Networking of European Education Initiatives Dedicated to Global Sustainability Erasmus Project

Project Title

Networking of European Education Initiatives Dedicated to Global Sustainability

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Ethics, religion and philosophy (incl. Inter-religious dialogue); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Background
Current global developments and crisis are creating an atmosphere of insecurity and uncertainty within the European society. We know from work experience that the Earth Charter (EC), an international and UNESCO recognized declaration of fundamental ethical principles for global sustainable development, provides motivating and solution-oriented approaches at various levels to deal with this growing insecurity. The EC educational work enables different perspectives on the world and its global challenges. It offers practical options for action and provides answers to the above mentioned insecurities and opens rooms for a conscious change in thinking and behavior towards global sustainability.
In 2020 the Earth Charter turns 20 and so does the information and education work based on the Earth Charter. Around the globe education institutions and professionals felt inspired by the holistic and positive vision of a peaceful, solidary and sustainable world and embedded it into their practices in many different ways to address ESD and global learning.
Objectives
NEEDS aims to link seven European institutions working with the Earth Charter in adult education. We want to exchange on examples of our ESD concepts, which we have established in the last two decades and successfully applied within our countries. Beside the exchange on practical ESD concepts and evaluation on how to implement newly learned in our organization work, we want to address questions such as: How do we best address and transport the inherent ethics in our ESD work? What is the best way to share the strengthening and motivating vision of the Earth Charter to adults? How can we adapt our education concepts to changing global and European challenges as well as digital and societal developments now and in future?
Activities
To meet those objectives we plan to run three short 3-day trainings in (1) Germany, (2) The Netherlands, and (3) Portugal to which all partners will send two ESD practitioners from their organization for participation (total number of trained educators will be 14), whereas the host organizations will involve their local volunteers active in EC education and campaigning. The training events will be on (1) the background, history and ethics of the EC and how to use this to train multiplicators, (2) on the visionary potential of the EC and how to practically use it for the implementation of the SDGs, and (3) on concrete ESD and global learning formats with the EC and communication techniques.
To successfully link the partners, monitor the progress of the project and implementation of results within our organizations as well as for a joint round up, there will be three transnational meetings in Romania, Bulgaria and Sweden to which each partner organization will send one national coordinator.
Results, impacts and long term benefits
Since each partner organization has build unique expertise in successful ESD methods, participating organizations will build a strong network rich in experience and educators will exchange on a diverse portfolio of best practice concepts. The latter will be enabled to incorporate the learned into their own professional educational activities as well as to train other interested educators or volunteers within partner organizations or outside in community councils, cultural or educational centers, even universities. By networking transnationally the partner organizations will become more visible at national, European and international level, particularly within the ESD and global learning community.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 84565 Eur

Project Coordinator

Ökumenische Initiative Eine Welt & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Balkanska Agenciya za Ustoychivo Razvitie
• Stichting SBI – Earth Charter Nederland
• Fundatia All Together
• Associação Portuguesa de Educação Ambiental
• Green Cross Sweden
• Asociación Avalon Project