to ensure that all

© UNESCO/ Karel Prinsloo/ ARETE

Analysis for the 2013/4 Global Monitoring Report (GMR) reveals a global learning crisis that is hitting the most disadvantaged the hardest. The Report shows that 250 million children are not learning the basics—how to read and write and do basic arithmetic.

All the more worrying is that over half of these children are unable

© APCEIU / Kwang-Bin Song

Interview

38

children have learnt the basics.

Central to this crisis is the huge lack of qualified teachers. In a third of countries looked at by the Report, less than three-quarters of primary teachers are trained. Children living in poor or remote areas are much less likely to be taught by qualified teachers.

Governments and donors need to do much more: at current rates of recruitment, almost 60 countries won’t be able to recruit enough teachers by 2015 to reach Education for All (EFA) goals.

Looking across the EFA goals, the Report also shows that, despite progress, many countries are not on track to achieve these goals by 2015. Universal Primary Education for example is likely to be missed by a wide margin. Globally, 57 million children are still out of school, the majority of which are girls. By 2015, less than a third of countries will have all adults literate.

Could you elaborate on the characteristics that the Asia-Pacific region shows in terms of achieving EFA goals?

Overall, the East Asia-Pacific region has made substantial progress towards EFA goals, with almost universal enrolment in primary education and youth literacy, for example.

However, pockets of disadvantage and marginalization remain in some countries across the region. In terms of specific targets, enrolment in pre-primary education across the region has doubled from 39 to 62 per cent between 1999 and 2011, still short of the key indicator of 80 per cent enrolment (goal 1).

For goal 2, Universal Primary Education, gross enrolment rates have risen from 95 to 97 per cent. However, the survival rate of the last grade of primary education has shown less progress (from 84 to 89 per cent between 1999 and 2011), indicating that a significant minority of children still fail to complete their primary education.

Gross secondary enrolment has risen from 62 per cent in 1999 to 80 per cent in 2011 and whilst 8.9 million adolescents of lower secondary school age were out of school in 2011, this does represent a 64 per cent decrease compared with 1999 rates (goal 3).

Adult literacy has also improved, from 82 to 95 per cent in 2011 (goal 4).

Gender parity has been achieved at the secondary level—a GPI of 102—and primary level enrolments are slightly in favour of girls: a GPI of 103.

Some countries still have significant progress to make if EFA goals are to be achieved. Progress towards universal primary education has stagnated in the Philippines with almost a third of primary school age children out of school, 1.46 million children out of a total population of 5.1 million.

In terms of the quality of education, several countries in the region score very highly in international benchmarks for learning.

Making the Right to a Proper Education Universal

© UNESCO/ Nguyen Thanh Tuan

Spring 2014

A teacher and students in Muong Khuong county, Viet Nam

They include Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore.

In Singapore, almost all children are achieving international benchmarks in learning, and learning gaps between the richest and poorest students are minimal. However, learning disparities still need to be addressed in some countries in the region.

In East Asia and the Pacific as a whole, around 15 per cent of children leave school having failed to read and write. In Malaysia, enrolment in secondary education has increased, but learning outcomes have worsened which is widening the inequality amongst students.

As one of the priorities of the Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) launched by the UN Secretary General, global citizenship education (GCE) has been gaining international attention toward the post-2015. Please share the ongoing discourse on the post-2015 agenda and GCE as well.

Education in a globalised world is increasingly putting emphasis on the importance of values, attitudes and communication skills as a crucial complement to traditional emphasis on knowledge and skills.

Whilst the exact definition of GCE is itself contested, there is growing consensus on the need for non-cognitive aspects of competencies—such as empathy, openness and aptitudes to interact with those from different backgrounds—to be included in the post-2015 agenda.

In addition to quality, the relevance of education to understanding social, political, cultural and global issues will be an important yardstick for education post-2015. This includes a role for education in supporting peace, human rights, equity, diversity and sustainable development.

