When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.
John Muir
Naturalist and Writer
Remember, Wood comes from Trees!
Sustainable development is a vision of development that encompasses populations, animal and plant species, ecosystems, natural resources and that integrates concerns such as the fight against poverty... we have to learn our way out of current social and environmental problems and learn to live sustainably. We need to place a real economic value on the benefits to biodiversity, indigenous peoples and to minimise forest plunder, greenhouse gas emissions and strategic rainforest carbon sinks, to reduce consequences of climate change.
Dr. John Feehan, UCD School of Biology & Environmental Science,
Author & Patron of Just Forests
Before going on to the Wood of Life micro-site please consider the following:
Wood of Life a travelling, hands-on, interactive exhibition on the social, economic and environmental importance of the world’s forests through development education
Everyone in the world depends on nature and ecosystem services to provide the conditions for a decent, healthy, and secure life. Just Forests use the state of the world’s forests as a tool to establish links between ‘development’ and poverty.
The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014
What is Development Education (DE)?
Development Education (DE) is concerned with the building of knowledge and understanding, skills and capacities, and attitudes and values necessary to enable individuals to critically examine the world, its development and its interdependencies and to act, both locally and globally, to make it a more just and equitable place.
What is Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)?
Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a “dynamic concept that encompasses a new vision of education that seeks to empower people of all ages to assume responsibility for creating and enjoying a sustainable future.”
(Source: UNESCO, Education for Sustainability-from Rio to Johannesburg: Lessons learnt from a Decade of Commitment, 2002)
ESD seeks to foster the values, behaviour and lifestyles for social and environmental change.
In principle, DE and ESD should empower people to take action on the issue being explored (Regan, 1999).
Check our the resources below for further information
This booklet by RCE-Ireland shows examples of ESD...[Download]
Schools Against Climate Change - "SEAL THE DEAL"
Rainforests -The Burning Issue - This beautifully illustrated book tell you all you need to know about Rainforests [Download]
A nicely presented (award winner) hands-on board has wood samples and a CD-Rom...[More...]
Set of 4 colourful posters in Irish and English...[More...]
Now go to the hands-on, Wood of Life Exhibition micro-site
New Report Launched - 19th January 2010
Launch of the 2010 Education for All Global Monitoring Report [overview] [full report].
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, launch the 2010 EFA Global Monitoring Report, Reaching the marginalized, at UN headquarters in New York on 19 January