Background, objectives and schedule

Partner Implementor: Organization for Training Research and Development Foundation Inc (OTRADEV)

1. Background and Rationale

The video documentary, “Iraya: The Charter of Human Responsibility” produced by OTRADEV Foundation (for more details, click here), was well received by the Iraya community, government, educational institutions of Northern Mindoro. The Video documentary provides visual representation of the plight of the Iraya and their response to life’s adversities. Copies of the video documentary have been distributed to public and private schools in Mindoro Oriental and Mindoro Occidental. Copies of the video was also distributed to selected partners in Metro Manila, which includes human responsibility advocates and other development workers/professionals.

However, the video documentary to succeed in its objective of contributing to the popularization of the concept of human responsibility, requires understanding of the concept. The study guide accompanying the video documentary was initially prepared. However, given the variation in the understanding of high school teacher on the concept of human responsibility, there is a need to provide guidance to the educator. There is also a need to provide the teachers with assistance on facilitation methodology, for maximize the learning process for the students. The selected advocates in Metro Manila can be harnessed to further disseminate the concept of human responsibility and ventilate the issues faced by the Iraya. This will hopefully generate additional interest and support to their plight.

2. Project Objectives and Outcome

The project aims to contribute in the popularization of the concept of human responsibility through teacher’s seminars and workshops. Specifically, the project will conduct seminar-workshop on how to facilitate discussion on human responsibility using the Iraya vide documentary as the starting point. The seminar-workshop participants will be selected from high schools in Baco, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera, Paluan, and Abra de Ilog, municipalities where the Iraya reside. Priority will be given to schools where Iraya students are also enrolled. Two seminar-workshop will be conducted, one for the Mindoro Oriental School District and another for the Mindoro Occidental School District. Participants for the Mindoro Oriental School District include Social Studies teachers from Baco, San Teodoro and Puerto Galera Public and Private Schools, while participants for the Mindoro Occidental School Districts will include Abra de Ilog and Paluan.

A seminar-workshop on the concept of Human responsibility will be held in Manila to further clarify the concept and consolidate the gains and insights on their advocacy initiatives. OTRADEV as a membership organization of development workers and professionals also advocates human responsibility.

3. Project Activities

The project will have three phases of activities, the preparatory phase, the seminar-workshops, and the evaluation.

• Preparatory Phase. Activities for this phase will include development of the seminar-workshop design, scheduling and information dissemination about the seminar-workshop, invitation of the participants, design and production of the seminar-workshop kit, and booking of the seminar-workshop venue.

• Seminar-Workshops. Two-day seminar for the Public School Teachers to be held in Mindoro and also in Manila is envisioned for this project. The Mindoro seminar-workshop will be attended by teachers from Baco, San Teodoro, and Puerto Galera. The Manila workshop will be attended by selected human responsibility advocates and members of OTRADEV Foundation.

• Evaluation. The outcome of the seminars and workshops will be evaluated using a simple feedback form administered to the participants of the workshop. This is to elicit useful suggestions, comments and feedback, which can be used for future workshops and seminars.

4. Implementation Schedule

• Preparatory phase (three months) – May to July 2005

• Actual conduct of seminar workshop – August 2005

• Documentation – September 2005

• Presentation to advocates in Manila and Evaluation – December 2005

Prepared by: Ruben Martines, OTRADEV