Training and popular education

 

Training, coaching and popular education


Like you need to learn how to be a seller or a purchaser for conventional business (sometimes  bac+5 is necessary), you cannot  suddenly become an efficient actor in barter clubs, a true prosumer. You have to learn how to manage in this new alternative system, to know the rules to follow them. Nelson Cesar Mendez (prosumidor in Obelisco nodo) says:

« The first rule in a barter club is that everyone must know the rules. Most people showed good-will and wanted to take part actively but many ignored the rules, which fathered errors and problems”.

There is no ‘ real money’ but this exchange trade is by no way more simple or more intuitive  than traditional business. Otherwise, business has to be invented again, economy has to be thought about differently, our relationship to the community, to the group has to be reconsidered: the paradigm has to be shifted

Most nodos trained newcomers, « la charla de la primera vez» (introductory presentation). The values, the philosophy, the rules, the management of the nodo were explained. But, rapidly, the coordinators got overtaken by the events, the number of new members rocketed and the coordinators, who were not so many abandoned this training, yet necessary for a good management and for the survival of the nodos, which lead to their decline, among other causes.

 

The example of Nodo Obelisco

 

Among good practices, let’s mention the excellent training programme of the Nodo Obelisco, by Heloisa Primavera y Carlos del Valle (called Charly) during 7 years or so. We could meet some of their associates: Nelson Cesar Mendez, Julio, Beatriz Tela, Beatriz Rivero. They all agreed on a fabulous experience that changed the life of most of them.

From the beginning, the Nodo Obelisco starts several training units, for everyone, prosumers and coordinators. If everybody is well educated, then there will be a better turnover in roles and the group will be able to build a more efficient social network (politically meaning). Not only a fair trade of goods and services but a different organization of the society under the impulse of the grass-roots.

Heloisa and Charly thought it essential to join theory and practice to coach prosumers, micro-entrepreneurs, supportive and concerned with their social responsibility.

We were impressed by the contents, the tools and the diversity of the training, which can enable us to call the Nodo Obelisco : people’s university.

  1. Coaching and individual development
  2. Group dynamics techniques
  3. Creating one’s own business
  4. Program of economical literacy

 

Discover the other good practices