<p><font color="#33711E"><strong>Day 1 - Session 1A: Paradigms of Sustainability</strong></font></p>
Queen's Park 1, 14:00 - 15:30
14:00 - 14:20
1.A.1. Social Networks and Resilient Communities for Emergency: a Pilot Scheme in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
Paola Di Maio
Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand
Telecommunication devices and infrastructure are helping communities worldwide to "self organize" and co-operate during emergencies. In this paper, we present the outline of a pilot scheme planned for the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), where we identify the need for the inclusion of "resilient community networks" projects as part of the international and inter-regional development programmes active in the region, such as those implemented by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as well as in the many projects currently being promoted by national organizations such as the National Research Council of Thailand.
Download paper (pdf, 100kb) and presentation (pdf, 2mb)
14:20 - 14:40
1.A.2. Partnerships in Education for Sustainable Development: Case study of the Penang Regional Centre of Expertise
Hamoon Khelghat-Doost
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Higher education should be recognized as a major contributor to society's efforts to achieve sustainable development. Achieving sustainable development requires collaboration among sectors and institutions, and the participation of all stakeholders and individuals. By combining their efforts, members of networks and partnerships are able to have a greater impact on policy and practice than they would have on their own. But there are many different ways people and organizations can work together to share knowledge, to advocate and to take action. The various methods have become important mechanisms for identifying priorities, undertaking joint research and for engaging other stakeholders in developing workable solutions. This paper explains why higher education institutes are appropriate candidates to lead the Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD) initiative and argues that the success of this leadership cannot be guaranteed without appropriate linkages with government, communities, NGOs and the private sector. This paper also examines various issues involved with these linkages by examining the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, as a case study.
Download paper (pdf, 60kb) and presentation (pdf, 300kb)
14:40 - 15:00
1.A.3. Paradigms of Sustainability: Action Research for Engaging Communities in Learning for Sustainable Development
Richard Allen, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
Joel Bacha, UNESCO Bangkok, Thailand
From a starting interest in strategies which engage communities in learning for sustainable development, this action research questioned professionals working in a variety of development contexts around the world about their perceptions of sustainability. Six key paradigms of sustainability were identified in the form of Metaphor Domains (MDs) including sustainability as: Balance, Fairness, Lasting Impact, Conserving the Present, Creating Independence and Future Reliability. Through action research, the authors investigated a methodology for promoting understanding of the sustainability paradigms in a Japanese university setting, with the aim of contributing to additional learning contexts and communities. Strategies such as simulations and reflective questioning, as well as reflective action-logs, were used. In a longitudinal study, the effectiveness of these strategies in developing understanding of the concept of the paradigms of sustainability was examined. Initial findings show evidence that the active and reflective strategies effectively promote understanding of paradigms of sustainability when conducted with relevant content. Furthermore, the participatory methodologies researched have potential for promoting the values and perspectives related to learning for sustainable development and could act as a basis for further investigation in a number of teaching and learning contexts.
Download paper (pdf, 255kb) and presentation (pdf, 180kb)