Empowering citizens through education for sustainable development

Abstract

Sustainable development has been defined as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." (WCED, 1987, p.43). This concept was first coined as a response to mounting worldwide concerns about the deteriorating quality of life on our planet. The predominant belief, at the time, was that economic development occurs at the inevitable expense of environmental and societal considerations hence justifying the abuse of human communities and natural resources in the name of progress. "Sustainable Development" openly challenges this paradigm by proposing a style of development that seeks to ensure a good quality of life by assuming " ... a collective responsibility to advance and strengthen the interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development - economic development, social development and environmental protection - at the local, national, regional and global levels." (United Nations, 2002, p.1). This redefinition of development is also mirrored in the EU's development targets: "The Union has today set itself a new strategic goal for the next decade: to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion." (Lisbon European Council, 2000, p.2) Sustainable development has become a regular feature in the agenda of international and national meetings and has also been the subject of a host of declarations particularly after the two major events that have made it a global concern: (i) the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro: Brazil, 3 -14 June 1992) that endorsed on Agenda 21 as a blueprint for environmental protection and development in the 21st century, and (ii) the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg:_ South Africa, 26 August - 4 September 2002) aimed at reviewing progress 10 years after R10. However, even a cursory analysis that sustainable development has only been given lip service and a general lack of political will has been identified as the principal cause for its slow implementation (United Nations, 2002)