Carrots and Conviviality – in conversation with Carmel Duffy

Carmel Duffy is a pioneer of system change. For over four decades she has chosen to live more lightly and thoughtfully. It was a great pleasure and honour to spend a morning hearing her story which is shared here. Enjoy! Many thanks to Carmel, Pete, Tom and Ben for their warm hospitality and generous welcome. …
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System Change – videos of our meeting

Thanks to all who joined our gathering on 8 December 2021. A fascinating conversation ensued (part 3) after an introduction to System Change (part 1) and a tribute to Richard Auler (part 2).

Making Sense of Ourselves and Our World

An essay on “education as if people and planet matter” originally drafted for The Dartington Trust and Resurgence and published on Clive Menzies Outersite.org. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer is obvious, if you can look back in time. Eggs came first in fish, reptiles, then birds. It was an egg …
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Let’s all babble!

In their article Babel is better The Economist encourages education in a person’s mother tongue, rather than English, and they are right to do so. It would have been helpful to explain why from a neurological and personal development point of view, rather than simply rationalise that it is difficult to find teachers that speak …
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Time is running out: Behind the curve on SDGs

SustainAblility and Globescan’s recent survey of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals is not encouraging. Over 500 experts contributed.  The consensus is that progress and attention is lagging the need for change.  If data is restricted to those with a decade or more of experience the picture is worse. Progress is dominated by social entrepreneurs …
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Are you beginning to get it? The what, why and how of system change.

There has been an outpouring of love and solidarity because of the tragic and terrific blood-letting in Paris this weekend.  It has been a synchronous focus on thought, feeling and action by millions around the world.  That is good. The answers proposed have ranged from black to white, from vengeance to forgiveness.  (My preference is …
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Unnoticed by everyone, education is regressing.

Understanding education is not easy.  We all think we know what it means but when it comes to defining it and suggesting improvements the challenge becomes amorphous.  I’m trying to create a framework to help improve curriculum and pedagogy. One of the biggest problems I see as an educator, coach and parent is the rapid …
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Maths is art. Art is maths. It’s all science. – Govt education report

This morning Eilis, a friend of Pam’s, explained to a councillor that funding for art education should be increased because businesses want creativity and the Renaissance flourished because science and art merged. At the same time a report by The Creative Industries Federation and the Institution of Civil Engineers, saying similar things was being publicised.  …
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