AN ACTION PLAN FOR UNIVERSITIES
From: Creating a Common Future: An Action Plan for Universities. Follow
up to the Halifax Conference on University Action for Sustainable Development,
December 9-11, 1991. Halifax : Lester Pearson Institute for International
Development, Dalhousie University, 1992.
This plan 'model' is strategic in approach --not detailed. It is
intended to provide a clear sense of direction for a number of core activities
to which many others may be added and, of course, from which some may be
subtracted. Examples of other possible activities which originated at the
conference appear in the recommendations which follow this plan.
This plan outline identifies short- and long-term goals at the local
and regional, national, and international levels. The short-term goals are those
to be effected between December 12, 1991 and June, 1992; the longer-term goals
are those which continue past the June 1992 UNCED Conference. While this
preliminary plan focuses on the period leading up to the UNCED Conference, it
also examines some mechanisms for designing longer term strategies.
- LOCAL - REGIONAL FRAMEWORK
- NATIONAL FRAMEWORK
- INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK
The local-regional framework comprises actions which may be instituted
within the university itself, and those which require that the university
interact within the geographic region where it is situated.
Within the university itself, the following actions might be
considered in the short-term: Unit/focal Point Identification: the first step
recommended is to identify a unit or focal point responsible for developing a
sustainable development strategy for the university. Minimally the unit/focal
point would be an individual: ideally the unit should be a small task group
linked clearly to an administrative unit in the university for support purposes.
The unit must work comfortably across the university system --so the working
style will be important. It should not be a new centre or bureaucratic body: it
is simply to be seen as a small task force to help refine and launch these
initiatives. The president of the university should work closely with this unit
to demonstrate personal commitment to the process.
University Sustainable Development Strategy: It is suggested that
within two months of establishment, the sustainable development unit should have
completed an initial sustainable development strategy for its particular
university (i.e. by March 31, 1992 a the latest). The emphasis should be on
actions and results -- not on lengthy papers.
Such a strategy could have two time frameworks:
- up to June 1992;
- longer-term. Some longer-term, outputs can/should be started before June,
1992. A more refined strategy can be designed in the later period (e.g. April -
August 92).
-
- Practical Tasks: It is suggested that, in the initial strategy, a
number of clear and operationally practical tasks be identified. For the
shorter-term, each university strategy might include the following eight
activities:
- A meeting between the president and senior management of the university to
explain the conference and its outcome and to distribute copies of the key
conference papers (including the Halifax Declaration and this follow-up
strategy). The group would determine the best approach for follow-up in their
particular university. It is suggested this be undertaken in January, 1992. The
Board of Governors and also Senate should, it is suggested, be informed of the
process underway and the proposed university specific strategy should be tabled
at senate, once it is drafted.
- A meeting between the president and other university presidents within the
province/state/region should be arranged to explain the conference outcome to
those not represented and to encourage them to endorse the Halifax Declaration
and to participate in this process. Some regional mechanisms for follow-up might
well occur and should be encouraged. It is suggested this should be undertaken
in January 1992. Obviously it can be added to the agenda of routine meetings.
- Each university represented (and endorsing the Halifax Declaration) might
organize at least one substantial public presentation on sustainable development
and the challenge represented by UNCED, at which time reference should also be
made by the organizers to this process. The focus should be on the challenge and
content of sustainable development, not narrowly on the process of UNCED itself.
The sessions might include panelists from several disciplines (sciences, law,
social sciences, arts). Obviously the more ambitious the event(s) the better --
but since this should not be viewed as a single event, but the start of a
process, it is important to make a beginning. The suggested initial session is
before the end of March, 1992, so a maximum number of students can participate.
- Each university might encourage faculty to review their course curricula
and also their research agendas to see how sustainable development might best be
integrated in and between disciplines. This should not be introduced in a "threatening"
way. Special workshops for faculty on sustainable development ideas might be
considered as one way of approaching the situation. (To be started before June,
1992.)
- Each university might sponsor a series of university prizes in sustainable
development, linked to UNCED. They could be for papers contributed by students
and also by faculty from any discipline.
- Each university might review all university linkage projects to explore how
sustainable development elements are being or might be addressed.
- Each university might undertake a review of its own "sustainable
development" impact on the region, e.g. from recycling paper to "green
architecture". This goes beyond a narrow tradition of "environmental
audit", to include a proactive dimension.
- Each university might participate in a "Sustainable Development Day",
linked to UNCED in June, 1992.
These eight activities only represent a
starting approach. Obviously the sustainable development units in each
university might add new activities, drawing from the Recommendations for
Follow-Up to this strategy and adding to it also.
