Using indigenous education systems for education in sustainability

Description

This strategy involves integrating indigenous education systems—rooted in traditional ecological knowledge, community-based learning, and intergenerational transmission—into mainstream sustainability education. By valuing indigenous practices and worldviews, it addresses the loss of local knowledge, enhances environmental stewardship, and fosters culturally relevant solutions to sustainability challenges. Practical actions include curriculum adaptation, community partnerships, and supporting indigenous educators, thereby remedying gaps in conventional education and promoting resilient, context-specific approaches to sustainable development.

Implementation

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommends that educational authorities should promote proven educational methods and the development of innovative teaching methods for educational settings. They should also recognize appropriate traditional education systems in local communities.