Press Conference: NGO Peace and Cooperation on the launching of the school award "Take Care of Your Planet". Speakers include Ms. Elvira Sanchez-Igual (World Association of Early Childhood Educators (AMEI-WAECE), Ms. Nancy L. Rivard and Mr. Joaquin Antuna (sponsored by the Mission of Spain). To read the press release issued by the DPI/NGo of the UN, click here.

Environmental education as a need for development.

To educate is to prepare children to live in society, but also to transform it with their attitude. If we are going to educate a child to live inside a specific society, first of all we will have to reflect on the kind of society -in which that child is going to develop. It is very important to observe the problems and their causes; in order to promote a kind of education that improves our present society.

The reflection is already done and we can talk about the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. AS you all know, Goal number 7 is to ensure environmental sustainability.

We all know that On 7 December 2009, world leaders will gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, to respond to one of the greatest challenges facing humanity: climate change. . “Climate change” means a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods (UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE. UNITED NATIONS 1992, article 1 -definition-).

If we re-read the Convention on the Rights of the Child - Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989. Entry into force 2 September 1990, in accordance with article 49-, we find out that States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to "The development of respect for the natural environment". (Article 29, (e))

A way to prevent the further deterioration of the world is to ensure that every person receives appropriate environmental education and acts accordingly to its guidelines. This then becomes a developmental need and an essential educational task. To know more about the Club for the children who take care of the planet earth, clik here.

We can only understand the environmental education if we treat it simultaneously with what we traditionally know as value education. Children won't take care of the environment if they don't usually respect either themselves or other people. So it is clear that we have to educate children in order to share, respect, love believe, etc.

As Jorge Sampaio said, THE UN HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS, at the Closing Session, AoC FIRST ANNUAL FORUM Madrid, January 16, 2008 “Urgent action is needed to stop further degradation of human atmosphere”.

In the face of this reality there is a general request to act as soon as possible and develop preventive actions to stop unwanted behaviors. The demand is for the governments and different agents of socialization (family, school, and mass media) to come to an agreement and plan proposals that bring about a radical change in our social model.

In the face of this reality there is a general request to act as soon as possible and develop preventive actions to stop unwanted behaviours. The demand is for the governments and different agents of socialization (family, school, and mass media) to come to an agreement and plan proposals that bring about a radical change in our social model.

It is indispensable to make a profound social change. And this change can only come about from the creation of an educating society, where education for all the children in the world is a reality and not just a speech that later gets lost.

One of the four pillars on which, according to the Delors Report , education must rely on, LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER, has taken on special significance.

Not long ago, Dr. Koichiro Matsuura, Ex-General Director at UNESCO said before a High Level Group of the Education for All Initiative, “the changing international situation has suddenly made one of the central themes of the Delors Report, the “learning to live together” one, acquire refreshed urgency and relevance”. More than ever, (Dr. Matsuura went on to state) the contents, methods and results of learning must be revised to make education a more effective and powerful tool to “build the defences of peace in the mind of men. It is particularly important that we banish violence from young minds and that we guide them to the virtues of tolerance, mutual understanding and peace, not only in action, but also in thought and expression”.

This education should be in the spirit and letter of Article 29 of the Convention on Child Rights. An education offered to child so that he develops globally, not only in the cognitive aspects (a term that does not appear in the article) but psychological and spiritual. It should be, according to section d) of Article 29, an education aimed at preparing the child to assume a responsible life in a free society, with a spirit of understanding and PEACE.

This change can only come about through education for all, for all the children in the world. Learning to live together and in peace can only be achieved by a plan of action that is perfectly structured that leads the children and fills their minds with norms, values, concepts and behaviours towards the assumption of peace and the rejection of violence as essential components of their personalities. And we have to do this when the personality of the children is being formed and not later.

This is why we have to make the educational systems consider Peace Education as a priority and that this education starts when education begins, which is at the time of birth.

To make this possible and to reflect on how this education should be so it can lay the foundation on how all people can live together regardless of their origin and circumstances, we are holding the SECOND WORLD CONFERENCE: EARLY CHILDHOOD PEACE EDUCATION. This will take place at the Morelia Conference Centre, March 5-7, 2010. Save the date!

During these days in New York, we are also at the Airline Ambassadors Event "Children of the world in the UN!". To see the pictures, click here.