Jean Parker introduces Integral Community Based Learning for Emergency Preparedness to India – and Passes PhD
Jean Parker concludes her PhD with a fulminant VIVA presentation and a vibrant Impact Forum in New Delhi, with representatives of impacted Radio Stations in Uttarakhand and Community Radio experts from Asia Pacific. […]
On 6 June 2016, Jean Parker, Fellow of Trans4m and participant in the Trans4m-Da Vinci PhD program on Integral Development, presented the results of her research to innovation in an official VIVA presentation as well as on international Impact Forum.
Jean Parker’s research to innovation focusses on: An Integral Approach to Community-Based Learning to Increase Emergency Preparedness through Participatory Media and Communications in Rural India: Creating “Safer Communities” Through Community Radio in India’s Villages
PhD VIVA and Impact Forum demonstrated convincingly the new approach to community education for disaster preparedness that Jean Parker had developed, working actively with a huge innovation ecosystem with representatives from all parties mentioned. This action research driven integral innovation created a new level of culturally-sensitive community radio based education – integrating drama, music, theatre and other cultural means to activate indigenous knowledge in rural community to enable more effective disaster responses.
Not only did this Integral Innovation had a huge impact on the two participating communities in Uttarakhand and their respective community radio stations, all participants also affirmed the relevance of this work for numerous other applications, beyond disaster preparedness, and the Impact Forum concluded with concrete steps how to take this work further in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
The Viva took place in the presence of Da Vinci Dean Dr. Ronel Blom, Trans4m’s Profs Alexander Schieffer and Ronnie Lessem, Ideosync Executive Director Venu Arora and India Fellow Jaimini Luharia, and Representatives of the impacted Community Radio Stations in Uttarakhand, Radio Henvalvani (Rajendra Negi) and Radio Kumaon Vani (Vimla Singh and Tara Singh). The Impact Forum was joined, in addition, by Co-Researcher Shalini Bai, Senior Community Radio Experts from Nepal and Bangladesh – as well as special guests Swami Agnivesh, a leading Indian social activist, and Dr. Meera Seethi, special envoy for India of the IOM International Organisation of Migration.