Education for Sustainable Futures - by Douglas Bourn & Namrata Sharma & Mirian Vilela (Paperback)

About the Book

Education for Sustainable Futures highlights the immense potential that the recognition and application of the Earth Charter could have for global education efforts.

Book Synopsis

The Earth Charter declaration is recognized by UNESCO as an instrument to enhance sustainable development, specifically the UNSDGs, as the current global action framework. Education for Sustainable Futures highlights the immense potential that the recognition and application of the Earth Charter could have for global education efforts. The chapters amplify voices often marginalised in educational discourse, contributing to a more equitable and values-based approach to education.

This book explores the role of education in shaping sustainable futures through the lens of the Earth Charter. This collection includes practical examples, research findings, and theoretical debates that illustrate how the Earth Charter informs educational practices and policy initiatives in several different global contexts including Latin America, East and South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Engaging with the aims of the UNSDGs, Education for Sustainable Futures bridges the gap between policy and practice, offering a comprehensive exploration of the Charter's potential impact on education.

Review Quotes

Education for Sustainable Futures: Global Citizenship and the Earth Charter is a timely and unique contribution to the ongoing discourse on the role of education for just and equitable futures. Driven by a united sense of urgency, this edited volume brings together a wealth of perspectives from scholars and practitioners worldwide, demonstrating how the Earth Charter continues to inspire transformative approaches to education. Through insightful analyses and practical case studies, this book highlights the vital role of shared values underlying education for sustainability that fosters ethical leadership and compassionate global citizenship. The authors urge action, reminding the reader that the interconnected challenges of today require holistic, transformative, yet values-driven responses. As someone deeply engaged in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), I highly recommend this book to educators, policymakers, and all those dedicated to advancing sustainability through learning and collaborative action.

--Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability, York University, Canada

Our planet and its inhabitants urgently need education and educationalists with inspiration to act responsibly as the book editors Douglas Bourn, Namrata Sharma, and Mirian Vilela write, and I fully agree. They have invited authors to share their rich knowledge, essays and debates for inspiring us readers to collaborate in transforming education guided by the Earth Charter. The chapters offer diverse perspectives on the ways education is and can be transformed with a common value basis of shared humanity, social justice, planetary wellbeing, interdisciplinarity and creative engaging pedagogies. Be inspired and join the collective action.

--Elina Lehtomäki, Professor Global Education and Learning, University of Oulu

About the Author

Douglas Bourn is Professor of Development Education and Director of Development Education Research Centre at University College London, UK. He is chair of the Academic Network on Global Education and Learning (ANGEL) and Global Learning London.

Namrata Sharma is on the faculty at the State University of New York, USA, and an expert with the United Nations' Harmony with Nature Knowledge Network.

Mirian Vilela is the Executive Director of the Earth Charter International Secretariat and the Center for Education for Sustainable Development at UPEACE. Mirian has been working with the Earth Charter Initiative since early 1996.