Sustainable London Learning

Sustainable London Learning

Contents 2

Co-ordinator’s Message London Cycling superhighways to open in July Our focus: Beyond Greater London ESD/GC impact on new teachers Sustainability well-placed ESD in higher education curriculum

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SL Sustainable London Learning The quarterly newsletter of the London RCE (Regional Centre of Expertise) on ESD (Education for Sustainable Development)

June 2010 ESD How regional centres build a global learning space for ESD Beyond London RCE Munich in Germany RCE Greater Nairobi in Kenya

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Issue No 1

Cycling superhighways to open in July

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News Labour’s love, not lost in London Despite losses nationally at the recent general election, the Labour Party gained the control of eight more town halls in the London Borough contest (www.thisislondon.co.uk). Now it controls 17 boroughs, the Conservatives 11, Liberal Democrats two and two more have no overall majority.

According to Tony Travers from the London School of Economics, holding both the general election and the London borough contest brought out the Labour ‘core’ voters who normally keep away from council elections. He also observes that many boroughs are now one or two-party states as was the case in the past when the representation was predominantly Labour or Conservative. http://londonrce.yolasite.com

The first two cycling superhighways in London will be launched on 19 July, announced London Mayor Boris Johnson on 13 May 2010 (www.thisislondon.co.uk).

They will run from Barking in east London to Tower Gateway and from Merton in south London to the City.

They are part of the 12 routes that will help people to commute by bicycles on direct and continuous routes from outer to inner London easily and safely.

The Mayor, with Transport for London, is spending £116 million on cycling this year. This year’s London Cycling Challenge has a 10-point plan, including: Reducing cyclist casualties Increasing cycling parking Tackling cycling theft Making cycling an integral part of the way London is planned and run The Mayor is determined to build ‘a city that cycles.’

(Photo from Mayor Boris’s Flickr photostream, www.flickr.com)

Cycling revolution is part of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy The cycling revolution is one of the key proposals in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS) launched on 10 May 2010 (www.londongov.uk, www.tfl.gov.uk). Among the other key proposals in the MTS are: transforming the Tube, making walking count, improving London buses, better streets and environment, and reducing CO2 emissions. The MTS, setting out his vision for transport in London over the next 20 years, describes how Transport for London and its partners will deliver it.

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Sustainable London Learning

Steering Group London RCE Steering Group Hugh Atkinson (London South Bank University, LSBU) Frank Brouwer (LSBU/ Sussex University) Margaret Burr (Tower Hamlets Humanities Education Centre/ Local4 global/ London NGO DE Schools Group) Chris Church (London 21) Martin Crabbe (Sustainable Geography and Bromley Sustainable Schools) Ann Finlayson (SEEd and Sustainable Development Commission) Neil Herrington (University of East London) Sally Inman (Centre for Cross Curricular Initiatives, CCCI/ London ESD/GC Teacher Education network) Liz Jackson (WWF–UK) Amy Lee (London Government Office/ London Sustainable Schools) Sophie Mackay (CCCI/ London ESD/GC Teacher Education network) Majken Moller (London Remade) Munir Morad (Academy of Sustainable Communities/ LSBU) Alun Morgan (LSBU) Dan Morton (People & Planet) Betty Okot (Community Development, London Diaspora Researcher) Anna Porch (London Environmental Education Forum) Graham Randles (London Remade) Ernest Rukingira (Conserve Africa) Hetan Shah (Development Education Association) Gillian Temple (Oxfam Education) Ros Wade (LSBU) Malcolm Whitehead (Zoological Society of London) Julia Willison (Botanic Gardens Conservation International) http://londonrce.yolasite.com

Working towards a sustainable city: London receives recognition from United Nations University Welcome to the first edition of the London RCE Newsletter.

In January 2010 we celebrated the recognition by the United Nations University of the work of Londoners towards a sustainable city. London is the first European capital city to receive such an accolade. London South Bank University, together with the University of East London, has led the way in developing this new cross-sectoral network for sustainability which brings together business, government and third sector organisations in collaboration with the education sector.

London, as a global city, has many sustainability challenges but it also has a wealth of expertise to draw on and a rich diversity of knowledge and understanding from many global regions. The London RCE (http://londonrce.yolasite.com) will seek to reflect this and to develop new knowledge and understanding in order to develop sustainable innovations for the future.

