Sunday, May 17, 2009

A new Guide for Using the Earth Charter in Education

A Guide for Using the Earth Charter in Education was launched during the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development held in Bonn (31 March – 2 April).


Link: http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/

After years of dialogue, drafting and the inputs of a group of individuals involved in education, a Guide for using the Earth Charter in Education is finally ready for use and dissemination. Earth Charter International welcomes comments and suggestions for improving it and plans to release a second version in 2010.

This Guide is intended for all educators who are concerned to develop educational systems and programs that prepare young people and adults to live sustainably and become responsible local and global citizens in the 21st century.

It provides basic information on how to use the Earth Charter in educational settings. It will be especially helpful to educators who are working in the fields of environmental education, education for sustainable development, human rights education, human ecology education, peace education, humane education, social education and allied areas.

The second section of this guide briefly outlines the history of education for sustainable ways of living and the significance of the Earth Charter as a teaching and learning resource. The third section discusses the significance of ethics and explains the important place of ethical values in the Earth Charter. The fourth section identifies major themes that the Earth Charter can help address in diverse educational settings. The fifth section lists a number of the educational goals that teachers can consider when using the Earth Charter. The sixth section presents guidelines for developing Earth Charter educational materials and programmes. Click here to see the Guide.