A teacher teaches children under trees at a mobile school some 50 kilometres from Lodwar, Turkana, Kenya

39

© UNESCO/ Amima Sayeed

Interview

At a primary school in Baqir Shah, a village in Sindh, Pakistan, classes take place outside because the buildings collapsed years ago.

The GCE is action-orientated and ultimately transformative.

As such, GCE should give the learner the opportunity and the competencies to link their own lived experiences to global issues, and should acknowledge that learners themselves can make a powerful contribution to change.

In most countries, the formal education system is likely to be the main mode of delivery for GCE, but there is a growing understanding that hits may need to be complemented by nonformal approaches, including ICT modes, to target populations currently outside the formal system and to promote life-long learning.

One key issue of the post-2015 will be governments’ ability to measure GCE competencies, if they are to be adequately monitored and achievements recognized. In the run up to post-2015 education agenda, UNESCO is working with the Learning Metrics Task Force to define what is required to support young people to become global citizens, both in terms of learning outcomes and broad competencies.

40

It has been criticized that the six EFA goals were not clear enough and hard to measure, and that is why we could not achieve them. What do you think of the requirements for setting the post-2015 education agenda?

Certainly, at Dakar in 2000, some goals had no clear, measureable targets. The third EFA goal has been one of the most neglected, and it has been argued that this was, in part, because no targets or indicators were set. Similarly, no target was set for early childhood education.

However, subsequent GMRs have used an indicative indicator of 80 per cent gross enrolment in pre-primary education to measure progress.

Despite the absence of clear targets, a greater part of many countries’ failure to achieve EFA goals has been governments’ and donors’ lack of commitment to fulfil their earlier pledges.

Emerging from the process of monitoring EFA goals has been the realization that insufficient attention has been paid to

Making the Right to a Proper Education Universal

Spring 2014 identifying and addressing inequalities, as emerged in the reporting of the current global learning crisis in this year’s Report.

A post-2015 agenda will require education goals for both equitable access and for learning.

All targets will have to be clearly defined and measureable, based on data that can be easily collected within the necessary timeframes for effective monitoring.

Equity needs to be at the core of each goal if EFA is to truly be achieved.

We need to be able to track the progress of the most disadvantaged and of any reduction in the gap between the most disadvantaged and the most advantaged.

We need comparable data on the number of children not learning, not just those who are.

We recommend an additional goal that aims specifically to eliminate inequalities in education, one that would take measures to reach those disadvantaged by factors such as gender, poverty, location, ethnicity or disability.

To support this, efforts are needed to collect better data where previously there have been notable gaps, such as children with disabilities and skills domains for youth and adults. In addition, a separate financing goal is critical to ensure that governments and the international community can be held to account for their commitments.

According to the Report, teachers matter in improving quality and learning. To support them effectively, what should we do?

This year’s GMR shows that to achieve good quality EFA, governments must provide enough trained teachers and focus their teaching policies on meeting the needs of the most disadvantaged.

The Report highlights four key strategies for policy makers to ensure enough teachers are in place and supporting the most disadvantaged.

These focus on, firstly, attracting the best to the profession, those with a minimum secondary education, from a diverse range of backgrounds that reflect those of their students and include a

better balance of male and female teachers.

Secondly, improve both pre-service and ongoing teacher education so that all children can learn: training them in the best methods especially for early grade learners and the use of assessment strategies to detect and address learning difficulties early.

Trainees also need to get adequate and relevant classroom experience before they begin to teach, and receive mentoring once they are in the classroom.

Thirdly, teachers need to be deployed where they are needed most, either by offering incentives to work in remote or disadvantaged areas or by recruiting locally.

Finally, governments need to ensure that they retain the best teachers and reward teachers willing to go that extra mile to support those who need it most.

Could you give us a brief introduction about the next Report entitled “Have we made it?”?

The 2015 EFA GMR will review how much the EFA movement has contributed to ensuring that all children, young people and adults, enjoy their right to an education that meets their basic learning needs.

