UNIT 8 VALUES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable Development (SD) and Education

Concept of Sustainable Development

• Definition:
  • According to the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), SD is "development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Role of Education in Sustainable Development

• Importance:
  • Education is essential for achieving SD as recognized by the Delors Commission (1996) and Agenda 21 (1992).
  • The UN declared 2005-2014 as the Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
• ESD Focus:
  • Fundamentally about integrating values with education.
  • Values should be incorporated into general education rather than taught in isolation.

Values Needed for Sustainable Development

• Core Values:
  • Respect: For all forms of life and the environment.
  • Compassion: Understanding and caring for others and the world.
  • Equity: Fairness in access to resources and opportunities.
  • Tolerance: Accepting diverse perspectives and practices.
  • Appreciation: Valuing different cultures, environments, and ideas.
  • Adjustment: Ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Education's Role in Developing SD Values

• Integration:
  • Embed SD values into the curriculum and teaching methods.
  • Encourage critical thinking about sustainability issues.
• Teaching Methods:
  • Use practical, real-world examples to illustrate SD concepts.
  • Foster discussions on ethical and environmental responsibilities.

Processes for Inculcating Values for SD

• Activities and Approaches:
  • Project-Based Learning: Engage students in projects that address sustainability challenges.
  • Experiential Learning: Provide hands-on experiences related to SD.
  • Collaborative Learning: Promote teamwork on SD issues to build collective problem-solving skills.
  • Community Involvement: Involve local communities in educational projects to connect learning with real-world impacts.

Role of Teachers

• Facilitators:
  • Guide students in understanding and integrating SD values into their daily lives.
  • Encourage reflective practices and discussions about the impact of individual and collective actions on sustainability.
• Supporters:
• Provide resources and support for activities that promote SD values.
• Act as role models in practicing and promoting sustainable behaviors.

Sustainable Development (SD) Overview

Current Challenges

• Impact of Modern Activities:
  • Intensification of Agriculture: Increased use of land and resources.
  • Rapid Industrialization: High consumption of energy and resources.
  • Non-Renewable Energy: Depletion of fossil fuels.
• Consequences:
  • Environmental Degradation: Pollution, loss of forests, species extinction.
  • Socio-Economic Marginalization: Unequal benefits, social polarization, rising intolerance.
  • Threat to Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity: Loss of natural and cultural assets.
  • Marginalization: Benefits accrue mainly to the powerful, while many remain marginalized.

Concept of Sustainable Development

• Definition:
  • Brundtland Commission (1987): Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• Scope:
  • Holistic View: Encompasses environmental, economic, and socio-political aspects.
  • Interrelated Constituents:
    • Environment: Protecting and improving environmental quality.
    • Economic Development: Sustainable economic practices.
    • Socio-Political Development: Empowerment, elimination of marginalization, and broad-based participation.

Historical Context

• Earth Summit (1992): Popularized the term 'sustainable development.'
• Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Included environmental sustainability as a key goal.

Ethical Framework and Human Happiness

• Old Model:
  • Hierarchy: Natural wealth → Human happiness → Technology, economy, politics, and ethics.
• New Understanding:
  • Critique: The anthropocentric model (focused on human-centric benefits) has led to environmental harm.
  • Revised Approach: Recognizes the need for a balanced view integrating environmental health with human well-being.

Key Takeaways

• Need for Immediate Action:
  • Prevention of Disaster: Urgent measures required to avoid inheriting an uninhabitable Earth.
• Role of Education:
• Empowering: Education is crucial for promoting SD values and practices.

Fig.1: A model relating natural wealth as the ultimate means to human happiness as the ultimate end. (Source: Bossel, H. (1998). Earth at a crossroads, UK: Cambridge University Press. p97).

 

Ethics of Sustainability

Core Principle

• Intrinsic Value: Sustainability is based on the intrinsic value of natural and human cultural evolution. To value these processes and products, we must ensure their future existence and development.

