12.5.2010

Earth Charter introduced in Syrian National Seminar for ESD

Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life.


Mr. Melhem Mansour participated in e-GLO 2 [Earth Charter Global Learning Opportunity] in September 2009 – January 2010. After that he used his newly learned knowledge on the Earth Charter and presented the declaration in his home country Syria, in National Seminar: Towards An Educational Strategy For Sustainable Development.

Mr. Melhem Mansour works at the Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development, which was the organizer of this National Seminar. Mr. Mansour was responsible for the whole organization of this Seminar from the Department behalf.

This seminar that gathered the key parties from the national level and benefited from international experts on the field of ESD. The goal of this seminar was the recognition of non-formal education as an important tool to promote sustainable development and combat climate change. It aimed to contribute to implementation of initiatives such as Millennium Development Goals, UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005- 2014) and the Earth Charter.

Introduction to the Earth Charter
By Mr. Melhem Mansour, Project Manger in Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development

Mr Mansour’s plenary session was devoted to introduce the Earth Charter. This charter represents a global consensus on shared values and ethics for building a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. Moreover, it encompasses values and principles needed for a sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century.

Mr. Melhem Mansour presented a full PowerPoint presentation explaining the Earth Charter. His presentation tackled the following points:

  • Core sustainability values
  • Key themes of the Earth Charter
  • A Brief History of the Earth Charter Initiative
  • Why Earth Charter?
  • Contribution of Earth Charter to DESD
  • Case study of Earth Charter framed ESD activities

At the end of this session, Mr. Mansour answered the questions and replied to the comments. An Arabic version of the Earth Charter was distributed to the participants.

See the report of the seminar here.