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Publication Women’s Rights and Gender-Based Violence: Training Manual(2024-10) Malik, SaleemThis training manual is designed to be used by trainers of trainers (ToTs) to prepare future instructors (referred to in this manual as participants) to teach their own students — for example, advocates for gender equality, gender equality field workers and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).Publication Respecting Indigenous Rights and Practices: Ways to a Better Planet(2024) Ramakrishna, SundariThis course is intended for field workers and practitioners who are working with rural communities that are affected by climate change and seeking sustainable solutions to its impacts. The conservation of nature, including natural resources and natural processes, is based on a clear understanding of Indigenous communities and their strong relationship with nature. Indigenous practices and traditions preserve nature because they are based on respecting and adapting to natural cycles and local climate conditions. Understanding and acknowledging Indigenous community rights also contributes to human respect for nature. Indigenous communities have age-old traditions and practices that signify a spiritual and emotional connection to the natural environment. Adapting certain Indigenous practices will help to support other conservation efforts. We can implement and adapt small but steady steps based on Indigenous practices and traditions at a local level. If we are to change our behaviours and attitudes towards the conservation of Earth, we must understand the rights and traditions of Indigenous Peoples both locally and globally. This course contains both individual and group exercises to develop the learner’s skills in total biomass utilisation.Publication Using Innovations and Climate-Responsive Actions to Build Community Resilience(2024) Ramakrishna, SundariThis course is intended for field workers and practitioners who are working with rural communities that are affected by climate change events and are looking to innovation as the key climate-responsive action to address community resilience. The course will explore alternative sustainable livelihoods to better manage natural resources as a result of innovation in climate resilience. Existing innovations can be tailored to suit local situations. Successful implementation of the innovation depends on institutional support, access to markets, skills and capacity enhancement and the availability of local/traditional knowledge. The concept of total biomass use will help the learner to understand best practices in natural resource management and conservation at a local level. The course will identify types of institutional support, networks and skills required to implement total biomass use and explore a climate-responsive livelihood through the innovation model that is adapted.Publication Creating Gender-Sensitive, Climate Responsive, Sustainable Livelihoods to Build Self-Reliant, Resilient Local Economies(2024) De, KuntalGender inequality makes it more difficult to fight climate change. When women have the same opportunities as men, communities are better able to adapt to the impacts of climate change and build a more sustainable future. This course is designed for people who work with communities at the grassroots level.Publication Gender Equality in the Context of Climate Change and Food Security: Understanding and Reversing the Impact of Climate Change on Women and Children(2024) Johnson. MarleneThis course explores gender and the different roles and perceptions associated with men and women and how these affect women’s ability to mitigate risks associated with climate change. The course will describe how women and children suffer the most from the impacts of climate change and will focus on women as food growers and producers. Examples of successful, women-led conservation projects will be shared as best practices and as methods for mobilising other family and community members in building resiliency and sustainable livelihoods.Publication Attain Food Security through Subsistence and Sustainable Agriculture: Mitigating Climate Change Impact and Achieving Sustainable Livelihoods(2024) Johnson, MarleneThis course looks at some of the causes of climate change and its effects on food security and food justice in particular. It discusses food and nutrition in relation to the geography of community spaces and presents various food insecurity scenarios at individual and community levels.Publication Climate Change and Climate Action(2024) Joshi, MadhaviThis course explains climate change and its impact on human lives from a local context, including local trends in severe weather and the impact of climate change on livelihoods. It has a particular focus on agriculture, water and food security. The activities and readings will help you to anticipate the impact of climate change in your own context, examine policies that are relevant to your location and develop a relevant advocacy strategy. You will learn to identify key strategies for climate action such as mobilisation and community-based conservation, identify critical conservation issues in a local context and align various climate actions and policies to support conservation efforts.Publication AG393B: Generation of employment among rural youth through agricultural entrepreneurship(2020-04)The youngest country in the world is India, where more than 65 percent of the population is under 35 years of age while more than 50 percent of the population is under 25 years of age. It is also a big challenge for our country with great potential to train youth with modern skills so that the youth are not able to run after the job and make others capable of giving jobs. Today there is a lot of discussion about skill development and entrepreneurship, Youths are being encouraged towards entrepreneurship with schemes like Start-up India, Mudra Yojana, Rufftar. Today we are in the 21st century where changes are seen in the appearance of the market every day.Publication AG364A: Integrated Pest Management(2020-04) Prabhuraj, AInsect pests cause huge economic loss to crops across the globe affecting total food production which is essential to meet the demands of growing human population. Avoiding such loss is of the immediate concern for all and this is achievable through Integrated Pest Management (IPM). // This course on IPM will cover the basics of insects and their dominance