Ethic Based on Sustainability

1. Natural Environment:

   • Recognition of Identity: Species and ecosystems have their own identity and the right to exist.
   • Life Space Concept: The environment should not be viewed merely as a resource but as a "life space" essential for our existence.
   • Responsibility: We are responsible for the future of the natural environment.

2. Human Systems:

   • Equitable Treatment: Respect the right to fair treatment for all humans, regardless of region, religion, race, gender, political beliefs, income, wealth, and education.

3. Future Generations:

• Future Rights: Acknowledge the right of future generations, species, and ecosystems to exist and develop.
• Slogan: "We have borrowed the Earth from our children."

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

Introduction

• Purpose: ESD aims to equip children and youth to address environmental, social, and economic challenges, preparing them to be architects of sustainable development.
• UN Decade: 2005-2014 was declared the Decade for Education for Sustainable Development to focus on integrating ESD into general education.

Importance of Education for SD

• Population: Children are a significant part of the population, especially in developing countries.
• Global Challenges: Addressing disparities, poverty, hunger, ill health, and ecosystem deterioration requires a global partnership for sustainable development.

Key Recommendations from Historical Context

1. 1981 National Seminar Recommendations:

   • Indivisibility of Environment: The environment is a common space for all living organisms and has no geographical or ideological boundaries.
   • Human Dimension: Solutions to environmental problems must include moral and human aspects.

2. Brundtland Commission (1987):

   • Integrated Approach: A strategy that combines development, poverty eradication, and environmental protection.

3. Earth Summit (1992):

   • Development and Environment: Emphasized the need for development alongside environmental conservation.

Dimensions of Sustainability

1. Physical and Material:

   • Environmental: Protecting physical resources and ecosystems.

2. Ecological:

   • Biodiversity: Maintaining the variety of life forms and ecosystems.

3. Social and Cultural:

   • Community Involvement: Engaging communities in environmental and social sustainability.
   • Cultural Diversity: Respecting and integrating cultural diversity into sustainability efforts.

4. Psychological and Ethical:

   • Attitudinal Change: Developing ecological ethics and a positive attitude towards nature and society.

Approaches to Education for SD

1. Primary Environmental Care (UNICEF):

   • Community-Based: Empowering local communities to meet basic needs while protecting natural resources.
   • Active Participation: Involving women and children to enhance life skills and adaptability.

2. Holistic Vision:

• Beyond Physical Environment: Incorporating social, cultural, and ethical dimensions.
• Participatory Approach: Encouraging involvement in environmental management and improvement.

Scope and Nature of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

Scope of ESD

• Wide Scope:

  • Interdisciplinary Nature: Integrates various disciplines to address complex issues.
  • Pillars of Sustainable Development:
    • Society: Focus on social equity, inclusion, and justice.
    • Environment: Emphasis on environmental protection and sustainability.
    • Economy: Sustainable economic practices and resource management.

• New Vision of Education:

• Preparation for Challenges:
• Poverty: Addressing and mitigating economic disparities.
• Inequality: Promoting social equity and justice.
• Marginalization: Ensuring inclusion and equal opportunities.
• Exploitation: Preventing the misuse of resources and people.
• Wasteful Consumption: Encouraging efficient use of resources.
• Environmental Degradation: Protecting and restoring ecosystems.
• Population Growth: Managing growth sustainably.
• Urbanization: Planning for sustainable and orderly urban development.
• Intolerance and Conflicts: Fostering peace and understanding.

Values for Sustainable Development (SD)

Key Concepts

• Behavioral Changes and Values:
  • Knowledge alone isn't enough for sustainable behaviors.
  • Attitudes and values shape mindsets conducive to SD.
  • Respect is a central value in SD.

Core Values for Sustainable Development:

1. Respect:

   • For others (present and future generations).
   • For differences and diversity.
   • For the environment.
   • For planetary resources.