The Report will provide a definitive global assessment of overall progress toward the six EFA goals that were established in Dakar, Senegal, in 2000, paying particular attention to gaps between those who benefited and those who did not. This assessment will provide lessons for the framing of post-2015 education goals and strategies.

Lastly, do you have any message for the global readers of SangSaeng?

Despite substantial progress towards EFA goals, particularly in East Asia and the Pacific, global inequalities remain stark. As attention moves towards the World Education Forum in the Republic of Korea next year, we would urge readers of SangSaeng to make their voices heard in ensuring that equity and cooperation are at the heart of any post-2015 global education agenda.

EFA Global Monitoring Report (EFAreport@unesco.org) Developed by an independent team and published by UNESCO, the EFA Global Monitoring Report is the prime instrument to assess global progress towards achieving the six 'Dakar' EFA goals. The team puts together an annual publication that tracks progress, identifies effective policy reforms and best practice in all areas relating to EFA, draws attention to emerging challenges and seeks to promote international cooperation in favour of education. The Report is targeted at decision-makers at the national and international level, and more broadly, at all those engaged in promoting the right to quality education—teachers, civil society groups, NGOs, researchers and the international community.

41

Letter

Š Sherilyn Lelita Faabasua

A Must-be Programme for Educators

By Sherilyn Lelita Faabasua (Programme and Curriculum Development Officer, Literacy Association, Solomon Islands) lelitafaabasua@gmail.com Interacting with the students during the EIU class at Seoul Hongeun Elementary School

Dear APCEIU, Hello and how are you all? Since I got back from Korea, I have

forgotten easily; thus, I would like to pass on my appreciation to

never stopped talking about the country and my experiences to my

APCEIU—my contributions to this book is something I will always

family, friends, teacher friends and colleagues. I would like to take

be proud of.

this opportunity to share this experience as my way of showing appreciation for one of my life changing journeys as an educator.

This experience has also had a positive impact on my work which is to develop learning materials for adults who cannot read

The 2013 UNESCO/ROK C o-sponsored Fellowship

and write. What I learnt during my time at APCEIU has been

Programme had changed me in a lot of ways. The Programme

applied in the development of reading materials, and the utilization

provided an avenue where I got to meet, discuss and live together

of EIU knowledge and skills. Besides, I am now inspired to start

with 29 other participants; an experience that I will forever be

writing stories for little children using simple drawings and topics.

grateful for.

The Fellowship has changed me in a way that makes me

Actually, it was a trying time for EIU (Education for

more accepting and open-minded towards other people and a

International Understanding) because different minds came

better communicator. It also led me to be more confident in my

together to listen to lectures, conduct discussions on pertinent

workplace and to work harder. I know that the little changes I am

issues and give presentations. But, in the end, we prevailed and the

making in my work have to do with what I have learnt during the

friendships we forged had grown stronger.

Fellowship.

The term and concept of EIU were very new to me as it was my

Lastly, during the Programme period, experiencing snowflakes

first time that I took part in any lecture that discusses the principles

falling from the sky was remarkable because most of us were from

behind EIU at APCEIU. However, as the days progressed, things

countries with hot climates.

changed during my time there and it became easier for me to absorb what we were learning because of the fun and interactive

APCEIU provided a vibrant, well organised program throughout the fellowship. Thank you very much for everything.

sessions we had with Lea Espallardo.

Finally, the processes of making the EIU books cannot be 42

Yours sincerely

A Must-be Programme for Educators

Spring 2014

Fair organized by

APCEIU

lita Faabasua erilyn Le © Sh Sherilyn Lelita Faabasua

At the School

© Sherilyn Lelita Faabasua

© Sherilyn Le lita Faabasua

© Sherilyn Le lita Faabasua

With the stude nts of Songnis an Middle school

e ungbuk Provinc stay family in Ch With the home

Dia APCEIU Halo an hao nao yufala evriwan? Nomata mi livim Korea bata mi

save gud abaotem EIU. An nao mi save gud nao wanem nao EIU.

