Kobe	  University	  Global-­‐Link	  Forum	  in	  Bangkok	  International	  Academic	  Symposium-­‐Towards	  Sustainable	  Development	  of	  Our	  Societies-­‐	  Sunday	  23rd	  January,	  2011	  	  	  	  Keynote	  Speech	  ESD	  in	  the	  Asia-­‐Pacific	  Region	  –	  Current	  Situation	  and	  Challenges	  	  	  Mikko	  Cantell	  	  Programme	  Specialist	  ESD	  	  ESD	  Unit	  	  UNESCO	  Bangkok	  	  Abstract	  In	  order	  to	  understand	  Education	  for	  Sustainable	  Development	  (ESD)	  and	  its	  implementation	  in	  the	  Asia-­‐Pacific,	  one	  must	  form	  an	  opinion	  of	  what	  sustainable	  development	  is,	  if	  and	  how	  it	   is	   relevant	   to	   the	   region,	   and	   what	   role	   education	   can	   play	   in	   addressing	   the	   process	   to	  approach	  such	  development.	  	  Sustainable	   development	   is	   not	   exactly	   a	   new	   concept	   –	   it	   is	   inherent	   in	   many	   cultures’	  thinking	   as	   a	   primary	   means	   of	   self	   preservation.	   Indigenous	   North	   Americans	   once	  concluded	   they	   had	   to	   consider	   the	   impacts	   of	   all	   actions	   on	   the	   seventh	   generation	   after	  them.	  More	  recent	  definitions	  include	  the	  report	  of	  the	  world	  commission	  on	  environment	  and	   development	   which	   stresses	   the	   need	   to	   preserve	   the	   prerequisites	   for	   wellbeing	   of	  future	   generations	   while	   securing	   a	   good	   standard	   of	   living	   for	   all	   living	   in	   the	   present.	   All	  approaches	   tend	   to	   emphasize	   learning	   from	   past	   generations	   and	   experiences	   and	   building	  on	   these,	   rather	   than	   looking	   ahead	   only.	   Traditional	   knowledge	   and	   ways	   of	   living	   are,	   at	  least	  in	  theory,	  making	  a	  comeback	  of	  sorts.	  	  Sustainable	   development	   in	   the	   Asia-­‐Pacific	   is	   a	   complex	   issue	   to	   say	   the	   least.	   We	   have	  highly	  developed	  industrialised	  countries	  like	  Japan,	  Australia,	  New	  Zealand	  and	  the	  Republic	  of	  Korea.	  These	  countries	  have	  huge	  challenges	  to	  maintain	  their	  high	  standards	  of	  living	  by	  means	  that	  tackle	  burning	  issues	  such	  as	  carbon	  emissions	  causing	  imminent	  concern	  in	  the	  face	  of	  our	  changing	  climate.	  The	  region	  is	  also	  home	  to	  some	  of	  the	  poorest	  countries	  in	  the	  world	   and	   prone	   in	   the	   extreme	   to	   the	   devastating	   effects	   of	   disasters,	   frequent	   in	   the	  region.	   In	   spite	   of	   significant	   progress	   made	   in	   past	   decades,	   India	   alone	   accounts	   for	   230	  million	   undernourished	   people,	   and	   50	   %	   of	   child	   deaths	   there	   are	   related	   to	   hunger	   or	  malnourishment. 1 	  Some	   of	   our	   Central	   Asian	   Member	   States	   are	   struggling	   with	   the	  disruptive	   challenge	   of	   illegal	   drug	   use	   and	   an	   HIV/AIDS	   epidemic,	   and	   we	   all	   know	   of	   the	  grave	   security	   concerns	   in	   Afghanistan	   and	   Pakistan.	   The	   small	   island	   states	   of	   the	   Pacific	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  1	  Times	  of	  India	  27	  September,	  2009	  1	  	  Kobe	  University	  Global-­‐Link	  Forum	  in	  Bangkok	  International	  Academic	  Symposium-­‐Towards	  Sustainable	  Development	  of	  Our	  Societies-­‐	  Sunday	  23rd	  January,	  2011	  	  	  Ocean	   are	   among	   the	   first	   facing	   the	   very	   tangible	   effects	   of	   global	   climate	   change	   –	   a	  phenomenon	  which	  the	  countries	  themselves	  had	  nothing	  to	  do	  with.	  	  