<P><FONT color=#33711E><STRONG>Raja Roy Singh Lecture</STRONG></FONT></P>
Rainbow Room, 5th Floor
Day One: 10:30 – 11:30
Education for Sustainable Development: A Perspective for Schools
John Fien, Professor, RMIT University, Australia
This paper asks, “What if future generations were able to talk to us? Just what would they say if they could? If they had a voice today, what would they ask us to do for them?” The paper then presents a “Letter from the Future” (extracted from a book by Allen Tough), which points out that we are currently living in a pivotal moment in humanity’s development, in which we are making important choices that will affect the future course of human development. The letter expresses thanks to current generations for caring about the well-being of future generations but also expresses frustration with the risks that the current generations are taking, and the selfishness of current generations. The paper then goes on to discuss the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and points out that while progress is being made, there remain many pressing issues and concerns that need to be addressed, including air pollution and water wastage. The paper discusses how, as a result of current mismanagement of environments and natural resources, the health and security of people are at risk, worldwide. The paper explains how education for sustainable development (ESD) serves as a mirror for reviewing whether our education policies and practices are contributing to a sustainable future or not, and how ESD operates as a process for empowering people of all ages to assume responsibility for creating a sustainable future.
Download the full paper (word, 90kb)