With the changes in climate (both of the natural world and the economic world), old ways of thinking are no longer enough. The future can sometimes look threatening but in fact it can also present a wide range of opportunities. The London RCE aims to respond to these by developing innovative networks and projects for sustainable living in London.

The RCE movement now straddles the globe and the London RCE has already made strong links with a number of other city based RCEs, including Munich, Barcelona and Nairobi.

The London RCE network welcomes all organisations which are working for a sustainable London. Its Steering Group represents expertise across the sectors of education (from schools to universities and from youth to community education). It brings together the economic, social and environmental interests of London in active networks to learn from each other in order to implement new ways of living and working sustainably.

The London RCE seeks to break down the barriers between the different sectors and to provide opportunities for creating new ways of joining up our thinking and working together. This will include developing new ways of working, new expertise, new collaborations and above all new learning for future ways of living.

Hop on! The next stop is Sustainable London...

Ros Wade Acting Co-ordinator, London RCE

SLL newsletter Sustainable London Learning Quarterly Newsletter of the London RCE on ESD Issue No 1 (June 2010) Guidance Ros Wade (Acting Co-ordinator, London RCE on ESD) wader@lsbu.ac.uk Edited and laid out by: Asitha Jayawardena asitha_jayawardena@yahoo.com Page 2 of 10

Sustainable London Learning

Our focus: Beyond Greater London Although the London RCE’s geographical focus is the area of Greater London Authority, its concerns extend beyond this boundary.

However, then it was heavily associated with and implicated in the neo-liberal market reforms in the 1980s and 1990s, raising the city’s status to a ‘global player’ in the international financial sector. It thus became a key driver of regional (South East), national (England and UK), European and global economy.

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he London RCE – what does ‘London’ stand for?

Geographical scope: Greater London The geographical scope of the London RCE is the UK government’s Greater London region, which is the area under the jurisdiction of the Greater London Authority, GLA. With over 7.5 million inhabitants, Greater London accounts for 15% of England’s population. It is however the smallest of the English 2 regions with a land of 1572 km (just 1.2% of the total land area).

So when we say the London RCE, we refer to the Greater London area. Let’s consider London’s characteristics – environmental, socio-cultural and economic.

Environmental characteristics Punctuated with some rolling hills, London is located within the River Thames’ low-lying land and much of it is floodplain. It thus dwells on fertile agricultural land but a built environment largely dominates its landscape. Still, it sports significant areas of open green spaces.

over 10,000 live in London and its inhabitants speak over 300 languages.

Since 1965 Greater London has been administratively divided into 32 boroughs and the City of London and each borough is further divided into several districts. There are particular districts that associate with particular ethnicities or cultures. The white British population is concentrated in the outer boroughs; the black and minority ethnic communities, in inner boroughs. Correlating with this ethnic distribution, inner boroughs are associated with higher indices of urban deprivation.

London is therefore described as a ‘dual’ or ‘divided’ city and significant disparities exist in terms of wealth and associated quality of life between inner and outer boroughs. However, many ethnically white British individuals and communities too experience significant levels of poverty and deprivation.

Its climate is temperate but the urban heat island effect dominates in summer.

Economic characteristics London is one of the world’s leading centres for international financial and business services. It is the headquarter base for many global companies.

Socio-cultural characteristics London is one of the most diverse and culturally rich cities in the world. At least 50 non-indigenous communities with a population of

Up to the 1970s London experienced an extended period of decline due to the loss of its manufacturing base and obsolescence of its docklands.

http://londonrce.yolasite.com

These reforms are however largely responsible for generating or worsening the disparities both within and beyond London. For example, 26% of London’s neighbourhoods rank within the top 20% of the most deprived neighbourhoods in England and over 30% of its working age population is unemployed.

Our focus: Beyond Greater London When London’s characteristics – especially socio-cultural and economic – are considered, it is clear that its sphere of influence extends beyond the geographical boundaries of the GLA. Therefore, the region of the London RCE can legitimately claim to comprise the Greater London Urban Area (i.e. the continuous urban area based around London, including the area beyond Greater London, with a population of over 8.5 million) or even the London Metropolitan or Mega City region (i.e. that includes the rural hinterland of the Home Counties, with a total population of over 21 million).

Therefore, although the London RCE limits its remit to the geographical scope of the GLA, it concerns itself with the issues beyond this boundary, generally up to the boundary of the London Metropolitan region.

