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renewal of the award after two years. They then have to
meet stricter criteria so that participating projects are
motivated to constantly improve their quality.
Ideally, the projects foster a concept of ESD that can
be described as the acquisition of Gestaltungskompetenz
(‘shaping competence’), that is, the specific capacity to act
and to solve problems. Learners who possess this compe-
tence can help through active participation to modify
and shape the future of society, and to guide its social,
economic, technological and ecological changes along the
lines of sustainable development. ESD, thus understood,
promotes the following specific competencies:
• To gather knowledge in the spirit of openness, inte-
grating new perspectives
• To think and act in a forward-looking manner
• To acquire knowledge and act in an interdisciplinary
manner
• To deal with incomplete and overly complex information
• To cooperate in decision-making processes
• To cope with individual dilemmas in decision-making
• To participate in collective decision-making processes
• To motivate oneself as well as others to become active
• To reflect upon one’s own principles and those of
others
• To refer to the idea of equity in decision-making and
in planning actions
• To plan and act autonomously
• To show empathy for and solidarity with the disad-
vantaged.
The application process: how to apply
Projects can apply for an award through a form that
can be downloaded from the German DESD website,
www.bne-portal.de.The coordination unit for the DESD
in Germany, set up by the German Commission for
UNESCO, undertakes an initial review of the applications
and passes them on to a jury composed of ten members
• Projects for senior citizens, where older people are trained to
pass on their ESD-relevant knowledge to the younger generation
• Sustainable student companies
• Art projects in the context of sustainability.
Models for ESD
An Official Decade Project must fulfil the following criteria:
• The project practises ESD in the sense that it provides oppor-
tunities for acquiring the competencies necessary for the active
shaping of a liveable present and future. It relates to the three
dimensions of environmental, economic and social sustainabil-
ity. A link to further aspects of sustainable development, namely
participation, cultural diversity and international understanding,
is desirable
• The project must target at least a local or regional audience,
which must be clearly defined
• The project must lead to at least one specific outcome or
product. The expected contributions to achieving sustainable
development can be specified and demonstrated
• The project must contribute to two of the four objectives of the
German National Plan of Action for the DESD:
1.
Further develop the concept of ESD and broadly spread good
practices
: the project realizes good practice in a clearly
defined area
2.
Link individual players and stakeholders in ESD
: the project
brings together at least two partners to form a strategic alliance
3.
Increase public visibility of ESD
: the project communicates ESD
to a clearly defined target group
4.
Strengthen international cooperation in ESD
: the project promotes
ESD together with at least one international partner.
• The project must have a website that explains that ESD is at the
centre of its activities and that details the specific competencies
that can be acquired.
The overall size of the project is not among the criteria. Small groups
of students with a convincing project can be recognized in the same
way as major initiatives by ministries. Projects can apply for a
Award ceremony in Germany for the 1,000th DESD project
Image: Freya Kettner, DUK