I surmised earlier that Tbilisi+35 promised to be rather a wasted effort.
You'll recall, of course, that one of the aims was to ...
“leverage on the educational agenda that will be captured in the outcome document of the recently-concluded RIO+20 summit.”
Well, this is a link to the conference outcomes, so you can judge for yourselves just how well this was done – if, that is, you can navigate your way through the pool of treacle that is the UN's syntax with its deplorable habit of starting every paragraph with a verb. Desperate stuff.
Here's a prime, taste:
7. RECOGNIZE the key role and the positive impact of the Communication, Education and Public Awareness provisions of multilateral environmental agreements and the development of the environmental human rights, acknowledging also the relationship between human rights and environment; however we note that their potential has yet to be fully realized for addressing the current sustainability challenges.
11. WELCOME the statements of The Future We Want, which recognize the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication as one of the important tools available for achieving sustainable development and resilience. This requires an emphasis on education in bringing about a meaningful change in people‟s mindsets and attitudes in pursuing sustainable consumption and production patterns as well as training and re-skilling the labour force.
13. COMMEND practices of continuous monitoring, re-assessment and revision of education so that it is a lifelong, holistic and inclusive learning process delivering its purpose beyond mere knowledge acquisition and enhancing values and ethics, creating new patterns of behaviours and lifestyles in line with the core intent of the 1977 Tbilisi Declaration and the principles of the Earth Charter.
17. ACKNOWLEDGE the contribution of indigenous people and local wisdom in developing the „sense of place‟ and respect for land, especially in nature, as critical for promoting a society that cares for the environment.
19. AFFIRM the potential of strong intra-governmental cooperation and public-private partnerships as well as rigorous civil-society involvement and meaningful dialogue among all stakeholders – governments, academia, enterprises, consumers, civil society, media and the general public as core condition for ESD.
23. SUPPORT governmental and non-governmental initiatives that enhance scientific excellence, research and innovation on ESD through the involvement of higher education institutions and research networks, and the adoption by higher education institutions of sustainable development approaches, particularly in developing countries.
29. ADDRESS the issue of green economies in ESD including better understanding of the role of green economies in achieving sustainable development as well as providing appropriate knowledge and skills for creation of green jobs, while ensuring social equality.
31. SUPPORT educational, environmental and other relevant authorities to adhere to ESD principles and approaches in their curriculum planning, institutional mechanisms and staffing frameworks, so that appropriate capacity exists for mainstreaming ESD into the education and environmental policies of all countries.
37. ENSURE that ESD is an integral element of the post-2015 education and development agenda and the prospective Sustainable Development Goals, setting tangible global and national targets, in line with ongoing UN processes, to ensure high-quality, relevant, life-long learning for sustainable development for all. In this context, ENSURE that at the end of the UN Decade of ESD, a substantial post-Decade framework is in place for ESD.
39. EXPAND globally regular monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of ESD also beyond 2014, after the end of the DESD, in order to capture lessons learned and capitalize on progress made and challenges encountered, following existing examples at regional and national levels.
THE END.
If only ...
Respond