Development Education

Global issues increasingly touch all our lives as we try to make sense of a world marked by division, conflict, climate change, and extreme inequality and poverty.

European NGDOs see development education as essential in tackling these issues. They define development education as:
“an active learning process, founded on values of solidarity, equality, inclusion and co-operation. It enables people to move from basic awareness of international development priorities and sustainable human development, through understanding of the causes and effects of global issues, to personal involvement and informed actions of European citizens and public institutions. The concept of development education is a complex and multidisciplinary, taking different forms across the EU, including awareness raising, formal, non formal and informal education, life-long learning, campaigning, advocacy, training and learning. It involves a diverse range of players, predominantly non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs), trade unions, educators, the media and public institutions.
(CONCORD Statement on Development Education and Awareness Raising, November 2004, http://www.deeep.org/english/europe/concord/statement/index.php)
 
Formal Education and Schools

Global issues are having an increasing impact on our lives, and children and young people are entitled to an education that prepares them for present and future opportunities and challenges.

Educators internationally have developed expertise over the last thirty years and today there are various frameworks and resources to help teachers bring development education into the curriculum.

The field of development education is constantly evolving and no global school will look the same as another, however most global educators have a shared belief in social justice and equity, a willingness to engage critically with these key principles and to identify good practice in learning and teaching.