Beginning with the experience of accompaniment that Cantera developed in the municipalities of Mateare, Belen and Ciudad Sandino and with the reflection on the experiences of other organizations with whom we maintain relationships of friendship or with whom he have worked as advisors and with all the different experiences we have entered into, we evaluate the learning around the theme of Local Participative Development.
This year in the course on The Management of Development we are presenting a proposal of the strategy of participative development. Some elements are well known by many of the organizations as the element that articulates the collective dream converting it into a strategic perspective.
In this course we present and analyze the proposal of strategic development. Collectively we analyze some important concepts such as development, management, participation, etc. We work with methodologies for diagnosis and planning that are clear and participative, always respecting and developing the initiative of the urban and rural communities. We raise the proposal of developing a framework that articulates a strategy with the operative planning.
First Workshop February 24-27, 2009
“The concept of development, culture and participation based on the methodology of popular education” We analyze the concepts of development, articulating both local and global aspects in a manner that adapts a frame of reference that is participative in its methodology. We do so, beginning with the differences as a feasible proposal of implementation in the work of accompanying the processes of local development.
Second Workshop May 5-8, 2009
“Concept and methods of analysis and participative planning"
We analyze the concepts of diagnosis and strategic planning proposing concepts of diagnosis and planning that are coherent, participative and related to the local reality.
Third Workshop July 07-10, 2009
“Alternatives of marketing and local development”
We analyze the possibility of small family industries and cooperatives in order to construct alternatives of development in the actual socioeconomic context.es y cooperativas para construir alternativas de desarrollo en el actual contexto
Fourth Workshop November 3-6, 2009
“Evaluation of experiences within the perspective of gender”
Understanding the concept and method of evaluation of experiences, we propose Cantera and the Network of Central American Popular Education “Alforja”, as an approach that has people participating who are able to initiate or improve their processes of evaluation thereby learning from the lessons generated in the actual practice.
In order to partcipate in this workshop it is not necessary to have participated in the three previous workshops ; it has its own independent dynamic.
Gender: In Cantera we work with the concept of gender on a wide scale with the goal of contributing to the building of generic relationships that are more just and equal. We do so in a manner that facilitates an improved quality of life for both women and men participants and of the people with whom they relate on a daily basis.
Course in gender for men from the perspective of popular education. (4 workshops)
First workshop March 10-13, 2009
"Identity, Masculine Communication and Power"
This workshop begins by reflecting on men’s reality based on their condition of gender and continues with the social construct of masculine identities, communication as the medium of the social construct of gender, masculine “superiority” and the masculine forms of exercising influence and power.
Second Workshop June 2-5, 2009
“Gender, Power and Violence”
We analyze the power and violence inherent in men’s lives as a means of domination.
Third Workshop August 11-14, 2009
“Affectivity and Sexuality”
Reflection on the affective processes of sexuality in order to contribute to the transformation of masculine conduct.
Fourth Workshop October 13-14, 2009
"Creating Just Relationships" (both men and women partipate in this workshop)
The objective is to create between men and women a space in which to exchange reflections, lessons learned, collective discoveries realized during the course on the themes of common interest in order to arrive collectively at mechanisms that will generate just relationships between the genders.
Fifth Workshop
November 24-27, 2009
“Application of the Perspective of Gender”
Objective: To promote processes of reflection and the implementation of methodologies that facilitate, between interested organisms, the positioning of a gender focus on an internal level, in the work place.
Provide basic knowledge of that which is implied in the implementation of the perspective of gender in the organizations and programs in the work place.
Socialization and appropriation of methodologies in order to develop institutional diagnostics with the goal of implementing the perspective of gender.
Develop capacity for defining and implementing a strategy of gender at the institutional level and within the programs.
Gender Issues for Women
This course has as its point of departure, the understanding of the identities and conditions of gender as related to power and the processes of communication in the distinct scope of the family, community and society. It is directed toward women who lead and work in NGOs both nationally and internationally, as well toward promoters in urban and rural development with an emphasis on the formation and training of women of distinct ages. It is for women directors of state institutions and NGOs who are interested in implementing the perspective of gender and non violence in their daily working and specifically in their own individual development as human beings.
First workshop March 10-13, 2009
“Identities and Conditions of Women”
Reflection on the identity and condition of gender with the objective of reading the reality in order to transform it, beginning with ourselves.
Second workshop June 2-5, 2009
“Women and Their Relationship to Power”
Analyze from the view of women and their relationship to power, what they experience in their daily life with the goal of developing their potentials in order to overcome their conditions of oppression.
Third workshop August 11-14, 2009
“Affectivity, Communicacion and Sexuality”
Deepen the methodology of popular education among women in order to improve their communication, strengthen their work and move forward in the empowerment of women in their particular setting.
Fourth workshop
October 13-16, 2009
"Creating Just Relationships" (both men and women partipate in this workshop)
The objective is to create between men and women a space in which to exchange reflections, lessons learned, collective discoveries realized during the course on the themes of common interest in order to arrive collectively at mechanisms that will generate just relationships between the genders.
