What is the Community Resilience online course about and who is it for?

The one-hour online module on resilience was co-designed by Syrian residents in Azraq Camp. It aims to help refugee communities tap into individual and community resources to cope with unpredictable life circumstances, but is also relevant for anyone interested in understanding and developing resilience.

How was the concept of 'resilience' defined and developed in the course?

The authors considered definitions from international organizations like the Red Cross and UN and examined existing frameworks, but also contributed their own specific framework developed through workshops in Azraq Camp, providing a unique perspective from a refugee context.

How does the course address community resilience in a refugee camp setting?

The course analyzes community resilience in a refugee camp, including a gender approach, and examines the role of international organizations, NGOs, local authorities, and education providers. It also offers a snapshot of Azraq Camp in 2020, highlighting strengths and weaknesses for resilience building, and includes video testimonials from camp residents.

What was the biggest challenge faced by the authors in creating the resilience course?

According to Esraa, one of the biggest challenges was defining resilience and gathering information, particularly translating the term from English to Arabic. Another significant challenge was retaining participants throughout the lengthy course creation process.

What Arabic term was used for 'resilience' in the course, and what does it mean?

The Arabic term used for resilience is 'el moruna narcia' (المرونة النسائية). Esraa explained that it means 'to know how to be vulnerable and not to be weak when you face something shocked, or not to fall down for any reason, to resist.'

Can the resilience course be used by non-refugee communities?

While initially aimed at refugees, the authors decided to make the course available for anyone and any community facing similar situations, expanding its reach beyond just refugee populations.

How can language barriers for refugees be addressed in educational projects?

Increasing the budget for translation and contextualization of learning resources is crucial to ensure access in native languages. Additionally, providing more language learning opportunities, such as English and French courses offered by InZone, helps refugees integrate into host countries and professional settings.

What ideas were suggested to improve co-production of knowledge with refugees?

Suggestions included gaining in-depth knowledge of community cultures, developing effective outreach and distribution strategies (like community champions), creating safe environments for expression, and establishing clear guidelines for anonymity when sharing refugee stories.

How can learning materials be made more accessible for refugees with lower education levels?

Ideas include using art and visual aids, incorporating storytelling and fiction to align with oral traditions, and gamifying elements to make e-learning courses more engaging and easier to digest.

What organizational strategies were suggested for successful co-creation projects?

Key strategies included clearly defining roles and responsibilities from the outset, ensuring everyone in the working group agrees on their functions, and documenting everything meticulously (records, meeting minutes) to ensure continuity despite team member changes.

Key Moments

Community Resilience: University of Geneva InZone

MIT OpenCourseWare

Education3 min read92 min video

May 2, 2022|93 views|3

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Key Moments

TL;DR

University of Geneva's InZone developed an online resilience course with Syrian refugees, enhancing co-design and community resilience.

Key Insights

InZone collaborated with Syrian refugees in Azraq camp, Jordan, to co-design and develop a one-hour online module on community resilience.

The resilience module aims to help refugee communities and others tap into individual and collective resources to cope with unpredictable life events.

The co-design process involved Syrian refugees as active learning designers, leveraging their lived experiences to create a unique framework and content.

The course integrates theoretical frameworks with practical, context-specific insights, including case studies, video testimonials, and the authors' original resilience framework.

Challenges in the co-design process included defining resilience, language barriers in translation, maintaining participant commitment, and ensuring anonymity for sensitive narratives.

Participants in a workshop brainstormed ways to improve co-production, emphasizing understanding community needs, creating safe sharing environments, outreach strategies, and using art/storytelling.

THE INZONE INITIATIVE: FOSTERING HIGHER EDUCATION AMIDST CRISIS

The Migration Summit 2022, organized by MIT Open Learning and other partners, featured InZone from the University of Geneva. InZone pioneers higher education for communities affected by conflict and humanitarian crises. Their work focuses on innovative approaches, particularly in refugee settings. This session highlighted their community resilience project, a testament to their commitment to empowering displaced learners by bridging gaps between universities, companies, NGOs, and refugees themselves, all under the theme of education and workforce development in displacement.

THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE MODULE: A REFUGEE-LED APPROACH

InZone's core achievement presented is a one-hour standalone online module on community resilience. This module was co-designed and developed in collaboration with a group of Syrian refugees based in Azraq camp, Jordan. Participants in the project were initially involved in learning design workshops and evolved into authors of the course material. The module is available in English, with an Arabic version featuring voice-over narration by the authors, and aims to help refugee communities and anyone interested in the topic build individual and collective coping mechanisms for unpredictable life challenges.

