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Mr. Marc Lortie, Ambassador of Canada to FranceMr. Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the OECD Mr. Paul-Henri Lapointe, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the OECD for CanadaMr. Gil Rémillard, Founding President, International Economic Forum of the Americas/Conference of Montréal
First of all I would like to thank Ambassador Lortie and his colleagues at the Canadian Embassy for welcoming us in this beautiful setting. Their generosity reflects their appreciation of the importance of the book we are launching today.
A truly unique and productive partnership underpinned the publication of our book on education, training and sustainabilityone. The OECD, UNESCO, the International Economic Forum of the Americas and the Canadian Council on Learning all collaborated on the preparation of this volume.
The subject matter is far from new. On the contrary, the three imperatives we discuss in this volume are at the very heart of what concerns the four organizations, though from different perspectives. The contribution of this book lies in the fact that it contemplates the three imperatives from a standpoint that focuses on what unites them.
The fundamental role of education in human and social development is recognized in a plethora of international conventions.
Sustainability began as a concept that was primarily associated with the environment, according to which nature was to be harvested in a way that harmed neither its productivity nor its resilience. This concept has been expanded and now encompasses the social and economic infrastructure that determines a society’s capacity to maintain itself in a rapidly transforming global context.
In the past, the predominant discourse was characterized by the assumption that the objectives of development and sustainability were often in conflict with each other. And despite mounting evidence of their complementarity, research in the fields of social and environmental sustainability is still progressing on parallel tracks.
Sustainable social development involves both the individual and the community. Investment in the two elements consolidates social capital: skills, creativity, networks, shared values, as well as political institutions founded on cooperation that are in a position to make decisions. Sustainable social development—which includes education and training—strengthens a society’s capacity to ensure sustainability on the environmental front.
Undeniably, sustainable social development must involve the pursuit of three interrelated ideals: the sound management of the biosphere; the establishment of an economic paradigm that conserves the planet’s resources; and the establishment of systems focused on the well-being of humans, within which harmony between nature and humanity constitutes an essential concern.
This book is aimed at pushing the analysis further than a simple critique of current affairs. We wanted to cover three elements—education, training and sustainability—from the perspective of their interdependence. We are not trying to provoke a debate with the publication of this book. The debate on the confluence of these elements is already taking place. We are aiming rather to make a tangible contribution to the process so that convergence can become a reality in public policies and daily practices.
Education, training and sustainability: three lines of thought that we want to integrate into national and international society.
Thank you so much for joining us this evening. Your presence shows that you share this vision and this objective.
Every day, we see signs that our way of life is taking a severe toll on our planet. In June 2008, the Conference of Montreal devoted a full day to the theme of sustainable development.
This book is a collection of the presentations on this subject made by leaders from major international organizations and the world of business, as well as researchers directly engaged in the quest for sustainability. The goal of this publication is to provide accessible information and thought-provoking ideas that will stimulate broader dialogue on innovative approaches to achieve sustainable development.
Articles in this book include:
Education: Prerequisite for a Sustainable Society
Dr. Paul Cappon President and CEO of the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL)
Sustainable Development, Innovation and Competitiveness: Squaring of the Circle or a Virtuous Circle
Jérôme Bindé Director of the Division of Foresight at UNESCO
Settling Social Issues Through Education and Training
Angel Gurría Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD)
Reconciling Communication, Information Technologies and Sustainability
Christine Ockrent Executive Director, Société de l’audiovisuel extérieur de la France
The Harsh Reality of Unsustainable Development
Rosalía Arteaga Serrano President, Fundación FIDAL Executive Director, Fundación Natura Regional Former President of Ecuador Former Secretary-General of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO)
Reconciling Sustainability with Innovation and Competiveness
Dennis Meadows President, Laboratory for Interactive Learning and Professor Emeritus for Systems Policy, University of New Hampshire
Our Ontario Neighbours: Education, Training and Sustainability
The Honourable Madeleine Meilleur Minister of Community and Social Services, Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs of Ontario
Sustainability and Competitiveness
Jean Lemierre Former President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Ecological Measures: Industrial Success
Andrew Ferrier Chief Executive Officer of Fonterra, New Zealand
Education and Training in Relation to the Environment: Creating a Dynamic of Social Resilience
Lucie Sauvé, Ph.D. Holder of the Canada Research Chair in Environmental Education Université du Quebec a Montréal (UQAM)
Settling Social Inequalities
Donald Kaberuka President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)
Strategies for Sustainable Development
Gérard Mestrallet Chairman and CEO of GDF SUEZ
Living Together in a Globalized World: The Importance of Rethinking our Values and Culture
Michéle S. Jean President, Canadian Commission for UNESCO
To receive your copy of Education, Training and Sustainability, please contact us.
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