The Earth's well-being is our primary metric and the barometer for which all other human systems feedback loops should be measured and tested. We recognize the quality of human life is interdependent and interrelated with that of the Earth. The Earth's systems are the library and knowledge base for educating the peoples of the world.
Through education that restores our connection with nature and elevates human activity toward a responsible, ethical presence on Planet Earth, where the pursuit and ultimate realization of peace, happiness and well-being are commonly held for all life as a shared value by all, we recommend a commons-based, earth-centered approach for education.
We Recommend
An educational paradigm that provides a template for living in harmony with nature and one another. An Educational framework that aims toward Universal Peace and Happiness as inspired by the Kingdom of Bhutan's GNH principles of:
- Sustainable Economic Development within Planetary Boundaries
- Cultural Promotion that includes informal education and indigenous wisdom
and implementation within a Culture of Peace that creates an educational environment that builds capacity in each child to express their own ideas to create a better world and take action to build it in four basic stages: Feel, Imagine, Do and Share*:
Feel connection to their inner environment and their outer environment learning effective modes of creating harmony within and without through self-responsibility and extending the opportunities for others to do the same; reciprocity; and taking right action to identify root problems and resolve disharmony, create solutions, etc.
Imagine by letting ideas flow unencumbered in words and images; and building upon the ideas of other
Do by listening to interested stakeholders, gathering facts and data related to form, function/usability at both the dimensional and relational levels, evaluation, presentation of data, decision-making, planning, implementation, etc.
Share through putting together a narrative; reflect and share real impacts as ambassadors, ombudspersons and engaged earth peoples
Best Practices for Getting to the Root of the Transformation Needed
- Learning based on Bio-region: Integration of conservation and regenerative design into the curriculum that integrates learning and activities of the school to the status of the Bio-Region and local community they are located. To experience how the natural world specific to their Bio-Region supports every aspect of their lives, explore how nature solves problems and through relationship shapes identity, wellness, and sense of place. Identify and assume responsibilities as a Living Person within ones Bio-Region and the real impacts of ones actions within that Bio-Region.
- Learning Embedded in Real Life. Human life is intimately and inextricably linked to our environment. We begin linking to our external world for our sustenance while in the womb. We are born into a rich inheritance – human life sustained by a living planet. Human life does not proceed in isolation and learning is not done in isolation. The basic sustenance that the Earth provides is a common inheritance to all life expressing here. To navigate life harmoniously, learning aimed at provoking a full on inquiry and engagement with all aspects of planetary life is responsible learning. Using authentic materials and experiences brings the real world into the classroom and learning into the real world. Students are able to apply a range of skills and content knowledge
across domains. Authentic experiences establish relevance to what is being learned in the classroom, allowing learning to be connected to a sense of the inner and outer dynamic of the natural world and dimensional and relational aspects of life across all stratas of human existence, rather than superficial. Learning is superficial when information is memorized and regurgitated to pass a test. Learning is internalized when the student experiences and applies the concepts of skills in a real life situation. They become more motivated when they see the practical application of skills and concepts. Age appropriate Apprenticeships, Internships into Specialized centers of interest, Mastery Sojourn to deeply integrate and study what is of direct interest, Artist or Subject Matter Experts in Residence who can aid students in translating theirexperiential learning into areas of excellence and novelty.
- School Infrastructure for Peace: we recognize that peace as a commons is necessary to implement the historic change needed in our world. The vehicle for peace embedded in the infrastructure of school life places a focus on creating an environment of PEACE and the instrumental agreements for fostering peace within their school community. Students become Peace Ambassadors and Happiness
Heros/Heroines with an appreciation for the quality of school life when peace is a value. They discover and acquire the skillful means to respectfully engage in deeply meaningful conversations of vital importance. They learn to appreciate the time and effort required to attain peace and how quickly conflicts can be resolved when there is a culture of peace present. They learn to discern their responsibilities in the real work of keeping the peace through active engagement in school life. Example: Children in Bhutan created a set of agreements called No Hurtful Name
Calling.
- Transparent Agenda Setting and Safety; Learning is intrinsically linked to emotions. Establishing a safe environment is most essential for learning. A safe environment is created through respectful relationships in school and clarity of assigned tasks. Agenda setting and closing the loop are routines that enable students to know
and understand what is expected of them and how far they have achieved it.
- High Quality Adult Learning (Teacher Education) Student learning in a school is enabled by parent partnerships and high quality adult learning. Since teachers design and facilitate the learning experiences for children, they need to be master craftsmen in
the art of experiential learning and instructional design. This requires continuous professional development to keep abreast of the current research in education as well as content knowledge and inner development of peace and wellbeing.
- Quality Class Time (QTC): A set time at the start of the school day for interpersonal
development that creates the safety and security to clear obstacles to learning and good relations. This is a time for each one to share feelings, opinions, and ideas. The teacher facilitates the interaction so that each thought is respected and valued. The atmosphere that is created is one of trust and closeness amongst the group. This creates a safe environment, ultimately leading to student well-being.
- Quality School Time (QST): A set time weekly where the whole school assembles to appreciate and celebrate shared experiences and individual triumphs, talk about issues of concern, present assembly presentations/performances with a view of sharing children's learning with the whole school community. The main ethos building platform for a school is the assembly. The audience is an active one, learning how to give constructive feedback, to raise questions and doubts and to seek clarification. Through the performances, children learn that when you teach, you learn twice!
- Responsibility for ones Inner State/Environment: Twice daily, 60 second pause or more; school wide to relax in silence, to cultivate noticing ones inner state of being and taking responsibility for ones inner state. The daily activity builds coherency and entrains one toward an inner happiness that creates an environment for peace and wellness, good relations and enhanced learning performance.
