On Governance, Middle School, USAID, and Michael Eddy

In the last quarter of the year, I attempt to tie together all that we have studied in a unit on Governance.  In my teacher-brain fantasy, students will see clearly how our focus on human Adaptation, our ability to engage in Innovation, and our ability to live in Urban Societies connect.  After all, we have few truly unique human traits, but we are adaptable to a degree almost unseen in any other species.  This is, in large part, due to the fact that we are not bound by instinct but can make choices about our actions and invent new ways in which to live.  We have innovated over and over again, developing new technologies and even entirely new lifestyles with the advent of agriculture approximately 10000-12000 years ago.  That innovation led to the urban centres that dominate our planet today which are in turn centres of invention and learning.

Did all of that come with problems?  Indeed it did.  But it's also accompanied by a unique ability to determine how we live, how we use resources, and how we live together.  That circularity is where Governance comes in because we can create and shape structures to both organize ourselves AND address the problems we face as a species.

I teach Grade 6, so I don't hold my breath that my students see all of that, but I am probably impressed at least once a day by how much of the big picture they do see.  It's even better when we get a little help.  Last week, Michael Eddy of USAID (Twitter: @MeddyEddy) came in to do just that.

Michael Eddy is currently the Acting Mission Director for USAID for Sri Lanka and Maldives.  He is their main 'governance guy' yet he still gave up a whole day to work with my class.  We are at the beginning of a process that culminates in a grade level Constitutional Convention during which students will write competing proposals intended to govern a society in the process of starting from scratch.  What Mr. Michael (as the kids called him) provided was his invaluable experience and work in South Sudan.

USAID and Eddy worked under incredible pressure to help the people of South Sudan pull off their historic referendum on independence in 2011.  Despite the minefields of logistical and political obstacles everywhere, the dream of an independent South Sudan became a reality.  Currently, the country is governed under a set of interim agreements while a permanent constitution is developed.  This is where Eddy presented my students with a challenge: what kind of constitution would you create to ensure the best possible future for the country?

They worked in groups to identify structures to ensure accountability and transparency, the protection of rights, and a more prosperous future.  We had only an hour, but in that time Eddy provided a context for my students that will be invaluable as we more forward in our study of what good government is (or could be).  His explanation of governance criteria were invaluable for me, as well. These criteria will help me better frame the discussion and debate as students move forward in determining their priorities of governance.

Michael Eddy on governance inspires...

It's a tremendously challenging exercise for young people, but at the same time it's a tremendous opportunity to build engagement and the BELIEF that we, collectively and as individuals, can shape the way we live and determine steps towards a better society.  The ability to believe in and be inspired by something we cannot necessarily see is also a particularly human trait, by the way.

If we are lucky, a few students will try and follow in the footsteps of Michael Eddy.  Seeing, through him, the real life application of the ramifications of both our unique human abilities and the choices we make was and is truly powerful learning.  Fingers crossed.