"MARG, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'BEING A GLOBAL CITIZEN?' " My recent interview by the editor of LitGleam

My interview appeared in the recent April 2020 edition of India’s LitGleam Magazine

Yes! Excitement! I was recently interviewed for the Indian magazine, LitGleam. A beautifully current magazine. LitGleam is not an online magazine, so I am sharing my responses to their questions, posed by their Editor, R. Nithya, here. Of course, if you are in India, you can subscribe to LitGleam yourself! I think you will be very happy you did!

QUESTION ONE:

Nithya: Your recent book “The Gandhi Experiment” focuses on teaching teenagers to become global citizens. What do you mean by that and why is it needed? What is your idea of being a “global citizen”?
Margaret: My journey into teaching teenagers to become global citizens grew out of a realisation
from my decades of experience in teaching. It began to dawn on me that if we say we are teaching kindness, caring, empathy, respect, tolerance and understanding, then why does it appear to have not translated into the adult world – especially the world of big business, where greed, over-competitiveness and corruption are rife? Why are the messages not sticking? Why do we still have so many problems ‘out there’?

I began both an inner and outward journey – going ‘in’ to learn more and ‘out’ to teach these learnings. I found myself at the Gandhi Sabarmati ashram, meditating in the very same place Gandhi-ji prayed morning and night. This very clear thought came to me then: ‘There are too many people experimenting with war and violence. We need more people experimenting with peace and non-violence.’ Essentially, that is where The Gandhi Experiment began.

I now teach the connection between inner change / personal change and global change. I take young people ‘out there’ to grapple with the big global issues. They love getting their minds around big picture questions –”What is the root cause of war? How can we apply ‘Einstein’s theory of Why? Why? Why?’ to drill down into this?” “Give me ten ways to stop a terrorist group, using non-violence.” “Where is the biggest garbage patch in our world? What? It is in the ocean? Well how on earth did it get there?”

Then I bring it back all to ‘me’ – What is my role,my behaviour, my relationships? How does my behaviour and my attitude connect to global issues? When we learn why we should never use fear to control our home, our school, our community, our country, we see the direct connection between ‘me’ and all issues around me. We begin to also understand that the small changes we can make close to home become the large solutions for positive change in our world.This is transformative education.

To be a Global Citizen means you can still be very proud of your country, yet you understand yourself to be a citizen with rights and responsibilities that transcend borders. Through The Gandhi Experiment, I teach tools and strategies for Ahimsa, non-violence to others, to ourselves and to the planet. Violence extends well beyond physical violence. Emotional violence can cause mental health issues; keeping people in poverty is a form of economic violence; climate change is a violence to the planet.

As a Global Citizen, what is ‘my’ role in co-creating a non-violent planet?

“We begin to also understand that the small changes we can make close to home become the large solutions for positive change in our world.This is transformative education. ”

If we are seeking wisdom, Einstein told us, ‘The thinking that got us into the problem is not the thinking that will get us out of the problem.’ We need to change the way we think, and therefore the way we act and behave. The dominant paradigm of ‘When I win, you lose,’ must change to ‘When I win, you win too.’

Question Two to follow soon!

Cheery blessings,

Marg

Margaret Hepworth is the founder of The Gandhi Experiment

www.margarethepworth.com

margaret@margarethepworth.com

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WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM CHINESE TEENAGERS WHEN WE REACH OUT TO THEM?

NB: Photo of happy teenagers taken by me on my last visit to China in 2018

A few weeks ago I ran my 'Global Citizenship – It Starts with us!' workshop online for over 260 teenagers in China. I had been wondering what they would know and feel about Global Citizenship as a concept. Their immediate responses showed me they are aware, awake and stepping up to be humanitarians.
Their deep concerns were for our planet. "That everyone should take real measures to help others no matter who and where they come from." That "We need to take responsibility for our environment." And that "Global Citizenship is a hope for the future."
We agreed to have open and courageous conversations. They told me of their fear of being blamed for Coronavirus. They were well aware of the racism already billowing. It is terribly unfair to subject teenagers to such degradation. I invite you if you ever hear racist comments, to stop them in their tracks immediately.
These teens spoke about the wet markets. They understood the danger. I taught them two new words: Ahimsa – 'non-violence and respect for all living things' and 'specie-ism' – pertaining to the arrogance of humans to all other species on our planet. We shared ideas on how we could change our attitudes, to create a greater humanity. One we can be proud of.
 
I have come away with such respect and hope for what these young people can achieve. I am proud of their intentions and willing to support them as they move forward. I hope you are too.