- Responsibility of Outer Environment: to recognize the benefits of a pristine natural environment to health and well-being of self and others. Schools Adopt a river, park, strip of highway, etc. within the schools Bio-region to establish an intimate link and bond with nature; give care and attention to the region; experiment with learning from nature.
- Leadership in Action: Citizen engagement and active care for the commons or commoning, student leader elections provide lessons in the four principles of GNH and the development of infrastructures for peace within the microcosm of the school community. Lessons in good governance, leadership, student responsibilities to self, others within the classroom, the school community and local community.
- Linking Students Locally and Globally: Youth Ambassador programs to understand the differing bio-regions and socio-economic conditions of others, build relationships, share and reflect best practices in addressing real life challenges beyond their school and local community. Exchange programs that build capacity using real-life community problem-solving locally related to higher level global problemsolving. Simulation models like Model United Nations, actively engages and teaches students the necessary development for true leadership that moves students from self to world and vice versa. Students
are able to experience different cultures, ideas, and thoughts. Through interactions and dialogues, students expand their vision of how connected they are and ably reflect and learn how to celebrate differences. Sharing their own experiences and learning from others keeps ideas alive and helps them to grow. This helps students reduce the fear of the unknown and allow them to be more competent actors in world that must cohere and collaborate toward peace that allows for an equitable caring and sharing of the planetary commons.
- Link with community: Share ideas with community, discerned the shared values and vision of the community, seek support, listen to ideas of all who have an interest, celebrate; present in public meetings and present to media
- Bias toward Experiential Learning: Learning grounded in the practical dimensions of earth living that brings all the senses and multiple intelligences into the learning process to stimulate and support the unique learning styles of each child allowing them to develop their unique talents and gifts of being, doing, giving and receiving responsibly in their world.
- Parent Partnership The goals, values and processes of a school must be overtly communicated consistently to parents. The Parent Partnership is the various means through which knowledge of the child is shared and partners learn from each other. It strengthens the relationship and understanding between all the stakeholders and increases accountability for the school. When the parent is an active participant in the student’s learning, it creates a sense of overall ownership, pride and wellbeing.
- Student Led Conference The most effective way to augment a learning process is to take ownership – because only ownership brings about the highest degree of motivation. Student Led Conferences are a powerful means to achieve this. Students are put in charge and asked to assume the responsibility of assessing their own learning and reporting on it. Students present their work to their parents, individually, in a formal setting in school. This one-on-one time with parents gives students the opportunity to explain their learning journey highlighting what is meaningful and important to them. This is a paradigm shift from the usual parent teacher conferences in which a student is very often not present. Even if students are present,
they are often silent recipients of evaluation from the teacher. In Student Led Conferences, the student is in charge of the meeting and parents get a more comprehensive picture of their child’s time at school.
Indicators of Real Impact when Earth is the Primary Metric, students:
- know the status of the environment within their bio-region and understand how their bio-region is nested within the biosphere of the earth
- see that the nested sytems and interrelatedness of nature is mirrored in every domain of their lives
- feel a shared responsibility toward care and conservation of the environment and its elements through care for self and
care for others
- find care for the commons as natural and obvious
- know the power of their emotions on
others in their environment
- discover the responsibilities of being an earth citizen
- seek out Pristine
natural areas
- feel good creating real change with others
- feel a sense of belonging and healthy
cultural identity
- display Friendliness and Openness to others
- perform well in their standard course
work
- are open and curious explorers
- take responsibility for what bothers
them
- experience Joy of Giving & Receiving
- exhibit a balanced Service
Orientation
- display Vitality and wellness
- show contentment and acceptance of self and
others
- actively use their imagination to explore questions and innovate
- feel Trust in oneself and
others
- have a sense of being able to face challenges directly
- feel Safety within and without that
empowers
- display a sense of Being an engaged and useful member of their community
- are Eager and show
a preference for working collaboratively
- enjoy a sense of aliveness and preference for time in Nature
- engender Goodwill and appreciate Reciprocity
- value Good Relations and Kindness
- show a
Healthy Respect for Leaders, Elders, other students and self
- use reflection to sort through information and experiences
- feel confident in questioning Unexamined assumptions, cultural norms and traditions
- display empathy and compassion with ease
- good works in the spotlight become infectious and catalytic
- bring their unique gifts confidently forward and invite others to do the same
- laugh more and play with others in friendly, creative ways
- feel confident about their own understanding of their unique self, inherent gifts and both the ability to know what they feel and articulate it well to others to get their needs met (June G.)
- help others to get their needs met through sharing what they have learned
Note: There is a need for migration of
these best practices into the langugage, cultural, social, economic realities of the community in which the schools exists. It is a creative endeavor to aligned with learning that fosters peace, wellness, sufficiency and freedom with Earth's system as a primary metric for the way in which we live and have our being.
The Commons Cluster Major Group submits this SDG on
Educating for the Commons in alignment with all prior agreements and cite in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Happiness as a Greater Role in Development 65/309, International Day of Happiness 66/281, Declaration on a Culture of Peace 53/243 and Harmony with Nature 68/325.
This SDG Educating for the Commons is a synthesis of several key global movements rising up from the grassroots into the foreground and gaining decisive momentum: 1)The Ghandian inspired Design For Change, The Early Learning Centre of Bhutan
and The Riverside School, 2) The Global Ministries and Infrastructures for Peace, 3) The Culture of Peace, 4) Global Citizens, 5) Harmony with Nature, 6) TEF: Transforming Education for the Future and 7) The Kingdom of Bhutan's, GNH Pillar