in nature, insects as pests, reasons for their outbreak resulting in crop loss, types of pests, and mode of surveillance, sampling methods and economic damage levels of pest populations. The course also explains about the principles and concepts of pest management and different components of IPM: legal, ecological, physical, cultural, mechanical, behavioral, biological, botanical, chemical and biotechnological approaches. // This course also talks on Integration of different IPM tactics, their pros and cons and Implementation of AESA - Agro-ecosystem Analysis in pest management. Lastly, successful IPM cases in Cereals (Paddy), Commercial Crops (Cotton, Sugarcane), Pulses (Redgram, Soybean), Oilseed Crop (Groundnut), Vegetable Crops (Cabbage, Tomato) and Fruit Crops (Mango, Grapes) will be discussed.Publication AG191A: Fundamentals of Agricultural Extension(2020-04) Basavaprabhu, JirliThe term ‘Extension’, has different connotations in different countries. In India, it refers to ‘Transfer of technology; in USA, it means ‘Education’; while in UK, it is advisory work and so on. Extension education is relatively the youngest science, and has the history of about 170 years. There are many misconceptions about extension which need to be addressed. Extension education has developed as a discipline and also as a profession. In recent years, it has emerged as an important service sector. With the developments in technology information, it has emerged as important input in agricultural production. The role of extension professional is to treat the information according to the needs of the client system. Providing customized information to the needy clients is the priority area of extension. // This course deals with objectives, principles, philosophy and dimensions of extension. Programme planning is part of extension. The historic efforts of planning and implementation of extension programmes provide us insights to develop future extension programmes. The implications of innovations and its consequences are the components that have been covered in the course. The latest trends in extension science herald significance of extension in agricultural production. An effort has been made to differentiate between extension educationists and extension service providers. The understandings of fundamentals of extension education lead to development of extension professionals.Publication The Blue Economy: Blue Space(2021-03) Hoareau, KellyPlanet earth’s defining feature is the ocean and it is the reason that life exists. It produces oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide, and contributes to freshwater renewal. It connects countries and cultures and supports ecosystems that bridge national boundaries. Nations are increasingly looking to the ocean to meet the needs of their people, particularly coastal communities and islands. Some are looking at their large lakes and rivers to do the same. This MOOC introduces the key activities that take place in, and influence, coastal and marine space, for example, coastal and climate adaptation, tourism, shipping and port infrastructure, waste, and maritime security.Publication Good Agricultural Practices (GAP): An Introductory Course for The Bahamas(2020-06) Pierre, GinaThe Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA) and The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources (MAMR) in collaboration with Commonwealth of Learning (COL) have partnered to provide farmers with an online course on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). // This self-study course addresses fruit and vegetable production and is designed to inform farmers on the basic environmental and operational conditions necessary for the production of safe and wholesome produce. Fruits and vegetables are an important component of our diet. Nutritionists and health professionals have clearly shown that diets low in fat and high in fiber, with at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, protect us against many types of cancers and lessen the risk of heart disease. Now, more than ever, consumers listen to these messages and have altered their food choices. // In recent years, there has been an increase in food recalls due to biological, chemical and physical risks, particularly with leafy greens such as lettuce. This six-week course will help to mitigate against these risks and serve as a guide in the implementation of best management practices at all stages of the crop production and processing systems. Participants are required to commit 30 - 60 mins per week on completing the weekly presentations and assignments to successfully achieve the learning goals of this course.Publication Introduction to the Blue Economy(2016) Hoareau, Kelly; Commonwealth of Learning; Virtual University for the Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC)Oceans are vital, not only to a wide array of biodiversity and ecosystems, but also to the food chains, livelihoods and climate regulation for a human population heading towards nine billion people. That is why this short course is essential because it introduces the concept of the blue economy and explores how countries can benefit from it thus the livelihoods and well-being of people living on coastal areas and islands. // Upon completion of this course you should be able to: 1. Explain The Blue Economy concept. 2. Recognise the importance to sustainably manage the marine resources. 3. Identify ways in which entrepreneurs can create innovative business opportunities. 4. Describe the economic benefits of the Blue Economy. 