2. Values for Justice and Responsibility:

   • Develops sense of justice, responsibility, and dialogue.
   • Encourages behaviors and practices that ensure a full life without deprivation for anyone.

3. Empowerment and Participation:

   • Promote inclusive growth and eliminate marginalization.
   • Values like tolerance, open-mindedness, and rationality support an inclusive society.

4. Timeless Values:

   • Certain values remain relevant over time (e.g., peace, freedom, development, environment).
   • Eternal values: love, compassion, respect, open-mindedness, justice, peace, rationality, moderation.

Identified Values for Sustainable Development:

• Core Values:

  • Peace.
  • Human rights.
  • Democracy.
  • Sustainable development.

• Related Values:

  • Support the core values mentioned above.
  • Encouraged through education and community involvement.

Role of Community in ESD:

• Community involvement is essential for determining content and implementation.
• Addressing biases in current value systems is necessary.
• Knowledge and values from the community should be the basis for development.

Developing Values in Children for Sustainable Development (SD)

Key Concepts

• Long-Term Education:

  • Value development is a long-term process, beginning in early childhood.
  • Schools play a crucial role as children spend significant time there.

• Role of Teachers:

  • Teachers have the responsibility to consciously develop values in students.
  • Values are taught through rewards, punishments, reinforcements, and models.
  • Efforts should be conscious, planned, and deliberate.

• Active Participation and Reflection:

  • Education should involve internalization of information, development of skills, and attitudes.
  • Encourage students to think, reflect, discuss, debate, and act.
  • Emphasize that it is "us" who need to act, not "someone else".

• Real-World Engagement:

  • Children should be aware of and address issues like poverty, inequality, conflict, and environmental challenges.
  • Participation in school and community activities fosters appreciation for democracy and a sense of responsibility.

• Inquiry and Action:

• Education for the environment involves inquiry and action on real issues.
• Students should engage in critical thinking about real problems.
• Development of knowledge, skills, and values should be action-oriented.

Public Involvement:

• Sustainable development must involve public participation in local environmental management.
• A sense of involvement in the local community is essential for effective environmental behavior.

Children's Role:

• The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) recognizes children as developing citizens.
• Children's involvement in environmental movements should be grounded in their daily lives.
• Interaction with nature should be encouraged through extended contact, not just through media or occasional field trips.

Decision-Making Skills:

• Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a process of learning to make decisions about the economy, politics, natural environment, and equity.
• Current teaching methods should prepare students for future challenges.

Curricular Goals and Activities:

• It is challenging to list specific activities or a model curriculum for SD.
• Broad programs with goals leading to SD should be designed based on the local realities of schools and communities.

Four Pillars of Education (Delor’s Report, 1996):

1. Learning to Know:
   • Acquire understanding and develop abilities for lifelong learning.
2. Learning to Do:
   • Act creatively in the environment, protect it, preserve resources, and work with marginalized groups.
3. Learning to Live Together:
   • Cooperate, work as a team, tolerate differences, and have faith in democracy.
4. Learning to Be:
   • Achieve holistic development for independent and critical thinking.

Sustainable Development Education: Key Activities and Strategies

a) Nurturing Activities

• Objective: Encourage respect and appreciation for the natural environment.
• Strategies:
  • Plan activities that provide direct contact with nature.
  • Organize field trips to sites with environmental problems.
  • Use action projects and case studies for practical learning.

b) Using Media to Acquaint Children with the Environment

• Objective: Use media to provide accurate environmental information.
• Strategies:
  • Select books, videos, films, and TV programs carefully.
  • Balance content with anthropomorphism and factual animal behavior.

c) Role Play

• Objective: Foster empathy and awareness through acting.
• Strategies:
  • Role-play as plants, animals, eco-friendly heroes, vets, etc.

d) Cultural Activities

• Objective: Introduce traditional knowledge about the environment.
• Strategies:
  • Use epics, folk tales, songs, dances, puppetry, and skits.

