Djapo delves into Education for Sustainable Development. But what does it really mean, 'sustainable development'? Meet the five terms that frame our vision.
In 1987, Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland and her UN committee defined sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
Since then, countless 'spectacles' have been added to look at sustainable development. But what does the term mean to Djapo? Our vision of sustainable development, grafted onto five terms.
Most sustainable development models include an environmental, social and economic dimension. They argue that you only make progress if you take all three into account. Internationally, the dimensions are linked to action domains: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership (the so-called 'five P's'). How the dimensions and domains relate to each other differs from model to model. There is a 'nested model', a 'wedding cake', a 'donut', ... Each model brings its own emphases, and may or may not contain a hierarchy. In our operation, we consciously deal with the idiosyncrasies of each framework. We see it as a continuous balancing act.
For us, sustainable development is a compass for shaping systemic change. It provides a starting point and a foothold, because orienting yourself with a compass only works with a (sustainable) pole star on the horizon. We are aware that sustainable development is a never-ending quest. We are never 'finished', nor are there any unique truths about possible solutions.
At Djapo, we realise that every story can be told in different ways. Also the story of sustainable development. On the one hand, the global story of sustainable development has been constantly updated and expanded over the past 50 years based on advancing scientific insights. On the other hand, the story also evolves along with the 'storyteller'. Depending on his or her perspective, it is given different emphases or told from a specific angle.
It requires an effort to consciously deal with and balance the ecological, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development. The urgency with which our planet and society are changing, and the underlying interconnected dimensions demand individual and collective commitment. Sustainable development is a challenge, but one we will not shy away from.
Sustainable development is discussed and debated in many places: in politics, but also in academia, in civil society organisations ... Norms and values influence the different views, it is not a 'neutral' conversation conducted purely on the basis of information. Djapo also sees opportunities for education to participate. But given the politically charged nature of the topic, the classroom or school conversation requires a reasoned and deliberate approach. That is what school teams can count on our support for.