854
S. M. Weber and M. A. Tascón
level, the consciousness has grown, that the active participation of indigenous people is part of basic human rights and is crucial in order to support a global society
of social coherence. A peaceful solution for growing conflicts on natural resources
and their distribution can only be found in egalitarian intercultural approaches, as
fostering sustainable development and the millennium goals requires collaboration
and cooperation.
Even if, in fact, positive developments are to be found here, so far there is no
intercultural and transcontinental institution which follows the specific goal to support the connection between sustainable development, Education for Sustainable
Development and Fair Trade. This is why globally interconnected learning formats
can be a source to build an indigenous sustainability university based on the ‘Buen
Vivir’ model. Indigenous and European perspectives can be an egalitarian dialogue
for design-oriented research and training in the field of Education for Sustainable
Development.
4 Envisioning Universidad ‘Pachamama’: An Intercultural
Transcontinental Fair Trade University
The initiative of the indigenous educational organization IDEBIC in Colombia suggests establishing an international and intercultural cooperation, in order to design
and develop an alternative indigenous university of sustainability. In a reservation
zone in the province of Florida of Colombia, indigenous communities of the ‘Nasa’
support the concept of ‘Buen Vivir’ by undertaking a democratic life, an indigenous educational concept and form of schooling, which after 18 years of fighting for
national acceptance now has won national accreditation. The approach of projectbased learning is suggested for the next step of an indigenous sustainability university,
as well. It reflects on the dimensions of ‘Buen Vivir’ and the potentials within an
alternative university for sustainability for first nation people in Latin America.
4.1 A Vision of Project-Based Transnational
and Intercultural Learning
The community wishes to create an educational system to fit to ecological, indigenous criteria. They support the idea of conceptualizing an alternative intercultural
Higher Education, which might be valid not only for the community, but for the
whole continent and its’ first nation people assembly as well as for the global earth
community, too.
Based on the indigenous logic of ‘Ayni’, Collective Decision Making, project
based and problem based learning as well as life relevance of education, etc. are core
elements to be established. As this initiative already realizes project based learning in
S. M. Weber and M. A. Tascón
level, the consciousness has grown, that the active participation of indigenous people is part of basic human rights and is crucial in order to support a global society
of social coherence. A peaceful solution for growing conflicts on natural resources
and their distribution can only be found in egalitarian intercultural approaches, as
fostering sustainable development and the millennium goals requires collaboration
and cooperation.
Even if, in fact, positive developments are to be found here, so far there is no
intercultural and transcontinental institution which follows the specific goal to support the connection between sustainable development, Education for Sustainable
Development and Fair Trade. This is why globally interconnected learning formats
can be a source to build an indigenous sustainability university based on the ‘Buen
Vivir’ model. Indigenous and European perspectives can be an egalitarian dialogue
for design-oriented research and training in the field of Education for Sustainable
Development.
4 Envisioning Universidad ‘Pachamama’: An Intercultural
Transcontinental Fair Trade University
The initiative of the indigenous educational organization IDEBIC in Colombia suggests establishing an international and intercultural cooperation, in order to design
and develop an alternative indigenous university of sustainability. In a reservation
zone in the province of Florida of Colombia, indigenous communities of the ‘Nasa’
support the concept of ‘Buen Vivir’ by undertaking a democratic life, an indigenous educational concept and form of schooling, which after 18 years of fighting for
national acceptance now has won national accreditation. The approach of projectbased learning is suggested for the next step of an indigenous sustainability university,
as well. It reflects on the dimensions of ‘Buen Vivir’ and the potentials within an
alternative university for sustainability for first nation people in Latin America.
4.1 A Vision of Project-Based Transnational
and Intercultural Learning
The community wishes to create an educational system to fit to ecological, indigenous criteria. They support the idea of conceptualizing an alternative intercultural
Higher Education, which might be valid not only for the community, but for the
whole continent and its’ first nation people assembly as well as for the global earth
community, too.
Based on the indigenous logic of ‘Ayni’, Collective Decision Making, project
based and problem based learning as well as life relevance of education, etc. are core
elements to be established. As this initiative already realizes project based learning in