Sust’n’Able
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sust 'n' Able is the Woodcraft Folk's programme of education for sustainable development.
It aims to increase awareness of:
- The present and predicted impact of human life on the global environment at all levels - personal actions; local and national governmental decision making; multi-national trade, industrial and economic activity; world organizations;
- The complex nature of the interaction between these levels of activity;
- The effects of changes in the global environment on people not simply materially but, for example, resulting conflicts and the resolution of conflict;
- The possible alternative scenarios and possible outcomes;
- What changes will be required at each level to achieve a more equal balance between the necessary and justifiable use of the world's resources and the their abuse and exploitation- and to work towards a more sustainable future;
- The value of active citizenship, full participation in society, responsible consumption, and effective action.
- Activities within the programme help participants to build up real skills and useful, practical knowledge that they can apply to make their daily lives more sustainability-positive.
Contents |
[edit] The camp
The project was the theme of the Woodcraft Folks 2001 international camp in Nottinghamshire where 4,000 young people attended. The camp focused on sustainable development education and ran activates for children from five to twenty five around the themes.
At the camp a simulation game took place called 'World on a Tight Rope, it ran the length of the camp and involved people working for credits to create a more sustainable world. The simulation included two 'Earth Summits' held at the camp to come up with a declaration to the world leaders at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The Earth Summit had action stations where people debated the issues to be included in the declaration.
[edit] The declaration and delegation
The Declaration created as part of the simulation game was presented by a delegation of 11 young people.[citation needed]
The Declaration included nine points:
- Food production and associated markets should promote reasonably priced organic, non-genetically modified, and locally produced food as a move towards sustainable living, and fair prices for farmers.
- People seeking refuge in another country should not face persecution and lengthy administrative processes.
- We demand that governments and multi-national companies stop contributions to global warming and other problems by human activity. Renewable energy sources must increasingly be used in place of fossil fuels and nuclear power. Total dependence on renewable sources of energy should be reached in time.
- A sustainable world is one where the rights of the child as written in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are universally respected. We demand these rights be implemented.
- We call for the end of multinational sponsorship of public institutions (eg. schools and medical services) and demand that governments meet the needs of these institutions.
- There should be clean water and equal access to health care worldwide. We call for action to preserve and not pollute clean water supplies. Whilst this need is commonly accepted it has not been achieved. Now do it.
- With the aim of establishing global equality we demand that the national debts of the world's poorest countries be immediately cancelled.
- Violent conflict between peoples damages environmental and social sustainability. We demand that governments try and use methods for resolving conflicts that do not involve violence, that promote cooperation instead of competition, and that respect the hopes and desires of all young people.
- Young people do not have enough opportunity to have their opinions heard by decision-makers. We therefore call on all governments to include young people in a meaningful way in determining their lives.
The delegation attended the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development including both the civil society and the official political areas of the summit. The group worked closely with the International Falcon Movement - Socialist Education International delegation attending the summit. The group had some mixed success.
The Woodcraft Folk attends all the Commission on Sustainable Development in New York which are follow up meetings to the WSSD held every year with thematic cycles changing every two years.