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ESD Events Education of Hope: the impact of ESD/GC on the wellbeing of teachers and young people UK ESD (Education Sustainable Development)/ GC (Global Citizenship) Teacher Education Network for Third Annual Conference, supported by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (www.tda.gov.uk) Date: Thursday 15 July 2010 Time: 9.15am – 4.00pm Venue: London South Bank University, London, SE1 Cost: £80 per person Contact: ahsccci@lsbu.ac.uk, 020 7815 8169 More information: www.lsbu.ac.uk/ccci/uk.shtml What will it contain?

Two keynote addresses: o Professor David Hicks (Bath Spa University) o Ann Finlayson (Sustainable Development Commission and Sustainability and Environmental Education, SEEd) Paper presentations Opportunities for networking

London’s gigantic consumption and waste Londoners consume an astounding amount of energy more than Ireland and about the same as Portugal or Greece. We also churn out enough waste each day to fill St Paul's Cathedral.

Samantha Heath, Director, London Sustainability Exchange

http://londonrce.yolasite.com

ESD/GC impact on

new teachers The London Regional ESD/GC Teacher Education network, one of the three flagship networks of the London RCE, has achieved progress, primarily in the area of research and development.

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aunched in 2008, the London Regional ESD (Education for Sustainable Development)/ GC (Global Citizenship) Teacher Education network is part of the UK ESD/GC Teacher Education network.

Managed by the CCCI (Centre for Cross Curricular Initiatives, http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/ccci/), the London regional network is composed of members from 12 London teacher education providers and the membership is growing. The members meet every term in order to share ideas and practices and to focus on issues relevant to London.

In the recent past the London network received from the Department for International Development (DfID, www.dfid.gov.uk) and Local4Global (www.local4global.org.uk) funding in two instalments, initially £4000 and then £8000.

Following the first instalment of funding, the network requested the members to bid for small scale funding (£500) to undertake research projects focusing the impact of ESD/GC on new teachers.

Thus, three small-scale funded projects have been approved at the University of East London, Open University and London South Bank University.

When it received the second instalment of funding, the network requested the already commissioned projects to apply for an extension of funding to £1500.

Two projects, at Open University and London South Bank University, have been granted such extended

funding. Moreover, fresh funding applications for £1500 have also been invited from projects with a same focus. One such project has already been approved – a collaboration between Open University and London South Bank University on place-based learning in teacher education.

The outcomes of these research projects will be presented at regional seminars, departmental meetings and staff development sessions within institutions, national conferences, publications and via the UK ESD/GC Teacher Education Network website.

Contact info: Sally Inman (inmansj@lsbu.ac.uk)

News Greens’ first Westminster seat The Green Party won its first ever parliamentary seat in May elections (www.guardian.co.uk).

Caroline Lucas, the party’s leader and an MEP (Member of the European Parliament) since 1999, overturned a 5000-strong Labour majority in the Brighton Pavilion constituency, posting a 1300-lead.

In addition to two MEPs and over 125 councillors in England and Wales, the Greens have representation on the London, Scottish and Northern Irish assemblies.

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News London air quality: public consultation to end on 21 June Public consultation on the second Draft Air Quality Strategy published by the Mayor of London will end on 21 June 2010 (www.london.gov.uk).

London fares poorly in air quality. According to a March 2010 report of a six-month investigation carried out by an influential committee of MPs, air pollution kills around 50,000 people in the UK every year (www.guardian.co.uk). Inhaling minute sooty particles, emitted largely by burning of fuels, shorten lives by seven to eight months. In pollution hotspots like Central London, lives of vulnerable people could be cut short by as much as nine years.

Long term air pollution makes asthma worse and exacerbates hear disease and respiratory illness.

Despite several innovative air quality measures in the last few years, London lags well behind.

It has not yet met the European Union targets for air quality standards that were intended to be met in 2004 and 2005! The political standoff between the Mayor and the former central government worsened the problem.

After consultation with the London Assembly and functional bodies in late 2009, the Mayor published this second draft on 28 March 2010. It presents a framework to improve the air quality in London and includes measures on emission reduction and raising public awareness.

The final strategy is expected to be out later in 2010.

http://londonrce.yolasite.com

Sustainability well-placed The Place-Based Learning (PBL) network, one of the three flagship networks of the London RCE, has promoted PBL, ventured into research and is leading the first London RCE conference.

