31st IGU Congress in Tunis 2008
Ratification of the
Lucerne Declaration
on
Geographical Education for Sustainable Development
Education for Sustainable Development
in Geography What the Lucerne Declaration can contribute
Prof. Dr. Sibylle Reinfried
University of Teacher Education of Central Switzerland (PHZ), Lucerne
[email protected]
Education for Sustainable Development in Geography What the Lucerne Declaration can contribute
Introduction:
• What is the Lucerne Declaration on Geographical
•
•
•
•
•
Education for Sustainable Development?
How did the Lucerne Declaration come about?
Where is the Declaration present already today?
Why is it so important?
What are its aims and contents?
Why should the IGU-General Assembly ratify the
Lucerne Declaration?
What is the Lucerne Declaration
on Geographical Education for
Sustainable Development?
• Document based on the goals of the UNDESD.
• Proposal to integrate SD into the teaching of
geography at all levels and in all regions of the
world.
• Global guideline addressing
– curriculum development
– the development of educational material, the
importance of new (digital) technologies.
Why is the Lucerne Declaration
so important?
• Goals of UNDESD have a geographical
dimension.
• Geographical education can contribute
substantially ESD.
• Goals of UNDESD to be realized only in a
common effort.
• IGU-CGE = important stakeholder in the process.
How did the Lucerne Declaration
come about?
• Initiative by Hartwig Haubrich, Yvonne
Schleicher, Sibylle Reinfried (based on the
International Charter on Geographical Education).
• Several revision phases: contributions from
Commission members & delegates from all
continents.
• In July 2007: Symposium in Lucerne, Switzerland
=> Declaration accepted, proclaimed and signed.
• IGU national delegations and commissions chairs
invited to comment on it.
Where is the Lucerne Declaration
present already today?
• Publication of the Declaration on IGU-CGE
website (http://igu-cge.tamu.edu/).
• Translation in 12 languages: English, German, French,
Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, Russian, traditional
and simplified Chinese, Korean.
• Publication in at least 5 scientific journals
concerning geography education: Germany, China,
Russia, Korea, India.
HAUBRICH, H.,
REINFRIED, S. &
SCHLEICHER Y. (2007):
Lucerne Declaration on
Geographical Education for
Sustainable Development.
In: Reinfried, S. et al. (Eds.):
Geographical Views ON Education
For Sustainable Development.
Proceedings, Lucerne Symposium
Switzerland, July 29-31, 2007,
Geographiedidaktische Forschungen
Vol. 42, Hochschulverband für
Geographie und ihre Didaktik,
Nürnberg, 243-250.
What are the aims of the Lucerne
Declaration?
• Enhancing knowledge, insight, commitment, vision,
and action relevant for SD in geography.
• Recommending principles and practices for effective
ESD in geography education.
• Helping teachers on all levels, textbook authors,
experts and administrators in education from all over
the world to integrate ESD into the teaching of
geography.
What is the contents of the
Lucerne Declaration?
• Explains the paradigm of ESD using the „HumanEarth“ ecosystem approach.
• Explains in which contexts geographical knowledge
and skills, values and attitudes are helpful to
enhance ESD.
• Lists criteria for developing geographical curricula
for ESD (geographical objectives, themes, areas of
learning, learning approaches).
• Explains the importance of ICT in geography for
ESD.
Lucerne Declaration
on
Geographical Education for Sustainable Development
Hartwig Haubrich (Freiburg), Sibylle Reinfried (Lucerne), Yvonne Schleicher (Weingarten)
The International Geographical Union Commission on Geographical Education sees the UN Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014 as an opportunity to confirm its commitment to
education for sustainable development. Contemporary global changes challenge humankind in the 21st
century. We respond with the proclamation of a “Declaration on Geographical Education for Sustainable
Development”. The declaration extends the foundational International Charter on Geographical Education
(1992) with a focus on:
A. The Contribution of Geography to Education for Sustainable Development
B. The Criteria for
Development
Developing Geographical Curricula for Education for Sustainable
C. The Importance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education for
Sustainable Development in Geography
Why should the IGU-General
Assembly ratify the Lucerne
Declaration?
• SD is the most important issue of the 21st century.
• The IGU as the leading global player in the field
of geography can make an important difference.
We therefore ask you to support the Declaration, ratify
it and recommend it to the UNESCO and other
international organizations.
Thank you very much!