4 - What Does It Mean to ‘Thrive’ – Globally?

Summary

Our thriving depends upon having a livable planet. This is threatened by three phenomena: climate crisis, resource depletion and destruction of biodiversity. The climate crisis is undiminished and international efforts to coordinate a response have not so far succeeded. Students now perceive this to be a direct threat to their futures. The depletion of resources such as fresh water and soil, set against increased human consumption is also a threat; as is the rate of species extinction and biodiversity loss. Earth's thriving must be as central to the purpose of schools as that of individuals and societies. There are some small signs that we are starting to reverse the worse trends and become better stewards of our ecosystems, but there is much more to be done. This is shared work and demands international cooperation and 'global competence'. We need to enrich this concept to prepare young people for a world after globalisation and where migration will be an ongoing reality. The learning goals arising from these considerations are: learning how to live sustainably; protecting the Earth's ecosystem; acquiring global competence.