I thought this might be of interest to some on the forest list. It
circulated on the B.C. list below.
Peter Miller
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 15:57:58 -0700
From: Yves Bajard <uq473@FREENET.VICTORIA.BC.CA>
To: Multiple recipients of list GP-BCFOR <GP-BCFOR@HEARN.nic.SURFnet.nl>
Subject: sustainability education a different approach
Hi all:
Enclosed is a note whihc, although it goes far beyond forestry matters,
might be seen as a challenge worht some time and energy by some of you...
All the best,
Yves Bajard
============================================================================
NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Educating for sustainability
Awareness of situation, understanding of causes, discovery of means
to adjust what we do to what nature can take at no further damage
and learning how to use these means effectively.
National Centre for Sustainability Society,
1 - 800 Gorge Road West, e-mail:
Victoria, B.C. Canada V9A 1N9
Tel: (604) 480 5016 Fax: (604)480 5261
e-mail:ncfs@islandnet.com
or: uq473@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
Home Page: http://www.islandnet.com/~ncfs/ncfs/homemenu.htm
September 12, 1995
Note to interested persons:
To pull our civilization from its ideological and institutional gridlock,
when faced with a risk of global collapse, one must look at all five
causal levels of the apparently growing and threatening imbalance between
human action and nature.
Action now focuses on better technology and management to reduce human
impact on nature and keep the economy growing with less resources and
energy. In this, mainstream action only deals with two causal levels:
nature itself, and human technical and managerial abilities. People in
position of power or influence still try to control nature without going
through a concrete and practical questioning of society's organization and
human vision of life. Nearly nobody looks into the worsening effect of
irrational aspects of human behaviour on the risks.
The resulting action produces good results, but nothing proves that
current environmental action is sufficient to adjust humanity to nature in
continuity, i.e to set Society on a sustainable course. It does little to
reduce the recurring economic stress, social insecurity and political
vacuum, against which government, finance, industry and labour mostly
apply placebos, for fear of looking at the entire problem.
To complement current action, the Centre proposes to deal constructively
with other possible causes of the imbalance: the way we organize human
activities, our vision of self, others and the world governing the whole,
and irrationality in behaviours. We propose to do that clinically,
without looking at whose fault it is that humanity may be at risk, and
practically, searching for real solutions. We also go beyond general
ideas. We want to focus on persons, local crises, and concrete paths to
solutions. We also, and this is crucial, deal exclusively with education,
i.e., the development of awareness of situations, the search for causes,
and the creation of constructive knowledge and ability to reconcile us
with nature, in our respective contexts, and with means readily available,
perhaps used differently than the usual way. Without this type of action,
nobody can be sure of dealing with the issue as thoroughly and as fast as
necessary.
Education toward sustainability is crucial. It is much broader than
environmental education. Time may be so short before it becomes too costly
to restore some balance in the great scheme of things, that educating next
generations is probably insufficient. Priority must be given to adults,
and in particular, to decision-makers, managers, educators and persons in
the media. These four groups have the highest influence on the public, on
the economy, and on all aspects of life.
We know, at the Centre, that we cannot reconcile humanity with itself and
with nature on our own. All parties affected must become partners in the
action, We now invite you to look at our proposals for sustainability
education, outlined in our World Wide Web Homepage, at the following
address:
http://www.islandnet.com/~ncfs/ncfs/homemenu.htm
You will find there a wide range of instruments of learning, which we may
use together, for our own education (nobody actually knows what
sustainability may be: there is no precedent to what is happening now).
You will also find that there is, for all the instruments proposed, many
opportunities to contribute to their conceptualization, design, testing
and pilot delivery. You will, if you want, learn what a really open
partnership toward a common future may be, how to manage information
jointly with people usually seen as enemies, and how to reconcile without
creating more risks than there already are. You will learn to innovate,
and to free yourself from implicit, destructive constraints.
Our Homepage is simple. From its main menu, you can go to a statement of
the problem, a description of who we are, an educational menu, an update
on recent events and a list of references. Our educational menu comprises
four categories of instruments: those which we see as immediate priority,
another group needing more work, or still not seen as much a priority as
the first group; a program framework for professional development in
public and private institutions; and a project to bring information
management to the requirements of sustainability education (and eventual
field application). Yet, it is not easy reading. It proposes unusual
themes and approaches to learning. Each item proposed requires a careful
analysis and considerable reflection. This is unavoidable, because finding
ways to reconcile what we do with what an overloaded nature can take
demands innovation. Extrapolating from the past cannot work. The task is
not easy, but it can be done.
We invite you to join as a partner. You are welcome to ask questions. We
certainly need you, and we know it. On the other hand, you probably need
us, even if it may be less clear to you. You will probably discover it in
the early stages of your involvement in the learning process.
Welcome to our wide ranging, long reaching action toward sustainability
education.
Looking forward to your response and hopefully, your association with us,
in a form that you will find a very productive and beneficial challenge.
With our best regards,
National Centre for Sustainability,
Yves Bajard, D.Sc., Secretary.`
============================================================================
--
Yves Bajard e-mail address: uq473@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
For a conversation and action to reconcile humanity with nature, welcome
to the National Centre for Sustainability:
Homepage URL: http://www.islandnet.com/~ncfs/ncfs/homemenu.htm
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