Sustainable development is often defined as: “meeting
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.” — Brundtland
Commission, United Nations 1987
The Center for Housing and Urban Development at the Texas A&M
University College of Architecture has joined the U.S. Partnership
for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD),
an initiative dedicated to fully integrating sustainable development
into education and learning in the United States.
The partnership acts as a convener, catalyst, and communicator
working across all sectors of American society in its mission
to foster sustainable development education under the auspices
of the 2002 United Nations resolution declaring a Decade of Education
for Sustainable Development beginning in January 2005.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), the initiative’s lead agency, has described the
four major thrusts of education for sustainable development in
a "Framework for a Draft International Implementation Scheme" for
the DESD:
•
The promotion and improvement of high quality, relevant basic
education;
•
The reorienting of existing education policies and programs to
address the social, environmental and economic knowledge, skills
and values inherent to sustainability in a holistic and interdisciplinary
manner;
•
The development of public understanding and awareness of the
principles of sustainable development; and
•
The development of specialized training programs to ensure that
all sectors of society have the skills necessary to perform their
work in a sustainable manner.
The framework states that "the focus of DESD activities
will be advocacy, communication and networking directed at facilitating
all educators to include sustainable development concerns and
goals in their own programs."
Member organizations for the U.S. initiative come from every
sector, including higher education, K-12, business, non-profits,
government, and faith communities.
As partners in the Decade for Education in Sustainable Development,
CHUD director Jorge Vanegas says the center has a two-fold mission:
First, in regard to housing and urban development, to answer
questions through research, development, demonstration and deployment;
to solve problems with innovative research; to satisfy needs
through planning and design; to realize opportunities with innovative
services; and to fulfill aspirations with creative entrepreneurship,
facilitation and coaching.
Secondly, to employ CHUD’s social service partners in
the collection and provision of data and knowledge related the
health and education of impoverished Hispanic communities in
Texas.
CHUD, Vanegas said, will promote DESD activities through it
commitment to sustainable development, waste reduction programs,
fair trade practices, and social, environmental and responsibility
programs.
“Education for sustainable development recognizes that
our choices as consumers, investors, workers and community members
effect the quality of life of people around the world,” said
Debra Rowe, executive committee member the U.S. Partnership for
the DESD. “By making educated choices, we can create sustainable
development, which means simultaneously creating flourishing
ecosystems, healthy communities and stronger economies.”
For more information about DESD, visit the U.S. Partnership
website at www.uspartnership.org. For more information about
CHUD’s participation, contact the CHUD main office at,
1-800-633-2374.
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