COURSE CONTENT AND ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS

The resilience module delves into defining resilience by examining frameworks from organizations like the IFRC and UNISDR, but crucially, it presents the authors' own unique framework developed through workshops in Azraq camp. This original contribution integrates theoretical understanding with the lived experiences of refugees. It moves from individual resilience to community resilience, exploring gender approaches and the roles of various actors in strengthening resilience within refugee camp settings. Case studies, video testimonials from residents, and analyses of the camp's strengths and weaknesses are included.

THE CO-DESIGN JOURNEY: CHALLENGES AND REWARDS

The journey of creating the resilience course was a significant undertaking for the Syrian refugee authors, beginning with an introduction to learning design. They faced challenges such as finding the precise Arabic translation for 'resilience' and ensuring participant commitment throughout the multi-year project. However, the process was also deeply rewarding, fostering a sense of purpose and unity. The authors utilized photography, conducted interviews, and involved local artists, showcasing a holistic co-creation approach that leveraged their experiences and perspectives.

IMPROVING CO-PRODUCTION: WORKSHOP INSIGHTS

A workshop session focused on enhancing the co-production of knowledge and online learning tools. Key ideas emerged regarding the importance of deeply understanding the target community's traditions and needs before designing projects, and establishing clear outreach strategies, potentially using community champions. Participants emphasized creating safe environments for refugees to express themselves and protecting their anonymity. Suggestions also included using art, visual aids, storytelling, and gamification to make content more accessible and engaging, particularly for learners with lower formal education.

SCALING IMPACT AND FUTURE AMBITIONS

The discussion highlighted Izaq's unique expertise in learning design and the potential for continued collaboration on similar projects, not only within Azraq but also in Kakuma camp and beyond. InZone's broader mission is to provide greater access to higher education for refugees, aiming to increase a mere 3% access rate to 35% globally. Future plans involve offering qualifying certificates and diplomas, empowering individuals, and potentially breaking down barriers to higher education with ongoing projects and a strategic plan extending to 2025.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Organizations

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

The University of Geneva InZone program focuses on pioneering innovative approaches to higher education for refugees, specifically working in camps like Kakuma in Kenya and Azraq in Jordan.

Topics

Mental Health & Psychology Learning & Education Society & Philosophy Social Emotional Learning Online Learning Refugee Education Humanitarian Aid Capacity Building Community Resilience Learning Design Cross-cultural Collaboration

Mentioned in this video

Organizations

MIT Refugee Action Hub

An organization that co-organized the Migration Summit 2022, focusing on education and workforce development for displaced communities.

Karam Foundation

One of the co-organizers of the Migration Summit 2022.

Paper Airplanes

A co-organizer of the Migration Summit 2022, involved in supporting displaced learners.

MIT Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab

A co-organizer of the Migration Summit 2022, focusing on global education initiatives.

University of Geneva InZone

A program at the University of Geneva pioneering innovative approaches to higher education in communities affected by conflict and humanitarian crisis, and a co-host of this design session.

CARE Jordan

InZone's operational partner on the ground in Jordan, which filmed a video showcasing life in Azraq Camp.

International Federation of the Red Cross

One of the key international organizations whose definitions of resilience were considered by the course authors.

United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

One of the key international organizations whose definitions of resilience were considered by the course authors.

UNHCR

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, whose statistics are used by InZone to contextualize the low access to higher education for refugee populations.

People

Emma Sebastiantini

Scientific Collaborator at InZone and co-facilitator of the session, also coordinator of the Resilience Project and co-author of the rapid response module to humanitarian interpreting.

Lou Passani

Manages InZone programs, local teams, and field actions. Co-facilitator of the session, with 20 years of experience in designing and coordinating continuous learning programs for international organizations.

Kokobin Musa

One of the authors of the online resilience course, who shared a video testimonial about the course's purpose and inspiration.

Locations

Azraq Camp

A refugee camp in Jordan where InZone operates, specifically where the learning designers for the resilience course are based and where the video testimonials were filmed.

Kakuma Camp

A refugee camp in Kenya where InZone also works, providing higher education opportunities.

Concepts

El Moruna Narcia

The Arabic translation for 'resilience' used in the course, which means 'to know how to be vulnerable and not to be weak when facing something and not to fall down for any reason, to resist.'

Software & Apps

Miro Board

A collaborative working tool used for the brainstorming session during the workshop.