Roger Petry

Saskatchewan's (Canada) Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the unique collaborative process initiated at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada, to develop a Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) through the United Nations University-Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS). Design/methodology/approach – The innovative aspects of developing RCE Saskatchewan are elaborated as a function of regional characteristics and features. The founding members used a unique combination of facilitation methods and technology to establish a flexible governance model in support of ESD themes defined by participating members. The paper provides a critical analysis of the governance structure and educational approaches supported by RCE Saskatchewan. Findings – The strength-based model, in conjunction with open meetings and online discussion, has proven to be a highly effective method for establishing an organization in which members have diverse expertise and affiliation. The process used to develop the RCE was democratic, inclusive and transparent. Each member and member group contributes existing knowledge, with the common goal of advancing research on ESD as part of a regional and global network. The RCE was established in just over one year, a testament to the efficiency of the process. The web site provides a flexible host for the RCE virtual structure, facilitating communication within and between groups, documentation, announcements/postings, and the creation of searchable research databases with local and global public access. Flexibility of the governance model and partnerships with higher education institutions ensures long-term sustainability. The use of non-traditional educational modes (non-formal and informal) has accelerated ESD awareness in the region, and their combination with formal education leads to programs that span different sectors. Originality/value – This paper outlines the process developed by the founding members of RCE Saskatchewan to mobilise people, organizations and resources during the de novo establishment of an organization dedicated to promoting ESD. The virtual home and governance model, taken together, describe a completely unique structure that ensures long-term sustainability for RCE Saskatchewan. Combining educational modes has so far proven successful in promoting ESD.

Building Regional Capacity for Sustainable Development through an ESD Project Inventory in RCE Saskatchewan, Canada

The Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development in Saskatchewan (RCE Saskatchewan, Canada) is part of the United Nations University RCE Initiative in support of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–14). With funding from the Government of Saskatchewan’s Go Green Fund, RCE Saskatchewan carried out research identifying education for sustainable development (ESD) projects within six priority areas for sustainability in its Canadian prairie region. This ESD capacity assessment was conducted by eight post-secondary students from late 2007 to 2009 and resulted in a searchable database and visual representation (map) of these ESD projects along with ongoing documentation of project milestones and processes. The database has become a useful tool assisting networking of Saskatchewan ESD providers, researchers and participants. This article describes the importance of the inventory in advancing the RCE, the project conception and management, the processes utilised for its successful completion (including descriptions of the technology utilised), the project findings and their implications. It concludes that for an RCE with minimal resources, an ESD project inventory employing student researchers within a higher education setting using Free/Open Source technologies is a cost-effective way of advancing the networking and capacity-building goals of an RCE.

RCE Saskatchewan The Canadian Prairies Create Synergy for Urban and Rural ESD

Saskatchewan, Canada, is a province with strong traditions of volunteerism and innovation. In 2001, 36 per cent of its 1 million population was rural, though this was significantly lower than in 1951 when it was 70 per cent (Statistics Canada 2005). Saskatchewan is experiencing higher population growth in urban than in rural regions. Many rural communities are developing methods to attract migrants and retain their current population by taking advantage of the current resource booms and tourism. Rural programs aimed at education for sustainable development (ESD) are typically more integrated and smaller in scale than those in urban centres. The smaller-scale ESD in rural communities provides a greater capability to innovate more rapidly, while urban centres have entrenched political and market interests, regulatory boundaries and economic barriers to change. Using an inclusive and transparent structure, the Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) for ESD in Saskatchewan focuses heavily on cooperation between rural and urban communities. Integrative strategies, with objectives spanning both rural and urban areas, are advanced using a nontraditional, nonhierarchical governance model. A flexible structure gives participants the freedom to explore research topics and activities of interest originally within six ESD theme areas collectively identified. The governance model recognises that some centralised decision-making is important, but that these mechanisms must be responsive to members in a flexible way.

Shepherding Sustainable Development: Possible Lessons on Leadership from Judaism and the Early Christian Church

The rise of the humanities in the early sixteenth century in Northern Europe occurs with new trilingual colleges designed to teach greater proficiency in the Biblical languages of Hebrew, Greek and Latin. Through this more accurate study of ancient texts, humanist scholars developed not only a greater understanding of the classical world but also advanced a humanist ethics and new forms of leadership. This chapter unites these early humanist pursuits in the service of sustainable development by examining a model of rule repeatedly expressed in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, namely that of the shepherd. The nature of this form of rule, particularly in the early Christian Church, is explored as a possible model of leadership for sustainable development. While this ancient ecclesiastical governance model inverted Roman power relationships, it still retained a role for centralized authority expressed in the early office of bishop. The chapter will also explore parallels between the formation of early bishoprics in the Roman Empire and the kinds of leadership found in Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

Overcoming Traditional Boundaries in Advancing Education for Sustainable Development

Objectives of education for sustainable development (ESD) require interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to build and sustain momentum, activity, and research. The current study region is characterized by low population density, diverse geography, and extreme climate, requiring that significant challenges are recognized and overcome to respond to opportunities for developing and incorporating ESD in formal and informal educational environments. In response to these and other challenges, the citizens of Saskatchewan (SK) boast the highest per capita rate of volunteerism in Canada and a tradition of institutionalizing progressive social values. Here, we examine how ESD research in SK has been advanced through a multi-stakeholder network, incorporating volunteerism and progressivity. We analyze the establishment of RCE SK through grassroots discussion, its development, and its decentralized, collegial, and democratic structure which transcends barriers to ESD. The structure of RCE SK provides a basis for non-traditional collaboration, enabling novel interdisciplinary projects, research, educational opportunities, and community service. The model breaks down traditional boundaries and barriers in the region, specifically those associated with academic, community (urban/rural), and cultural divides. The multi-stakeholder, voluntary model enables broad organizational and public engagement, and new forms of scholarship that are reinforced by academic freedom, transparent processes, and broad participation. The outcomes and impacts of specific case studies highlight the ability of RCE SK to rapidly respond to emerging regional opportunities for ESD which require multiple partners.