Global Education tries to raise awareness for global interdependencies. By doing so it focuses on encouraging people to become responsible world citizens by seeing the possibilities they have within their environment to change and influence things for the better. Some of the topics addressed by GE are:
- Fair Trade,
- Human Rights,
- Intercultural Learning,
- Environmental issues,
- Poverty and Social Justice,
- Religion,
- Migration,
- Education
- Racism…
GE aims at perceiving the world as one rather than splitting it into first, second and third world. In German the commonly used term is “Globales Lernen” whereas the French use “Éducation au Developpement”.
The German organisation Globales Lernen in Hamburg writes: “Globales Lernen ist eine pädagogische Antwort auf globale Entwicklungs- und Zukunftsfragen und Kernbestandteil einer Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung.”, saying that GE is a pedagogical answer to global developpment and questions about the future and therefore a main element of an education for sustainable development.
Sustainability is one of those often used and praised words which are deprived of any meaning nowadays. Personally, I define sustainability as linked to awareness for the damage we are causing to this planet and its inhabitants and to an active attitute to change this influence. Or with other words: sustainability means to “meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (World Comission on environment and development, Bruntlandt report 1987).
AFS Switzerland Global Learning Group:
The Global Learning Group within AFS Switzerland has been created by a group of enthusiastic volunteers in 2011. The goal is to promote Global Education topics within the organization and to provide both content and contacts.
In the first meeting the main topics of interest have been collected:
The Global Learning Group has elaborated a Guideline of what they perceive as GE. You can download the final document – so far only in German – here.
If you are interested in the group or have any questions, feel free to contact me!
May I suggest a workable if broad definition for sustainability. Sustainability is what works. For example, continuing to burn fossil fuels and raising the Parts Per Million (PPM) of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere to over 450PPM – will not work, unless you want to fry most of the life forms on the planet. Saw Paul Hawken talk in Australia recently. He suggested that the Environment needed to come to Social Justice & not the other way round. Food for thought?
Interesting indeed! Thanks for sharing, I’ll google Paul Hawken now
I’m glad to see Brundtland still lives and am glad to have dropped by
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Great blog. It’s nice to “meet” like-minded folks. Good luck with your travels.
I am enjoying your blog. Keep it up!
Thank you and thanks for your visit