e) Reusing, Recycling, and Reducing Consumption

• Objective: Promote lifelong habits of conservation and economy.
• Strategies:
  • Encourage recycling, donating old books, economic use of materials, avoiding polythene bags, and switching off electrical appliances when not in use.

f) Gender Equality

• Objective: Overcome socio-cultural biases and promote gender equality.
• Strategies:
  • Treat boys and girls alike in schools.
  • Involve girls in decision-making processes.

g) Nurturing Faith in Democracy

• Objective: Promote democratic values through participatory practices.
• Strategies:
  • Encourage cooperative group activities.
  • Make children aware of their rights and duties.
  • Foster participatory governance in schools.

h) Towards Inclusiveness

• Objective: Create an inclusive society by educating all children together.
• Strategies:
  • Promote inclusive education to form a non-discriminatory society.
  • Reflect human differences in schools.

i) Nurturing Ability to Think Critically and Solve Problems

• Objective: Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strategies:
  • Design activities that require thinking and decision-making.
  • Ask questions that foster thinking abilities.

j) Developing Communication Skills

• Objective: Enhance communication skills for social participation.
• Strategies:
  • Encourage impromptu narration of incidents, stories, and events.

k) Respecting Cultural Diversity

• Objective: Recognize cultural diversity as a collective heritage.
• Strategies:
  • Introduce children to diverse cultures through folk tales, songs, costumes, and festivals.

l) Familiarity with ICT as a Learning Tool

• Objective: Bridge the digital divide and encourage ICT use.
• Strategies:
  • Use multimedia CDs and computer-assisted learning programs in classrooms.

m) Life Skill Education

• Objective: Integrate life skills education for sustainable development.
• Strategies:
  • Develop critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills through school activities.

n) Partnership between School and Community

• Objective: Foster collaboration between schools and the community.
• Strategies:
  • Engage children in community activities like environmental campaigns and cultural preservation efforts.
  • Involve senior citizens to share past experiences.

o) Green Club

• Objective: Promote environmental awareness and action.
• Strategies:
• Establish a Green Club with activities ranging from school cleanliness to local environmental surveys.
• Involve teachers, students, staff, parents, and community members.

Case Studies on Value Education for Sustainable Development

Case Study from Nicaragua

Background: Since 1983, CISAS (Centro de Información y Servicios de Asesoría en Salud) has been promoting the child-to-child approach in Nicaragua.

Key Points:

• Annual Workshops: Enable children from different regions to meet and share community project experiences.
• Identified Priorities:
  • Unemployment
  • Economic problems
  • Lack of adequate affordable schools
  • Lack of health centers
  • Lack of community organization
  • Dirty ditches
  • Unclean water sources
  • Streets in need of repair
  • Black water in ditches
• Primary Conclusion: Lack of community organization is at the heart of the problems.
• Action Taken: Children decided to organize themselves and others to clear rubbish.

An Excerpt from the Case Study on the Rivers Curriculum Project

Background: The Rivers Curriculum Project started as a pilot river sampling program in eight high schools along the Mississippi and lower Illinois rivers in the USA.

Key Points:

• Expanded Scope: Grew beyond water monitoring to include:
  • Poetry
  • Creative writing
  • Songs
  • Folklore
  • Artwork
  • Research into rivers' social and economic history
  • Activism on water quality
• Student Activities:
  • Conduct nine types of water quality tests.
  • Collect insects and aquatic animals as water quality indicators.
  • Transform data into a water quality index.
  • Share data with other students via an electronic network.

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Summary of Key Points and Actions:

1. Nicaragua Case Study:

   • Problems Identified: Unemployment, economic issues, lack of schools and health centers, community disorganization, environmental issues.
   • Key Action: Organizing community cleanup by children to address disorganization.

2. Rivers Curriculum Project:

   • Scope: Expanded from water quality monitoring to include creative arts and activism.
   • Student Activities: Water quality tests, collecting bio-indicators, creating a water quality index, sharing data electronically.