no stop fo storim wanem nao mi lanem an olketa ekspirians mi

Nara samting wea mi had fo fogetem nao hao mifala mekem

tekem long dea long olketa famili memba, olketa wea mifala waka

olketa EIU buk ya. Mi laek se tagio tumas APCEIU fo duim

an olketa fren blong mi tu. Mi laek tu fo tekem disfala taem ya fo

diswan. MI bae praod olowe long wanem mi duim long buk ya.

searem lelebet samfala tingting fo soum nao tok tagio blong mi

Ekspirians mi tekem long program ya hem helpem mi tu long

long disfala program wea hem senisim laef blong mi olsem wanfala

ples mi waka, long saed long mekem buk fo olketa man an mere

wea hem waka long saed long edukeisin.

no save rid an raet. Wanem mi lanem mi putum go nao long olketa

Disfala 2013 UNESCO/ROK program hem senisim mi long

buk wea mi duim. An distaem mi garem nao big tingting fo raetem

plande wei. Program ya hem givim nao ples fo mi diskas, stap

nao olketa riding buk fo olketa smol pikinini wea mi laek yusim tu

wetem olketa narafala pipol from difren ples o kandere an diswan

piksa an stori.

bae mi no save fogetem nao.

Hem wanfala taem wea mifala duim EIU tu ya an hem no isi bikos staka difren tingting nao long dea long taem blong diskasin, presinteisin an long olketa leksa tu. Bat kasem en mifala barava groum nao frensip blong mifala.

Tingting abaotem EIU hem barava wanfala niu samting stret nao long mi bikos hem fes taem fo mi herem. Bat mi barava laekem tumas nao hao Lea Esparllardo hem duim nao olketa aktiviti fo

Felosip ya hem barava senisim mi nao fo mi open an save gud abaotem nara pipol an hem mekem mi fo mi toktok an no fraet.

Hem helpem mi tu fo mi waka had insaet ples mi waka.

Nara samting nao mifala lukim snou bikos mifala kam from olketa ples wea hem hot tumas ya.

APCEIU hem barava mekem wanfala program wea mifala laekem tumas. Tagio tumas fo evriting.

Trufala fren blong yu 43

Peace in My Memory

Battling Dyslexia Through Images and Inspiration

By Ryan Libre (Founder and Director, Documentary Arts Asia) ryan@cdaf.asia

44

Š Documentary Arts Asia

Empowering Voices for the Underrepresented Brings a Bright Future for Inner and Outer Peace

Battling Dyslexia Through Images and Inspiration

Spring 2014

“Y

ou have great ideas and terrible papers,” said my academic advisor during my third year of studying history at the

university level.

explained me to myself in ways no teacher ever could.

Later, I recounted this occurrence with a photo student of mine and he explained that “Google ads work by bidding on specific

That week I decided to change my major to Peace Studies, a field of study that was born out of the ashes of WWII. Part of the reason was that I knew that in the field of history, if you take out the reading and writing, not much was left.

key words. The dyslexia foundation must have been bidding on misspelled words.”

I was baffled—why and how could my school system have failed me both figuratively and literally.

Peace Studies is very interdisciplinary and also easier to do

Schools and parents spend much of their efforts teaching to

project based studies which, not only offered me plenty of reading

read, yet their students’ world views are increasingly made up of

and writing assignments for this degree, but also granted me with

still and moving images.

lots of activities in the real world. This was the main reason I left

Certain Confusion Cleared

the history department.

Graduating with a heart filled with curiosity and a head exploding with ideas, I needed some way to communicate to the world, so I picked up a camera. I instantly fell in love with photography—a medium that

The different approaches towards problem solving and communication that I employed always kept me back in school even though it was one of my biggest strengths as a documentary photographer.

allowed me to be artistic and let me

One question I often hear when

engage in issues such as peace and

people know my degree is in Peace

conflict.

