Search results for "Politics"
showing 10 items of 2266 documents
Education for Sustainable Development: A University Perspective
2021
Universities have a number of functions in developing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): conducting study/teaching process themselves, participation in the development of study materials for other fields of studies, involvement in the development of study methods, as well as a responsibility for Sustainable Development Science. An equally important role of universities in the ESD process is the “training of trainers”—preparation of new teachers, who are aware of the need to promote the sustainable development process, are equipped with a systemic understanding of processes in the society and natural world, and know the local culture and traditions. The Aichi-Nagoya Declaration on …
Smartness, Sustainability and Resilience: Are They Related?
2019
In the imminent future, cities have to face not only an increasing urbanization but also the negative consequences of natural and human disasters. From this point of view, a city should be considered as vulnerable to climate change and other natural negative events. Thus, the challenge of a city consists in remaining on a sustainable development path. To reach this object the concepts of smartness, sustainability and resilience for a city should be intertwined. Starting from the analysis of a bright city as an integrated approach, the aim of this study consists in propose a first framework of an index which should include sustainable, smartness and resilient indicators. Integrating and meas…
Sustainable Development and Transition Management: A New Approach for European Peripheral Areas
2020
This paper on Europe as a sustainable economy and its policy for peripheral areas contributes to the analysis on the relationship between Transition Management and new approaches to regional development. It follows that regions are different ecosystems which require not only conventional macroeconomic visions for development processes, but also a precise spatial approach based on different levels of geographical aggregation. The physical environment, therefore, becomes a useful element not only to analyze the transition mechanisms, but also as a constitutive part of economic, social and environmental changes in the short, medium, and long term. A number of interesting aspects are examined a…
Political Challenges, Best Practices and Recommendations for Energy Sustainable Municipalities
2016
Integrated system solutions, together with improved management of municipal infrastructure and environments, are essential to address energy challenges. A number of aspects should be examined and developed, including eco-cycle models demonstrating integrated solutions for energy, waste and water, integrated land use and transportation, ecosystems planning, sustainable building design, and strategies to reduce air pollution. It is imperative to apply the principles of sustainable development and support smart solutions today if we are not to compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs tomorrow. We should think of urban systems as living organisms and find synergies betwe…
The role of public awareness campaigns in sustainable development
2017
The concept of sustainable development has been present in political discourse for many years. Striving to achieve it has become a worldwide priority. Success in this field depends not only on the right government policies. It is also a matter of society engagement. There are different direct and indirect tools intended to promote and reinforce positive changes in social attitudes. Among the most important ones are public awareness campaigns. The aim of the article is to present the ways in which they can contribute to sustainable development and how their positive impact should be properly assessed.
Cultivating cultural sustainability in farming practices
2018
The aim of this chapter is to explore agricultural practices and their sustainability, in order to analyse the essence and dynamics of culture in relation to sustainable development. We ask, what should sustain in culture and what does culturally sustainable development entail? We identified three core qualities of sustainability in farming: fertility, diversity and continuity. They are bound together and shaped by rationalization related to the feasible functioning of the farming system and appreciation judging the desirability and quality of the practices. We discuss the ways the model explaining the sustainability of agricultural practices can be used to inform the essence of culture in …
THE INFLUENCE OF CONTRARIANS AND OPPORTUNISTS ON THE STABILITY OF A DEMOCRACY IN THE SZNAJD MODEL
2004
Sznajd-Weron and Sznajd introduced a model investigating the democratic development in a closed community. This model is based on the USDF-principle ("united we stand, divided we fall"). However, it faces the problem that the system tends either to a dictatorship (i.e., 100% pro or 100% contra) or to a stalemate state (i.e., exactly 50% pro, 50% contra). Based on their model, I will show that a democratic system keeps alive due to the existence of both opportunists and persons in opposition.
Pre-service Science Teacher Preparation in Europe: Comparing Pre-service Teacher Preparation Programs in England, France, Finland and Cyprus
2015
A number of reports recently identify that the quality of science education in a number of European countries is lower than expected. One of the reasons for the apparent underachievement in this generally economically prosperous continent might be a pedagogy of science that lacks variety, or a pedagogy that is less engaging than other subjects. Given the diversity of European education systems, the purpose of this paper is to present aspects of four pre-service teacher preparation programs illustrating the similarities and differences that emerge. Specifically, we present the teacher preparation programs in England, Finland, France and Cyprus.
Dominating, Protecting, Creating. A Philosophical Essay about Utopianist Attitudes
2017
La cuestión medioambiental acapara cada día la atención internacional y condiciona en buena medida las fantasías condenatorias de la sociedad actual. Persistentemente se nos anuncian finales del mundo y escenarios apocalípticos brotados de la venganza de la naturaleza, víctima, se cuenta, del progreso irresponsable y devastador del ser humano. En este artículo pretendemos reflexionar filosóficamente en torno a los impactos de la acción humana sobre el mundo físico adoptando como objeto de estudio las actitudes de la utopía ante la naturaleza. Nuestra intención principal es la de sugerir una aproximación utopista a los problemas ecológicos que haga frente, por igual, a las contraindicaciones…
Academic domains as political battlegrounds: A global enquiry by 99 academics in the fields of education and technology
2017
WOS: 000401148100005