At the AGM of the Humanities Education Centre (HEC) in November 2009, Alun Morgan of the Place-Based Learning (PBL) network delivered a keynote address on Place-Based Education.

Then, in February 2010 at the University of East London, another member, Neil Herrington, gave a talk to the London subgroup of the UK Teacher Education Network for ESD/GC on Place-Based Education in Initial Teacher Education.

The BPL network has ventured into research, mainly with a schools focus. In February 2010 a curriculum development event in Southwark identified Place-Based Education and Sustainability as potential foci for curriculum innovation in the London Borough of Southwark. Having attended this event, Alun is leading discussions with key people in the borough for potential research.

Moreover, Neil and Alun have secured a small amount of funding from Local4Global (www.local4global.org.uk) to support action research in PlaceBased Education in Initial Teacher Training at the University of East London and London South Bank University.

Alun has also given inputs into two Place-Based Education action research projects with primary schools in Tower Hamlets, undertaken by the Humanities Education Centre in collaboration with Mapping for Change.

In collaboration with the Education for Sustainability (EfS) programme of London South Bank University,

the PBL network is holding the first London RCE conference on 11 June 2010 (more info, page 10). Titled ‘‘Place-Based Learning’ for Sustainability and Global Citizenship,’ it will have three keynote lectures, two workshop sessions and a plenary, and an informal celebration of the official launch of the London RCE. Contact info: Alun Morgan (morgana@lsbu.ac.uk)

News Make London safer, call imfamilies of teenage

murder victims Following the murder of a 19year-old boy in Finsbury Park on th 11 May 2010, the 11 teenager to be killed in London this year, the families of the teenage murder victims in London rallied together to call for a new drive in schools to end the rising gang violence in the capital (www.thisislondon.co.uk).

The stop-and-search operations adopted as part of a comprehensive anti-knife strategy following the deadly year of 2008 when 29 teenagers were killed in London has raised questions (www.timesonline.co.uk). In some places it has led to community hostility and seems to be not very effective. For example, according to a recent study, knife crime went up in Southwark by 8.6 per cent despite 9,437 police searches in a period of six months.

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Sustainable London Learning

Partner profile University of East London http://www.uel.ac.uk/ With 23,000 students from 120 countries worldwide, the University of East London (UEL) is one of the most diverse universities in the UK. It offers over 250 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of study through the Schools of: Architecture and the Visual Arts; Business; Computing, IT and Engineering; Education; Health and Bioscience; Humanities and Social Sciences; Law; Psychology; and the Graduate School.

Its research centres, institutes and groups amount to almost 50. Those that have implications on ESD include: Sustainability Research Institute, Centre on Human Rights in Conflict, Centre for Cultural Studies Research, Education and Community Research Group, Environmental Research Group, Global Studies Research Group, Institute for Health and Human Development, World Review of Science, and Technology and Sustainable Development.

The UEL’s research adopts an interdisciplinary approach, particularly when it comes to sustainability issues. Focusing on the physical infrastructure that benefit the environment and promote a carbon-neutral society, its Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), for example, researches and develops the application of innovative eco-efficient technologies and processes by bringing together the university’s research and knowledge transfer programmes across a range of disciplines. http://londonrce.yolasite.com

ESD in higher curriculum

education

The Higher Education ESD network, a flagship network of the London RCE, is forging partnerships in order to embed ESD in the higher education curricular and to promote ESD while taking initiatives to lower the carbon footprint of academics.

The Higher Education ESD network, focusing on curriculum, campus and community, is forging partnerships and the latest is with the University of East London.

The network is actively seeking to address the challenge of climate change within both policy and practice. Because promoting interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning is essential for this, the network is engaging with curriculum leaders, Higher Education senior managers, tutors and students. It is already planning a high level event for the senior managers in universities in London in order to get them on board.

The network aims for capacity building and facilitation of embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the higher education curriculum of London South Bank University and the partner higher education organisations. It has already conducted an audit of sustainability in the curriculum at London South Bank University and this will be extended to other universities in London. It will also recommend pathways to support current and future decision-makers to embed ESD in higher education curricula.

The higher education network is also working with community groups promoting ESD in order to create student internships with the support of the student-led group People and Planet (www.peopleandplanet.org).

And it has also worked on putting the home front right in the area of

conference attendance, by promoting sustainable travel and video conferencing in order to lower the carbon footprint of academics.

