This course is one of six related but independent courses that are included in the Strengthening Communities to Attain Resiliency and Food Security (SCARF) project. The SCARF project focuses on transformative learning for climate action through developing and digitising learning resources and fostering social and ecological awareness that helps learners move from practising individual behavioural changes to achieving wider social change by targeting the root causes of climate vulnerability and risk.

Addressing climate change and promoting environmentally sustainable livelihoods is imperative if we are to protect the world’s poor and their rights to food and decent livelihoods. The SCARF project aims to:

• change the attitudes and behaviour of communities to mitigate against and adapt to the impact of climate change;
• provide solutions and responses not only to tackle the climate crisis but also to transform societies for a better future;
• provide new insights and opportunities to put into practice the new knowledge and skills gained for mitigating climate change and conserving the environment; and
• enhance the reach to marginalised communities, facilitating lifelong learning among learners and providing them with knowledge, attitudes and skills that will prepare them for the present and future context.

The six courses will enable participants — grassroots-level volunteers, community leaders, field workers and economically disadvantaged women and girls with varying levels of literacy — to:

• use the knowledge they gain in their everyday lives,
• develop a sense of strong personal connection to the issues of climate change,
• understand the value of solutions grounded in human rights,
• critically question the actions and responses of leaders, and
• take appropriate action to respond to climate-related issues.

The six courses and their objectives are:

• Course 1: Climate Change and Taking Action. Explains climate change, its impact in the local context, its anticipated impact on human lives and how to mitigate its negative impacts through actions and policy advocacy.
• Course 2: Small-Scale Traditional Food Production and Food-Processing Techniques for Sustenance and Survival. Explains how to mitigate the impacts of climate change and achieve sustainable livelihoods. Discusses food and nutrition, local best practices and how to adapt such practices to attain family and community resiliency.
• Course 3: Gender Equality in the Context of Climate Change and Food Security. Discusses why women and children suffer most from the impacts of climate change, and the role of women as food growers and providers for better community resiliency and sustainable livelihoods.
• Course 4: Creating Gender-Sensitive, Climate-Responsive, Sustainable Livelihoods to Build Self-Reliant, Resilient Local Economies. Explains the importance of climate-responsive and gender-sensitive livelihoods for building a self-reliant, resilient local economy.
• Course 5: Using Innovations and Climate-Responsive Actions to Build Community Resilience. Explains the role of innovation in livelihood design and local conservation efforts.
• Course 6: Respecting Indigenous Rights and Practices: Ways to a Better Planet. Discusses Indigenous practices and the integration of natural habitat conservation through such practices. Describes Indigenous rights and their importance in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Each of these six courses can be done independently from https://opentextbooks.colvee.org/respectingindigenousrightsandpractices/ as a downloadable PDF or online in Moodle.

Respecting Indigenous Rights and Practices: Ways to a Better Planet was produced by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). All modules produced by COL are structured in the same way, as outlined below.

How this course is structured

The course overview

The course overview gives a general introduction to the course. The information it contains will help you determine:

• if the course is suitable for you,
• what you need to know before you begin,
• what you can expect from the course, and
• how much time you will need to complete the course.

The overview also provides guidance on:

• study skills,
• where to get help,
• course assessments,
• icons used in the course, and
• the content of units.