Studies is, “What job do you qualify for with this degree?” After a few

Photographic Peace

years of having a good run as a

Photography gave me the voice I © Documentary Arts Asia

documentary photographer, a small

have never found with a pen and paper. Within a year I was holding a successful solo exhibition at the Fuji-Film Salon in Japan. As my first major project, it still holds a special place for me; but, soon after, I moved back to Thailand and focused

Students in deep discussion on photojournalism at the DAA’s 2nd centre in Myanmar

on documentary photography.

voice kept asking me to do more with my time by sharing more of my skills in order to help others tell their stories and ultimately, to try to create a paradigm shift.

You see, not all I had seen in the world of photojournalism had been positive. I saw multiple superficial

Nearly six years after graduating from university, I had a great

and misleading images and stories published. Most of these were

deal of success with my images but was still struggling with the

by outsiders who “parachuted” into a new location for a few hours

written word.

or, at most, a few days; as a result, their works had serious quality

Most of my work was displayed in galleries as it let the images speak for themselves as opposed to mass media which generally needs a long text to accompany the images.

Then one day, I noticed an ad on the right side of my email inbox which read, “Did you know 1 in 12 people have some degree

issues and an overall lack of depth.

At my age of 28, the year I learned that I was dyslexic, I started a foundation named Documentary Arts Asia (DAA). The underlining theme of this foundation is to advance visual literacy and support documentary artists in Asia.

of dyslexia?”

I did not think too much about it at the time, but the next day a new ad appeared followed by another advertisement the following day about dyslexia. On the fourth day, I clicked on one of the banner ads which forwarded me to a page explaining the common symptoms of dyslexia.

Everything I read seemed to speak volumes about me and

Responsibility Dawned My goal was to help create a new generation of local documentary photographers and journalists who were not only highly talented, but spoke the local language, understood the subtleties of the stories they were covering, had access and exhumed a sense of trust from their sources and readers that outsiders could only dream of.

Foundry workshop in Chiang Mai

45

© Documentary Arts Asia

Peace in My Memory

One of the pictures taken by the students of DAA

With students from Myanmar, I slowly branched out in 2008.

After one year, my students showed very little progress. I asked Holding a trophy

them why they had not become thriving photojournalists yet.

them to tell stories that are not being covered or covered well in current media channels.

After being properly harvested and nurtured, I noticed that,

Their answers touched me so deeply that I ended up

the students ended up leading initiatives based on the qualities

redesigning my approach and goals for the foundation. For this

that drive peace within themselves and their communities and

purpose, I set up the DAA. In essence, they needed more than a

also they started to work for the better with the issues they

onetime workshop—more than even cameras. What I realized is

choose to highlight.

that they needed a support network that had one step.

Under the DAA’s mission, a wide range of projects have been

In addition, DAA has hosted school visits to our centre and aroused visitors to the importance of learning to read images.

conducted such as a photo gallery to show the works made by

I hope that the DAA programme can teach students and

documentary photographers from Asia, a cinema to show great

educational practitioners that students, who are not showing good

examples of documentary films not shown elsewhere, a busy

academic records due to their difficulty in reading and writing, can

workshop schedule with scholarships, micro-grants, gear loans,

also find another “voice” like I did, and that they should keep in

long-term mentoring, training of trainers, artist in residence

mind that they have bright futures ahead of themselves.

programmes and much more.

I am happy to share my story with you and grateful for the attention you have given towards a dyslexic person’s written story.

Voices Heard All of these programmes directly support giving high-quality, intimate voices to underrepresented communities and empowering 46

It was not easy for me to write and I had to use spell check over 100 times to write a 1,000 word story. If you do the math, that is not a good batting average.