Work with Children, Adolescents and Youth
This course offers the opportunity to: educators, promoters, youth leaders, coordinators of programs and to professionals in general, to acquire knowledge, experiences and methodological tools that promote development, participation and growth in leadership of children, adolescents and youth through the interchange of knowledge, the collective sharing of experiences and the elaboration of proposals that permit the enrichment of our work practices.
The course is composed of two independent workshops. The first workshop is directed toward persons who work or accompany children of 0 – 12 years of age in the process of their development.
The second workshop is directed toward youth leaders and people who work or accompany adolescents and youth in their process of development. In this course we will analyze meetings and challenges between distinct generations around the theme of the participation of youth in different.
First Workshop April 21-24, 2009
"The Art of Play: Using Play as an Art for Teaching and Learning with Children"
Objectives:
1. To understand the educational, cultural, social, ethical and political dimensions that can to bring about enjoyment in working with children.
2. To develop methodological abilities starting with identifying the potential that ‘play’ has as a suitable motivation measurement within the processes of teaching and learning as a motivator of autonomy and the capacity for creativity for little boys and girls.
3. To promote in the participants an attitude of enjoyment within their life commitment both in their own individual integrated human development as well as with others from the framework of the integrity of mind, body, spirit and relationship.
Directed toward persons who have social interactions with children:
Teachers and/or educators
Promoters or community volunteers who work in the area of the development of young children.
Coordinators of institutional or organizational programs for young children.
Professionals and students with careers related to childhood development in the school and/or community.
Methodology :
The methodology will begin with the lived experience, that is to say that “we play, we play, we play” as a point of reference from which to begin our reflection. We will begin by having a review of the experiences of the individual participants with respect to how they have lived and are living now “aspect of play” in life. We will discover how understanding play and the use or disuse that we have of the same in our actual work with children. At the same time, we will reflect on the concept of childhood and the child-adult relationship that permeates the activities of the participants. Later we will explore new forms of understanding and actualizing play (concepts and methodologies). We will explore and learn cooperative as opposed to competitive games, group dynamics, games with songs, with music and dance ; games for developing a capacity for written expression as well as enjoyable techniques from spirituality
Second Workshop September 1-4, 2009
“Political Impact and Youth Organizations” General Objective: To analyze some expressions and forms of youth organizing in the Nicaraguan and Latin American contest in a manner that permits us to formulate some strategies of work with youth.
Specific Objectives:
To analyze the influence of globalization in the construct and in the formulation of cultural identities and youth withing the context of being Nicaraguan and Latin American.
To analyze the place that spirituality politics occupies in youth culture in the Nicaraguan context.
To identify the different expressions and forms of youth organizing in the Nicaraguan context.
Evaluating with the Perspective of Gender
Workshop November 3-6, 2009
“Concepts and Methods for Evaluating Participative Experiences”
General Objective: To understand the concept and method of the evaluation of experiences proposed by Cantera and the Network of Central American Popular Education “Alforja”, in a manner in which the people participating are enabled to initiate or improve their processes of evaluation in order to claim the learning generated in their work.
This course appears also as part of the course of local development. We place it here again because people look for independent formation. One can participate in this course without having participated in the workshops of the course on development.
“Embracing the Archetypes as a Resource for Social Change"
Coordinators: Mary Litell, OSF and Lynn Kapitan, PhD.
Spirituality is the source that enables us to bring about the transformation of the person, the community and society. In this time of such global darkness, many people search for other solutions and alternatives in order to heal the condition of the human family. When we embrace the archetypes as resources of wisdom we are able to connect ourselves with our interior creativity and transform our conscience. The archetypes present themselves In the midst of light and shadow and provide many possibilities for renewing life. This workshop offers time to learn the theory and history of some archetypes in order to cultivate qualities of the spirit in order to develop the process of art and reflection and also to learn practices of body, mind and spirit.
Spirituality Retreat
December 18-20, 2008
December 17-19, 2009
"Spirituality Retreat with Ritual Dances and Music"
-Space is provided for reflection in oder to connect ourselves with our inner life and accept changes for our own personal and spiritual development.
-Ritual dances are engaged in that permit us to express with our bodies, our dreams and aspirations.
-An opportunity is provided to establish relationships of solidarity and friendship with those who participate in the retreat.
How to participate
Each workshop lasts four days. During the course of the workshop, each participant will be given the related materials on the themes that we are going to develop. At the end of the course, a diploma will be given for participation as well as a book containing the work accomplished during each workshop. The workshops are in sequence, and because of this we recomment that the people that inscribe, assist at all the workshops that contain the work around the same theme. All the workshops begin on Tuesday at 8:30a.m. and end on Friday after dinner. The charge for each workshop is $100.00 and includes the course with materials, dinners and snacks.
Development and Local Influence 
Those in charge of support materials (in Spanish):
Gender Issues for Men
Gender Issues for Women 
Work with Children, Adolescents and Youth
Evaluating with the Perspective of Gender
