Ubuntu Network

DE/ESD Explained

Development Education is concerned with the building of knowledge and understanding, skills and capacities, and attitudes and values necessary to enable individuals to critically examine the world, its development and its interdependencies and to act, both locally and globally, to make it a more just and equitable place.

For more information, see 'Irish Aid and Development Education', produced in 2006 by Irish Aid.

1. Knowledge	2. Skills	3. Attitudes
Information on development issues (economic, social, political, cultural) in Ireland and around the world: e.g. poverty, disease, trade, climate, human rights. Interdependencies and relationships between people, countries and cultures.	Information Gathering Reflection Critical Thinking Decision Making Generating and discussing opinions Communication Change Mgt Self awareness Planning for Action	Belonging (local, national and global) Appreciation of Diversity Respect for Human Dignity Empathy to injustice Commitment to Action Responsibility for Change
4. Behaviour and Action Personal change as well as at community, national and international levels…social relationships, personal behaviour, taking opportunities to participate meaningfully.

Table: Four Components (and examples) of Development Education

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) extends the perspective of Development Education beyond the economic and social views to include the environmental and the importance of maintaining and protecting the planet while meeting our development needs. ESD enables individuals to make personal and collective decisions and to partake in actions that improve or sustain quality of life without potentially compromising the earth and its resources for future generations.

Figure 1 - Education for Sustainable Development

The UN General Assembly has proclaimed the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development for the period 2005 – 2014.

Sustainable Development

The concept of sustainable development emerged in the 1980s to address the growing concern about the negative impact of human activity on the earth and its ability to support a growing human population.

It gained wider recognition with the publication of ‘Our Common Future’ by the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) in 1987, and provided the main agenda item for the UN Conference on Environment and Development or 'Earth Summit' held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. While recognising that increased development was necessary to meet the basic needs of much of the world's population, particularly in the developing world, the Brundtland Commission suggested that development should occur in a way that the capacity of the natural environment to meet present and future needs was not compromised.

It also suggested that economic, social and environmental considerations had to be integrated to address issues of poverty, equity, quality of life, and global environmental protection. At the 'Earth Summit' (Johannesburg, 1992) these principles were adopted and incorporated into 'Agenda 21', a comprehensive set of principles to assist governments and other institutions to implement sustainable development policies and programmes in the twenty first century. Agenda 21 was agreed by over 170 countries.