- Within each university in the long term: Proposals for the longer-term are
not identified in this strategic plan, but a number of ideas are listed in the
Recommendations for Follow-Up. A longer-term strategic plan for sustainable
development should be identified as an outcome of the work of the particular
university units for sustainable development and their work. A representative
task force from these universities could be set up to design the draft for a
longer-term strategy to be completed by May 31, 1992 (in advance of UNCED). It
could be along the lines of this initial plan, i.e. some eight or so strategic
steps, with additional recommendations in an annex that can be routinely
enlarged upon as ideas are exchanged within the network of universities. The
strategic steps are likely to include curricula and teaching steps, new or
reinforced research programmes across disciplines, inter-university linkage
arrangements, new approaches with NGOs and governments, etc.
With respect
to the interaction of the university and the local region in the short-term each
university might undertake the following:
- University presidents and representatives from the sustainable development
units might meet with the Minister of the Environment of their province to brief
the Minister on the process underway. Similar meetings could be held with
appropriate representatives of chambers of commerce, NGOs, federal departments,
municipal governments. The precise mechanism would vary from province to
province; for example, while the initial meeting with the responsible minister
would be a special meeting, the other meetings could be through the mechanism of
adding the subject to appropriate conferences that are already being organized,
at lunch-time speeches that the presidents may already be scheduled to give to
Chambers of Commerce, and so on.
- Each university might arrange to give a series of talks in schools on
sustainable development and UNCED.
- Each university might work with the Citizens Support Programme, linked to
the Ministry of the Environment and UNCED, in order to contribute ideas and help
make it effective.
- Each university might meet with local NGOs to see how they can work
effectively together for sustainable development (e.g. see the ideas in the
Recommendations for Follow-Up re: possibilities in cooperation with the Red
Cross).
- Each University might meet with representatives of key sectors in the
province (e.g. banks, forest industry representatives) to work out ways to
cooperate for sustainable development
- Each university might meet with local town/city councils to see how they
might cooperate in support of sustainable development.
- [Action Plan | The Halifax
Declaration]
The national framework comprises both actions within the national university
community, and the role of the universities within the national fabric.
Within the national university community, in the short-term where
there are overall bodies representative of the national community of
universities, they might be encouraged to establish a sustainable development
advisory group which would comprise a mix of university presidents and members
of the sustainable development units. The groups should meet by March 1992 at
the least, to review progress at the national level -- following up on the
Halifax Conference and preparing both for UNCED and for a longer-term
sustainable development national university-wide strategy. This could be an
integrative process linked clearly with the various university strategies for
sustainable development.
A list of possible shorter and longer-term outputs appears in the
Recommendations for Follow-Up, from which to make a start. In the Canadian
context, the body responsible for this work will presumably be the AUCC. In the
case of Canada, the secretariat of the AUCC will be drafting a preliminary set
of goals and strategic plan for the AUCC regarding sustainable development.
With respect to the role of the universities within the nation, in the
short-term, both individually and through the appropriate national body (e.g.
AUCC), the universities might draw up a number of activities in support of
sustainable development at the national level.
Four particular activities are suggested:
- Work with the national (Canadian) delegation for UNCED, preparatory to
UNCED.
- Review the key public policy documents on sustainable development and write
critiques of them both to assist the sponsor (e.g. CIDA) and by way of
encouraging public awareness and interest
- Support national citizen participation programmes through the provision of
skills and advocacy.
- Approach the national media services (e.g. CBC) to identify practical ways
the universities can contribute to national programmes on sustainable
development.
A longer-term strategy will need to be prepared by the
national bodies (e.g. AUCC).
- [Action Plan | The Halifax
Declaration]
At the international level, universities in the short-term, could take the
following actions:
- Support the President of the IAU, in cooperation with UNU, to represent the
international university community at UNCED.
- Establish an appropriate international council for sustainable development
linked coherently to the IAU. IAU to draft a proposed mandate, in cooperation
with UNU and Halifax Conference organizers.
- Endorse the idea and assist the Rector of the University of Rio de Janerio
in his proposal to organize a parallel university conference to UNCED
- Push to have environmental education placed higher on the UNESCO agenda.
- Promote the concept that a major international prize in sustainable
development be initiated.
- Build sustainable development concepts into all the international linkage
programmes of those universities present and signatories to the Halifax
Declaration drawing upon the key principles found in the EMDI model, insofar as
these are appropriate. Develop new programmes in sustainable development between
the universities at the conference.
A longer-term strategy will need to be
prepared -- presumably the proposed international council might be responsible
for this and it would build on the UNCED lessons.
- [Action Plan | The Halifax
Declaration]