Contact info: Ros Wade (wader@lsbu.ac.uk)

News Tory-Lib Dem divisions on green issues According to a special report by The Independent on Sunday (16 May 2010, www.independent.co.uk ), the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are divided over several green issues and this is likely to hinder the fight against global warming. The areas of dissent include nuclear power, renewable energy, airport expansion and offshore oil drilling.

Global environment – a patchwork?

Our living global environment is composed of a patchwork of unique localities where human habitation has resulted in local knowledges, often (but not always) in harmony with local ecologies.

Jenneth Parker Tutor of Education for Sustainability programme, London South Bank University

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ESD courses

How Regional Centres build a

Education for Sustainability (EfS) programme of London South Bank University

global learning space

Launched in 1994, this is the first ever masters programme in EfS. With an international perspective, it aims to help you to become an effective agent for positive change in learning and education relevant for sustainability.

How the Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) around the world form, together, a Global Learning Space for Sustainable Development under the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development.

Who it is for: It is ideal for educators and communicators in sustainability but it draws students from many other backgrounds, such as health education, media, business, and government.

Eligibility: Although an honours degree is required, your application will be considered favourably if you can provide evidence of your potential by way of relevant experience.

Qualifications offered: It offers four qualifications – University Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and Masters of Science – achievable by either full time study or by distance learning.

Course content: The full programme comprises, together with a dissertation, eight units: Introducing Education for Sustainability; Processes and management of change; Values and participation; Local and Global; Theories and perspectives on environment and development; Science and culture in education for sustainability; Education for sustainability: education in change; and Researching Education for Sustainability.

Website: www.lsbu.ac.uk/efs

http://londonrce.yolasite.com

for ESD The London RCE is said to be a key building block of the Global Learning Space for sustainable development. But how do RCEs fit into this Global Learning Space?

Sustainable Development (SD) What is Sustainable Development (SD)? There are diverse definitions, but the most often quoted one is that of the Brundtland Commission – ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’

The concept of SD achieved prominence in the political agenda since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio and a vital measure for promoting it is developing the capacity of all stakeholders through education and learning. Since then, education is seen to have a vital role to play in changing the attitude and behaviour of people for a sustainable future. Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 specifically discusses reorienting education towards SD, embracing all streams of education – both formal and non-formal.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) What is Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)?

The UN University (UNU) defines it as ‘the educational process of achieving human development in an inclusive, equitable and secure manner’, linking it to the UNDP’s three pillars of human development: economic growth, social

development and environmental protection.’ According to the UNESCO, the vision of ESD is ‘a world where everyone has the opportunity to benefit from quality education and learn the values, behaviour and lifestyles required for a sustainable future and for positive societal transformation.’

Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 identifies four major thrusts of ESD: The promotion and improvement of basic education: However, mere increasing of basic literacy and numeracy will not significantly advance sustainable societies.

Basic education must focus on imparting knowledge, skills, perspectives and values that encourage and support sustainable lifestyles Reorienting existing education at all levels to address sustainable development: Rethinking and revising education all education to include more principles, skills, perspectives and values related to sustainability in social, environmental and economic realms is vital for making societies more sustainable Developing public understanding and awareness of sustainability: Making societies more sustainable requires a population that is aware of goals of sustainable societies and has the knowledge and skills to contribute towards them.

Training: All workers can contribute to sustainability at local, regional or national level.

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Sustainable London Learning A critical component to ESD is specialised training programmes for training the workforce to work in a sustainable manner.

UN ESD programme The UN leads the global endeavour for ESD through its ESD programme.

Its goal is help create a global learning space for ESD of the UN Decade on ESD (UN DESD), i.e. 2014.

Its major components are: Advocacy and dissemination of ESD and DESD principles Strengthening ESD activities of HEIs Developing online learning for ESD Training teachers and trainers on ESD Promotion of regional/local approaches through RCEs RCEs and the Global Learning Space for ESD A Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on ESD is a network of existing formal, non-formal and informal education organisations, mobilised to deliver ESD to its local and regional communities. The network of RCEs around the world constitutes the Global Learning Space for SD. RCEs strive to achieve the goals of UN DESD by translating its global objectives into the context of local communities in which they operate.

