The Regional Center of Expertise (RCE) Yogyakarta held a workshop and expo on Sunday, October 29, at Wisma MM UGM.
The event carried the theme “Implementation Strategies of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to Support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
The workshop aimed to gather educators, practitioners, teachers, government representatives, communities, and individuals who have implemented ESD sustainably.
Sustainable development is necessary as an effort to meet current needs without neglecting the needs of future generations.
Higher education serves as a center of information and learning for students and the general public, playing a crucial role in solving various issues in society, such as natural disasters, climate change, changes in disease transmission patterns, prolonged drought, widespread floods, and other problems resulting from human actions deviating from a sustainable natural system.
Efforts to change the mindset and behavior of the community to stop destructive behavior and initiate the development of awareness, abilities, and willingness to improve unsustainable conditions need to be carried out.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is one of the necessary learning methods to address the above problems.
It can be implemented through formal, informal, and non-formal education to provide knowledge, awareness, and abilities while improving behavior toward sustainability.
In this context, as professional scientists and educators, university lecturers play a crucial role in transforming, developing, and disseminating science, technology, and art based on ESD through education, research, and community service.
Therefore, UGM, as a pioneer in implementing ESD in Indonesia, needs to disseminate this concept among the community, within the campus environment, and the general public.
Universitas Gadjah Mada, as the coordinator of RCE Yogyakarta, has implemented Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that synergize with community empowerment activities.
Support from all stakeholders is essential to enhance and reaffirm the joint commitment to ESD implementation. Therefore, a meeting of ESD activists or practitioners is needed to share experiences and discuss the implementation of ESD with the right strategies.
The workshop featured two speakers, Dr. Didik Wardaya, Head of the Yogyakarta Education, Youth, and Sports Office, and Agung Prasetya, Project Associate (Learning) at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Various communities were invited to this event, including village apps communities, inclusive education communities, marginal education communities, communities addressing plastic issues, and more.
After the workshop, a discussion session among participants was conducted, divided into three clusters: education and social, economic and agriculture, and environment and energy.
The last session presented the discussion results that would serve as a basis for implementing programs and collaborative activities.
Professor Nanung Agus Fitriyanto, Head of the UGM Sub-Directorate of Community Service Program, stated that the Earth cannot be the responsibility of one or two people but requires all elements to strengthen each other.
“The existence of this routine activity can maintain the enthusiasm of ESD activists or practitioners because meeting in this forum allows for mutual sharing and influences others positively,” Professor Fitriyanto said.
“Moreover, the current issue is waste, so we can think together, meet together, and share action plans about what activities will be carried out in collaboration with all parties.”
Amin Susiatmojo, Head of the UGM Sub-Directorate of Community Empowerment, hopes that through this activity, participants can gain experience and input about activities in the community.
“Saving the Earth is not only from the physical side but also from a thinking perspective and others. Together, even from these small movements, new generations can emerge,” he added.
“In the end, there will be many regenerations carried out by communities, which indirectly will develop informal education. This will support formal education conducted by elementary, junior high, high school, or university.”
Author: Rifai