Hamburg (Germany), July 17 - We, must rethink our relationship to nature, and our development paradigms, integrate environmental education into adult learning curricula, exchange information and experiences while recognising differences in cultural context, and develop links between environmental educators and activists to prepare for a sustainable future. These are some of the challenges of the 21st century for adult environmental education, according to the participants in the thematic working group devoted to the subject yesterday at the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA).
Urgent environmental problems discussed included the tragic shrinking of Lake Tchad, which can not be stopped without the competent participation of the lake-side adult population. Bureaucracy, difficulty in obtaining funding, and outside "experts" with ready-made solutions were cited as barriers to progress.
Issues in adult environmental education - from combating desertification in Africa to preserving plant medicine traditions in Fiji - were illustrated with concrete examples during the workshop’s two sessions.
Among the initiatives presented were the School Energy Forum in Denmark, which brings teachers information and now teaching aids on renewable energy. Women's Action for Development in India introduces bio-gas systems to rural households, to free, women frorn time consuming fuel-gathering. In a Canadian community affected by unemployment and industrial pollution, an adult learning project helps individuals create "green" jobs. In the Caribbean, Man's impact on the Marine Environment makes Jamaican teachers aware of the effect of cruise ships on local resorts.
Though participants called for more government and institutional support for adult environmental education projects, the above examples suggest that grassroots action is strong, concluded invited speaker Robbie Guevara, from the Center for Environmental Concerns in the Philippines. "Think locally, act locally, but consider the global context," he recommended.
Participants also discussed proposed modifications to CONFINTEA’s draft Declaration on Adult Leaniing, notably the addition of a paragraph dealing specifically with education for environmental sustainability. National delegates in attendance from Kenya, Uganda, Jamaica, Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Namibia, Niger and Lesotho were asked for their assistance in getting changes adopted.
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