| ISA mailing to Member Schools |
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Dear ISA schools, Here we are back again. A few schools have responded positively to our first ISA mailing and we are very thankful to them. We still want more to join us. We are quite aware that a lot is done in schools but we would just like to pool our experiences.
INTERNATIONAL DECADE FOR THE EDUCATION OF Humans have modified ecosystems mainly in order to meet their rapidly growing demands for food, fresh water and fuel. More land was converted to agriculture since 1945 than in the 18th and 19th centuries combined. Unfortunately, approximately 60% of the ecosystem services that support life on Earth are being degraded. Yet the increase in agricultural production, is now greater than that of the world’s population, thus decreasing hunger and improving health. But, what price do we have to pay for this? Water is indispensable for human health and well-being. Water plays a very important role in sustainable development in order to preserve the natural environment and alleviate poverty and hunger. Many millions of people around the world face water shortages. Drought regularly afflicts some of the world’s poorest countries. The amount of water available per capita has decreased. Yet water management presupposes a solid knowledge of the environment and its resources. More attention has to be paid to the indigenous population who has often mastered this knowledge for generations. Some two billion people have no access to modern energy services. It is necessary to find a way to reconcile this necessity with its impact on the natural resource base. Energy development and consumption must be efficient. Education for sustainable Development needs to be related to our students’ needs, in order for them to engage in ‘real world’ issues. The aim is not to create an abstract concept but rather to cultivate a form of good citizenship applied to their everyday behaviour.
THE INTERNATIONAL DECADE FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE Peace is not only the absence of war. It is a set of values, attitudes and behaviours to be able to achieve mutual understanding. Peace is a way of being, doing and living in society and most importantly it can be taught and developed. It requires non-violence, tolerance and solidarity. Living together is possible if one is prepared to share and respect. Every individual’s rights, including freedom of opinion, better education, better job opportunities, care for the environment, women’s rights, agrarian reform and better housing. The only way to achieve this huge goal is to make everyone aware of the problems, mobilize them, educate them (both formally and informally), prevent and inform all members of society and for each one to participate whole-heartedly. Communications is essential. The media can play an important role but so can we, as schools. We must try to get our students to communicate with each other, learn about each other and share experiences. This will involve children and grown ups for the benefit of us all. If all of us try to construct a culture of peace at home and at school on each continent, there will be a real contribution towards making the world a safer home. By helping individuals become integrated, by taking care of the environment at home and in our neighbourhood, by choosing what to consume based on the source and type of products we buy, we will all be building a culture of peace. For this reason, we are inviting all ISA schools to work with their students on different aspects of peace, at whatever level, from kindergarten to grade 12 and then share their outcome with all other schools. In this way, our students will learn to appreciate the different aspects of peace and how these are interpreted in different parts of the world. We will receive the pieces of work or comments you send us and they will be published on the website ( www.isaschools.org ) and will also be sent to all schools by email. Thank you for sharing with all of us.
Mabel Mary Manzitti |
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