Education
PRESENTATIONS, WEBINARS, WORKSHOPS, COURSES …
EDUCATION TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Worldview Education
Grian research is focused on the psychological construct of worldview, which, according to the Dutch psychologist Annick de Witt, has five constituents:
- Ontology: What is the nature of reality?
- Epistemology: How can we know what is real?
- Axiology: What is a good life?
- Anthropology: What is the human being and what is their role and purpose in existence?
- Societal vision: How do we collectively envision our social life?
Building on the developments of scientists and philosophers such as Donella Meadows, Gregory Bateson, Stephen Sterling, Fitjof Capra, Edgar Morin and Bruno Latour, Grian justifies his proposal that the fastest and most effective way to transform a civilisation is to change the collective worldview of its societies (for further information, please, see Volume 0 of The Earth Stories Collection). However, following the ideas of Bateson and Sterling, it is necessary for teacher training to include the transpersonal dimension.
Based on these assumptions, Grian has been developing since 2016 a Worldview Education aimed at building a complex systems worldview in human societies, i.e. a worldview that promotes sustainability, respect for the planetary Community of Life, social and economic justice, democratic values and human rights, non-violent conflict resolution and peace.
Among these educational developments is, of course, The Earth Stories Collection as a focal point of his proposal, but his educational offerings go beyond this. Having given talks, lectures, university presentations, workshops, seminars and courses in Europe, America and Asia for over 40 years, Grian has the resources and experience to not only disseminate his proposals to the general public, but also to train primary, secondary and higher education teachers, as he is currently doing with his online courses for the UNESCO Chair in Education for Sustainable Development and the Earth Charter at the United Nations University for Peace.
We invite you to get to know his educational proposals.
THE HALCYON DAYS
The Halcyon Days is a response to ECO-ANXIETY, as well as a call to ACTION. It is a experience week, of coexistence and deep immersion in nature to transform worldviews and address the global crisis through action and creative imagination.
From the descriptive brochure of The Halcyon Days
The Halcyon Days
This is Grian’s most innovative proposal, which aims to address the problems of eco-anxiety and eco-depression suffered by many people, especially youth, in the face of the hopeless future posed by climate change and the mass extinction of species, while directing them towards ACTION in the world to try to mitigate the disaster towards which our civilisation is heading.
It consists of a week-long experience in nature that includes a therapeutic narrative axis, to change the participants’ worldview and their perception of reality, and four lines of work:
- Connection with the Earth. It is done through deep immersion experiences in nature and the use of natural narrative metaphors
- Anchoring into consciousness. Through the instruction and practice of different transpersonal disciplines
- Community bonding. Through living together (co-existence) for seven days with other people engaged in the same search
- Social action. Through the development of critical thinking and a determined orientation towards action in the world in order to put one’s talents at the service of the Earth
All of this is based on the oral storytelling of traditional tales from around the world that accompany the transformative process.
NOTE: This educational programme is available in two languages, English and Spanish, and will be part of an Earth Charter European Network educational project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
ONLINE COURSES 2023
From Earth Charter International, at the United Nations University for Peace (Spanish only)
These are the two online courses IN SPANISH that Grian will be running on the online educational platform of the United Nations University for Peace in the course of 2023. For course dates, costs and other information, please contact the organisers by telephone or email below.
Worldviews and the Earth Charter
THE INNER DIMENSION OF GLOBAL CHANGE
Five-week online course
Description: The participant will be part of a learning community where he or she will discover the decisive importance of worldviews both in the creation of the problems that have brought us to the current ecological and social crisis and in the solution to those problems and the overcoming of climate change and the mass extinction of species. We will consider what is the new worldview that will enable us to evade civilisational collapse, and will take a look at the philosophical and scientific developments arising from it, such as the Earth Charter, Deep Ecology, Gaia Theory and the Ethics of Care. On this basis, instruction and practice in various transpersonal methodologies – immersion in nature, chi kung, zen meditation or Sufi samâ’ – will be offered to encourage a change in worldview among the students.
This course is followed up, if the participant is interested in how traditional stories can change societies’ worldviews, by another 5-week course, also offered on the Earth Charter International platform, entitled ‘The Earth Stories Collection: How to Make Another World Possible with Myths, Legends and Traditional Stories’.
For more information, costs and dates, please contact
- Telephone: +506 2205-9060
- Email: apply@earthcharter.org
The Earth Stories Collection
HOW TO MAKE ANOTHER WORLD POSSIBLE WITH MYTHS, LEGENDS AND TRADITIONAL STORIES
Five-week online course
Description: The participant will be part of a learning community where myths, legends, fables and tales from around the world will be studied in depth as one of the most important educational tools to generate the worldview change and social transformation needed to overcome the global crisis we are entering. We will look at why these human cultural products are so important and provide training in the art of traditional storytelling.
In a nutshell, this course is about how by telling certain myths, legends, fables and stories that illustrate the principles and values of the Earth Charter we can transform our civilisation.
This course has its preamble, or its continuation if you wish to delve deeper into the topic of worldviews, in another course offered on the Earth Charter International online platform, entitled ‘Worldviews and the Earth Charter: The Inner Dimension of Global Change’.
For more information, costs and dates, please contact
- Telephone: +506 2205-9060
- Email: apply@earthcharter.org
TALKS, LECTURES, WEBINARS, PRESENTATIONS, MASTERCLASSES, WORKSHOPS, COURSES, SEMINARS …
By Topics
In addition to the educational programmes specified above, Grian Cutanda offers other programmes in a variety of formats, from simple lectures to courses or seminars, on the topics listed below.
If you wish Grian to deliver any of these activities, in person or online, please Contact and tell us what kind of training or educational activity you need and on which specific topic(s) from the list below..
Programme Fees
Because of his commitment to building a more just, peaceful and sustainable world, money has never been an obstacle for Grian in the realisation of his educational programmes, so if you are interested in any of these topics, please get in touch and make your case. It is unlikely (except for scheduling problems) that you will not come to an agreement.
PARTNERS AND PUBLISHING HOUSES
Spanish