Understanding the Asia-Pacific Region

Spring 2014

Thailand’s Rock Art Opens Gates of History

© SEAMEO SPAFA Audio Visual / Nipon Sudngam

By Patsri Tippayaprapai (Researcher, SEAMEO SPAFA, Thailand) patsri@seameo-spafa.org

The famous painting scene of Pratu Pha: a group of humans are herding the bison

47

The performance of ‘Klong Sabud Chai,’ or the Victory Drum in front of the Spirit Shrine of Chao Pho Pratu Pha on the opening of the Ceremony of Pouring Water

© SEAMEO SPAFA Audio Visual / Nipon Sudngam © SEAMEO SPAFA Audio Visual / Nipon Sudngam

© SEAMEO SPAFA Audio Visual / Nipon Sudngam

SEAMEO SPAFA Audio Visual / Nipon Sudngam

© SEAMEO SPAFA Audio Visual / Nipon Sudngam

Understanding the Asia-Pacific Region

Temporary Shelter Medium Clothing

A crowd of the mediums dancing together

L

ocated approximately 50 kilometres outside Lampang City centre, Pratu Pha has been recognized by the public for its

outstanding landscape. Moreover, for years it has been revered by locals for housing the Spirit Shrine of Chao Pho Pratu Pha, which literally means the Lord Father of the Cliff Gate.

The story of Chao Pho Pratu Pha was based on the true story of the war between northern city states of Thailand in the 18th Century.

His real name was Nhan Khormue Lek, which literally means the iron-wristed man. He became a soldier of King Lin Kan of Khelang Nakhon, the former name of Lampang Province.

His fighting skills and bravery were so significant that the king appointed him Phaya Nhao Ngern, which literally means the high officer with a silver halberd.

During the invasion of foreign troops in 1708-1732, he and some soldiers took King Lin Kan to escape the invading warriors.

They reached Pratu Pha and hid the king inside the cave.

48

Honouring the King Phaya Nhao Ngern decided to go out and fight his enemies in order to defend the cave’s entrance and protect the king’s life. The battle raged for days. The enemies could not reach the king as Phaya Nhao Ngern stood his ground and fought bravely in front of the mountain’s entrance.

In spite of his valiant effort, Phaya Nhao Ngern died while still leaning against the hillside with his swords tightly held in his hands.

Nhan Khormue Lek became a legendary warrior and has been worshipped by the locals and the Northern people as the spirit that protected the cliff, as well as his reputation of being a courageous soldier who dedicated his life to protect his king.

Consequently, the Spirit Shrine of Chao Pho Pratu Pha was established, and the Ceremony of Pouring Water is held annually in April in order to recall the legend of Phaya Nhao Ngern.

Thailand’s Rock Art Opens Gates of History

Spring 2014

From Legend to Ceremony The ceremony is actually a type of Ngan Liang Phi (the fest for the ghosts), which is commonly known in Northern Thailand as a religious ritual to worship the spirits of their ancestors.

Each year, there are many hundreds of mediums and thousands of their followers participating

the Shelter of the Cow, the Dancing Shelter, the Shelter of the Dolmen, and the Shelter of the Female with Extended Arms.

The most outstanding paintings are the ones with human figures. They illustrate hunting and farming scenes, games, daily life, religious practices as well as erotic scenes. The other figures are animals such as dogs, chevrotain, turtles, squirrels, bison, serows © SEAMEO SPAFA Audio Visual / Nipon Sudngam

in the ceremony.

Nu me rous te mp or ar y shelters for mediums are built near the Spirit Shrine. They are decorated with flowers and leaves, such as marigolds, jasmines, bachelor buttons, roses, crown flowers, banana leaves and trees, coconut leaves and sugarcanes.

In the Buddhist faith, these

designs and sizes are also largely found while geometrics and symbols are rarely seen.

Besides the prehistoric paintings, archaeologists also found human skeletons and other artefacts such as bamboo mats, basketry, beads, bone tools, wooden spoons, pottery is dated around 2900–3200

and their names contain

before present (BP).

positive meanings although the but rather animism.

Handprints in different

sherds and red ochre. The site

flowers and plants are auspicious

ceremony itself is not Buddhist

and fish.

Archaeologists believe The figure of serows drawn on the shelter of the serows

Elaborately made flower and food offerings represent the strong determination and belief of the mediums towards the spirits in which it is believed possess them.

