If we only teach our children everything we know, then they can only do as bad as we are doing. Therefore, educational initiatives will be part and parcel of the next decade, covering all age groups but dedicating at the same time special efforts to the youngest and the most professional.
From Fairy Tales to Reality
After the 2000 World Expo, fairy tales became the foundation of ZERI’s initiative. In 2005, thirty-six fairy tales, beautifully illustrated by Pamela Salazar Ocampo, were published. This was just the beginning.
Over the next decade, we should aim to create hundreds of stories—stories that bring forth interesting, surprising, and thought-provoking ideas, showing us how to make the best of ourselves in this amazing world. Initial experiences shared in Brazil, Germany, the United States, Japan, Ecuador, Egypt, and Colombia will foster the publication of more fairy tale books, drive the production of animated films, design of video games, and the redesign of the entire education system—nothing more, nothing less.
ZERI’s network will allocate more time to education, particularly to a third type of education: "education by inspiration." Since the integration of project implementation and teacher training does not always align, the education program will be led by more dedicated teams. We must create space for creative insights into the same reality, and it is our obligation to do so. The design of dedicated websites and the creation of additional materials will expand participation for both teachers and students. However, this is just the first step. This will become one of the independent departments of ZERI's global projects.
A Network of Graduate Schools
Our commitment to accompanying children from kindergarten through their growth may not be fully realized in this generation. Many young people drop out after finishing high school, and those involved in daily decision-making, whether in business or policy, often cannot meet everyone’s basic needs. To address this, ZERI is dedicated to establishing a series of graduate schools.
The first is the Systems Design Graduate School at the Polytechnic University of Turin, which will eventually become independent. This European school will open in October 2005 with fifty students enrolled in a two-year master’s program, with the potential to continue to a PhD. The study system is based on intensive coursework and extensive field research. These students will have only twenty professors each year, with each professor staying on campus for just one week. Professors will not lecture based on knowledge from their books, as students will already have read all available materials. The learning process is rooted in the Socratic dialogue model that originated in Italy, but this approach will expand to other continents. A second-course module, a master’s in Natural Systems Engineering in collaboration with Universidad de la Sabana in Bogotá, Colombia, is in the advanced stages of discussion. Additionally, we are considering the establishment of a third module in Cape Town, South Africa.
In this way, we plan to gradually and consistently build a global network. Different schools will be connected through their coursework and fieldwork, but a key element will be the master’s thesis, which reflects the student’s symbiotic ability to channel personal energy and efforts. We might even create an entirely new university in the wilderness... Gaviotas’ program will open in fall 2006.