multispecies education international (mei)
multispecieseducation@gmail.com
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Please help us.
We need your support.
Donate today.

Join mei today!

Please help us to achieve our goal of 500 new mei members by July 1st 2012!
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By joining us as a member you are supporting our work to help animals and people live together in a shared environment. This is our future... Please help... To become a member, just click on the mei membership card below.
Become a mei member today
and receive a 
FREE ebook copy of
'Achieving a Shared Earth'.
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Animal Sponsorship Program

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At our Bogor Multispecies Education Centre, we provide a safe home for rescued street animals from within the Bogor Multispecies Community Zone. These animals have usually come to us sick, injured or as young orphans. We provide veterinary care, as needed, and a safe and caring environment for these animals to live in. As they grow, they become respected and valued contributors to our multispecies education program. Click this link to sponsor one of these rescued street animals and to help us to provide for them.

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Staff Development
 Sponsorship Program

At mei, we care about all species and so we are always looking for opportunities to support the professional development and economic circumstances of our staff. We are an equal opportunity employer, willing to employ anyone, no matter what their gender, religion or current level of education or skill. Click on this link if you would like to learn more about our Staff Development Sponsorship Program.

Vision of mei

To establish an international network of Multispecies Community Zones (MCZs), supported by Multispecies Education Centers (MECs).  

Just as drops of water can accumulate into an ocean, we believe that a growing number of Multispecies Community Zones will eventually lead to a tide of change in the way humans live together with other species on this Earth.
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Mission of mei 

Mission of mei To provide educational experiences that develop respect, understanding and cooperation between species, in order that we may all learn to live together in harmony as a global multispecies community, fairly sharing between us the resources of planet Earth.
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Values of mei

Responsible
Innovative
Reflective
Respectful
Loyal
Compassionate
Open minded
Confident
Proactive
Enthusiastic
Committed,
and... to always operate with Integrity
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mei was first launched at the Minding Animals Conference in Newcastle, NSW, Australia in July 2009. We hope to attend the second Minding Animals Conference being held in Utrecht, Netherlands in July 2012 www.mindinganimals.com
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  Starting with RESPECT
  Developing UNDERSTANDING
  Achieving COOPERATION…    
  between species.

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Bogor MEC features on Green TV, Indonesia

Bogor Multispecies Education Centre (MEC) was visited recently by Green TV, Indonesia who produced a short report on the Centre's work with street cats in Java, Indonesia. The Bogor MEC is home to a range of species who are rescued and/or part of the Centre's education program. Through its education program, the Bogor MEC aims to support the development of a Bogor Multispecies Community Zone - an environment in which the health & welfare needs of all species are considered and all species cohabitate with respect, understanding and cooperation.

                                    Learning to share the Earth...

PACE - Pets and Children Education program

Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) veterinary medicine student, Rio Aditya, has been working in collaboration with mei, on the development and implementation of the PACE - Pets and Children Education program. The program aims to raise children's awareness of the many species of animals that share this Earth with us (locally and internationally) and of our responsibilities for both captive and free-living animals. The program provides children with practical, hands-on experiences involving animals, including visits to the Bogor Multispecies Education Centre, Bukit Tunggul #3, where a range of animal species live in a setting specifically designed to cater for community education. To view more photos of PACE in action, click on the PACE logo below (Facebook link) or visit http://bogormec.weebly.com/

A big thank you goes to Rio Aditya for his initiative in developing and organising the implementation of the PACE program; and to the IPB student volunteers and staff of the Bogor Multispecies Education Centre for their enthusiasm and support in bringing the program to life. Well done!
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Learning to share the Earth means learning to care for the Earth we all share... SUPPORT ECO CHILD

If you are living on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, then we encourage you to support this Real Nappy Week event being organised by Eco Child. If you are further away, then this eco-friendly business is worth looking at over the internet. Visit their webpage at www.ecochild.com.au ... At mei, we see caring for the health of our environment as the foundation for healthy humans and animals - biodiversity  - so we encourage all eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle choices,  and support the businesses that provide these products. Click on the image below to find out more information about this event...
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Visit by Tunas Muda Harapan International School

On the 12th April, thirty-nine students from the Tunas Muda Harapan International School in Jakarta visited the Bogor Multispecies Education Center (MEC) in Indonesia. The students had been working on a Unit of Inquiry about Sharing the Planet, from the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum - www.ibo.org. They were keen to find out more about the work of the Bogor MEC, to meet the animals and to discover how multispecies education can preserve biodiversity by helping us to learn to share this Earth with all species. Click on the photo below to see more photos of this event.
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mei Membership Drive

Over the next three months, the staff of mei will be working hard to meet their target of recruiting 500 caring individuals to join mei before the 1st July.

At Rp.200.000 / US$25.00 / £15.00 / AUS$20.00 per year, mei Membership contributes to supporting the work of mei. Finances from our membership program go directly into providing the facilities for the Bogor (Indonesia) and Nambour (Australia) Multispecies Education Centres. These Centres are resources for the community, providing a venue for educational activities, meetings and events to support the development of multispecies communities; a site where environmentally sustainable lifestyle choices can be accessed and modelled; and a place of shelter and veterinary care for needy animals. The financial support provided through your mei membership will ensure the continuation of our existing Centres in Bogor and Nambour, and enable us to establish further Centres in areas of need in the future.

