As we move into the run up for Rio plus 20 a number of colleagues in the UK are seeking to influence the thinking of key delegates and power brokers (unfortunately the UK delegates are not announced yet). November 1st is the deadline for receiving formal submissions which will be considered for the text to be negotiated at the Summit (compilation text).
The EAUC is asking members to input their views.
http://www.eauc.org.uk/giving_eauc_members_a_powerful_international_vo
It is critically important that the role of education in relation to sustainable development does not slide off the table. My colleague Professor Daniella Tilbury has been engaged in the PreComs and has alerted that there is a real danger that the dialogue is moving away from the Agenda 21 vision and UN DESD, to focus on technical and specialist training approaches (with little reference to learning based change and social community learning). There is still time to influence (sustainability will not be achieved by technical solutions alone – it requires education and behaviour change) and to stress the importance of ESD. You can influence either through EAUC or Education Caucus, or other channels you may have access to
To find out more about the processes leading up to Rio
http://www.earthsummit2012.org/
Or
http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/
If you have ideas about influencing it would be interesting to hear them.
At the same time as the Summit there is a World Symposium on Higher Education and SD. The call for papers is still open
http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=289&menu=27nd
If you are developing research for Rio it would be great to hear about it