Every year, people participate in global conferences, workshops, seminars and expositions that are trying to solve our problems and crises. But change rarely happens in boardrooms or conference centers. Real change happens on Main Streets, not Wall Street. Solving our crises while preventing new ones from emerging require interdependent collaboration and cooperation, not institutional proprietary thinking.
With millions of people around the world developing real, long-term, ecologically sensible solutions for our ongoing crises, Mobilized is dedicated to uniting us to create a Web of Life for All Life. But first, we need to understand how we got here.
Understanding the Problem
Traditional education often separates subjects into distinct areas of study, like math, science, and history. But in reality, everything is connected. Our world is an interconnected web where peace, democracy, prosperity, education, human rights, and the health of our planet all influence each other. For instance, economic growth can affect social equity, and energy consumption impacts the environment.
Holistic Education
A holistic approach to education teaches us to see these connections. It emphasizes understanding the world as a self-organizing, living system where every part is related to the others. This way of thinking helps us make decisions that are beneficial not just for us, but for the planet as a whole.
What is Education and Media for Sustainability? Educating for a sustainable future means learning to make decisions that consider the long-term impacts on the economy, ecology, and equity of all communities. It’s about creating a society that lasts.
Why is it Important? Understanding the links between our actions and their effects on the environment and human well-being is crucial. Many of these connections are not obvious at first, so education plays a vital role in making these links clear.
Key Elements of Sustainable Education and Media
- Decision-Making Skills: Teaching individuals to anticipate the consequences of their actions and envision a sustainable future.
- Ethical Awareness: Helping students learn to value social justice, peace, and environmental protection.
- Interdisciplinary Approach: Encouraging students to see the interconnectedness of life and global challenges.
- Experiential Learning: Using hands-on activities to teach sustainability.
- Values Education: Instilling principles of fairness, democracy, and wise resource use.
- Community Involvement: Engaging students in solving real-world problems in their communities.
New Ways of Thinking
Systems Thinking and Complexity Science
- Systems thinking helps us understand the world as a web of interconnected parts.
- Complexity science teaches us that small changes can have big impacts, known as the Butterfly Effect.
Moving Beyond Traditional Science
- The old view of the universe as a machine governed by fixed laws is shifting.
- We are starting to see the world as a self-organizing web of life.
Conclusion
By adopting a holistic and sustainable approach to education, we can create better outcomes for both people and the planet. This involves integrating different fields of study, fostering ethical awareness, and teaching students to think critically about the long-term impacts of their actions. Through these efforts, we can build a more sustainable, equitable, and peaceful world.