E2012-03: Participatory Approach to Community Development through Education for Sustainable Development

Abstract

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 recognized education as an important tool for enhancing the attainment of sustainable development. Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 emphasized the role of education in supporting sound decision-making and hence the need to re-orient education and especially Higher Education towards sustainable development. Currently the world is facing increased consumption of resources which is causing climate change and other threats to the natural world and its global life-support systems. This is alongside overpopulation, overconsumption, increased global competition and interdependence, melting ice caps, financial meltdowns, and wars and other threats to security. One of education’s chief roles is to prepare future workers and citizens to deal with the challenges of their times and hence the need for participatory approach to community development through Education for Sustainable development. ESD has emerged as a “new” way to know, a kind of broad, inclusive, holistic understanding. It is looked at as a logical way of knowing that is proper to the domains of information, teaching, and research and community engagement. Educational approaches now are to keep pace with the evolving challenges of sustainable development in the Kenyan communities. This paper aims at discussing participatory approach towards community development through Education for Sustainable Development. It will also look at the strategies of promoting and implementing ESD in order to realize Community development through higher institutions of learning.