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Environmental Education Coalition

Report from the Volos Assembly, 2003

See also the Pre-Assembly Paper of the Education Coalition

1.      The Education Coalition contributed to the texts on Sustainable Development and on Water, indicating the kind of education needed to engage young people and adults with these issues.  Particularly stressed were opportunities for critical reflection and interactive learning that equip participants with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to become involved in public debate and action. Such learning should also encourage cooperation among those who together represent a range of experience and expertise (this includes Christians and secular organisations working together).
 

2.      The Coalition considered how their fruitful sharing of education strategies could be extended to others through use of websites:

(i) At a national level, a website could be designed showing a map of the country with localities marked where  interesting environmental / sustainability projects are taking place. Links could be built in to give access to more information on these projects.

(ii) For the ECEN website, members of the coalition are ready to take it in turns, once a month, to provide an example of environmental / sustainability education. A brief description will be given, not more than a page in length, and contact addresses for more information.
 

3.      The Coalition emphasised the importance of educating the educators.  There were two suggestions:

(i)  The Coordinating Group for Religious Education in Europe be asked to consider how God's gift of Creation and the sustaining of its integrity can be better embedded in religious education in both public and confessional schools.

(ii)  Similarly, ways be found to challenge theological educators to incorporate ecotheological perspectives in their programmes. A first step would be to bring together biblical theologians together with those concerned with social ethics to explore and articulate the connections between recent biblical research and the faith response to today's ecological challenges.
 

4.      The Coalition stressed the importance of learning to ask questions and to critique the culture and values communicated through the mass media. There need to be initiatives, not least from within the Church, to develop alternative channels of communication that counter the values promoted through commercialised TV, encouraging a renewed sense of community and  the 'joyful modesty' associated with a culture of sufficiency.
 

5.      The Coalition were reminded of the importance of using the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (1998) as a basis for active engagement in pressing ecological issues.
 

6.      Finally, the coalition reminded themselves that environmental educators should demonstrate integrity in their own lives and be personal witnesses of their concern and convictions.

Ruth Conway, Coordinator.                                                                                                      May, 2003