A two-day Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Teacher Training programme was organized by the Beijing Institute for Environment and Development (IED) together with the Shanghai Oasis Ecological Conservation and Communication Center in Shanghai, in Shanghai on 10-11November, 2010. Professor Tian Qing from Beijing Normal University was invited as the key speaker to introduce the value of the Earth Charter in ESD. The event was a great success, with the introduction of the Earth Charter as one of the main highlights.
The event is part of the IED’s project, Youth Sustainability & Energy Education (YSEE). The training programme brought together 20 classroom teachers in Shanghai to exchange their perceptions and experiences of the philosophy and approaches of ESD.
Prof. Tian and another ESD expert, Liu Jian from People’s Education Press, led the training sessions. Prof. Tian explained that the Earth Charter is a balanced and effective expression of global ethics. She suggested that we should teach our future generations how to see the world under such a framework, and we should take responsibility to achieve greater respect for the community of life. Her call for embracing these principles in teaching was echoed by the audience.
Through this event, the teachers have not only opened their minds and updated their knowledge to the newly acquired knowledge, but IED also now better understands the practical difficulties and the needs of these teachers. Moreover, The Earth Charter Guidebook for Teachers, now available in Chinese, was sent to the participants to provide a better understanding of EC and its value in education.
For more about IED and their activities, please visit www.ied.cn (in Chinese only).