Talloires Talk & Walk Schedule for 2007

"Biodiversity - research and action at UNE"

September is Biodiversity Month. The 7th of September is National Threatened Species Day.

This day was first held in 1996 to commemorate the death of the last Tasmanian Tiger in captivity in 1936 in Hobart zoo. The concept was developed by the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Commonwealth Government's Natural Heritage Trust to showcase Australian threatened species.

By focusing attention on the plight of many of our threatened animals and plants, Threatened Species Day aims to encourage greater community support and hands-on involvement in the prevention of further losses of Australia's unique natural heritage. It also promotes biodiversity conservation and education, in line with the goals of the Talloires Declaration to which UNE is a signatory.

Many staff and students at UNE work on biodiversity and threatened species. Although the concept of biodiversity is primarily biological, there is also value in diversity at a range of levels. Threats to these other forms of diversity (e.g., cultural, ideological and educational diversity) potentially endanger biodiversity conservation through human apathy and ignorance.

Click here for the press release from the Armidale Express

Sustainable Development high on universities agenda

On 8th August, 2006, the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee (AVCC) released a policy on Education for Sustainable Development.

The AVCC policy encourages its members to adopt the following principles:
create an appropriate institutional culture of sustainable development through benchmarking and the sharing of good practice;
build capacity in the community by educating the next generation of professionals and leaders to become fully aware of sustainability:
- for students, consider embedding elements of sustainability at appropriate levels in academic programs;
- for staff, consider implementing Professional Development programs on sustainability themes;
have a clearly enunciated policy on sustainable development for all capital works, including the building of new as well as the refurbishment of existing infrastructure;
engage with schools, industry and communities in partnership and projects which promote sustainable development; and
undertake research which will strengthen sustainable development and education for sustainable development.
Later in the year the AVCC will undertake a survey of members to assess take-up of the principles and identify implementation issues. Information derived from the survey will be used as the basis for any further policy development.

To view a copy of the AVCC policy visit www.avcc.edu.au/sustainability

Did you know that -

UNESCO Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (DESD),  is running from 2005 - 2015.

UNESCO wants to create what it sees as 'a new vision' of education, which respects the dignity of everyone's human rights and gives a commitment to social and economic justice for all. It involves a commitment to intergenerational responsibility, respect and care for the diversity of earth's ecosystems and the desire to build a culture of tolerance, non-violence and peace. (IDEC, 2006).

"Sustainable development is perhaps more a moral precept than a scientific concept , linked as much with notions of peace, human rights and fairness as with theories of ecology or global warning. While sustainable development involves the natural sciences, policy and economics, it is primarily a matter of culture: it is concerned with the values people cherish and with the ways in which we perceive our relationship with others and with the natural world." (UNESCO, 2002: 7)

UNESCO (2002) Education for Sustainability: Lessons Learnt from a Decade of Commitment from Rio to Johannesburg. Report to World Summit on Sustainable Development, UNESCO, Paris.

The following URL has been sourced which provides access to the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education with articles available from the beginning of 2000.

Also, have you visited this education site yet - http://www.deh.gov.au/education/