Conference on environmental education in Europe

'Thinking and acting outside the box - a European contribution to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development' is the theme of the 10th conference on environmental education in Europe (CEEE) which is being held at the Foundation for International Studies, Valletta, from Wednesday to Sunday.

CEEE has traditionally attracted different actors in the field of education for sustainable development from all over Europe and beyond - from national governmental bodies to local authorities to grassroots movements to academics - helping to bring together different interests and concerns and acting as a crucible for emerging challenges and trends.

CEEE 2008 aims to provide an opportunity for an in-depth analysis of current educational practice in line with the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD). The challenges of sustainable development will require a radical, methodological change in the way (environmental) education is carried out and thus perceived by society.

By combining with efforts on specific issues such as climate change, poverty eradication and biodiversity, CEEE 2008 offers individuals working in and researching about environmental education the chance to meet with colleagues to define more clearly the role of environmental education in specific fields of sustainable development and share experiences of good practice. It is also a laboratory of different methodologies addressing diverse audiences and contexts. The conference will explore and propose a set of actions that will need to be undertaken to further develop environmental education in Europe.

The conference is being organised by the European Foundation for Education and Sustainable Development (European ESD-net) in collaboration with the University of Malta's Centre for Environmental Education and Research, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. For further information contact Paul Pace on e-mail paul.j.pace@um.edu.mt or Lucienne Bugeja on e-mail conferences@fis.com.mt or tel. 2123 4571.