Workshop%201%20Overcoming%20ignorance%20NGOs%20and%20civic%20engagement

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Workshop 1Overcoming ignoranceNGOs and civic
engagement

• Problematique
• ignorance of whom
• ignorance of what
• But also resolutique
• the role of NGOs
• recommendations

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Ignorance of whom

• The trained
• programmed only to be professionals ? segmentated
  and outsourcing unnecessary elements
• The non-trained
• illiterate to universal languages (science,
  maths, arts, music etc.) ? also segmentated
• Those obeying only traditions
• lacking education for life
• Victims of mass media
• 70 education is nonformal

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Ignorance of what

• Ignorance of the other
• inability to relate to other humans (the further
  away the worse)
• Ignorance of hidden agendas and ideologies in
  media, education etc.
• e.g. education should enhance critical thinking
  and participation
• escapism vs. civic engagement
• Ignorance of the systems of natural environment
• detachment is the price of progress

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NGOs as part of resolutique

• NGOs are already doing some of the governments
  job
• the strong question of mandate proves impact
• They act when the government cannot deploy
  sufficient tools to deal with the problematique
  of public ignorance
• eg. Limits to growth

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NGOs as part of resolutique

• NGOs are about shaping and differentiating
  messages to their own target groups
• answer to question of segmentation
• NGOs are built on peoples ways of making sense
  of what is really happening and to provide
  feeling on significance
• asking what is important in general
• need to make personal relevance

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The way forward

• Reducing indifference by connecting people
• new forms of civic engagement to reach new
  segments not covered by current NGOs
• more civic engagement by creating new roles for
  third sector within first and second sector
• Making again an issue of world problematique
• encouraging people make sense of the graphs
• practicing resolutique education for life

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