Education is crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goals!

In the 2030 Agenda, the member states of the United Nations unanimously defend this claim.

What do you think? Do you even know SDGs ? If you are from the political public sphere, then you surely heard of them. If you come from the field of education (of adults), you have definitely already come across them, especially if you have participated in an international project focused on sustainability topics. If you are an ordinary citizen, you are probably already pursuing them, or at least one of them, without realising it. The goals of sustainable development are very worldly and cover almost all areas. Nevertheless, because of their global reach, they sometimes seem foreign, distant. It is, therefore, our responsibility to ‘domesticate’ them, internalise them and help achieve them.

SDGs address three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental), and their implementation is based on partnerships of relevant stakeholders. There are 17 goals, and they have 170 targets. The fourth goal concerns the provision of inclusive and equitable quality education for all and promoting lifelong learning. I firmly believe that all other SDGs are closely linked to the latter because only with new knowledge and skills and an in-depth understanding of small and global issues will we be able to eradicate poverty, use natural resources consciously, ensure sustainable consumption and production etc. — to mention only a few. The key message of the 2030 Agenda is that development must not leave anyone behind!

Let us narrow down our view a bit, namely to the target 4.7, which is at the same time the definition of global (to some extent also lifelong) learning. This goal states: by 2030, we must ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

In Slovenia, the SLOGA Platform is responsible for the implementation of SDGs in partnership with others. They coordinate the global network, a coalition of organisations and individuals committed to promoting education on global learning, mainly with the intent to achieve the target 4.7 of sustainable development. One of the products of the Bridge 47 project in which they participate is the so-called SDG Talks — Sustainable Development Goals Implementation Talks. I recently participated in this talk in collaboration with Gašper Hrastelj, the Director of the UNESCO Office at MESS and Secretary-General of the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO. The conversation was moderated by Patricija Virtič and Adriana Aralica from SLOGA.

First, Gašper and I described the world we want in 2030 and agreed that long-term goals must be visionary and courageous and that we must be committed but also realistic in achieving them. Gašper presented the role of the United Nations and especially UNESCO in strengthening quality ALE for all. I spoke on the efforts of the SIAE and partners in establishing a culture of lifelong learning by highlighting the role of LLW, in which SLOGA also participates. Multigenerationalism and multiculturalism, formal and non-formal education, the importance of partnerships with non-governmental organisations — these are just some of the topics we spoke about in our almost one-hour long exchange of views. We hope we have contributed to raise the awareness of global and lifelong learning, sustainable development goals and what each of us can contribute. You be the judge!

On the website, there are some more videos (in Slovenian) with interesting interlocutors worth watching.

Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE