ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

INTRODUCTION

Environmental education encompass an ethic that will ensure improved attitudes and behaviour for the environment among all the communities in GJMC. It furthermore strives to facilitate the harmonizing of economic and social goals with ecologically sound management of resources and the environment.

Environmental Education (EE) lies within the concept for Sustainable Development which is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland, 1987), where needs can then be described as economic, social (cultural & health) and political needs and safegaurding the needs of future generations by minimizing the use or waste of non-renewable resources; sustainable use of renewable resources; ensuring that the waste from cities keeping within the absorptive capacity of local and global sinks (Global Forum, 1994).

Within this concept of sustainable development lies the concept of environmental education for sustainable development which has been defined by (Fien, 1993) as follows: "The development of human capacity and creativity to participate in determining the future, encourage technical progress as well as fostering the cultural conditions favouring social and economic change to improve the quality of life and more equitable economic growth while living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems to maintain life indefinitely"

Conservation messages and wildlife experiences have dominated the environmental education field. The rational of these activites focused on creating awareness, clarifying values with the ultimate goal of behaviour change, ignoring the context in which the individual find him or herself. This leads the way for environmental education for sustainable development.

Improvement of the environment need a change in human behaviour. This implies a change in with regards to attitudes. A new approach was set for Environmental Education and Awareness which go much further than the transfer of knowledge and awareness raising activities, but focus on the context in which the individual find him/herself.

This concept was herald during the United Nations Conference in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Therefor the Local Agenda 21 campaign was introduced which undescribed community involvement, equity and sustainability. The principles and compentensies can be classified in following categories:

PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING

The basis in which EE occurs is highlighted in the basic principles, which should be part of every programme and that is to:

• ensure environmental education and promotion for all communities,

• ensure critical and innovative environmental education and promotion,

• develop local and global citizenship,

• ensure a holistic approach with an interdisciplinary focus regarding the relation between the community and nature,

• ensure equality and respect for human rights involving democratic strategies and cultural interchange,

• ensure that critical global issues, their causes and interrelationships are addressed within their social and historical context,

• ensure equal partnerships in the processes of decision making among all stakeholders and at all levels,

• utilize indigenous history and local cultures, and to promote cultural, linguistic and ecological diversity,

• empower the communities and promote opportunities for grassroots democratic change and participation, that will ensure that communities will regain control over their own destiny,

• acknowledge all different forms of knowledge,

• design Environmental Education in such a way that it will enable people to manage conflicts in just and humane ways,

• stimulate dialogue and cooperation between individuals and institutions in order to create new lifestyles which are based on meeting everyones basic needs, regardless of ethnic, gender, age, religious, class, physical or mental differences,

• ensure the utilisition of the mass media in a democratic manner that are committed to the interest of all sectors of society through the exchange of knowledge, values and experiences,

• integrate knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and actions, that will convert every opportunity into an educational experience for sustainable societies, and

• develop an ethical awareness of all forms of life with which humans share the planet, respect all life cycles and impose limits on human exploitation of other forms of lives.

The following core competencies is necessary for the successful deliverance of Environmental Education among the public at large:

• Community Development

• Education and Training

• Mass awareness and marketing

Each of these competencies encompences a number of diverce skills for different approaches. However different target groups and different setting will need different approaches. The skills under each category can be summarised as follows:

Community Development will mostly be utilised among community members where the focus is strongly on empowerment, equity and community building in general. This should be done through project and programms with a bottom up approach.

Core issues that need focussing in employing a community development programme or project will include:

Swanepoel (1997) outlines the following basic skills necessary for implementing a community development programme that can be utilised for the implementation of an environmental programme within a community:

• The development environment

• Basic principles of community development

• The role of the community worker

• Community development project

• Evaluation

• Group work

• Principles of management

• Mobilisation of community-based structures

• Basic record keeping

• The importance of communication for development

• The characteristics of motivation for community development

• Conflict resolution and negotiation

• Problem-solving mechanisms for development projects

• Group dynamics and group work

• Public speaking

• Public writing

• The dynamics of meetings

The following skills as outlined by (Burnard, 1992) is necessary for effective presentation and training within environmental education:

• Teaching skills

• Presentation skills

• Computer skills

• Listening skills

• Management skills

• Meeting skills

• Interview skills

• Writing skills

• Development of training cources

Advertising, Promotion and Publicity or Advocacy of the environment is the basic elements necessary for marketing and mass awareness.

• Situational analysis

• Ensuring effective and appropriate objectives

• Programme management

• Co-ordination of programme elements

• Measurement of effectiveness

REFERENCES

Burnard, P. 1992: Effective Commmunication Skills. Chapman & Hall: London.

Swanepoel, H. 1997: Community Development. Juta: Western Cape.

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