Imagine the international and cultural exchange at a typical UN gathering. Now imagine a microcosm of that gathering in a benevolent school setting. Welcome to Lagerhuset in chilly Gothenburg, Sweden. One room is filled with eager students representing more than a dozen countries throughout the world. Globalverkstan, Swedish for “The Global Workshop,” is an educational program with a focus on international project management in civil society. The school, located in Göteborg, Sweden, is the daughter project of a local Swedish not-for-profit company called Nätverkstan, which is owned by approximately 40 culture magazines.
As a school, Globalverkstan fosters diversity, creativity, and a hands-on project management strategy through a three-term course of study. The school is tuition-free and open to international students throughout the world regardless of age, social class, nationality, or any other discerning factor. The students who attend Globalverkstan are united by a common factor: each is linked to civil society, generally defined as the non-government, non-public, and non-business sector of society. The students work in fields such as human rights and democracy to create a more just and democratic world.
This practical project management education program has influenced more than 65 graduating students who originate from 30 countries throughout the world. “It has been an incredible journey to start up this education. To do something you believe in with like-minded persons and really be able to do it has been a kind of pioneering experience. We're maybe 5-10 years ahead of our time in our thinking of global citizenship, international cooperation and how to survive in the project based world order,” said Coordinator Olav Unsgaard.
Established in January 2004, the program will have graduated three classes (about 75 students) by June of 2007. The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) has been supportive and is positive about the results of the program. “During these three pilot years, the school has been funded by the Agency for Advanced Vocational Education. Now the school seeks a new partner and donor,” said Project Manager Karin Dalborg about the school’s future. “Many are very positive but up until today we have no proposals. We think it's a good project and we would like to continue and develop it even further. We are in the middle of a process where we document, evaluate and formulate the next step.”
Students from all corners of the globe study project management at Globalverkstan in order to develop and sharpen their project leading skills. Each student spends the second term of the program in an organization, usually abroad, working on an individual Learning at Work (LAW) project. Projects range from building youth groups in Mexico to increasing water availability to communities in Cameroon. Upon graduation, many return to their native lands or remain in Sweden in order to build social movements through advocacy and project leading or participation in projects put forth by International /Non-Governmental Organization (I/NGO)s, Civil Society Organization (CSO)s and other non-profit or international organizations.
The objective of the educational program is to provide participants with the tools required to initiate and carry out projects in the NGO-sector. In addition, it is hoped that those who complete the program will, independently or together, start new projects and contribute to the revitalization of organizations throughout the world. Examples of independent projects that are direct products of the school network’s graduates include (but are not limited to) Time Bank Association Sweden and Club Global, both Swedish non-profit organizations.
Each student receives a Macintosh iBook upon commencement of the course, and the school has LAN access in each classroom for Internet access and note taking. Students use the laptops during the time they are abroad during the LAW period, as well. A typical class is comprised of about 25 students, with around 80% of the group graduating at the conclusion of the third term.
After partaking in a three-term program that includes a full-time practical internship working with an organization locally or abroad, a student should have the practical knowledge necessary in order to function as a project leader. Since many students have prior experience upon enrollment, their background is an integral part of lecture, discussion, activism, and regular class activity.
Those who complete Globalverkstan formulate and exercise the skills necessary to initiate and organize projects according to each individual’s background. Students’ areas of focus include fair trade, democracy, peaceful conflict resolution, youth, poverty, tolerance, agriculture, trafficking, art, music, culture, and more. The remainder of the class, as an international audience, serves as a sounding board for each student’s ideas and contributions. Students therefore learn a great deal of cultural tolerance and sensitivity while participating in the program. It is, after all, the inspiration and building of ideas that propels the students to take action.
“My need from GV studies was to equip myself with sufficient knowledge and hands-on experience in initiating civic engagements and projects in the civil society in my home country, bringing back the best practices available in the advanced world,” said Pakistani Arif Khalil in a recent survey, who graduated Globalverkstan last year. “This is what I could achieve, but more than that, I could bring with me cool memories and heaps of love. Not only that, I got a strong belief in human equality, co-existence and sharing. Most of all, I have access to a full-fledge pool of talent in the form of a family for use in my career goals.”
The education itself is learner-based, practical, and hands-on in theory. Students bring their own experiences to the class to complement the required reading and lectures for each segment of the course. During the first term, projects for the second Learning at Work (LAW), or internship, term are drafted, analyzed and critiqued by classmates. Students are encouraged to read extra-curricular literature. Ideally, students also use class time to share experiences, build ideas, and fulfill course requirements. Such requirements involve attendance, participation, individual and group presentations, group work and project work, written responses to the literature and seminars about each course unit.
Students encounter events here in Sweden that bring activism to the classroom during their course of study. For example, one class organized an online petition and city protest against the results of the national Belorussian elections in January 2006. More recently, current students have worked with Studenter Mot Krig Göteborg (the Students Against War group in Gothenburg) to organize protests, a seminar, an online petition, and other public awareness activities to bring attention to and protest against the Swedish National Security Service (Säpo)’s judgment in accusing Palestinian classmate, Hassan Asad, of terrorist involvement. These are just two examples of hands-on and spontaneous activism; the students’ influence and ideas reach far and wide across the globe.
“Looking at Globalverkstan as a complement to my previous university studies and work experience, I find myself prepared to develop and carry out projects in relation to development issues. I plan to use my skills both on a local as well as a global level,” said Malin Omland, a Swede who spent her internship in Nicaragua.
How does it feel to be part of a program that influences what is known as civil society? “Most important, up to date, it’s necessary looking at society at large and also taking into consideration the global context we are a part of,” said Omland. “It feels good, I mean, I think we all do, being part of this program. Civil society is an essential actor in society with a lot of potential to influence and push for changes!”
“What I like best about the program is the necessity to form your own independent learning style with own objectives and indicators,” said Bulgarian student Velichka Dimitrova. “Only as an independent individual is one able to become a good and successful manager. If one always compares oneself to others and expects the tasks and the initiative to originate from the management body, then one is not really using the intellect, creativity and originality, which are essential qualities to the leadership personality. In my opinion, the idea of the education is quite revolutionary, and not everybody is able to make full use of it. To be able to experience and understand Globalverkstan, one has to experience an internal and social transformation.”
For more information, read about Globalverkstan at http://www.Globalverkstan.net . Globalverkstan’s sister project, Kulturverkstan, will be covered in a future article.
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