5. Describe the relationship between the Blue Economy and sustainable development.Publication Karchupi and Jory chumki(2015) Center for International Education and Development (CINED)Karchupi and Jory chumki is a course for livelihoods skills training designed for neo-literates and persons having limited reading skills. The course materials include a training manual for teachers and a handbook for trainees. The materials were created by the Center for International Education and Development (CINED) and published by Dhaka Ahsania Mission with support from the Commonwealth of Learning. The materials are in Bengla and are designed keeping consistency with Pre-Vocational Level-2 of the National Technical and Vocational Qualifications Framework (NTVQF) in Bangladesh.Publication Introduction to Horticulture in Tuvalu(2017-03) Ioane, Elisaia; Faletiute, Patuki; Ioelu, Ulima; Ioapa, Patisepa; Silatolu, Ateca; Coghlan, MichaelThis course is an introduction to basic horticulture in Tuvalu. It was originally written by the National University of Samoa and has now been contextualized for Tuvalu by local teachers. The course is intended for school leavers and community groups who have limited knowledge or experience of horticulture. Specifically, it covers the following topics: cultivating soil using hand tools, recognizing fertilizers and their applications, preparing seedbed by hand sowing, sowing in nursery, and maintaining seedbed to seedling stage of growth.Publication Introduction to Basic Horticulture in the Pacific(2015-01) Silatolu, Ateca; Drummond, RichardThis unit was written for people in Samoa who want to learn more about horticulture by the National University of Samoa. It is presented according to the National Competency Standard of the Samoa Qualifications Authority - HIP 001 Introduction to Basic Horticulture in the Pacific – Level 2.Publication Poultry Keeping and Management: A Flexible Learning Course(2015-08) Maina, John M; Chemwetich, Joseph; Eunice, Jepkemboi KThrough the INVEST Africa partnership of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), representatives of Thika Technical Training Institute and Rift Valley Technical Training Institute in Kenya developed a course on poultry keeping for non-formal community training. Poultry keeping is one of the most popular forms of business among small-scale farmers. This is because poultry requires little capital, is easy to rear and easy to manage. Poultry keeping thus provides farmers with a great opportunity to start an income generating activity. The aim of this course is to provide learners with all the knowledge and skills needed to raise poultry for meat and eggs and manage a small-scale commercial poultry business. This main target group of this course is farmers who are interested in starting a poultry business. However, extension workers and other stakeholders who are interested in working with small-scale poultry farmers will also benefit. There are many types of poultry but in this course chicken will be focused on. The course will start by looking at the economics of poultry production so that learners can make an informed decision about the viability of this business before starting. It will then discuss various important aspects of poultry farming, such as poultry housing, types of chicken breeds, brooding, feed management, health management, and poultry production and marketing.Publication Introduction to Permaculture(2015-02) Vermeulen, Walter J; Leaupepe, Aloema; Faatauvaa, Lauano; Faasoi, Fagalima; Auvele, Supervisor; Mataafa, Anamaria; Faatauva’a, TotoluaMatuaileoo Environmental Trust Incorporated (METI) in Samoa, with support from COL, has developed an introductory manual on Permaculture. This manual has been prepared as a self-instructional course for Taiala to enable them to teach people in their communities about permaculture. Taiala are front-line workers engaged in various education and development activities in support of METI’s ongoing projects. Taiala (path breaker) is considered an apt Samoan translation for front-line education and sustainable development worker. The Manual provides an opportunity for Taiala to learn about and be able to teach permaculture. This manual consists of three units of study: Unit 1: Philosophy and Ethics of Permaculture // Unit 2A: Managing the Environment Naturally // Unit 2B: Managing the Environment Scientifically // Unit 3: Design and Practice // The course material is available in PDF or DOC (Microsoft Word) format.Publication Producing Interlocking Stabilised Soil Blocks: A Flexible Learning Course(2015) Isaack, Bwanbok K; Njonjo, Josephat M; Ngwai, Foustin M; Koome, Mitti C LThrough the INVEST Africa partnership of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), representatives of four Kenyan institutes, namely Rift Valley Technical Training Institute, Coast Institute of Technology, Masai Technical Training Institute and Mombasa Technical Training Institute, developed a course on brick making for non-formal community training. Soil is one of the main materials used for the construction of traditional low-cost houses in rural areas because it is cheap and locally available. Some houses are constructed entirely or partially with soil depending on the local traditions, climate, available skills and cost. One disadvantage of traditional soil-based construction is that they require regular maintenance and protection. This has led to the development of new methods or technologies that improve the quality and durability of soil construction methods. One such method is brick making. This course explains how to produce interlocking stabilized soil blocks (ISSB), which is a type of unfired brick. The course covers the tools and equipment used to make the soil blocks and how to select and test the soil used for making them. In addition, the production of blocks and how to use them for construction will also be explained. // Available in Microsoft Word (doc) and PDF format.Publication Energy from the Sun(2003) Open Learning Systems Education Trust (OLSET); Commonwealth of LearningThe Coming Together radio series is designed for broadcast by local and community radio stations or it may be heard and downloaded from the web. It has been produced by OLSET and COL for use anywhere that people want to take action to help fight poverty and improve their lives, and in particular sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. // The “Energy from the Sun” programme looks at ways that solar technology can save money, resources and the environment. Kenyan ICT specialist Kennedy Onyango explains how adapted solar panels now power the cell phones and radios which have transformed the economic lives of Lake Shore communities. In South Africa we learn about solar ovens and visit a project where they are cooking using the power of the sun. Should we all consider a "sunny" solution? // PRODUCTION TEAM DETAILS Co-ordinator for OLSET : Farhana Chand ; Project manager at COL : Paul West and Krishna Alluri ; Project consultants : Kennedy Onyango, Saminu Ibrahim, James Onyango and Frances Cox (writer/producer) ; South Africa field recordings : Pule Phalatse ; Other recordings: Our thanks to Kazimierz Janowski, Ruth Evans, Warrill Grindrod and Namiz Musafer ; Presentation : Vineeta Dwevidi and Rupa Jha ; Music: " Coming Together" theme music composed and recorded by Lee Sparey at The Grooveyard