Peter Kearns's blog

Are social cohesion, trust and social capital declining?

A recent Australian survey undertaken under the Scanlon Foundation Mapping Social Coherence research program reached some sobering conclusions. This is the third survey under this program which follows up on surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009. It found a sharp fall in the level of trust of the federal government, in inter-personal trust, and an increase in reported experience of discrinimation.

The Arts as a Tool for Community Development

The paper included below from policyprofiles (Centre for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University) - Developing the Arts: A New Tool for Community Development Programs - provides a very useful overview of the multiple roles that the arts can play in community building. The authors give some interesting examples of initiatives in America including developments such as the Creative Enterprise Cluster, the Illinois Cities Actively Promoting the Arts network, and the Village of the Arts.

Building Inclusive and Sustainable Learning Cities

PASCAL International Exchanges - A Review

Cities across the world exist in an environment of escalating change and growing complexity.  At times governments seem powerless to respond adequately to the myriad of challenges they face.  This has been termed by Anthony Giddens a Runaway World[1].  Socio-economic shifts, in some cases with a weakening of traditional social bonds in a more individualistic society, have accompanied mounting inequality and exclusion of disadvantage groups.

PIE Discussion Paper 3 - Culture, Learning & Development

Furthering the role of cultural institutions is one of the core objectives of PASCAL International Exchanges. The Glasgow stimulus paper provides a good example of shifts in the roles of these institutions while other stimulus papers touch on cultural policies and strategies adopted in furthering city development and enhancing quality of life for the community.

Riots and the breakdown of society in England

Norman Longworth has long been a leading thinker and writer in the field of lifelong learning and learning cities, and has contributed much. The recent riots in England have prompted much discussion of social trends in England, and what is seen by many as a weakening of social bonds and connections, and a weakening of social, moral, and human capital in cities with growing inequality and exclusion.

Heritage, Regional Development, and Social Cohesion

The role of cultural institutions in lifelong learning and community building is a core theme of PIE so that relationships between cultural policies, learning strategies, and sustained development is central to PIE objectives.

Learning Works - Final Program

Dear Colleagues

I have received the attached materials from Tony Ryan, one of the most ardent toilers in the adult education field, who conducted Learning Works as a radio program out of Adelaide over 6 years, and who now advises the end of the program.

His Learning Works Reflection note is worth reading to see how he used radio to advance the cause of adult learning.

Regards,

Peter

 

PIE Discussion Paper 2 - Making Learning City Development Creative and Innovative

There is wide recognition that successful 21st Century cities need to be creative and innovative in responding to the spectrum of challenges confronting them, including the pace and uncertainty of change. 

There are also grounds for taking the view that a learning city and a creative city share common characteristics, so that committed learning cities should give close consideration to the extent to which policies and strategies to foster creativity and a capacity for innovation have been integrated in the strategic development of the city.

PIE Discussion Paper 1 - Building 21st Century Sustainable Learning Cities

Please find below PIE Discussion Paper 1, your comments are invited.

Hume Global Learning Village Response Note

While the Hume Global Learning Village is well established with strategic planning in place to 2030, aligned to that of the Hume City Council, there are five aspects of the PIE dialogue that have particular interest in the further development of the Village. These follow.

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