 |
Cultivating Organic Leadership
The organic pioneers who initiated Organic
Agriculture in the early 20th century were impressive personalities. Drivers of
the organic development today are committed and competent leaders in the
organic sector, advanced in their thinking and inspiring in their actions. They
are farmers, activists, scientists, teachers, advisors, networkers, advocates,
processors, traders, communicators, certifiers or consumers.
Their roles are diverse, but they share a vision of
a more sustainable, a healthier and a fairer organic world. Organic development
in our current dynamic times, in which the world urgently needs organic
solutions to address its environmental and social challenges, is in the hands
of our leaders worldwide.
Organic people can be organic leaders. Leadership
needs talent, vision and commitment, but it needs also learning and interaction
with like-minded people.
In order to support organic leadership, IFOAM
offers a course for people assuming present or future responsibilities in the
organic world. Through the Organic Leadership Course, IFOAM provides a space
for learning and experience, and for developing innovative strategies and
strong networks.
The course is targeted at present and future
leaders of the organic movement. During the course of one year, it will provide
an intensive, on-the-job learning process that empowers them to actively assume
greater responsibility in pushing the world towards increased sustainability.
You can find out about the upcoming courses HERE.
The Courses - General Information
Eligibility
Eligible participants are women and men, committed to the principles of Organic Agriculture, who wish to achieve personal development and leadership within the Organic Agriculture movement. Typical participants may have their background in:
- Farmers' organizations or national organic movements;
-
Organic companies;
-
Organic producers, processors, traders or retailers;
-
Organic certification bodies;
-
Consumers' organisations;
-
Organizations campaigning for sustainable rural development;
-
Research, extension, education or rural development institutions;
-
Government institutions (e.g. ministries of agriculture, development or
environment);
-
Development agencies.
Learning Objectives The training will broaden participants' knowledge and develop their skills. After the course, participants will be able to:
-
Analyze situations holistically and draw conclusions in line with the
principles of Organic Agriculture;
-
Design strategies and lead people and organizations in an effective and
ethical way;
-
Develop organizations and manage projects - this includes planning,
fundraising, implementation, monitoring and evaluation;
-
Build relationships, networks and cross-sector alliances;
-
Master convincing communication inside and outside of their institutions and
influence organic advocacy targets;
-
Make their value chains more sustainable and competitive;
-
Use services from the organic sector, including the IFOAM Organic Guarantee
System to develop the organic movement;
-
Access research, advise and train.
Core Competencies
Acquired by Participants
The Organic Leadership Course is organized on a regional
level. It follows a holistic approach, allowing participants to develop:
1. Knowledge, e.g. facts about Organic Agriculture,
2. Skills, e.g. sound management know-how;
3. Attitude, e.g. a leader's personality.
It is geared towards enabling and supporting concrete
action. A variety of methods are used to facilitate learning at different
levels (action, reflection and theory), as well as learning with and from each
other.
Tuition
Two highly intensive residential modules are complemented by
periods of online learning. During these periods, the trainees study the
materials provided on the learning platform at their own pace and meet on a
regular basis in webinars (web-based seminars), consisting of lectures and
discussions with subject experts. In this phase, trainees have the opportunity
to apply the lessons from the first intensive course to a project of their own
choosing, on which they then report and receive feedback from the group.
In total, the course offers 150 hours of intensive training,
16 days in person in a class of 20-25 participants and 10 half day webinars in
the same group.
Required Input
Participants are expected to actively engage in all residential
trainings, webinars and individual tasks. They will have to implement a project
of their own and perform a public appearance (e.g. as a conference speaker or
in an interview in the mass media).
Learning success depends on the trainee's attitude -
readiness to share experiences and openness to build relationships with peers
and other learning process stakeholders is vital to achieve the course
objectives.
Participants will need access to a computer and internet.
For the duration of the course they are expected to invest on average half to
one day per week. It is also anticipated that in the course of the training the
participants' organizations become IFOAM Affiliates.
Fees
The tuition fee includes training; teaching materials;
excursions; board, lodging and internet access (during the residential
training); access to the e-learning software; certification and access to the
alumni network. It excludes travels to the residential training, participants'
equipment and pocket money. IFOAM may assist candidates in obtaining
scholarships.
|
|