The mediums normally wear cotton tops, sarongs, thongs and look-alike Burmese turbans. Their clothes are extremely colourful and not practical for daily use. Basically, they will rely on one certain tone such as red, purple, pink or blue.

The liquor, tobaccos and music are also believed to help connect the mediums with the spirits.

that the prehistoric men of Pratu Pha was comprised of a

small agricultural community. They lived in houses surrounded by padding fields. They knew how to weave in order to make clothes and elaborate craftworks. The use of red ochre and funerary objects found in the burials also represent that they conducted religious rituals and firmly believed in a next life.

Yesterday’s Connection to Today Several years ago, there was an attempt to find the connection

When the music plays, they form a crowd and dance together

between the prehistoric men who created the Pratu Pha rock art

which they say is not them dancing but the spirits overtaking their

and the local villagers living nearby. Some conservative elderly still

bodies. Most of the participants claim to be possessed by the spirit of

believe that the paintings are the special markings made by the

Chao Pho Pratu Pha while some insist that they are possessed by other

spirits of the past.

spirits of the legendary kings, warriors and heroes from the past.

Legends and tales, in regard to the rock art figures, are narrated; however, research contradicts the claim made by the

Holy Discovery Pratu Pha came into the spotlight among tourists from other regions in 1988 when Captain Chukiat Meechome from the Pratu Pha Special Forces Training Camp discovered a large number of prehistoric rock paintings located on a limestone outcrop along the cliff ’s long panels.

A total of 1,872 figures were found at the site and were divided into six groups, each named after the figures found on the shelters.

They include the Shelter of the Serow, the Shelter of the Peacock,

local communities that they had a connection with this prehistoric culture as they had migrated to Pratu Pha about a generation ago.

Nevertheless, their migration period coincided with the establishment of the Ceremony of Pouring Water of Chao Pho Pratu Pha. Therefore, it is possible to claim that the migrants wisely used the ceremony and the rock art paintings as a means to psychologically create their cultural identity, and the spiritual connection that enhances them, in order to devote themselves to their communities and subsequently obtain a sense of belonging.

49

APCEIU in Action UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova’s Official Visit to APCEIU

Teachers Returned After Being Dispatched to Five Countries

Korean participants of the Teaching Abroad for Global Competency Programme, hosted by the Korean Ministry of Education and organized by the APCEIU, returned home after taking part in the dispatch programme. The participants were provided with a predeparture workshop that covered capacity-building under the EIU programme, and went through a field orientation to expand their cultural and educational understanding of their host countries.

Thereafter, the participants were placed in schools outside of Korea in order to observe and conduct co-teaching lessons with their hosts. In January, 35 participants successfully finished their programme in the United Kingdom and the United States, and the 23 participants sent to Australia, Russia and Singapore finished their programme on the 1st of March.

By Yangsook Lee (yangsook@unescoacpceiu.org)

14th KTTW Held in Penang, Malaysia

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova paid an official visit to APCEIU on 3 February 2014. As the head of UNESCO in charge of implementing Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), Mme.

The 14th Korean Teachers’ Training Workshop on EIU was held

Bokova applauded the Technical Consultation on Global Citizenship

from 24 to 28 February in Penang, Malaysia. Composed of two main

Education (GCE) jointly organized by UNESCO, APCEIU and the

segments, the programme was aimed at developing teachers’ capacity

Korean government last year. She emphasized that fostering global

in understanding and implementing EIU practices by providing

citizenship through education is not only one of the three pillars of

participatory and experiential learning programmes. In the first part,

the GEFI launched by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, but is

participants learned about Malaysia and interacted with Malaysian

also imperative in order to advance the spread of education in the 21st

teachers and students. The second part had participants conduct EIU

century. The director-general mentioned that APCEIU is exercising

mini field projects using Project-based Learning (PBL) strategies in

its core function of fulfilling UNESCO’s mandate through various

George Town, Penang. For the project, they conducted interviews

EIU and GCE programmes. The visit provided an opportunity for

and dialogues with local people, visited and observed the local areas.

