A village on the edge of the Amazon, where there are no cars, is the ideal destination to discover successful models for sustainable development. Puerto Nariño, the heart of the Colombian Amazon, was the destination chosen by the Masters of Design and Innovation to collaborate with the Fundación Omacha.

2.1 Fundación Omacha

The Fundación Omacha is an environmental non-profit NGO focused on the conservation of threatened species and key ecosystems integrating scientific research with socio-economic actions in local communities to guarantee sustainable life processes, which has been working for more than 30 years in priority regions such as the Amazon and Orinoquia.

“For us it has been strategically positive to establish a collaboration with the IED, because it allows us to see our conservation work processes through the eyes of students from all over the world, with many perspectives and interests, as well as providing us with fresh and innovative ideas, based on multidisciplinary approaches. The process of working with the IED has established reciprocal feedback, because, before arriving in the Amazon, the students’ ideas were based on imagery and internet searches, which often do not match reality. Later, when they were on site, it was very helpful to hear their many questions and comments on possible innovative ideas to improve the efficiency of actions such as responsible tourism in Puerto Nariño, the conservation of dolphins and the improvement of the productive chain around mandioca. Although the field work we carried out together was limited, we observed the enthusiastic spirit of the students and their teacher, who immersed themselves into the reality of the indigenous population in the area, and the honest reflections they carried out to come up with ideas that could contribute to improving local people’s quality of life.

Innovative ideas are necessary, but they require monitoring in order to be carried out. For this reason, we are certain that our collaboration with the IED must take place in the medium and long term, as well as including several cohorts of students, so that the proposals can be adjusted and adapted over time. In the short term, it is significant to see how these students have activated a personal and professional maturity process after just a brief contact with communities in developing countries, and how the local people feel that there is an interest in their realities and problems from other parts of the world.”

Cape Town is the most cosmopolitan city in Africa, a combination of mountains and skyscrapers, which, along with its history, makes it a very inspiring place for our Masters of Design and Innovation students.

A trip to one of the developing cities with the greatest potential in terms of social sustainability. This value was observed by the creatives along with the young farmers of the Sustainability Institute.

4.1 Sustainability Institute

The Sustainability Institute (SI) began in Lynedoch Ecovillage in 1999, with the aim of providing a space in which to create a more egalitarian society. At present, the SI is an international centre for life and learning which provides experiences focusing on ecology, community and spirit.

“Possibilities happen through the openness of individuals to what’s different - to ‘the other’. This is supported and encouraged through seeing ourselves as co-inhabitants of the world, questioning deeply what it means to be human and seeking solutions through wonder, mystery, intuition and solid knowledge. Active involvement means that learners move from passive recipients of knowledge to deeply engaging with intellectual, spiritual, proactive and emotional possibilities to find answers to complex solutions.

Renewing creativity comes through a dialogical approach to learning. Radical upheavals (from the Latin ‘radix’ meaning ‘roots’) are not always comfortable, nor comforting. Co-creating a learning path, forging futures that engage the present and past often means deep listening, re-learning, opening vulnerability and being guided by ways of knowing that are not always explicit, nor obvious. Participation, conversation, art, time for silence and being in nature are some of the keys to the resurgence of a creativity core to our ways of learning.”