Action as Central to DE

1.3.1. Summary of Key Findings on DE and Action

Nearly all the facilitators involved in this research regard action as an important aspect of the DE process (20). Findings show a general emphasis on a liberal DE discourse in relation to this dimension of DE, with considerable talk of individual action or action in one’s own context, and less focus on collective and political activism. At the same time, there are echoes of a critical discourse where many see action as an integral part of the praxis cycle of learning they associate with DE and where they talk about the politics of DE action. This ‘critical’ construction of action sits side by side, among many, with a vague and individualised construction of action and an emphasis on non-prescription when it comes to any actions involved in DE. Facilitators talk freely about the importance of ‘engagement’ and

‘getting involved’ but less so about other forms of action and activism (see the discussion of types of action below). This, along with abstract talk of an ‘action component’ (among 16) serves to highlight an ‘anything goes’ style of thinking in this regard, which reinforces an apoliticised construction of action associated with a liberal discourse. It also raises questions about the tensions which arise for facilitators who want to be non-prescriptive on the one hand and integrative of action or activism on the other.

Anne’s discussion of action shows some of the complexities involved. While she uses the term ‘action

component’ and talks about ‘individual action’, she also talks about this individual action as a response to structures of injustice. Thus, while on the one hand she draws on a liberal discourse, she is also drawing on a critical one. She talks about action in relation to DE as follows:

“always in my head there’s an action component to DE. I don’t necessarily mean that ‘okay, so, as part of the DE programme, there has to be an action component where it’s structured and organised and people go round and take action’. It can be those little actions you take as a result of your learning or as a result of your exploration. You know, whether it’s, I stopped shopping in T. because I don’t like their policies, I don’t like their practices, I don’t like their employment conditions, so I stopped shopping in T. That’s an action as a result of the learning. It’s not a big one. It’s an individual one. It’s not a collective one, but it’s an action.

So, there’s an action component to it”.

Dónal differentiates between the language of ‘the action component’ and ‘activism’: “the action component is a fundamental, sorry, the activist, the activism agenda is a fundamental component of this discussion ... It’s about people recognising that all of us, every day, in every way, in everything we do, are activists”.

As with the other dimensions of DE discussed so far, few facilitators reflect a technical DE discourse when it comes to action. Mobilisation in Ireland, or the link between DE and campaigning for justice in the countries of the South, reflective of a North-South discourse, is evident among some facilitators, though the point is made by a few that action associated with DE should not necessarily amount to campaigning or advocacy. A key insight is offered by Kathleen, one of the KIs associated with a network. She suggests the importance of viewing DE through the lens of activism rather than seeing action as a ‘component’ which is related to, but separate from, and presented as the zenith of the DE process. Though not mentioned by most, this integrated approach to activism is captured by some of the facilitators in talk of integrating the action component into DE from the start, e.g., Brian and Liz.

As articulated by Kathleen, a more radical approach to activism is suggested which is reflective of a

‘post-critical’ discourse of DE, as it involves interrogation not only of types of action and activisms and of the relationship between DE and activism but also of understandings of DE. There is a tension between this type of post-critical construction of activism and non-prescriptive alternatives, which open up diversity and plurality of understandings and forms of action.

Table 6.3. Discourses of DE ‘Action and Activism’ as reflected in DE Facilitators’ Talk

Many facilitators differentiate between types of actions in DE, especially between individual and collective action. Among those interviewed for this research, 14 make reference to individual actions, associated with a liberal discourse, and 11 to collective action, associated more broadly with North-South, critical or post-critical discourses. Siobhán suggests that “action for one kid might be just opening a book, you know, that it doesn’t have to be this amazing, splashed-all-over-the-newspapers action”. For Mary, “we could do even small actions, individual actions like fairtrade or recycle, reuse or whatever, or they could be more collective actions like campaigning or advocacy, engaging with service or working with organisations, volunteer organisations, like there’s a whole range and we would like”. For some facilitators (9), political action is very important. They talk about DE mobilising the public or building civil society. Robert gives an example of a school lobbying politicians on a particular global justice issue. In doing so, while he highlights the power of political activism, he is cautious not to suggest that it is a more important type of action than others or separate from them. For some, the action is not necessarily political and the type of action is not important to eight of them. Two interviewees wish to counteract the assumption that action related to DE is, of necessity, political.

Tom makes the point that many of the actions associated with DE are not very “rich and meaningful”.