“ That everyone should take real measures to help others no matter who and where they come from. ”

Cheery blessings,

Marg

Margaret Hepworth teaches Global Citizenship and Non-Violence to young people in schools and youth forums.

She can be contacted on margaret@margarethepworth.com

www.margarethepworth.com

MOVING CONFERENCES, IDEAS AND SHARED LEARNING ONLINE

When the Coronavirus shut down the Educators Today, Society Tomorrow conference in India, the ETST team moved it online. 

I have been a part of this group for several years now, traveling to India to facilitate at their conferences; to run workshops for teachers and students organized through them; and to meet extraordinary people, adults and teens, who amaze me!
When it was suggested they move the conference online, it seemed to them a daunting prospect. Yet by engaging the right people who created an online Open Space platform, with tenacious attitudes, oh, and a lot of younger people who saved people such as me from technological disaster, the outcome has been superb!
We left alight with passion and energy and new ideas for our students. We are now examining ways to carry this forward into many classrooms. Action for change! 

My own contribution was to run a session I call "The Most Beautiful Planet."
 
Only the day before, I had taken 67 Indian teenagers on an online journey to find the 'Most Beautiful Planet.' 
This lesson on Global Citizenship is designed to expand young minds through high creativity and imagination, then bring all of this to a place of constructive action. A place for real change. For them to understand they have a role in this. For the kids to see, feel and sense beauty and hope, then create and apply very real steps towards building this. 
These teens were so engaged, willing to contribute and wanting more. It was wonderful to hear so many excited voices, sharing sensible and achievable ideas.
I taught this lesson to the teachers at the ETST conference, to become a shared concept across global classrooms.
 
Recently social media has flooded us with inspiring videos and quotes about the 'new normal' when we emerge from the Coronavirus crisis. The question is, well how do we actually do that? And will we actually do that?
Will we commit to creating 'the most beautiful planet'?

Through these lessons we are already putting that into action. Young people with inspiring attitudes are emerging. 

“Through these lessons we are already putting that into action. Young people with inspiring attitudes are emerging.”

If you are interested in learning more about my workshops, or running one for your students and/or teachers, then write to me margaret@margarethepworth.com

Cheery blessings,

Marg

Margaret Hepworth is the founder of The Gandhi Experiment, a former Assistant Principal and a teacher for over 30 years.

www.margarethepworth.com

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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE FORCED TO SLOW DOWN?

Social distancing meditation with my son James

For such a long time we have felt that life is too fast paced. The world is moving too quickly. If only we could we could just slow down.

Well, here we are, in the time of Corona. Slowed.

What happens when we are forced to slow down?

Firstly comes the realisation. The pace of the world never changed; the rotation of the earth never sped up; the sun’s heart never skipped a beat; the moon steps slowly, at its same consistent rise.

It was never nature that sped up. It was us! We made our lives too fast. So fast we had trouble keeping up with ourselves.

Our second realisation is this. In moving so quickly, we only ever create band-aid solutions to virtually all our problems. Our health-care; our self-nourishment; arguments with our kids; conflict with our partners, friends and family. Our selfish grab and steal on the environment.

Band-aid solutions.

Finally, we realise there are other ways. Lateral, plausible, creative and beautiful solutions.

Now in Lockdown, take the time to open to new ways of doing things.

Teach your children to meditate. Teach them how to sit comfortably in silence. At the rate we were going, whirling and swirling them into the next activity, and the next and the next, without pause for breath, we were setting them up to become fast-paced, breathless adults.

Now is the time to give them time.

Do we still need the Band-aids? Yes, we do. Yet we will place them alongside long term, solution focussed visions of our world.

I realise as I write, for some in the time of Corona, life hasn’t slowed down. For our doctors and nurses, our health professionals, our emergency services, and many working to feed us and keep us safe and healthy, their pace has got faster and faster, almost out of their control. For many of the world’s poor, life has become an even steeper trajectory of pain.

So, we slow down for them. We slow down with them. We slow down to reflect, to find solutions, to understand how we can contribute to a better world.

“ When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase ‘each other’ doesn’t make any sense.” Rumi

When the goose arrived to meditate!

‘The Conundrum of Inner Listening’ is Chapter Five in The Gandhi Experiment - Teaching our teenagers (and us) how to become global citizens. Purchase now as an e-book to learn how to slow down.

Cheery blessings,

Marg

www.margarethepworth.com

margaret@margarethepworth.com

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SHOULD WE CHANGE THE DATE OF AUSTRALIA DAY? A QUESTION THAT SPEAKS TO NATIONS ACROSS OUR GLOBE.

