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Culture shapes the way we see the world. It therefore has the capacity to bring about the change of attitudes needed to ensure peace and sustainable development which, we know, form the only possible way forward for life on planet Earth. Today, that goal is still a long way off. A global crisis faces humanity at the dawn of the 21st century, marked by increasing poverty in our asymmetrical world, environmental degradation and short-sightedness in policy-making. Culture is a crucial key to solving this crisis. |
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Source: Preface, World Culture Report, UNESCO Publishing, Paris, 1999.
Our cultural values, which often include particular religious beliefs, shape our way of living and acting in the world.
Module 11 on Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainability explores the importance of indigenous values and spirituality in providing guidance for sustainable living. Such principles and values encourage a spirit of harmony between people, their natural environments and their spiritual identities.
The principles for living sustainably that flow from these and other cultural and religious beliefs vary between groups and countries. They have also changed over time as circumstances demand. Despite this diversity, many principles for living sustainably are shared, not only among indigenous peoples, but also between different religious traditions.
This module explores the role of culture and religion in providing guidance on ways of living sustainably. It also provides activities which analyse the place of these themes in the school curriculum.
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To develop an understanding of the relationship between culture, religion and sustainable living; |
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To explore the principles for sustainable living encouraged in a chosen religion and in a case study from Nepal; |
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To analyse the relevance and applicability of principles of sustainable living in the Nepal case study; and |
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To encourage reflection on the contribution of religious education in education for a sustainable future. |
| 1. Defining religion and culture |
| 2. Values and principles |
| 3. A case study: Annapurna, Nepal |
| 4. Culture and development |
| 5. Reflection |
| _____ (1996) A Wealth of Faiths, New Economics Foundation, London. |
| _____ (1996) Culture, Values and the Environment, Our Planet, 8(2). |
| Nakashima, D. (1999) Conceptualizing nature: The conceptual context of resource management, Nature and Resources, 34(2), pp. 8-22. |
| Palmer, M. and Bissett, E. (1989) Worlds of Difference, WWF in association with Thomas Nelson and Son, London. |
| Real Wealth: A Resource Pack on Faith and Economics, New Economics Foundation, London, 1996. |
| Sterling, S.R. (1985) Culture, ethics and environment - Towards the next synthesis, The Environmentalist, 5(3). |
| UNESCO (2000) World Culture Report, UNESCO Publishing, Paris. |
| World Commission on Culture and Development (1995) Our Creative Diversity, UNESCO Publishing, Paris. |
WWF (1992) World Religions and Ecology Series, WWF in association with Cassell, London. |
Additional resources and information for the Annapurna Conservation Area Project case study may be obtained from:
| Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) ACAP Headquarters Ghandruk Village Kaski District Nepal. |
King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation |
This module was written for UNESCO by John Fien using materials and activities developed by Hilary Macleod and Hum Gurung in Teaching for a Sustainable World (UNESCO - UNEP International Environmental Education Programme).