He explains that the Irish government is very supportive of the action component of DE. He thinks

“it’s unusual for a government to be exhorting citizens to take action because normally governments would be quite nervous of that happening but, in the case of DE, I think there’s an assumption that we’re all playing on the same team, NGOs, governments and learners alike and whatever action that we agree to take will be something in the broader, will be for the broader good of everyone. And I think that’s why they feel that they can support action and

encourage action. Even in their own definition of DE, which I’ve used many times, the action component is very firmly there”.

The implication here is that many of the actions are not necessarily very critical or challenging or at least not in a way that might upset the government. On the other hand, Dan makes the point that small actions should also be valued and can be very political in the sense of giving people a sense of their own power:

“this woman, she wrote to the Corporation. She’d never done this in her life. But all of this is operative. It was a political act on her part to write to the Corporation. She got a reply from them but she began to see the world as something she could act on, you know. So, I think those things get under-rated, yeah, they get under-rated. It’s like they’re not good enough, you know, big enough or significant enough. But those things kind of grow. So, in a way I don’t care, like, where people start”.

Examples of Actions and Activisms

When it comes to specific actions implied in facilitator discussion of individual, collective or political action, talk about engagement and getting involved is very common. Like the term ‘challenge’, is quite vague and difficult to categorise discursively. Facilitators also talk about some specific examples of actions. Campaigning and fundraising, for example, which are associated with North-South or critical discourses are mentioned by 10 and nine facilitators respectively, though usually by way of critiquing them as the ‘default’ actions associated with DE. Other possible actions associated with either of these two discursive frameworks – fair trade, consumer patterns and mobilising people for action – are all mentioned but, in each case, by relatively few interviewees.

Some facilitators attempt to describe what they mean by action in DE. Dónal argues that

“consumption makes us all activists. Nationality makes us all activists ... there are 643 things you can do in a day to make the world a better place without necessarily joining Amnesty International ... one should be active in our personal lives, our public lives, our professional lives”. Brian talks about the programmes he engages in with learners and where action comes in: “what we try to do is during the programme, is to give space for people to develop the actions that they feel are suitable for their context”.

1.3.3. Challenges with Action

Though many challenges to the action dimension are highlighted by facilitators, most particularly with reference to political action (including the challenge of trying to do DE actions with schools), there is a strong sense, with regard to identifying challenges, that actions should be meaningful. This emerges in general challenges identified as well as in criticisms among three facilitators of the response to the

debt crisis and recession among facilitators and organisations in Ireland.

When it comes to the importance of moving beyond superficial actions. Tom, for example, suggests that

“for us, today, that action component is, is troublesome, it’s difficult. Sometimes, it’s something that’s sort of tagged on to the end of the practice we deliver or sometimes it’s not there at all. Sometimes it’s missing. I think, ideally, what you should be doing is thinking about it and discussing it with the learner right from the outset ... so that by the end you have something that should be a rich and meaningful form of action. And that’s something that’s quite nebulous. It’s short-term and very often money-oriented and based on providing aid or Fair Trade, some kind of financially-based solution to the development question”.

Siobhán reflects on the challenge of supporting certain types of actions in schools. With reference to an example of a school group marching to an embassy, she thinks

“you can’t get them interested in stuff and expect them to not want to do something as well.

Like you have to harness the energy of it and it’s difficult in schools to harness the energy in a way that fits with the school culture or that fits with the time that you have, particularly in post-primary. And then it kind of dissipates and you wonder about the impact of that as well because you’re all motivated and fired up and if you don’t do anything, then does that have a worse impact than if you had never raised it in the first place?”

How inadequately DE has dealt with or responded to the recession and debt crisis in Ireland is raised by three facilitators as an example of how some political actions seem beyond the scope of DE in Ireland. Liz explains that, for her, “you can have a critique of debt injustice as long as it’s far away but in taking action locally that’s just not, you know, that’s just, it’s quite forbidden actually”. Niamh doesn’t feel that “activism has been, it’s not as well-rounded as it would be in other countries you know and how we deal with stuff and you know, like, let’s say everything in relation to austerity and the recession, like that was crying out for a DE frame and nobody quite got us there and nobody quite articulated even stuff around debt, like”.

Thus, action is seen as central to DE but there are different understandings of it among facilitators, with some focused on the political and collective and others more at the individual or personal level.

Overall, the action dimension is regarded as a challenge by many.

1.4. Learning Processes Involved in DE