Inspired by the principles of the Earth Charter, the ESD Conference “Global Vision, Local Action” will take place on 8-9 September 2011 in Bournemouth UK. In 2008, Bournemouth Borough Council became the first UK district council to adopt the Earth Charter. The process started back in 2007 at an interfaith meeting which took place thanks to the efforts of UK Earth Charter Affiliate Jeffrey Newman and his supporters.
Subsequently, Bournemouth became one of the leading places in Britain to tackle various sustainability issues, from waste and recycling, energy reduction and conservation, transport, biodiversity and eco-tourism, to the challenges facing education for sustainable development, as addressed and covered by the Earth Charter principles. The local community and organisations use the Earth Charter ethical framework as the foundation for a peaceful, just and sustainable regional society with global aspirations.
(Learn more about the Bournemouth and its commitment to the Earth Charter)
This year, the Bournemouth University is organising its 4th Conference, “Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship: Global Vision, Local Action”, which will be held on 8-9 September. It is no accident that the organisers chose a quotation from the Earth Charter to set the tone of the conference: “As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile… we have much to learn from the ongoing collaborative search for truth and wisdom.”
As the organisers have said, “We shall continue to address the overlapping themes of Sustainable Development, Internationalisation and Global Citizenship but are keen to explore the interconnections between the themes and how local action addresses global concerns. We adhere to the belief that these are not separate issues: holistic approaches that encompass all aspects of university life are important if higher education is to contribute effectively to global sustainability. As the Earth Charter quote suggests, we have much to learn. Collaboration may enable us to develop new ways of seeing; working together may enhance power of our local actions.”