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Contributions from
the Column
InWEnt News
Millennoum Project .”Private sector is a key partner”
MDGs: The need for PPP
Vocational Training: Making appropriate use of e-learning
“Ch@t of Worlds” – a tool for sustainable development
04/2005 |
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[ Education ]
The “Ch@t of Worlds” is a tool
for sustainable development
“Ch@t der Welten” (“Ch@t of Worlds“) has been declared an official project of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Providing an Internet link between schools in Germany and indigenous people in Latin America, Africa and Asia, the interdisciplinary venture aims to help spread awareness of sustainable development and promote a better understanding of global interdependencies. With the support of numerous partners, InWEnt hosts the “Ch@t” and arranges the international contacts.
“Ch@t der Welten” has existed since 2003, when it was set up as a joint project with the State Institute for Curriculum Development and Teacher Training in North Rhine-Westphalia (Landesinstitut für Schule NRW), and the Climate Alliance, a group of European municipalities with partners among indigenous people living in the rainforest. Initially, the idea was to focus the minds of youngsters at 20 schools in North Rhine-Westphalia on “oil production in the rainforest”. Later, the range of topics was broadened and now includes biodiversity, renewable resources, climate, energy, and water. In February, “Ch@t” links were established in eight more German states.
The original idea of the much praised pilot project was to start a dialogue with the aim of getting the Amazon Basin's stakeholders to talk to one another, to discuss the issue of sustainable development in the region and to look for solutions. Another objective was to see how that dialogue and experience of global environmental and development politics could be incorporated into teaching and teacher training.
In the context of Agenda 21, “Ch@t” sees sustainability very much as a question of global justice and environmentally and socially acceptable development. Concerning its education brief, it thus aims to identify issues and activities which introduce this fundamental premise in schools through hands-on experience and real-life encounters. At “Ch@t der Welten”, the experiences of a variety of partners flow into school project and classroom work. (slz)
Further Information:
http://www.chatderwelten.de
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