Project Summary and History

More Information About CEGA Project Summary and History China Environmental Global Alliance Agreement Remarks of Madam Deng Nan upon receiving the 1997 Safari Planet Earth Award Press Release Article in China Daily

The historic United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), "The Earth Summit" which was convened in Rio in 1992 resulted in the emergence of a global consensus regarding the urgent need for sustainable development. The Chinese government in an attempt to respond effectively to the principles of UNCED drafted the worlds first national "Agenda 21", an environmental "strategic plan" to formulate medium and long-term economic and social development plans at the local and national level.

Two important components of China's Agenda 21 program are the education of youth in environmental awareness and the training of government officials to develop an understanding of environmental issues, as an educated populace is key for the successful achievement of the many goals of sustainable development. To this end, the State Science And Technology Commission (SSTC) and Global Communications for Conservation Inc. (GCC), a New York based not-for-profit organization, have launched the "China Environmental Global Alliance "(CEGA). This project will analyze the existing structure of Chinese education at the primary, secondary and University levels, assess the current status of environmental education in these school systems, consolidate the best environmental education in practice in North America today, and present an environmental education curriculum for implementation in China.

The initiative will train "master teachers" who will be selected to participate in a series of collaborative workshops with U.S. experts, where prototype curricula modules and course material will emerge. Great care will be taken to develop a highly participatory process, taking into account China's cultural, social, environmental and economic conditions. Key schools will be targeted in Beijing to "field test " the curriculum, modify the course materials where necessary and then distribute the curriculum to selected schools in China. Teachers will also be selected to assist in the training of Government officials in a course on environmental awareness. These officials will be identified by the State Science and Technology Commission (SSTC) in conjunction with other ministries. A key criterion for selection will be the impact that the decisions of such officials may have on the global environment.

The China International Training Center for Sustainable Development (CITCSD) will provide ongoing environmental education training to selected government officials not otherwise involved in environmental issues. In these sessions, the officials will learn about the many advanced, sustainable technologies available, as well as a broad array of ecological principles which can serve as an important foundation for the implementation of sustainable practices nationwide in China.

---

Search | Contact Us
Copyright GCCI