GTA-PeDAGoG

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October 2026

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Re: [PeDAGoG] Los colores de la raíz: agrobiodiversity, food autonomy, and Gandhi (Out of office: end of assignment )
by MarionRegina Mueller 03 Oct '26

03 Oct '26

Thank you for your message! My assignment with Heinrich Boell Stiftung has ended on June 30th, 2026. Your Email may not be forwarded automatically. For further contact, questions and information regarding Heinrich Boell Stiftung Regional Office for Southeast Asia, please kindly contact my colleagues: Daniel.Abunales(a)th.boell.org (English language please!) & Ruth.Streicher(a)boell.de With best wishes! >>> Pallavi Varma- Patil <pallavi.vp(a)gmail.com> 3.10.26 09:58 >>> Dear PeDAGoG and GTA colleagues, In many of your time zones, it might still be 02 October, so I thought I would send out a publication that invokes Gandhi and his ideas ( Oct 02 being his birth date, when many in India mark it with reflections on what his ideas and his work means in contemporary times). Last year I had the privilege of co-authoring a small illustrated book on the theme of agro-biodiversity in Spanish meant for children and young adults with Elena Lazos Chavero (a member of this group) and Giselle Lazos Rodarte. It is called *Los colores de la raíz: Defendiendo nuestra agrobiodiversidad* (*The Colours of the Root: Defending Our Agrobiodiversity*). It is offered as an open access publication via UNAM's Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales. Open-access book, UNAM repository <https://ru.iis.sociales.unam.mx/handle/IIS/6121> . A pdf is also attached with this email. In this book we ask the children what it means to govern ourselves-- in what we wear, what we grow, and what we eat. It combines a short illustrated story about the lives of maize-growing farmers in Tlaxcala,Mexico with a chapter on what Gandhi's ideas can teach us today about farming, seeds, and food sovereignty. We argue that if you really wish to conserve agro-biodiversity then you certainly must work towards food autonomy. We briefly discuss the shared history of the Green Revolution between Mexico and India and the state of both countries today in terms of food autonomy (how few agro-food industries have such a large control). We also introduce children to some work in the space of agroecology and seed-sovereignty in India - taking examples form Vikalp Sangam and our own personal involvements; and invite children in Mexico to learn from these struggles, as well as from their own country, Elena has done some book reading sessions with young adults in Mexico already. And so we offer this book to mark 02 October to the PeDaGoG and GTA community of educators in the hope it fosters new connections. I would (and am sure so will Elena) be very glad to hear your thoughts on the same. Once again, the book is in Spanish but you can explore online translations for English. With regards, Pallavi

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Lessons from 35 Years on the Frontlines of Community Empowerment - Online Event
by Steven J. Klees 03 Oct '26

03 Oct '26

*The Alternatives Project (TAP),* in partnership with *Tostan,* will host a joint webinar titled *“Lessons from 35 Years on the Frontlines of Community Empowerment.”* The event will explore how community-led education can strengthen the agency of individuals and communities, enabling them to organize grassroots action and promote *lasting social transformation.* Through their experiences, the speakers will discuss how *participatory and community-centered* approaches to education can *foster leadership, collective decision-making, local ownership, and sustained social change*. The conversation will offer important lessons for educators, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in *alternative approaches to education,* community empowerment, and grassroots development. *When: Oct 07, 2026 at 12 p.m. (EST)* *Where: Online* *REGISTER HERE to receive the link <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffNy13LkiCGZQy_PdVpWPqJmkb1z8J1Ut…>* [image: TAP PRESENTS TOSTAN OCT 07.png] -- In Solidarity, The Alternatives Project https://www.thealternativesproject.org/cies-sig

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