By David Eduardo Velázquez Muñoz, UAEMex, Mexico.
David Eduardo Velázquez Muñoz, professor in the Faculty of Dentistry at Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, brings the Earth Charter into the education of future health professionals in the State of Mexico, Mexico. For the past twenty years, he has spearheaded his university’s commitment to the Earth Charter, including its integration into teaching and learning. Following his participation in the ECI programme on Education for Sustainability, he reinforced his efforts of placing ethical responsibility and care for the community of life within professional education.
At his faculty, two-degree programmes incorporate a course in Environmental Education for Sustainability structured around the four pillars of the Earth Charter. David also shares responsibility for the ACT4SDGs project at the university, supporting a wider effort to help teachers bring sustainability into their courses. The initiative, aiming at fostering the capacity of faculty to incorporate sustainability, the SDGs and the Earth Charter in their teaching, resulted in approximately 60 redesigned course syllabi, connecting academic learning with reflection, dialogue, and active participation.
This experience deepened the understanding of many participating teachers of their role in society. David describes educational change as a collective process sustained through shared leadership and continuing learning.
