I had my first class in Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD). Our lecturer started by defining EfSD as an holistic and interrelated concept that involves people envision of a sustainable world. The EfSD provides several tools and means for learning how to drive change with community participation. The concept is dynamic and is mostly related to a process for driving change. It is important to start by acknowledging that we are part of a society with unsustainable behaviors. With this idea in mind, we can reflect on how each of us is a part of the solution and how important is to influence the society as a whole.
When I confronted this concept for the first time, I was thinking how expert I have became on making up excuses for blaming others for what is happening in the world. The excuses are just a way to calm ourselves and ignore the feeling of guiltiness. However, this conflicting dilemma between our possibility to drive change and our apparent insignificance are crucial when we adopt and believe that change is possible. Our lecturer illustrated the dilemma by using an African proverb “If you think you are too small to make a difference , try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito”.
I felt inspired by the mosquito proverb and then started to look for definitions of EfSD that could portrait what we discussed in class. I found that the sustainability educator Jaimie Claud states that our current situation is not a result of ignorant people. The problem is our mindset which determines the way we act. The purpose of EfSD is precisely modify our mindset in order to think and act in a sustainable manner. I share the concept and thoughts of Jaimie Claud.
Education for Sustainable Development 