Should we change the date of Australia Day?

William Ricketts Sanctuary Photo credit Margaret Hepworth

A question that speaks to the heart of who we are as Australians. A question that is relevant to all nations across the globe.

Are we an inclusive nation?

Many, many years ago as a teenager in secondary school, I learnt in our History class, that the Protestant Irish celebrated a holiday, parading through the streets, on a day that marked an Irish Catholic massacre. Even as a young girl at that time, I could feel the lack of empathy. I wondered why they did this and couldn’t they simply celebrate their special day on another date? There appeared to be a lack of willingness to understand and resolve. The ‘victors’ dancing on a day of sorrow for the ‘other.’

I am a teacher of some 30 years now, having taught English, Humanities and Indigenous Studies throughout that lengthy time. Interestingly, one of the main focuses for our pre-service teachers, i.e. our next generation of teachers in Australia, is to learn to teach the value of inclusivity and to model this through their teaching methodologies.

Inclusivity is highlighted in our National Curriculum as being of primary importance for our young people to grow as healthy, well-adjusted individuals. Then surely we also need to look to celebrating this value as an Australian nation.

I recently went on a tour of so called ‘orphanages’ that held aboriginal children of the Stolen Generations, a period of time that ran (approximately) from 1910-to early 1970s. I am sure I do not need to tell you these children were not orphans. I was horrified by the tour; the horror came from the ‘what was still being said now’. It felt like we were back in the 1930s and that the prevailing attitude of that time was still being carried by this tour guide. I was deeply concerned and I don’t even want to refer to the words she used to describe Aborigines. She also presented some of the stories that were told to Aboriginal children to stop them looking for their mothers as though they were truths.

I want people to know that in certain places in our country, this is how our history is still being told.

I spoke privately with the tour guide afterwards, inviting her to listen to another way that this story could be told; inviting her into a narrative that needs to be shared and deeply understood if real change is to occur. Finally, I added, “You have an amazing opportunity here for real learning, education and for healing to occur, if you can open to a different perspective.”

It is my belief that we have this same opportunity for learning and healing by changing the date of Australia Day.

Our Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, recently declared that local councils will be forced to hold Australia Day ceremonies on January 26, even if the councillors personally believe this should not be happening.  Many see this as an unusual and authoritarian stance. In my own experience as a teacher of many years, we would be better to apply critical thinking and utilise Collaborative Debating to open up the topic to exploration. In this way, we do not tell people what to think, yet we invite them to think.

Let’s be very clear, Australia Day falls on January 26. This is the day that Captain Arthur Phillip stabbed a flag in the soil of, what they had named, Sydney Cove. If we want to be pedantic, on that day they claimed the colony of New South Wales, and a penal colony at that. Not a nation, not Australia!

There is nothing pedantic in stating and understanding that this was the beginning of a genocide for the peoples of the British Government’s “Terra Nullius.”

If we continue to celebrate on a day that many of the First Peoples and others regard as a day of mourning but as a nation, we can’t see or understand or empathise – then that is an ongoing tragedy. Where is the inclusivity we are teaching, put into practice? It is time to change.

William Ricketts Sanctuary Photo credit Margaret Hepworth

I have been running Collaborative Debating workshops over the past couple of years in schools in Melbourne. This topic: “Should we change the date for Australia Day?” is a popular choice. The responses from secondary students have been nothing short of extraordinary and I wish more adults were in these workshops to hear these young people talk.

I want to be very clear here – I don’t tell these kids what to think. We set up a Collaborative Debate, which has a framework that invites respect, listening and participation from all involved, including the audience. Speakers may even acknowledge that they have changed their mind throughout the debate. They may even apologise to the other side! And halfway through what are always very active, robust debates, we have a mindful moment of stilled silence, allowing new wisdoms and insights to enter the debate. Can you imagine politicians doing this?

Students have told me: “Saying sorry doesn’t mean we are ever going to change.”

What these young people understand is it is all about what the date represents and it will take a change in attitude for real change to occur. For most, they want to see the date changed as a mark of respect and so it allows them to freely celebrate all the wonderful positives about our country, together. Australians all let us rejoice.

“because of the damage it represents that none of us can ignore”

16 year old participant in a school Collaborative Debate

Some students have suggested, “Not changing the date yet changing our attitude.” They say we should keep this date but not to be celebrated, instead to “have it like ANZAC day”, as a commemorative day. Then to have a separate day of celebration, inclusive for all. At one school, after this same decision had been made, one boy put up his hand. He spoke vehemently, from the heart. He said that he could understand a commemorative day, and yet, with what had occurred through our history, the biggest way we could show we were taking action in regards to commemorating, was to change the date, “because of the damage it represents that none of us can ignore.” He received thunderous applause.

