Sustainable development: mapping different approaches
Hopwood, Bill, Mary Mellor, and Geoff O’Brien. Sustainable development 13, no. 1 (2005): 38-52.
In Harris (2004), which introduces peace education (another piece I have summarised in this library), the author discusses sustainable development as a subject within the remit of peace education, as environmental security is becoming more prominent as the world continues to struggle with climate change. The Harris piece only briefly touches on this subject, so I decided to read more about sustainable development theory and practices.
This piece discusses different views in sustainable development theory on the relationship between the environment and civil rights, which is significant because climate change disproportionately affects those in the global south despite the countries of the global north being the primary producers of greenhouse gases. The article discusses the importance of various actors in facing the issue of climate change and considers methods to mobilise governments and transnational corporations which need to change their activities to prevent climate disaster. The article also discusses more extreme theories which prioritise the natural world to the extent of disregarding the importance of civil rights, in contrast to those which see sustainable development as a means to create a more equal society for those who have been oppressed. The article gives a good overview of the challenges sustainable development faces as both a subject and a practice, with divisions similar to those between peace practitioners and academics. Climate change is causing huge security concerns globally and this is only becoming more prevalent in areas where natural resources such as water is depleting. As we enter an age where climate migration is becoming the norm, it is clear that Sustainable Development is an essential topic to be taught in peace education.
The authors’ final words in the article discuss the importance of media to help spread awareness of issues across the world through various means. Coming back to the Yashmon and Yashmon article also in this library, comics could be an effective medium for educating people about Sustainability issues.