Biodiversity	  and	  the	  cultural	  riches	  of	  indigenous	  populations	  are	  rapidly	  declining,	  and	  much	  needed	  economic	  progress	   in	   many	   corners	   of	   the	   region	   has	   translated	   into	   inhabitable	   environments	   and	  affronts	  to	  human	  dignity	  through	  violations	  of	  human	  rights.	  	  Education	   for	   Sustainable	   Development	   (ESD)	   is	   an	   endeavour	   to	   integrate	   the	   principles,	  values	   and	   practices	   of	   sustainable	   development	   into	   education.	   This	   means	   a	   change	   in	   the	  way	   we	   approach	   teaching	   and	   learning	   –	   traditional	   “top-­‐down”	   education	   does	   not	   help	  one	  understand	  sustainable	  development.	  It	  teaches	  compliance,	  respect	  for	  authority	  and	  to	   not	   seek	   alternative	   views.	   In	   many	   cases,	   the	   education	   system	   is	   built	   around	   the	  concept	   of	   “teaching	   to	   the	   test”.	   ESD	   offers	   another	   point	   of	   view,	   where	   learning	   is	   a	  function	   of	   (controlled)	   interaction	   between	   students,	   project	   based,	   geared	   towards	  enhancing	  the	  natural	  abilities	  of	  the	  learner	  and	  perhaps	  above	  all,	  to	  have	  a	  critical	  mind	  apt	  for	  seeking	  out	  and	  analysing	  information.	  This	  sounds	  acceptable	  to	  most	  people,	  but	  the	   implications	   are	   neither	   few	   nor	   easy	   to	   implement.	   In	   reality,	   the	   changes	   reach	   to	  education	   policies	   and	   budgeting,	   training	   of	   teachers,	   curricular	   reforms,	   materials	  production	  and	  school	  management.	  The	  urgency	  of	  ESD	  follows	  from	  the	  need	  to	  address	  the	  many	  challenges	  of	  sustainable	  development	  and	  secure	  a	  better	  future	  for	  all,	  but	  also	  from	  the	  apparent	  failures	  of	  education	  systems	  worldwide,	  even	  in	  the	  ones	  we	  tend	  to	  call	  quality	   ones.	   Two	   examples	   to	   back	   this	   assertion:	   the	   average	   amount	   of	   education	  received	   and	   the	   size	   of	   ecological	   footprint	   have	   a	   significant	   correlation.	   In	   other	   words,	  globally	  speaking,	  the	  more	  education	  we	  get,	  the	  worse	  we	  get	  for	  our	  planet.	  An	  oft-­‐heard	  counterargument	  is	  that	  there	  should	  be	  more	  emphasis	  on	  research	  and	  development	  to	  fix	  such	   problems.	   Granted,	   further	   technological	   advancement	   is	   for	   the	   benefit	   of	   all	   of	   us,	  but	   we	   do	   need	   a	   rethinking	   of	   the	   underlying	   principles	   here	   as	   well.	   For	   unfortunately	   and	  perhaps	  unsurprisingly	  the	  correlation	  between	  innovation	  and	  ecological	  footprint	  is	  just	  as	  strong.	   The	   sources	   of	   this	   relationship	   are	   open	   to	   debate,	   but	   the	   one	   which	   can	   be	  identified	  with	  ease	  is	  certainly	  cause	  for	  alarm.	  Innovation,	  it	  appears,	  is	  at	  present	  fuelled	  mainly	  by	  economic	  development	  which	  in	  turn	  is	  based	  on	  wasteful	  practices	  and	  extensive	  use	   of	   carbon,	   and	   innovation	   leads	   to	   further	   positive	   economic	   development,	   with	  disastrous	  impacts	  our	  efforts	  to	  achieve	  more	  sustainable	  development.	  	  ESD	   in	   the	   Asia-­‐Pacific	   is	   as	   diverse	   as	   the	   region.	   