In all cases, the final decision from the majority of these secondary students was to change the date of Australia Day.

This year I want to walk the Songlines in Western Australia. I want to learn. One truth that we commonly forget in this country is that the Aborigines actually aided many white ‘settlers’ and early explorers. It is thanks to local tribes, that many of these people survived.

I am hoping they will now include me, teach me, and that in doing so I will not only survive, I will thrive.

Do we need to change the date of Australia Day? 

I believe it is a question that speaks to the hearts and minds not just of our country, but reaches out to hearts and minds across the globe, to any country who claims to value inclusivity, empathy and equality as values that pillar their nation. After centuries of colonisation / invasion, the ‘victors’ across the world are still unable to empathize or listen deeply. Perhaps this shows they are still carrying the hallmarks of colonialism, even whilst proclaiming we have progressed into a 'modern world.'

Inclusivity is a value that could change the world. I believe Australia has an amazing opportunity to be an exemplar to other nations with similar histories who continue to undermine their First Peoples or other marginalized groups.

I am not telling you what to think. Yet I am inviting you to think.

Margaret Hepworth

Founder The Gandhi Experiment

William Ricketts Sanctuary Photo credit Margaret Hepworth

Speaker / Author / Educator Margaret Hepworth is an expert in teenage motivations & behaviours; a thought leader in peace education; the founder of The Gandhi Experiment;  an English and Humanities teacher of 30 years; author of The Gandhi Experiment – teaching our teenagers how to become global citizens; recipient of the 2016 Sir John Monash Award for Inspirational Women's Leadership; creator of Collaborative Debating ©. www.thegandhiexperiment.com

Margaret@margarethepworth.com  

The Gandhi Experiment - Teaching our teenagers how to become global citizens Purchase here

Maragret is the ‘go to’ for Collaborative Debating. For workshops you can contact her on Margaret@margarethepworth.com

COLLABORATIVE DEBATING THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION

Students workshop the topic prior to the Collaborative Debate

Last Friday, I was very excited to be back at Preshil, running a Collaborative Debate with all their Yr 10s. Having studied ethical questions around the Fourth Industrial Revolution - digital revolution - social credit, advanced surveillance technology, facial recognition and more, the topic of our Collaborative Debate was ‘That we need more surveillance strategies.’ Oh yes, it was challenging!

I was impressed at how quickly these Yr 10s learnt to shift to this new framework of collaborative conversation, not trying to point score or denigrate, but to open the topic up to further examination. 

In Collaborative Debating we learn that we may need to pose new questions - create a question chain that will then take us closer to the answers we are seeking. One such question raised by one of the Preshil Yr 10s in relation to new surveillance strategies was ‘What are the outcomes we would be seeking?’ It helped to clarify the purpose and intent of our debate. 

And as much as we were talking about 'screens' here we were fully engaged in face-to-face conversations, in deep learning. Love it!

COLLABORATIVE DEBATING - HEAR IT FROM THE KIDS!

On Wednesday I ran yet another Collaborative Debating workshop, this time for the Yr 9s at Donvale Christian College. It is amazing to see how quickly young people can re-frame a debate from being adversarial to respectful once they are taught how to do this. 

But don't take it from me - here it is from the students themselves: 

• "The idea of Collaborative Debating is much better since it isn't about fighting the opposition but more about coming to an agreement." 
• "I learnt that Collaborative Debating is about working together to resolve conflict, yet you can still disagree." 
• "I liked how Collaborative Debating was less competitive and more about communication."
• "I think Collaborative Debating helps the opposing sides to understand each other's statements without going straight to rebuttal. It was really informative."
• "We gained a powerful insight on how we can change for the better."

Marg Hepworth is the "Go-To" for Collaborative Debating: Inquire at margaret@margarethepworth.com

My Mindful Coordinator (MC) and timekeeper, doing a sterling job of maintaining respect throughout our debate.

#collaborativedebating #thegandhiexperiment #margarethepworth #peaceeducation #insightfulyr9s #debating

WHEN PROACTIVE PARENTING MEETS EMPOWERING EDUCATION

Photo permission granted

When I wrote 'The Gandhi Experiment - Teaching our teenagers how to become global citizens', the readers I had in mind were parents and teachers. I never expected to be contacted by two 12 year olds telling me, 'We are reading your book' and 'we are up to “The Best Forgiveness Role-Play Ever”, we really, really loved the thinking shown by the Babemba Tribe that you talked about in your book and we would like to show our class an example of this.' 

