Eve Annecke, co-founder and director of the Sustainability Insitute in South Africa has been an occasional short course participant at Schumacher College. Seven other members of the Sustainability Institute team recently attended Ecoliteracy: First principals for radical change. Hundreds of miles away from the Sustainability Institute in both distance and context, she talks about the work at Schumacher College as being deeply influential. “In all the creative work we have done in the last 10 years the work we have done with Schumacher has been one of the highlights.”
Schumacher College and the development of a new institute
Eve originally attended a short course at Schumacher in 1993 led by Fritjof Capra. Seeing Schumacher College as a place for reflection and development she has returned several times since, including as a course facilitator. In the context of a new South Africa, she fed her experiences of learning, transformation and sustainability from Schumacher College directly into her work with other community workers: early years teachers, school principals and the police.
Eve’s return to Schumacher College in 1998, with her husband and future co-founder of the Sustainability Institute Mark Swilling, was timely. They were exploring what kind of leadership was needed in a country reinventing itself. Transformation for sustainability was a key part. “The experience at Schumacher was easy. We took this, in part, and applied it in a local context at the Sustainability Institute”.
Ecoliteracy: First principals for radical change
As the Sustainability Institute developed it was clear that colleagues wanted and needed to experience Schumacher College. Eve describes seeing the invitation to join the first Ecoliteracy course at Schumacher College. Her colleague saw the publicity at the same moment and asked if there was any way that she could attend. Eve said it was a “this is it” moment. The Sustainability Institute sent seven participants.
The effect of the Ecoliteracy course was phenomenal. Each participant had their own learning journey but there was a common language that emerged which they continue to use in their work back home. “Colleagues recognised that the approach of Schumacher College is not replicated at the Sustainability Institute but forms a contribution to the whole. And this approach keeps developing.”
Talking about how her colleagues were after the trip to Schumacher College. “They came back full of energy. They had had a different experience of living ecologically and learning sustainability.” The lived experience at Schumacher College goes beyond words. But as one Sustainability Institute colleague said “now I know.” Eve believes the knowledge experience and skills that her colleagues gained on Ecoliteracy will support their individual visions and motivation as well as giving direction to the way they lead and facilitate projects.
The Sustainability Institute in partnership
Describing the approach of the Sustainability Institute as a “messy, integrated approach to living and learning” is a wonderful application of Ecoliteracy. Combining the practice and theory, ecology and equity, and sustainability with poverty eradication is an enormous challenge. And the need for this integrated approach has been extraordinarily popular in the local context.
Eve’s husband Mark went on to be a professor at the University of Stellenbosch while Eve directed the institute that they had founded. In delivering and awarding programmes the Institute works in partnership with the University. With 32 graduates last year in their BPhil and MPhil programmes and several times that number of applicants, Eve talks about the need for the team to be sustainable, and confident that their small operation is strong. “Other organisations will have to develop in order to pick up on what we cannot deliver.” The late Professor Brian Goodwin visited the Sustainability Institute during the development of the MSc in Holistic Science at Schumacher College.
Eve and the team keep their “fingernails dirty with the transformation of our country.” They are involved in some fundamental issues. The Sustainability Institute partners with the National Department of Human Settlements working on providing housing in South Africa and with organisations working on sustainable agriculture.
They have recently been approached by a large charity wanting to deliver projects on the ground in several African countries, and would like the help of the Sustainability Institute in training those working on the projects. Eve sees these sorts of partnerships as a way to deliver learning for sustainability on a broader basis without getting bigger themselves.
“We are all, globally, working towards uncertain futures.” Eve believes this requires an integrated approach that rests on partnerships, dialogue and practical experience of creating a sustainable future. Schumacher College has been a key part in the way the Sustainability Institute has moved forward with this challenge. “Whether you are farming, building or a corporate citizen you need a shared language within which to work.” Schumacher College has a contribution to make. Eve uses the Sustainability Institute’s experience on the Ecoliteracy course as an example of the creativity that is unleashed when staff colleagues and friends come together in a learning environment like Schumacher College. “It gives a space where we can generate perspective; to understand together the challenge globally and locally, and take the initiative to meet the uncertain future.”
For more information:
The Sustainability Institute
Schumacher College
Short Course Ecoliteracy: First principals for radical change