The core elements of an RCE are: Governance: addressing issues of RCE management and leadership

Collaboration: addressing the engagement of all actors from all levels of formal, non-formal and informal education Research and development: addressing the role of research and its inclusion in RCE activities and contributing to the design of strategies for collaboration Transformative education: contributing to the transformation of current education and training systems in the region towards sustainability

An RCE engages with diverse stakeholders, such as organisations or institutions (e.g. schools, universities, NGOs, media, museums, zoos, botanical gardens, state bodies, local businesses), groups (e.g. environmental groups, local communities) and individuals (e.g. students, who work in education or in the spheres SD, such as economic growth, social development and environmental protection).

The main functions of an RCE are: Bring together institutions, groups and individuals at the regional/local level to jointly promote ESD Build innovative platforms to share information and experiences and to promote dialogue on SD among regional stakeholders Create a local/regional knowledge base to support ESD actors

Relationship between UN DESD and other international initiatives Other international initiatives to promote education as a fundamental human right – such as the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) process, the Education for All (EFA) movement and the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) – aim to improve quality of life, particularly for the most deprived and marginalised.

The relationship between these can be viewed as follows: the MDGs provides a set of development goals within which education is a significant input and indicator; the EFA aims to provide educational opportunities to everyone; the UNLD promotes the key learning tool for all forms of structured learning; and DESD is more concerned than the other three initiatives with the content and purpose of education. http://londonrce.yolasite.com

o o o

o

Promote four major goals of ESD: Reorienting education towards SD Increasing access to quality education Delivering trainers’ training programmes and developing methodologies and learning materials for them Leading advocacy and awareness creation on the importance of education and ESD in achieving a sustainable future

The RCE network is growing and today there are over 60 RCEs around the world, including the RCE London. Bringing their respective local strengths, they build together the Global Learning Space for ESD, envisioning a sustainable future.

More info: www.unu.edu

First major international efforts in ESD 1992: At the Earth Summit, Agenda 21, its Chapter36, specifically discusses promoting education, public awareness and training with special emphasis on reorienting education towards sustainable development, increasing public awareness and promoting training.

1999: Discussions began to form the Global Higher Education for Sustainability Partnership, whose agreement was signed in 2000.

2002: At the Word Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, the Global Higher Education for Sustainability Partnership (GHESP) was launched to promote ESD, particularly among HEIs. Moreover, at this summit, the Institute of Advanced Studies of United Nations University (UNU-IAS) pioneered to bring together the Ubuntu Declaration Group to sign the Ubuntu Declaration for integrating science, technology and ESD. Page 8 of 10

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Global RCE network

RCE Munich in Germany

In May 2010 the number of RCEs acknowledged by the UN University stood at 74.

Representing the Global Learning Space from their respective regions, these RCEs are located in the following continents: Europe and the Middle East Africa Asia-Pacific South America and the Caribbean North and Central America

Munich is an economically strong

RCEs in Europe and the Middle East

Regional challenges Undesirable results of city’s growth have started to emerge. For example, around half a million people commute to the city everyday but pay taxes to their home communities and the city has to bear the high cost of infrastructure maintenance. The city’s ecological footprint is not sustainable.

London, UK East Midlands, UK North East, UK Severn, UK Wales, UK Yorkshire & Humberside, UK Ireland Barcelona, Spain Skane, Sweden Munich, Germany Hamburg, Germany Nuremberg, Germany Oldenburger Münsterland, Germany Rhine-Meuse region Graz-Styria, Austria Southern North Sea, Belgium/ Netherlands/ France Açores, Portugal Creias-Oeste, Portugal Porto Metropolitan Area, Portugal Crete, Greece Nizhny Novgorod, Russia Samara, Russia Jordan

The way nature works Vs. the way we think The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between the way nature works and the way man thinks.

Gregory Bateson

http://londonrce.yolasite.com

city in Southern Germany with a population of 1.3 million, which nearly doubles when the surrounding cities, towns and villages are taken into account. It is well known for the high concentration of publishing and media houses and as a leading centre of higher education. Its citizens have voted it as a modern and safe city blessed with excellent leisure and sports facilities.

Although Munich has many organisations and networks active in sustainable development, their educational programmes have not achieved much success due to various reasons, such as material or structural limitations, too little marketing, failure to convey the

content to the target groups in the right language, or ignorance of the fact that ESD must be linked to the acquisition of core proficiencies.

Regional role The Munich RCE will provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between education providers while improving the quality of these education programmes.

The office of the Mayor at the Municipality of Munich acts as a coordinating body for the RCE. Goal and objectives The goal of the RCE Munich is to establish ESD as a core component of standard educational courses and programmes in Munich.

