Education for Sustainable Development

I.

Synopsis
With the increasing rate of environmental deterioration, finding solutions
and preventing future calamities and disasters have never been so imperative.
The concept of sustainable development (SD) has its early beginnings in
the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) held
in Stockholm where the alarming state of the environment first received global
attention. Discussions about the widespread concern over the health impacts of
environmental deterioration were the highlight of the meeting.
More than a decade after that conference, the world was in no better
shape as environmental degradation continued to escalate, threatening not only
human health but undermining the development prospects of nations around the
globe.
In response to this alarming situation, the United Nations created in 1984
the Brundtland Commission also known as the World Commission on
Environment and Development (WCED) to examine the links between
environment and development and find ways to bridge these two seemingly
opposing forces. In 1987, the Commission published its report entitled Our
Common Future where the notion of sustainable development was introduced. It
was defined in general terms as meeting the needs of the present generation
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainable development brought with it the promise of a new kind of
development, and more significantly, prospects of a different tomorrow for the
whole world. Sustainable development breathed optimism and hope for
meaningful change.
The Agenda 21 : Earth Summit or UN Conference on Environment and

Development (UNCED) was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. The UN

Commission on Sustainable Development was also created to monitor the course
of sustainable development at the global level.
The Philippines was one of the first countries that responded to the call
for sustainable development by establishing the Philippine Council for
Sustainable Development (PCSD) to oversee the implementation of the countrys
Agenda 21 commitments and formulate policies and programs that supported
sustainable development.
Sustainable development recognizes that the key actors in sustainable
development are the government, business and civil society, representing the
three realms of modern society: economy, polity and culture.
This implies that economic, social, or environmental projects cannot be
pursued independently of each other nor is it enough to have a set of
projects/initiatives separately for each dimension. Sustainable development
should be a global concern.
II.

Analysis and Insights

Sustainable development

is

often

associated

with

environmental

protection. . These views emphasizes the idea that environment would need to be
preserved at their pristine state and that development was proving to be an
antithesis to environment preservation. The proponents of this perspective argues
that environment must be protected at all costs.
However, sustainable development is not only about environmental
protection. In the Philippine context, it is also about creating the conditions that will
empower Filipinos to radically transform the quality of their lives, enabling
conditions that will create and provide them the opportunities to enjoy the good life.

Also, the promotion of sustainable development requires more than mere

awareness and information dessimenation. We, teachers, should educate our
students about the importance of sustainability and how can they contribute in its
promotion.
I believe that education really plays an important role in the raising
awareness in sustainability especially to our students and parents. We can conduct
seminars or orientation about ESD or create programs like tree planting and
cleaning brigade.
REFERENCES
http://pcsd.neda.gov.ph/publications/epa-21/#
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001928/192898E.pdf

Peace Education
I. Synopsis
War and terrorism are one of the global issues that the world is facing right now.
The number of affected families are gradually increasing and the quality of the lives of
not only the affected families but also everyone are affected.
Poverty increases as more war and terrorism struck our world. What is more
alarming is that more children and women are now being recruited to be part of the
terrorist groups. The Islamic States of Iraq and Syria are now recruiting chidlren and
women across the globe through social media.

A CIA assessment puts the number of ISIS fighters at possibly more than three
times the previous estimates. The terror group that calls itself the Islamic State "can
muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria," a CIA spokesman
told CNN.
For ISIS members, it is considered legitimate for a girl to be married at the age
of nine. Most pure girls will be married by 16 or 17, while they are still young and
active.
With this, education has been an important catalyst of promoting peace and
harmony. Educators are now bound to have greater responsibilities to their students
and educate them about the consequences of terrorism and war.
Peace education is also integrated in the present curriculum through integration
of moral conduct, values education and religion in every subject areas. Proper
instilling of these values may help in forming and molding of children's standard of
values.

II. Analysis and Insight

I agree with UNESCO when it stated that educators have a big responsibility in
building a culture of peace and harmony. Teachers have the tool and ability to teach
the students to have a good relationship with others regardless of cultural, social,
economical or religious differences.
I believe that peace education is the practical alternative of bombs and guns.

Promoting peace education will rationalize our actions and relationship with others.
Educating for peace means creating a diversed yet understanding society.
I also agree with NEDA when it stated that peace education will be difficult as long
as there is an increase gender discrimination, cultural inequalities and social
stratification.
As a teacher, I think peace education can be started by teaching the students the
proper and appropriate values and conduct not only inside the school but also
outside.
A harmonious relationship between parents and teachers may also promote peace
education because parents will also be informed about their role in the development
of their children. For example, if parents in the Mindano province will eb well oriented
about what they can do to prevent terrorism, they will somehow know that joining
terrorist groups and letting their children be part of the war will put everyone in harm.
REFERENCES
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/11/world/meast/isis-syria-iraq/
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-womens-manifesto-nine-year-old-girlsshould-become-brides-declares-all-female-al-khanssaa-1486802
www.peace-ed-campaign.org/resources/cpe-book-14oct2010-FINAL2. pdf
www.unicef.org/education/files/PeaceEducation.pdf