If you are not already a mei Member, then we encourage you to join us today...by clicking on the Support Us tab above or following the following link - http://www.supportmei.org/mei-membership.html
Please note that mei is a financially transparent organisation and how donation money is spent is visible in our accounts, which are available for viewing upon request.
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Nambour MEC kick starts again after birth of Amyra

It has been a quiet two months at the Nambour Multispecies Education Centre, whilst mei Director, Muria Roberts, and her husband, Mahmud Yogi Prayoga, have been focused on the birth of their baby, Amyra Jasmin. Now, with the Queensland Easter school holidays looming, the Nambour MEC looks set to open its doors again with a range of exciting educational activities being planned for children, youth and the wider community. A schedule of April events will be published on the mei website and on Facebook next week. A big thank you to the Nambour Weekly for publishing an article on the Nambour MEC in this week's newspaper....
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JOIN tiame - the international association of multispecies educators

Although mei has founded multispecies education international (mei) as an organisation, we do not wish to own the concept of multispecies education. Just as the concept of multicultural education is a general concept, the same should also be true for multispecies education. We believe that the concept of multispeciesism, through its logical link with multiculturalism, has the power to move animal studies into mainstream education and society. For this reason, the concept of multispeciesism/or multispecies education needs to be able to develop and be discussed outside of our organisation. 

To achieve this neutral forum for discussion, mei is in the process of founding an association independent of mei called tiame - the international association of multispecies educators. This association will be run by a bi-annually elected committee. Target members for this association will be anyone who is interested (i.e. academics), or who is currently working, in education involving multiple species, i.e. people who may take animals into schools to teach children how to interact appropriately with them (RSPCA); zoo keepers who give talks and demonstrations to the public - i.e. contexts where human-animal interaction/or non-interaction skills are explicitly taught; conservationists trying to educate communities how to live with the endangered species within their environment, etc.

Click on the tiame logo below to find out more about this Association and how you can become a member...
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Find us on Facebook...

Click the image below to join us on Facebook.
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Monthly Art Exhibitions at the mei MECs!

Every month the Bogor and Nambour MECs will exhibit the work of a local artist. The focus of their work will be on the environment and/or the biodiversity of species living within that environment. Click on the image below to find out more about exhibiting your artwork or attending one of our monthly art exhibition events.
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Find out more about the NEW mei Eco-Market!

Click on the mei Eco-Market logo below to find out more about this new internet resource being developed by mei.

Are you a consumer looking for where you can source environmentally sustainable products and services from your local area? Then mei Eco-Market will help you...

Are you a producer or provider of an environmentally sustainable product or service? Then we are keen to promote your products or services because that helps us to ensure a healthy environment for all species into the future.

We are currently especially interested in locating environmentally sustainable products and services within the Sunshine Coast (Queensland, Australia) and Bogor (West Java, Indonesia) areas.
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Next Movie Night for Kids scheduled at Nambour MEC

Movie Night for Kids will be held monthly at the Nambour MEC, 11B Arundell Ave., Nambour (Australia), starting at 6:00pm and finishing at 8pm. The next scheduled Movie Night for Kids will be on Saturday 18th February. We will advise closer to the date about what movie will be being screened. Bring your pillow and money for snacks. We would appreciate a $2 donation per child to help us with the running of this event. For further information, please contact Muria at multispecieseducation@gmail.com or on 0468 342 874.
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Nambour MEC launch Multispecies Education Program

Click on the images below to find out more about the mei Multispecies Education Program being launched through Nambour MEC. We will be updating these webpages with more detailed information over the coming two weeks. Book now for your child or teenager to attend the February sessions. Sessions begin on Monday 13th February. Places will be limited to 10 participants per session. We appreciate a $5.00 donation per participant per session towards helping us cover the costs of our education program. See you soon at Nambour MEC, 11B Arundell Ave., Nambour.
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Bogor MEC, Indonesia, needs your support... Sponsor an animal today!

The staff at the Bogor Multispecies Education Centre in Indonesia are working hard to provide a high level of care for all the animals that are provided shelter at the Centre... but they need your support. Your contribution helps provide shelter, food and covers the costs of veterinary medical care. Visit our Bogor MEC website http://bogormec.weebly.com and click on the Animal Sponsorship Program listed under the Centre Animals tab. Please help by sponsoring an animal today.
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Information Night at the Nambour MEC

A big thank you to everyone who attended the recent Information Night at the Nambour MEC. Your support and interest in the work of mei was greatly appreciated. As was the opportunity for us to learn more about the wonderful work to protect our environment and animals around the Sunshine Coast that is currently being achieved by so many passionate and committed Sunshine Coast residents. It is inspiring and we look forward to many collaborations in the future! 

A special thanks to Sunshine Coast Cr. Jenny McKay for her attendance, support and encouragement. If you were unable to attend the Information Night and would like to know more about the work of mei, then please contact Muria on 0468 342 874.
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Nambour MEC Movie Night for Kids - A Great Success!