UNESCO	   Member	   States	   in	   the	   Asia	   Pacific	  are	  moving	  towards	  further	  integration	  of	  sustainable	  development	  into	  education,	  but	  one	  can	   question	   the	   rate	   of	   progress	   this	   is	   being	   done	   with,	   given	   the	   magnitude	   of	   the	  challenges.	  Noteworthy	  examples	  include	  Japan,	  whose	  efforts	  appear	  to	  be	  centred	  around	  expanding	   the	   network	   of	   UNESCO	   ASPnet	   schools	   as	   exemplary	   best	   practice	   providers,	  while	  at	  the	  same	  time	  supporting	  efforts	  in	  higher	  education	  and	  research	  in	  ESD.	  Recently,	  2	  	  Kobe	  University	  Global-­‐Link	  Forum	  in	  Bangkok	  International	  Academic	  Symposium-­‐Towards	  Sustainable	  Development	  of	  Our	  Societies-­‐	  Sunday	  23rd	  January,	  2011	  	  	  discussions	   with	   China	   show	   potential	   in	   moving	   rapidly	   towards	   mainstreaming	   the	  principles	   of	   Sustainable	   Development	   into	   formal	   education	   through	   a	   system	   of	  accreditation	   and	   promotion	   via	   the	   so-­‐called	   "Sustainable	   Schools"	   system.	   India	   is	   in	   the	  process	   of	   setting	   up	   a	   regional	   UNESCO	   Institute	   on	   the	   theme	   of	   peace	   and	   sustainable	  development	  and	  individual	  countries	  such	  as	  the	  Philippines	  are	  making	  valuable	  efforts	  to	  integrate	  disaster	  risk	  reduction	  into	  education	  at	  all	  levels.	  	  UNESCO’s	  strategy	  is	  to	  give	  general	  support	  to	  Member	  States	  in	  national	  ESD	  coordination	  and	  in	  the	  overlapping	  fields	  of	  climate	  change	  education	  and	  disaster	  risk	  reduction.	  The	  UN	  Decade	   of	   ESD	   2005-­‐2014,	   for	   which	   UNESCO	   has	   been	   designated	   lead	   agency,	   directs	  attention	   equally	   to	   formal,	   informal	   and	   nonformal	   education.	   The	   ESD	   Unit	   in	   UNESCO	  Bangkok	   has	   in	   the	   year	   2010	   adjusted	   its	   focus	   to	   include	   emerging	   issues	   of	   sustainable	  business	  models	  and	  health	  issues	  related	  to	  early	  childhood	  cognitive	  development.	  	  The	   future	   can	   unfold	   in	   various	   ways	   and	   it	   is	   for	   ESD	   to	   equip	   learners	   of	   all	   age	   with	   a	  hope	  that	  where	  there	  is	  a	  will,	  there	  is	  a	  way.	  UNESCO	  seeks	  to	  do	  this	  not	  in	  the	  spirit	  of	  false	   hopes	   of	   a	   brighter	   future,	   but	   through	   the	   promise	   of	   real	   efforts	   and	   hard	   work	  leading	  to	  real	  change	  and	  a	  chance	  for	  the	  better.	  	  	  	  Short	  Biography	  	  Mikko	   Cantell	   is	   currently	   Programme	   Specialist	   for	   ESD	   and	   Chief,	   a.i.,	   of	   the	   ESD	   Unit	   at	  UNESCO	  Bangkok	  where	  he	  has	  worked	  since	  January,	  2008.	  Previously	  he	  has	  worked	  at	  the	  International	  Department	  of	  the	  Finnish	  Ministry	  of	  Education	  and	  for	  the	  Finnish	  National	  Commission	   for	   UNESCO	   and	   he	   is	   an	   author	   of	   a	   number	   of	   ESD	   articles	   in	   Finnish	   and	  International	   publications.	   His	   past	   volunteer	   work	   includes	   Board	   membership	   of	   the	  Finnish	   Section	   of	   Amnesty	   International	   as	   well	   as	   membership	   in	   Crisis	   Management	  Initiative	  (CMI).	  	  	  Mr	  Cantell	  holds	  a	  Master	  of	  Social	  Sciences	  from	  the	  University	  of	  Helsinki	  in	  International	  Relations/World	  Politics.	  	  	  3