Kids teaching kids - it doesn't get better than this!

'The Gandhi Experiment' was given to Loren, and read with her, by her mum, who intentionally seeks ways to teach peace-building strategies in their home. Mum wrote to me too, 'She is very inspired by the work you have been doing, as am I. Both my daughters feel really empowered that they can now make a difference in the world.'

Loren's teacher then fully supported her and her friend in using 'The Gandhi Experiment - Teaching our teenagers how to become global citizens' as part of their research on their project on Conflict Resolution. These two young people contacted me over Skype and asked a series of questions about conflict negotiation. I was so impressed with the maturity of their questioning and their thinking. And more-so that they were pursuing conflict resolution as something they felt they and their peers needed to learn more about to enhance their own lives. 

Amazing teamwork - parent/teacher/student all working together - to achieve valuable life-skills. 

Blessings to you all. This article comes with Loren's mum's blessings too. She is a proactive parent who believes that teaching her children life-skills, such as conflict negotiation, will auger well for their futures. 

#TheGandhiExperiment #PeerLearning #PeaceEducation #ValuesEducation

www.thegandhiexperiment.com 

Available worldwide at any good bookstore

"THAT TECHNOLOGY IS KILLING PEACE." Yr 6s learn Collaborative Debating

An attentive audience

It seemed an appropriate topic for a debate on the International Day of Peace: "That technology is killing peace." Yet perhaps even more appropriately for that auspicious day, the Year 6s of Auburn South Primary school were learning a new methodology in debating that takes the adversarial nature out of a traditional debate - Collaborative Debating.

Speaking on the seriousness of hacking, the Affirmative team discovered they had made a point on which the entire audience stood to agree. After the second speaker for the Affirmative team presented very effective arguments on the deeply destructive effects of cyber-bullying, the Mentor (formerly the adjudicator) posed this question, ‘On this point alone, raised by ‘Kyle’, stand if you agree that cyber-bullying can cause depression and enormous emotional, perhaps even physical, harm.’ The entire audience stood. The entire Co-operative Team also stood. The point had been resoundingly made.

This is the point of difference of a Collaborative Debate - debaters are allowed to agree with the opposing team. You are even allowed to show that you disagree on certain points with your own team. Because, you see, you are not aiming to ‘win at all costs’. The aim is to collaboratively solve the problem at hand - even when you come from differing viewpoints. To make the debate constructively useful to your classroom, your school and your community, well beyond the event itself.

The Co-operative Team spoke of Instagram - ‘Half of these Instagram users want to promote peace.’ ‘Skype and social media allow people to contact and maintain relationships.’ And from the authorative mouth of a 12 year old, ‘It is your choice to use social media correctly.’ A message an enormous number of adults would do well to listen to. Then this: ‘We are using certain apps to feel safe. They help us fight against crimes we can’t fight against ourselves.’

Half- way through the debate, the Mentor paused to ask this question: Is anyone feeling conflicted within themselves right now? A few ‘yeses’ in the room and a chance to explain why. The Mentor proceeded: Has anyone been so persuaded by someone’s argument that they would like to cross the floor right now? Two people from the Affirmative team stood to move to the Co-operative team, a visual impression of the change in their stance on this subject.

What happens if the contention can’t be solved in one debate? At the end of the debate the Mentor will ask a series of questions – Has the debate actually thrown up other questions that require further exploration? What are these? Has the debate partially resolved something, but not completely? Are we getting more deeply into the crux of the issue? Then why would we stop there? Let's keep delving. Let's find some solutions.

Most importantly, throughout a Collaborative Debate, a minute of mindful, stilled silence allows for new wisdoms and insights to come in to play.  

For the Auburn South Primary School Year 6 Collaborative Debate, perhaps the most persuasive moment came when the third speaker for the Co-operative team summarised his teams’ messages by stating: ‘It is not technology that is the problem – it’s the people using it.’ Leaving every person in the room to reflect for themselves, 'What is my role in that?'

Congratulations Auburn South Primary Year 6s - your are impressive debaters, persuasive and able to pick up this new shift in thinking and debating in no time! Celebrating the power and effectiveness of collaboration.

Margaret Hepworth is the author of Collaborative Debating – a Teachers Manual and The Gandhi Experiment – Teaching our teenagers how to become global citizens. Available through Readings Bookshops; Link Educational Supplies; James Bennett.

Margaret is available as a motivational speaker and can train both students and staff in Collaborative Debating. www.thegandhiexperiment.com margaret@margarethepworth.com