APPENDIX 22
Memorandum from Global to Local Ltd
GLOBAL TO
LOCAL
Global to Local is a leading sustainable development
consultancy. We have many years experience of working in partnership
with local authorities in the UK and Europe. Further information
may be found on our website: www.globaltolocal.com.
"SAY IT
LOUD!" FESTIVALS
The "Say It Loud!" festivals provide
schools with the opportunity to festivals demonstrate their sustainable
development projects with static displays and live stage presentations.
They provide an example of how education for
sustainable development can be promoted as recommended by your
Committee in its 13th Report (paragraph 122).
The festivals:
— celebrate the achievements of school
projects;
— promote sustainable development education
in schools;
— provide a forum for the exchange
of ideas between schools and the sharing of good practice;
— promote wider public awareness of
the links between the local environment and global development
issues; and
— put sustainable development at the
heart of the National Curriculum, demonstrating cross-curricular
opportunities in IT, Geography; Science, English, Art, Drama,
Citizenship etc.
To fully understand our submission, it is strongly
recommended that reference is made to Appendix 1, which describes
the festival approach in more detail.
HISTORY
The first "Say It Loud" festival,
held in London in Novmber 2002 was devised by the London Environment
Co-ordinators Forum to link the World Summit on Sustainable Development
with the work of London schools on sustainable development. Global
to Local were commissioned as organisers and have since organised
a second festival in London, and festivals in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire
in 2004. The support of the Science Museum and the Royal Geographical
Society (with IBG) has been essential to the success of the Festivals
in London.
BENEFITS
(a) All participating schools are made to
feel that their efforts are valued and important, whether they
have introduced a small recycling scheme or installed a wind turbine.
There are no prizes; no winners and losers. The aim is encourage
both teachers and pupils to build on their achievements.
(b) Schools are expected to share good practice
but in reality this is difficult to achieve. We have found that
teachers welcome this unique opportunity not only to see each
other's projects but also to discuss them in person.
(c) A PDF document of a representative sample
of the projects is produced after the event and is available to
all schools via The Royal Geographical Society's website. This
includes how the projects are linked to the National Curriculum.
(See Appendix 2)
PARTNERSHIPS
Global to Local works in partnership with local
authorities and government offices to organise and promote the
festivals.
The London Festivals were organised for the
London Environment Coordinators Forum (a network of London Borough
Council officers working on sustainable development issues) with
financial assistance from the Government Office for London.
The Festivals in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire
were organised with GOEast (Government Office for the East of
England) with the co-operation of several county councils.
FUNDING
Global to Local is endeavouring to roll-out
the "Say It Loud!" festivals throughout the country
over the next few years. The challenge is to secure funding.
Funding for the London festivals was provided
by The Government Office for London (DEFRA funding), The Royal
Geographical Society (the venue), The Environment Agency, The
Royal Bank of Scotland, several London boroughs and the Capital
Standards Agency.
Funding in the East of England has been provided
by GOEast (DEFRA funding).
The loss of the education criteria from DEFRA's
Environmental Action Plan is very regrettable and may jeopardise
future funding for the festivals.
Funding has always been a problem. Some commercial
sponsorship has been obtained, but the bulk of the funding has
come from DEFRA via the regional government offices, and not from
DfES or DfID. This may reflect the perceptions of other governmental
departments that sustainable development is at best a marginal
part of their activities. This may also be the case for many local
education departments.
CONCLUSION
The United Nations is proposing a Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development 2005-15. The draft implementation
Scheme, published in October this year, has five objectives:
1. Give an enhanced profile to the central
role of education and learning in the common pursuit of sustainable
development.
2. Facilitate links and networking, exchange
and interaction among stakeholders in ESD.
3. Provide a space and opportunity for refining
and promoting the vision of, and transition to sustainable development—through
all forms of learning and public awareness.
4. Foster increased quality of teaching and
learning in education for sustainable development.
5. Develop strategies at every level to strengthen
capacity in ESD.
The "Say It Loud!" Festivals provide
a mechanism for achieving these aims. They require increased support
from national, regional and local government to realise their
full potential.
December 2004
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