First Regional Meeting of UPU: to set up the Urban Popular University
Buenos Aires, May 2-12 2006
One of the first regional workshops (Buenos Aires, May 2-12 2006) is geared toward leaders of low income neighborhoods and micro-business associations and heads of local economic activity in Argentina and Peru. It is being organized in partnership with the Neighbors Federation (Fedevi), social researchers from the University of Buenos Aires, THE “Instituto Superior Octubre –ISO-“, the NGO “Fundación Octubre”, purpose is to develop trainers and debate political strategy, discussing and coordinating themes key to local activities, supported by the Basque Government. The course will be evaluated by the participants and two UPU trainers in the aim of revising the model in order to launch similar courses in other regions across the world.
Although the course is centered on ten days of activities in Buenos Aires, it takes advantage of long-distance training tools and, above all, a Moodle platform that is already part of the UPU portal. The tools that are used allow training content to be gathered from the trainers in order to finalize it in presentations available not only to participants but also to colleagues back home and in their organizations. Through the use of XML and protocols such as SCORM, RSS and REST, the UPU allows for interoperability of all materials present in the platform. Moodle is a free software and a long-distance learning platform that adopts a constructive approach close to UPU characteristics.
The program represents one of the constituent elements of UPU. Being dedicated specifically to the educational aspect, it includes the objective number one for the year 2005: to carry out local/regional trainings aimed at empowering local associations of inhabitants. In order to achieve this objective, the program relies on making use of on-going experiences in each country, looking to reinforce and to further stimulate them with the help of the Alliance’s interactive website.
Specific objectives of the Educational Program are:
a) Supporting the development of skills for the popular leaders as they are the ones in charge of their own destiny and their territory’s development.
b) Developing leaders’ skills in order for them to become the leaders and strength of the proposal.
c) Animating the discussion over the key themes directly linked to the needs and objectives of IAI and the popular movement.
To read more about the Meeting: