Initial responses to the ESD Elephant Bernard Lietaer date 31 July 2006 03:21 subject Re: The blind man and the ESD elephant
Dear Marilyn, One dimension that seems to be missing in your paper is to also deal with the efficiency (or rather inefficiency) of retained learning of the normal education process, indepently of the topic. I am attaching here a paper on the topic of how a "learning complementary currency" can change how we learn as much as what we learn... If you want to use and give a reference for this idea, here are the details: Bernard Lietaer: "
Proposal for a Brazilian Education Complementary Currency" Published in the International Journal for Community Currency Research 2006 (http://www.le.ac.uk/ulmc/ijccr) Warm wishes, Bernard Marilyn Mehlmann date 18 August 2006 15:59
Thank you Bernard! Of course I agree with you. If we separate the two strands of your argument, then the money angle pre-supposes that ESD involves extra costs for the educational system - which is certainly true in many countries but not in the context we are writing for at this moment, so I hope to add a reference in another context. Regarding the pedagogy absolutely, and it's one of the basics of the pedagogy of empowerment that as many as possible teach as much as possible. I hadn't thought of going into the pedagogy here but it's great to have a reference. Best Marilyn* Valentin Yemelin hi, Marilyn. Read your pamphlet with amusement. Very nicely done and quite to the point. I have two comments. One is a commonplace "what the heck "sustainable" means?" I personally have a problem with it, particularly in Russian, where it is translated more like "grounded, non-overturnable". I\d rather prefer harmonized (harmonious) or at least balanced. But that may be too philosophical discussion leading nowhere. But it is also an elusive element contributing to a confusing goal The other is about what comes first. You point out very rightly, that you can't solve the problem from the same perspective. It is impossible to change economics without changing social structure and, primarily, personal values. Thus economics is not primary and I agree that it is 100% negotiable, IF there is a motivation to negotiate. So it brings us to and individual psychological arch, or foundation, whatever, embracing the 3 classical pillars. And the social, that comes first (in transformation), is its derivative.
Global warm regards,V
Ragnar Ahlström Söderling date 2 August 2006 16:14 Hej Marilyn Bra artikel tycker jag. En läsbar bok i sammanhanget enligt min uppfattning är Growth Fetish av Clive Hamilton som jag hittade på flygplatsen i Sydney för några år sedan (se http://www.growthfetish.com/book.htm ) Hälsningar Ragnar
Alan AtKisson date 7 August 2006 13:02
Hi Marilyn, Good article. I'll forward it to my colleagues at UPEACE, maybe they will take some interest. We have a whole center dedicated to ESD at UPEACE in Costa Rica, and we are in partnership with UNESCO to try to spread the word about the DESD, indeed we'll be hosting a Latin American conf. on this next November. One of the things we are doing is lobbying directly to education ministries on the DESD's behalf, and starting to get traction. Warm best, Alan Donna Cardinal date 9 August 2006 22:03
Hi Marilyn, I think it's brilliant! Cogent, concise, to the point. I've shared the draft with a new colleague at the U of Alberta who knows the literature better than I do and may have some suggestions for possible publication in Canada. Donna Hi Marilyn, My colleague at the U of A Extension is interested in including your article in the new versionof the Sustainable Communities course, a sister course to theCitizen Engagement and Consultation course I teach. Donna
Lars Odén date 15 August 2006 11:14 Hej Marilyn, nu har jag läst artikeln ordentligt. Den känns direkt i magen! Hoppfull, oroande. Tänker du bifoga referenser till arbeten av de personer som nämns längst ner? Utgångspunkt för samtal med universiteten? Om utbildning i hållbar utveckling på Chalmers och universitetet. Kursutbud inom Miljökunskap och hållbar utveckling: elefanten i smådelar. http://utbkat.gu.se/utbildning/miljoindex.html När det gäller att få en mer övergripande förståelse är förmodligen de kurser John Holmberg ansvarar för de bästa http://www.chalmers.se/gmv/SV/utbildning och ur synpunkten att arbeta med ofullständiga förutsättningar och inga färdiga svar är de fallstudier som genomförts sedan 2002 något av ett genombrott. http://www.chalmers.se/gmv/SV/utbildning/copy_of_fallstudiekurs-hallbar Tomas Kåberger och Micharel Kouchy har haft stort inflytande. När det gäller lärande för en hållbar utveckling har John Holmberg en central roll och kan vara en bra ingång för samtal ? :-) Lasse
Terje Torkildsen date 28 August 2006 13:22 Dear Marilyn Sorry for not responding earlier on this brilliant draft. I just have to say that this probably is the best text I have ever read on sustainable development! My only remark is that you perhaps should emphasize that education for ESD is not limited to the school and the children, which unfortunately many adults seem to think. This is obvious for you and me and is also evident in your text, but I think it may be wise to outline it in the beginning. All the best, Terje
Peter van Luttervelt date 15 August 2006 15:53
Hi Marilyn, What a wonderful article. Well done, focused and to the point. Maybe you can mention Dennis Meadows, or at least his wife with her wonderful last
chapter what is needed for the next revolution: visioning, truthtelling, networking, permanent education, loving and caring Re-inventing the economical sustainability is on its way. Since we have decided that CO2 emissions is an international benchmark and we put a (market) price at it, due to the emission trading system we can move into an CO2 sustainable economical system. Imagine all the amount of CO2 emission is divided among all the whole population, so everybody has a yearly share of CO2 right. This empowers them to decide themselves how sustainable their lifestyle will be. If you need more you have to buy it from the traditional economical poor people in less developed countries. And because you cannot save your share, it is interest free, so no poverty, every year you get your new share, adults, woman, men, children.... Imagine you are just born and you already have a share, in fact a basic income, whether you are born in the States, Sweden or Somalia, Tibet, etc. We can discuss the timeline to introduce this step by step, even the amount of CO2 share can be differentiated in time for the mankind so the rich and the poor can adjust in time their lifestyle in order to grow towards an equal amount in the near future. Interesting idea a sustainable economic based on population (people), caring capacity of the earth (planet). Hi this is the triple bottum line, including the 4rd P of poverty reduction. So I will support your article, where and when will it be published? Peter  Â