Teaching
Anna teaches workshops and short courses related to intercultural engagement, philosophy, and various topics related to The Tandana Foundation’s work. Below are some examples of past courses. There are many possibilities.
Global Relationships: A Personal Approach to Community “Development”
This workshop addresses key issues in development theory from the perspective of Anna’s intimate experience working on the ground with communities in sustained relationships, illuminating for students both how theory can play out in concrete work and how the realities of particular communities and relationships can challenge or refine theories. Topics include differences between a personal and a systemic approach, interpreting the expressed wishes of community members,
defining communities, strengths and weaknesses of personal and procedural approaches, “voluntourism,” dilemmas in representing international work, and dilemmas in running an organization.
Development in Mali
This workshop addresses key issues in development practice from the perspective of the Tandana’s intimate experience working on the ground in rural Mali. Themes will include the practicalities of organizing projects such as grain banks, literacy classes, and an environmental association, as well as the challenges, successes, and impact of such efforts. Questions regarding the meaning of “development” in the context of rural Mali, the varied experiences of “partnership” and “participation,” the challenges of transnational collaboration in a small NGO, the effects of development projects on community dynamics, and experiences of the interactions between “traditions” and “modernities” guide the course.
Gender and Change in Rural Mali
Drawing on the experiences of Kessia Kouriba and Hawa Yalcouyé, two women from rural Mali who have been leaders in programs promoting women’s leadership, and of Anna Taft, Tandana’s Founding Director, this workshop addresses key issues in gender dynamics in rural Mali from the
perspective of the team’s intimate experience working in the field. Themes will include challenges facing women in the Tommoguine region of central Mali, various influences leading to changes in gender dynamics, gendered decision-making processes and efforts to change them, and effective
transnational collaboration.
Strengthening Indigenous Languages: Tommo So and Kichwa
This is a six-week, 1 credit, remote-learning workshop for students on the variety of activities, efforts, and dynamics involved in valorizing, revitalizing, and writing the Kichwa and Tommo So Languages. Drawing on the insights of a variety of speakers from both Ecuador and Mali, this
course addresses issues in the contemporary dynamics and valorization efforts of the Kichwa and Tommo So languages. Themes include developing and standardizing writing systems for oral languages, developing educational materials and books, teaching local languages to various audiences, personal significance of valorizing one’s own language, resources and partnerships for linguistic work, multilingualism, and community language dynamics.
Climate Change in the Sahel: Local Adaptations
Drawing on the insights of a variety of speakers from Mali and Burkina Faso, this course addresses issues in the experience of climate change in a particular locality, encouraging students to draw comparisons between their own experiences and those of speakers from a different context. It also addresses intersections of climate change with issues of justice, demography, migration, conflict, cooperation, traditions, and modernity. Themes include effects of climate change in Bandiagara District and the Sahel more broadly; the interaction of climate change, demography, and violent conflict; local adaptation initiatives and their challenges and successes; managing conflicts regarding natural resources, and the intersections of traditions and modernity with adaptation initiatives. It is a five-week, 1 credit, remote-learning workshop for students on the effects of climate change in the Sahel, and particularly in Mali’s Bandiagara District, as well as local initiatives to adapt to climate change, the intersections of demography, climate change, and conflict, and challenges to implementing adaptations as well as successful changes that have
been achieved.
Andean and Western Healthcare in Otavalo, Ecuador
Drawing on the insights of a variety of speakers from Otavalo and Cotacachi Cantons, Ecuador, this course addresses issues in Andean concepts of health and healing, complementarity and hybridization among Andean and Western health care practices, giving birth at intersections of
Andean and Western healthcare, and Andean medicine in tourism and popular culture. Themes include relationships and interactions between Western and Andean medicine in several contexts, notions of race and culture in Ecuador, and the complexities involved in sharing Andean
practices with other cultural audiences. We will draw comparisons at the levels of ontology, epistemology, ethics, politics, and economics between various approaches to health and well-being that shape practice in the Otavalo area.
Community-Led Environmental Conservation in Mali
Drawing on the experiences of Moussa Tembiné and Housseyni Pamateck, two local leaders from central Mali who have formed, supported, and guided the Olouguelemo Environmental Association, and of Anna Taft, Tandana’s Founding Director, this workshop addresses key issues in community-based environmental efforts from the perspective of the team’s intimate experience working in the field. Themes include environmental challenges facing central Malian communities, climate change adaption and technical activities, effective local leadership and democratic governance, contrasts between this community-based approach and that of other NGOs, long-term sustainability, and effective transnational collaboration.
Transnational NGOs in Collaboration with Communities
Drawing on the experiences of Anna Taft, Tandana’s Founding Director, Madjalia Seynou, FarmSahel’s Executive Director, and Khaing Zar Oo, Shanta Village Partners’ Global Programs Manager, this workshop addresses key issues in transnational collaboration, development, and partnership with communities in the Global South. It will illustrate theories, concepts, and dilemmas with examples from concrete practice in Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Mali, Myanmar, and Zambia. Class formats include presentations by the three educators, simulations and scenarios, and class discussions of readings and videos. Students come away with familiarity with the complexities of leading transnational organizations, developing successful partnerships with rural communities, community-led development models, overcoming challenges, promoting women’s inclusion and leadership, and working towards sustainable change. They will examine both ethical and practical dilemmas that arise in conscientious transnational work and envision opportunities for future careers in this field.
Andean Worldview and Global Interactions: Understanding and Strengthening Indigenous Culture in Otavalo, Ecuador
Drawing on the experiences of Margarita Fuerez and Segundo Moreta, two Kichwa Otavalo leaders who have been involved in strengthening, sharing, and representing aspects of their culture in various ways, and of Anna Taft, Tandana’s Founding Director, this workshop addresses key issues in Andean worldview and philosophy, interculturality, promotion and revitalization of Kichwa Otavalo culture and language, sharing and representing aspects of indigenous culture in a globalized context, and transnational collaboration in cultural promotion. Class formats include presentations by the three educators, participatory demonstrations of Kichwa Otavalo practices, question and answer sessions, and class discussions of readings and illustrative videos. Students will come away with a basic understanding of an Andean worldview and its expressions in Kichwa Otavalo practice, as well as familiarity with the complexities of promoting, revitalizing, sharing, and representing aspects of an indigenous culture for various audiences, both local and foreign.
Nicole Simek, Director of the Center for Global Studies, Whitman College
"Workshops like these directly address a question at the heart of Whitman College's mission to help students lead ethical lives of purpose: how do we responsibly address the vast inequalities in power and resources that shape our interactions with others in our global world? Tandana's members and partners have a wealth of experience developing ethical collaborations aimed at building more just ways of living together, and hosting workshops on the Whitman campus is one way to share that learning while also creating opportunities for students to participate in longer-term collaborations beyond the courses themselves."
Workshop introduces Whitman College students to the Andean worldview and Kichwa Otavalo culture
Tandana leaders host engaging workshop on gender dynamics in rural Mali at Whitman College
Bringing global perspectives and multiple forms of knowledge to higher education
Tandana’s Founding Director facilitates enriching course on climate change in the Sahel for Whitman College students