Among its objectives are reaching all levels of public life for awareness raising on the importance of sustainability as a principle in everyday life, encouraging citizens to adopt sustainability into their daily life, incorporating sustainability objectives in the education and training sectors, and raising the profile of ESD as an issue of public discourse.

Contact Hep Monatzeder (buero.bgm3@muenchen.de) Renate Hechenberger (renate.hechenberger@muenchen.de) Office of the Mayor City of Munich Germany

A balancing act between two worlds Adaptation to the inner world is just as vital as adaptation to the external world.... We can meet the demands of outer necessity in an ideal way only if we are in a functional relationship (are adapted) to our inner world, that is, if we are in harmony with ourself. Conversely, we can relate to the inner world and achieve harmony only when we are related to our outer conditions.... The fragile and delicate balance of physical ecological systems is paralleled by the need for the same kind of balance in the psychological system – an ecology of the inner life, so to speak.’

S. Stephenson Bond Page 9 of 10

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RCE Greater

Nairobi in Kenya

Nairobi is the capital of Kenya. It also acts as the hub of industrial activities for Eastern Africa. The Greater Nairobi includes sections of the four surrounding districts.

Regional challenges Nearly half (46%) of Kenya’s 35.5million population live below the poverty line. Growing urban migration is placing enormous pressure on urban centres, particularly Nairobi.

Out of Nairobi’s 3.2-million population, 60% live in informal settlements, occupying a mere 5.8% of the land area used for residential purposes. In these settlements characterised by high population

density (as high as 63,000 persons 2 per km ), water and sanitation facilities are scarce and education and healthcare facilities are overstretched.

Among the others issues of concern are poor solid waste management, unaffordable and unsustainable energy resources, unsustainable urban agriculture and environmental degradation, poor health, insecurity and violence, lack of entrepreneurial skills, and poor governance and corruption.

Regional role Contributing to the local learning space for sustainable development, the RCE Greater Nairobi will push

ESD Events ‘Place-Based Learning’ for Sustainability and Global Citizenship EfS Programme/London RCE 2010 Conference at London South Bank University Date: Friday 11 June 2010 Time: 9.45am – 5.15pm Venue: London South Bank University, London, SE1 Cost: £90 per person (£35 for students) – VAT will not be charged Contact: info.esu@lsbu.ac.uk, 020 7815 6934/ 44 What is Place Based Learning (PBL)?

PBL (or Place-Based Education, PBE) is an emerging ‘movement’ which orientates or ‘situates’ learning on the learner’s own ‘place’ or home locality. Extending this notion, this event will also cover the benefits and dangers of attempting to learn from other, often distant, places through linking or study visits.

Who is the conference for?

Anyone interested in sustainable and cosmopolitan ‘place-making’ – including teachers and all types of educators, planning professionals, local authority officers, elected members, community activists, etc.

What will it contain?

Three keynote lectures: o PBE – opportunities and challenges (Dr Alun Morgan) o Learning from an ‘Other’ place – postcolonial perspectives on overseas study visits (Dr Fran Martin) o Good practice in PBE in the UK (Will Coleman) Two workshop sessions and a plenary An informal celebration of the official launch of the London RCE http://londonrce.yolasite.com

the ESD agenda in impoverish communities in its region in collaboration with government, private sector and civil society organisations and UN bodies.

Goal and objectives The goal of RCE Greater Nairobi is to advance public awareness, education, training and capacity building to achieve sustainable development. Among its long-term objectives are: to promote understanding and awareness of ESD; to enhance stakeholder participation; to train trainers in ESD; to develop context-specific ESD materials and tools; to disseminate best practices in the region; to improve the livelihood of slum dwellers; and to promote sustainable urban development.

Contact Dr Dorcas Otieno Executive Director Kenya Organisation for Environmental Education (KOEE) P.O. Box 151300621 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: (254) 20 3866519 Fax: (254) 20 7122503 dorcasotieno@koee.org Susan Nkinyangi Senior Education Advisor UNESCO Nairobi Office Tel: (254) 20 7622036 Fax: (254) 20 7621252

What is sustainability – ultimately?

Sustainability is ultimately about bio-ecological processes remaining functional and viable and keeping human activities to a level where they continue to be capable of supporting our lives and wellbeing, both locally and globally.

Paul Maiteny and Jenneth Parker, tutors of Education for Sustainability programme, London South Bank University Page 10 of 10