GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY LITERACY. - Dame Julia Morton-Marr June 12, 2006

There is an urgent need for educational change for all communities. The necessity and urgency of developing a sustainability literacy (knowledge tools and understanding) and a global sustainability education core curriculum (action and implementation), in line with this handbook of critical issues, requires no argument. Developing an understanding of the life cycle for every action in our lives is essential for all. This is civilizations finest hour, we do or we die.

Sustainability Literacy means that societies must be able to achieve more than to have the ability to read and write in a local language. It requires a global language that can explain sustainability as a functional educational tool which can be implemented through a core curriculum. This will require a greater degree of understanding and fluency in all aspects of sustainability, especially the role of population, resource use and feasible solutions. Sustainability Literacy is the ability to impart forest dwellers knowledge, (ie: how to live within the planets ecosystem) to consumer civilizations. It is the ability to educate societies so that they function within the web of life.

Current internet use has increased the ability to communicate positive actions and successes instantly, which will aid in the development and implementation of a sustainability literacy core curriculum. This will still not be easy. Some aspects of the core curriculum must include; systemic thinking, scientific values, consumerism reduction, energy conservation and innovation, and a spirituality of co-existence in peace on planet earth

Students need to be taught simple media, such as digital stories, to document their achievements. Web-based teaching resources are easy to produce at a low cost, and made available globally.

Ministries, School Boards, Schools will need to commit to and facilitate these changes. They will need to combine their economic and human resources, with other government departments such as environment, water resources, food security, peace through tourism and economic development. If this is achievable, community life within democracies will be able to correct the issues, maintain sustainability and advance to a higher level of sharing.

Global Sustainability Education (Core Curriculum) has two pillars: firstly, ecological integrity for resource security, and second, social integrity for peace. Both of these are well defined in the Earth Charter. In 2003 UNESCO adopted this soft law. Included in these parts are the two primary values: life and procreation, which foster a bio-centric worldview.

Ecological integrity requires understanding of Ehrlich's & Holdren’s equation: Human Impact = Population x Affluence (Consumerism) x Technology. I = P x A x T , which covers the human impact on the environment.

Social integrity or social peace depends on a healthy ecosystem. Environmental degradation leads to resource scarcity, which in turn leads to loss of social integrity and violent conflicts according T. Homer‑Dixon, of the University of Toronto. Injustice is another way of losing social peace; it is the main cause of terrorism.

As a GSE Curriculum is developed, and before any action is implemented, each current issue and its impact requires curriculum discussions on:‑

1. The effect of a current population increase on the environment and how it impacts to the 'eco‑system' and all species in the 'web of life'.

2. The impact on the local economy of human's affluence and the consumerism involved with the earth's resources.

3. The local impact of current and future technology on the local environment and society.

The GSL Curriculum for all students would require these elements. Communication skills and mathematical knowledge are tools to understand current problems, and to solve conflicts peacefully.

Curriculum developed by the Holistic Tourism Education Centre (IHTEC) examines the inter‑disciplinary relationships between various branches of knowledge. The 'Culture of Peace through Tourism' concept includes values and sustainable practices explained on the website: www.ihtec.org . All of IHTEC’s programs contain systemic thinking through a Global Sustainability Curriculum. IHTEC’s values focus on knowing how to mend and protect a local eco‑systems before you travel around the world. The core curriculum consists of concepts around "A Culture of Peace through Tourism" as a central or 'pivot curriculum' that link to Global Sustainability Literacy (GSL) curriculum in the following ways:

· Environmental Integrity = Environmental Studies.

· Social Integrity = Conflict Resolution, Inter‑Cultural Understanding.

· Earth Charter = Environmental Bill of Rights and local laws, National Laws, UN Conventions, Agreements and International Laws.

· School Curriculum: Language Arts, and the Performing Arts, Science, Mathematics, Geography, History, and Technology.

IHTEC’s International School Peace Gardens (ISPG) Curriculum concept was conceived in 1993. On February 14, 1995 Eric Foster and Julia Morton-Marr are the creators of the ISPG school concept; they planted the first School Peace Garden, which was linked to the launch of the Environmental Bill of Rights in Ontario. The Environmental Bill of Rights tree became the Peace Tree in that first peace grove or Bosco Sacro, a place for conflict resolution. The practical application of Global Sustainability Literacy, includes the Earth Charter and can be implemented through the ISPG Curriculum as follows: “Environmental Integrity” can be investigated and studied by:

· Linking to your local, national, world heritage, and wilderness parks as the cultural and environmental knowledge base.

· Using Friendship Benches as the inspiration and location for conflict resolution.

· Studying Life Zone Biodiversity using the internationally adopted “Life Zones” concept, using several different ecosystems for study and application. Knowledge of what grows in each area is vital to the survival of all species. eg: Carolinian Life Zone, Desert Life Zones.

· Studying food security, by investigating, identifying and encouraging local groups to plant foods that suit local soils, as defined in ISPG materials and using the ISPG’s as one location for these planting within the context of formal school curricula.

· Encouraging “Species Support”, by planting food supplies for migrating species and creating water supplies, such as required for “Creature Corridors”.

· Encouraging and studying Water and Soil protection and the concept of regional and in some cases, even international interconnectedness through the “Watershed Peace Pathways” program.

· Studying Oceans and Coastal Areas using “Marine Peace Parks” as a focus.

“Social Integrity” can be investigated and studied through “Studies in “Conflict Resolution” and Inter‑Cultural Understanding” using Language Arts and Performing Arts with participants around the world linking up as “Guests” and “Hosts” to each other, in the application of these programs.

“Population, Affluence and Consumerism” can be investigated and studied by applying the concept of “Substance Accounting for Eco‑Systems”, which allows participants to account for the gains and losses in their respective ISPG’s and to identify what problems may arise. “Technology” can be investigated and studied in many ways, the one promoted by IHTEC at the outset, which is enjoying considerable popularity worldwide right now (2004) is Solar Energy. Some applications of this learning tool would include building and using solar ovens, solar lights, and solar rocks (a rock with a hole that has water pumped up through the rock, using solar power) on or near school buildings. Some schools are building and competing with solar cars in established races, and by using solar energy as the basis for science experiments, and as a power source in school buildings.

For more information see www.ihtec.org