Rio+20 and beyond
Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
Learning Curve: Perspective
New Sunday Times - 24-06-2012
REASSESS: The notion of sustainable development must be remodelled and expanded beyond “development” issues
WHEN the 1992 Earth Summit took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil two decades ago, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were 357 parts per million (ppm).
As the recent summit, dubbed "Rio+20" Conference, was remembered in the same city from June 20-22, concentrations averaged at 395ppm, and even reached 400ppm in the Arctic.
Perhaps this is an early indication that over the last 20 years things have not lived up to expectations even though the 1992 event was marked by the largest gathering of heads of state.
For the United Nations (UN)-led Rio+20 Conference, some prominent leaders -- notably from industrialised economies -- had already indicated their absence.
Some took this as an indication of a weakening international commitment, as other national priorities ranging from the failures in governance to financial management loomed. "The world is facing some very difficult times, economically and financially, socially and politically," said Institute of International Finance managing director Charles Dalara.
Interestingly, it was also about 20 years ago that Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on democracy and human rights. During the recent ceremony in Oslo, Norway on the eve of Rio+20, she was quoted as saying: "Absolute peace in our world is an unattainable goal."
She noted that hostility and violence continue to plague the lives of the Myanmar people. In fact, communal clashes and violence in some parts of the country took place just before her departure after some 22 years of isolation and "house arrest". This signals another kind of weakness in managing human security. And it is not confined to Myanmar alone; other parts of the world, especially the Middle East, cast a dark shadow on democracy and human rights.
But if the Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2012 is anything to go by, democracy is no longer at the top of the list. "Earning a fair wage and owning a home are now the two highest priorities for young people in the Middle East -- displacing living in democracy as the greatest aspiration." Could this be yet another potential failure where democracy is unable to solve social inequities in the emerging participatory era?
So what will prevent Rio+20 from joining the long list of failures given the vastly different landscape from that of the 1992 Summit?
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote in an article (New Straits Times, June 18): "At Rio, we must begin to create a new one (model) -- a model for a 21st century economy that rejects the myth that there must be a zero sum trade-off between growth and the environment."
Ten years ago, after the 1992 Summit in Johannesburg, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development gave birth to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as a new model.
This resulted in the launch of the UNESCO-led UN Decade of ESD (2005-2014) in recognition of the role education plays in instilling the ability to handle a crisis, be resilient, become responsible citizens, adapt to change, recognise and solve local problems with global roots, meet other cultures with respect, and create a peaceful and sustainable society in future generations.
"For too long, we have sought to burn and consume our way to prosperity. That model is dead."
Similarly for Rio+20, the notion of sustainable development must be remodelled and expanded beyond "development" issues alone.
The cause of ESD must be directly linked to the problems of human dignity in generational terms. After all, it is the Brundtland Commission of 1987, set up by the UN, that is credited with placing "sustainable development" on the global policy agenda.
Based on the Brundtland Report, also known as Our Common Future, "sustainable development" is most frequently understood as growth which "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
This means the capacity to address the interlinking problems of ecosystems and livelihoods intergenerationally; consolidation of nature with culture; values; and civilisational aspirations for the future society and economy, such that the quality of life of humankind for generations to come remains preserved if not enhanced.
That is what sustainability ultimately means, and the Rio+20 must create the platform for this to be articulated and brought to fruition.
- The writer is the vice-chancellor of Albukhary International University
Learning Curve: Perspective
New Sunday Times - 24-06-2012
REASSESS: The notion of sustainable development must be remodelled and expanded beyond “development” issues
WHEN the 1992 Earth Summit took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil two decades ago, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were 357 parts per million (ppm).
As the recent summit, dubbed "Rio+20" Conference, was remembered in the same city from June 20-22, concentrations averaged at 395ppm, and even reached 400ppm in the Arctic.
Perhaps this is an early indication that over the last 20 years things have not lived up to expectations even though the 1992 event was marked by the largest gathering of heads of state.
For the United Nations (UN)-led Rio+20 Conference, some prominent leaders -- notably from industrialised economies -- had already indicated their absence.
Some took this as an indication of a weakening international commitment, as other national priorities ranging from the failures in governance to financial management loomed. "The world is facing some very difficult times, economically and financially, socially and politically," said Institute of International Finance managing director Charles Dalara.
Interestingly, it was also about 20 years ago that Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on democracy and human rights. During the recent ceremony in Oslo, Norway on the eve of Rio+20, she was quoted as saying: "Absolute peace in our world is an unattainable goal."
She noted that hostility and violence continue to plague the lives of the Myanmar people. In fact, communal clashes and violence in some parts of the country took place just before her departure after some 22 years of isolation and "house arrest". This signals another kind of weakness in managing human security. And it is not confined to Myanmar alone; other parts of the world, especially the Middle East, cast a dark shadow on democracy and human rights.
But if the Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2012 is anything to go by, democracy is no longer at the top of the list. "Earning a fair wage and owning a home are now the two highest priorities for young people in the Middle East -- displacing living in democracy as the greatest aspiration." Could this be yet another potential failure where democracy is unable to solve social inequities in the emerging participatory era?
So what will prevent Rio+20 from joining the long list of failures given the vastly different landscape from that of the 1992 Summit?
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote in an article (New Straits Times, June 18): "At Rio, we must begin to create a new one (model) -- a model for a 21st century economy that rejects the myth that there must be a zero sum trade-off between growth and the environment."
Ten years ago, after the 1992 Summit in Johannesburg, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development gave birth to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as a new model.
This resulted in the launch of the UNESCO-led UN Decade of ESD (2005-2014) in recognition of the role education plays in instilling the ability to handle a crisis, be resilient, become responsible citizens, adapt to change, recognise and solve local problems with global roots, meet other cultures with respect, and create a peaceful and sustainable society in future generations.
"For too long, we have sought to burn and consume our way to prosperity. That model is dead."
Similarly for Rio+20, the notion of sustainable development must be remodelled and expanded beyond "development" issues alone.
The cause of ESD must be directly linked to the problems of human dignity in generational terms. After all, it is the Brundtland Commission of 1987, set up by the UN, that is credited with placing "sustainable development" on the global policy agenda.
Based on the Brundtland Report, also known as Our Common Future, "sustainable development" is most frequently understood as growth which "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
This means the capacity to address the interlinking problems of ecosystems and livelihoods intergenerationally; consolidation of nature with culture; values; and civilisational aspirations for the future society and economy, such that the quality of life of humankind for generations to come remains preserved if not enhanced.
That is what sustainability ultimately means, and the Rio+20 must create the platform for this to be articulated and brought to fruition.
- The writer is the vice-chancellor of Albukhary International University