Het potje, de luier en de illusie van controle
Mijn zoon kan al een tijdje op het potje. Hij is net twee jaar geworden. Hij vindt het fantastisch en we gieren wat af tijdens zijn ‘pipi & popo’! Toch krijg ik regelmatig reacties dat dit raar is (“veel te vroeg!”), en dat ik hem gewoon in zijn luier zijn ding moet laten doen. Vooral toen […]
How a Participatory Action Researcher would address deforestation issues
By Madelon Eelderink, founder of SevenSenses This blog was created during the Ecosystem Restoration Design training that Madelon attended in 2024 and is part of the PAO blog series for ecosystems, in which she shares her views on how PAO can contribute to ecosystem restoration and more. In January 2022, I travelled in Peru from […]
Ecosystem restorers: here’s how to get locals ‘on board’
By SevenSenses founder Madelon Eelderink Nederlands, graag! Last year I excitedly started the Ecosystem Restoration Design Course on Earth Day. Well, now that it has finished I’m even more excited! First and foremost because it made me realize how incredibly easy it can be to ignite restoration of natural ecosystems and let nature do the […]
Building sense of ownership as source of motivation among stakeholders
By Madelon Eelderink People often ask me, “How do I get people motivated to participate in my project?” “How do I create support?” I wish I could give them a magical answer, one like, “oh just do this and then you’ll have them. Delightful, it seems to me. Unfortunately, the reality is different. First of […]
How Participatory Action Research makes a difference
Nederlands, graag! “Madelon, what exactly is the difference between Participatory Action Research and other projects we do at the municipality?” Sometimes you get those questions that you can get hell-bent on! I was at a get-together when an employee of Gemeente Utrecht asked me that question. I took a deep breath and began my story, […]
Why people argue… And how it can be different
In het Nederlands, graag! So many people, so many perspectives…. When dealing with complex social problems, we are often unaware of the enormous number of different ways of looking at the problem. Often we have a vague idea, such as “Pete probably just wants to make more money,” but that is often all. And then […]
Life is a journey of meeting the right people, sharing knowledge, working hard and inspiring the next generation
A blog written by Anouk Menko, participant of the SevenSenses ‘Education Talent Challenge’ 2016, Kenya Last couple of weeks i’ve been talking to many different people in Lunga Lunga about talent and education. It showed me how important it is to be here, and get all their different perspectives. I would like to share these […]
Regarding the Internship (Training & Internship Track)
The internship – putting your PAR into practice- is an intensive time where you work on the ground on a subject of your interest, in a setting of your interest. Here’s where you can put all that you have learned during the Training Track into practice! During the internship you will go through one PAR […]
From raised eyebrows and primal sounds to a gigantic network
Voor Nederlands klik hier My goodness… SevenSenses is already 10 years old! I can’t escape the tendency to let some reflections run through my head. Then images pop up of the start of SevenSenses in 2013, with that man at the Chamber of Commerce who looked at me with a raised eyebrow while I stutteringly […]
How to talk with strangers – 10 tips to help you have informal conversations for your Participatory Action Research
Do you remember the last time you talked with a complete stranger? I mean, not like asking where to find the toilet, but an actual conversation? Technological developments have moved us away from contact with strangers. Since we all have our phones with us, we never have to ask people the time or where the […]