Mme. Bokova and APCEIU to directly interact and get feedback with

The workshop was organized in partnership with Universiti Sains

each other for ongoing and future initiatives.

Malaysia (USM) and Arts-ED.

By Wonjin Lim (wjlim@unescoapceiu.org)

By Jihong Lee (jihonglee@unescoapceiu.org)

APCEIU in Action EIU Story Collection Book Published In order to promote various topics of EIU such as cultural diversity, peace, human

publication and multimedia resource, APCEIU expects to foster various multicultural learning activities that enhance students’ knowledge about the diverse cultures and music found in Asia.

By Heekyung Park (hkpark@unescoapceiu.org)

rights and sustainable development, APCEIU published a storybook titled “Journey around Asia,” which contains various stories related to EIU. The 12 short

Publication of ‘EIU Best Practices Series’ Numbers 31 to 35

stories included in this book were originally submitted by contestants of APCEIU’s EIU Story Collection Project (2011-2013). All the stories are written in English under the different themes of EIU in a variety of genres, targeting children aged 10 to 15. With its fascinating stories, this book not only provides an opportunity to enjoy the act of reading, but also naturally draws readers’ attention towards EIU topics.

By Jeehyeon Kim (jeehyeon@unescoapceiu.org)

Published Book Paints Cultural Understanding Through Paintings APCEIU published a book entitled “Cultural Understanding through Paintings of Southeast Asia and Korea” in close collaboration with the SEAMEO Secretariat and SEAMEO SPAFA. Unearthing cultural significance behind a total of 21 genre paintings from Cambodia, Indonesia, Korea, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam,

“EIU Best Practices” has been serving as a platform for educators in the Asia-Pacific region to better share their EIU practices with their fellow educational practitioners. APCEIU has recently added five monographs to its ongoing published series: - 31: A Step Towards Change: Incorporating EIU in Classrooms and Beyond (Bhutan) - 32: Teacher Training and Whole School Approach for Improving Teacher EIU Competences (China) - 33: Shaping an Action-Oriented Learning Community for Sustainable Development (India) - 34: 2Bs Program: ‘I’m a Buddy, not a Bully’ (Malaysia) - 35: Nurturing Global Citizens Through Experiential Learning (Uzbekistan)

By Seng Mai Aung (seng@unescoapceiu.org)

the book brings to the forefront diverse practices and faiths that local festivities represent. This book is expected to be utilized in secondary schools across Southeast Asia and Korea in order to broaden learners’ perspectives on cultural diversity and eventually foster mutual receptiveness.

Consultation Meeting with the Partner Organizations for the Asia-Pacific Teacher Exchange for Global Education The first C onsultation

By Hyojeong Kim (hyojeong@unescoapceiu.org)

Meeting with the Partner

'Singing Asia to Live Together,’ Resource Book and DVD for Teachers

Organizations for the AsiaPacific Teacher Exchange for Global Education

The book “Singing Asia to Live Together,”

(APTE) was held from

complete with music DVD, includes 35 different songs sung in primary schools across Indonesia, Kore a, Ma laysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan. As a product of the 2013 AsiaPacific Teacher Exchange Programme, the book consists of music notes, lyrics in local languages with English pronunciation, socio-historical and geographical context of the music, and student activities that may be utilized in the classrooms. Through this

15 to 17 April 2014 at the APCEIU conference room. In its third year of running APTE, APCEIU has organized this Consultation Meeting and gathered 10 representatives from the participating countries: Republic of Korea, Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia and Mongolia. The representatives shared their experiences and achievements from the past APTE and suggested opinions for this year’s successful implementation. In this regard, they agreed to further consolidate future cooperation among the countries.

By Saerom Lee (saeromlee@unescoapceiu.org)

A Bonda woman in Odisha, India is drinking a beverage made from rice Š Jong-Woo Park/ APCEIU

EIU Photo

SangSaeng is available online: www.unescoapceiu.org/sangsaeng