Friday 7th January 2012 saw the first Movie Night for Kids hosted at the Nambour MEC (Australia). An enthusiastic group of young people, ranging in age from 6-14 years, joined in a fun night of movie watching and popcorn munching. The movie screened was How to train your dragon - the story of a young viking, who, through his friendship with a dragon, is able to turn a community of vikings and dragons in conflict into one of happy, mutual cooperation. We chose to start with the screening of this movie because we feel that it illustrates exactly what we are trying to achieve at mei - greater understanding between species, through which we can achieve greater cohabitation, less inter-species conflict and health/welfare issues, and potentially, cooperation between species, within multispecies environments. To watch the trailer to this movie, click on the image below.

Movie Night for Kids will be held regularly at the Nambour MEC, 11B Arundell Ave., Nambour (Australia) every month. The next scheduled Movie Night for Kids will be on Saturday 18th February. We will advise closer to the date about what movie will be being screened. Bring your pillow and money for snacks. We would appreciate a $2 donation per child to help us with the running of this event. For further information, please contact Muria at multispecieseducation@gmail.com or on 0468 342 874.
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Happy New Year for 2012 from mei!

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All the staff at mei, both in Indonesia and Australia, would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year / Selamat Tahun Baru for 2012! Our organisation has continued to develop rapidly over the past 12 months and we look forward to the coming year with enthusiasm and optimism.

We have faced the inevitable challenges that life can often throw at us all, but have worked proactively to turn these into positive steps forward and valuable learning experiences through which we can only grow stronger.

We would like to sincerely thank all those who have supported us during this past year. Support has been given in a range of forms and whatever form it takes, it is always valued. We would particularly like to say a huge thank you to the Setiadi family this year, for their support in the production of our first mei publication - Achieving a Shared World. This book was launched in July 2011 to coincide with the attendance and presentation of a paper by mei at the Australian Animal Studies Group Conference, Animals, people - a shared environment, hosted by Griffith University at South Bank, Brisbane, Australia. A hard or pdf copy of this book is available through our website and 100% of the proceeds from book sales go towards supporting the work of mei in Australia and Indonesia. We invite and encourage you to purchase a copy.

Financial donations, particularly through our developing Animal Sponsorship Program at Bogor MEC (Indonesia) and through our mei Membership Scheme, have been gatefully received and put to wise use. We would also like to say a heartfelt 'thank you!' to a number of generous individuals who have so kindly made one off donations to support us through a time of need at the Bogor MEC (Indonesia). Sometimes it is necessary to step back, in order to step forward again and this has been necessary in Indonesia over the past few months. As the Director of mei, I would like to commend the staff at the Bogor MEC (Indonesia) for their commitment and dedication to their work at mei, and to their care for the many animals for whom the Centre is home. We encourage you to support our Indonesian staff in any way that you can, through our new mei Staff Sponsorship & Development Scheme which we will be initiating this month.
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Mahmud Yogi Prayoga (National Manager, meindo)and Nick Malone at the Australian Animal Studies Group Conference, Brisbane, Australia.

New Multispecies Education Centre opens in Australia

On Friday 16th December the new Nambour Multispecies Education Centre (MEC) was opened. This Centre is an opportunity for mei to promote its vision and mission to an Australian audience. It is our objective that through the work of meiaus, we can further support the work of mei in Indonesia; begin to promote multispecies education within Australia; and forge valuable and mutually beneficial links and collaborations between Indonesia and Australia.

To find out more about the activities and events scheduled to take place at the Nambour MEC, click the tab above marked meiaus - multispecies education international, Australia or type in the following web address -http://meiaus.weebly.com/  

25th Asia Pacific IB Annual Conference

Between the 17-20 March 2011, the International Baccalaurete (IB) held their annual Asia Pacific Conference in Melbourne, Australia. The IB is a world respected international curriculum and an innovator in the field of education www.ibo.org 

The Director of mei, Muria Roberts, was accepted to present a paper at this conference entitled, ’What is the role of multispecies education in our future and in IB schools?'
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Abstract: In this presentation we will clarify what is meant by 'multispecies education' and outline how we are putting this new concept into practice at a model Multispecies Education Centre in Bogor, Indonesia. This Centre is the result of 'teacher action' in response to an animal problem within our school. It now provides a community resource through which students can access information about other species and how we live with them; unique educational experiences involving other species; and opportunities for students to initiate their own actions to help humans and animals in their community and more widely. Biodiversity is a key to human survival on this planet and our greatest challenge for the future is not just conserving other species, it's actually learning to live with them. This is the need that multispecies education aims to address and is a goal shared by the well known concept of 'multicultural education'. Through applying the tool of education to all species, multispecies education has the potential to make a significant contribution towards overcoming the interspecies conflicts that so often lead to human and animal welfare problems and to extinctions of species. This presentation will outline the significance we believe multispecies education holds for the future and how well it fits with the core mission of education through the IB. We invite students and teachers to be a part of this exciting new concept!