User:Grian

Grian A. Cutanda

Grian A. Cutanda
Grian A. Cutanda at Craigmillar Castle, Edinburgh
Website:	http://www.grian.com.es
Other roles:	Author, psychologist, educator and activist
Nationality:	Spain
Languages:	Spanish, English, Catalan
Country:	United Kingdom

I am a Spanish author, psychologist, educator and activist. I was born in Caracas (Venezuela) on 31st May 1957, son of Spanish emigrants who went back to Spain when I was 7. Currently, I am living at Edinburgh (Scotland, UK), together with my partner, Marta Ventura, and her son, Martí (b. 1998). But I have also another stepson, Govinda (b. 1980), and my daughter, Diana (b. 1984).

Professional Information

Qualifications and Academia

PhD in Education at the University of Granada, with a research on traditional stories from all around the world as educational tools to transmit a complex systems thinking and the values of social justice, peace and sustainability framed by the Earth Charter.MA in Innovation and Research in Education atUNED(2012), and MA and BA in Psychology by theUniversity of Valencia(1980).

As a researcher, I belong to the Research Group "Emerging Values, Social Education and Educational Policies" of the University of Granada, Spain.

Author

Under the pen name of Grian, I have published 14 books in Spanish, some of them being translated to 12 languages. To highlight, El jardinero (1996) (The Gardener, HarperCollins, 1998), with 26 editions in Spanish, and La rosa de la paz (2003) (The Rose of Peace), Associated Book in the Universal Forum of Cultures of Barcelona 2004.

Educator

I have worked as director and lecturer in the Avalon Project - Initiative for a Culture of Peace (2003-2013), an educational and activist NGO backed by Prof. Dr. Federico Mayor Zaragoza, UNESCO Director-General (1987-1999).

Psychologist

I have worked as a clinical, educational and sports psychologist (1980-2000). As a sports psychologist, coaching the elite rally driver Luís Climent, I have worked in the Opel, Citroën and Renault Spanish official rally teams, and in the Skoda World Rally Team, winning a Spanish championship (1996) and a world championship (FIA Cup, 1999).

Activist

As director of the Avalon Project, I have organized a number of campaigns, mobilizations and demostrations. I was deeply involved in the Spanish Protests 2011-2012 (Indignados-15M Movement), and currently in the climate change campaign in Edinburgh, starting with the People's Climate March on 21^st September 2014 and continuing until December 2015, when the Climate Summit will be held in Paris.

Publications

Books

Essays

• GRIAN (1998). El Camino de Santiago es el camino de la vida (The Road of St. James is the Road of Life). Barcelona: Obelisco

• GRIAN (2003). La rosa de la paz (The Rose of Peace). Barcelona: Obelisco
• GRIAN (2010). Señor Presidente... soy el Jefe Seattle (Mister President... I Am Chief Seattle). Barcelona: Obelisco

Fiction

• GRIAN (1996). El jardinero. Barcelona: Obelisco
  • GRIAN (1998). The Gardener. London: Thorsons-HarperCollins
    

    

    Cover of the book The Gardener, by Grian, published in London by Thorsons (HarperCollins), 1998

• GRIAN (1998). Más allá del arco iris (Beyond the Rainbow). Barcelona: Obelisco

• GRIAN (2000). El manantial de las miradas (The Looking Glass Spring). Barcelona: Obelisco

• GRIAN (2004). El príncipe que buscaba la Verdad (The Prince Who Sought Truth). Barcelona: Obelisco

• GRIAN (2005). Mahabbat. Cordova: Almuzara

• GRIAN (2006). El peregrino loco (The Crazy Pilgrim). Barcelona: Obelisco

• GRIAN (2007). El Sendero de las Lágrimas (The Trail of Tears). Barcelona: Obelisco

• GRIAN & PIMENTEL, M. (2014). El sabio enamorado y el jardín del Califa (The Sage in Love and the Caliph’s Garden). Cordova: Almuzara

Book-CD's

• GRIAN & PANIAGUA, E. (2005). Rumi e Ibn ‘Arabî: Oriente y Occidente, siglo XIII (Rumi and Ibn ‘Arabî: East and West, 13^th Century). Cordova: Almuzara
• GRIAN & PANIAGUA, E. (2007). Rabindranath Tagore: Cuánto tiempo dura mi viaje (Rabindranath Tagore: The Time That My Journey Takes Is Long). Cordova: Almuzara
• GRIAN & PANIAGUA, E. (2009). Ibn Gabirol: Caballero de la palabra (Ibn Gabirol: Gentleman of the Word). Cordova: Almuzara

Academic publications

• CUTANDA, G. A. (2012). Mythical narratives as a resource for the sustainable development education. Analysis of pertinence. (MA dissertation). Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia - UNED. Madrid (in Spanish, abstract in English).

• CUTANDA, G.A. (2013). Values education in Translation Studies: The translator’s educational role in globalization. 3^rd International Translation Conference of Baghdad. May 7^th-9^th, 2013. University of Baghdad and Al-Ma’amoon House of Translation and Publishing, Ministry of Culture, Iraq.

• CUTANDA, G.A. & MURGA-MENOYO, M.A. (2014). Analysis of mythical-metaphorical narratives as a resource for education in the principles and values of sustainability. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 16(2), 18-38.

• MARTÍNEZ-RODRÍGUEZ, F. M. & CUTANDA, G. A. (2016). "Critical pedagogy and social movements against the neoliberal harassment". Submitted to Critical Studies in Education, now in peer review.

• CUTANDA, G. A. (2016). Traditional Stories and the Earth Charter: Towards an education in the complex-systems worldview (PhD thesis). University of Granada. Granada, Spain.

External links

1. Grian's author website
2. Midnight Sun: Peace and Sustainability Education
3. The Avalon Project - Initiative for a Culture of Peace (in Spanish)
4. Midnight Sun's Blog