Jane Vella Dialogue Education Award - Organization
Habitat for Humanity is an organization perfectly aligned with the principles and practices of Dialogue Education, and the Latin America and Caribbean Area Office has embraced this alignment and changed countless lives for the better as a result.
Habitat for Humanity believes that no one lives in dignity until everyone can live in dignity. When the broad community is engaged in addressing the urgent need for adequate, affordable shelter, we all become less vulnerable and more resilient. In bringing people together, Habitat practices a philosophy of “a hand up, not a handout,” and builds on existing community assets: financial, physical, natural, human, social and spiritual.
This video demonstrates Habitat's commitment to using the principles and practices of Dialogue Education in their Financial Education program - see their staff and learners in action!
Habitat for Humanity has a large network in Latin America and the Caribbean (HPH-LAC), with presence in 16 countries, which makes learning – across cultural differences and languages – an important challenge. In 2001, HPH-LAC’s training center began using the Dialogue Education (DE) approach as a simple and systematic way to put into practice the concepts of popular education that is indigenous to Latin America.
We believed in the Dialogue Education approach, and were pleased about how it transformed our work in learning. Incorporating DE into our training and capacity building approach was just the beginning!
Three initiatives in particular that were deeply influenced by DE have had a profound impact on the lives the individuals participating in them:
- Financial Education (2005-present) – extensive training of trainers and capacity building program in 15 countries to improve individual families’ financial competence
- Home Improvement and Constructive Technical Assistance (2008-present) – A new curriculum on home improvement and technical assistance was developed to link more effectively the capacities in financial education with the home improvement process that families follow.
- Microfinance (2009-present) – The Financial Education and Home Improvement & Constructive Technical Assistance training programs have been shared with 15 microfinance organizations in the region, and similar organizations in Asia are developing these programs in their own context.
This is just a tiny sample of the impressive work that Habitat has done.
Jane Vella Dialogue Education Award
In order to celebrate successful practitioners of Dialogue Education and encourage efforts to revolutionize learning, build peace and transform our world, in 2013 Global Learning Partners, Inc. offered the Jane Vella Dialogue Education Award to one organization. That year this award went to Habitat for Humanity International, Latin America & Caribbean Area Office. This award – named in honor of Dr. Jane Vella, founder of Dialogue Education – was presented to Dialogue Education practitioners who demonstrate outstanding Dialogue Education practice and exceptional potential for furthering the influence of Dialogue Education learning. The award embodies Jane Vella’s understanding of this educational method, best espoused in her statement: The means is dialogue, the end is learning, and the purpose is peace.
Congratulations to everyone who works at Habitat for Humanity International, Latin America and Caribbean Area Office!
