How can humankind respond to the enormous challenges we are currently facing? How can educators help develop an understanding of 'one world'; and our roles as global citizens?

"Our biggest challenge in this new century is to take an idea that sounds abstract; sustainable development; and turn it into reality for all the world's people."

Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations

Rationale

A project school in Curitiba, Brazil“The needs of children and youth, particularly with regard to their living environment, have to be taken fully into account. Special attention needs to be paid to the participatory processes dealing with the shaping of cities, towns and neighbourhoods; this is in order to secure the living condition of children and youth and to make use of their insight, creativity and thoughts on the environment.”

Opening preamble to the Habitat Agenda, Second UN Conference on Human Settlements, UNCHS 1997. UN Centre for Human Settlements:

www.unchs.org

This section examines why ESD is so important, why we should teach about it and the implications for teaching approaches (E for SD). It also shows how it fits into the National Curriculum. There are five articles in this section which you can read online or print out for help with lesson planning and preparation.

Articles in this Section:

Why should we learn about Sustainable Cities?
Why should young people become involved in creating Sustainable Cities?
Why is Sustainable Development Important?
Why should we teach about Sustainable Development?