Report of a visit on environmental educa

Report of a visit on environmental education to Bénin and Burkina Faso,
10 – 31 July 2005
Chris Maas Geesteranus
Netherlands Committee for IUCN (NC-IUCN)
[email protected]
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1. Background of visit
NC-IUCN has, over the years, invested quite a deal in environmental education (EE) in Bénin,
mainly through its small grants programme. The contributions to these projects have, not visibly, structurally improved the situation of environmental education in that country. On the
contrary, many of them did not leave a solid trace, once carried out. This situation has been
analysed as troublesome so that a new impetus might be needed.
A proposed first-ever meeting on EE in the Holli centre (by the ngo Bénin-Nature) and an
international (mostly West-African) conference on EE in Burkina Faso (Planet´ERE 3) led to
the decision of NC-IUCN to participate in both events. The opportunity was also used, logically, to discuss with the largest beneficent, Bénin-Nature, about improvements in national EE
to be made.
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2. Programme
Sunday 10 July
Arrival in Bénin, Cotonou. Acclimatise.
Monday 11 July
Departure for and arrival at Holli centre, Bohicon, for participation in the 2-day colloquium.
Socialising with participants. Strikes immediately that the work of NC-IUCN is highly appreciated everywhere in the country.
Tuesday 12 July
This is the first time that (kind of) a national gathering around EE takes place. Most relevant
ngo´s are present. Together with the deputy secretary general of the ministry of primary and
secondary Education(!) and the national representative of the worldwide EE-project (in
schools) GLOBE. The director of Communications of the ministry of the Environment, also
invited, sadly had to abstain due to obligations in the north of the country.
It should be noted that government and ngo´s seem to be two quite different worlds with at
least from the side of the ngo´s a minimum of trust and respect for government´s policymaking............
Programme (see encl. 1) start: many contributions from participants especially what their doings are. This is highly appreciated as many of them do not yet know each other (sic!). Let
alone they cooperate at this moment. Further on it strikes that foreign volunteers (from diverse
organisations like the Peace Corps) are considered to be an integral part of the EEinfrastructure.
My presentation (encl. 2) was generally appreciated (though probably more by those who are
used to think in terms of national plans and strategies). That might also have been the reason
why only 3 questions were asked (after some presentations many more were):
- how does the interministerial cooperation in the Netherlands exactly work; are there
e.g. in every ministry EE-units?
- what has changed in the Netherlands since the political cooperation exists?
- is such a model imaginable in Bénin?
The essence of the paper is that going on in the way as is now happening (scattered projects,
no large-scale cooperation, no good information exchange, only ee-work on the local level)
leads to no improvement whatsoever. The main proposals of the paper deal with the development of a national strategy for EE in the schools sector through a double approach: top-down
and bottom-up. Whereby the real results of the former approach will very much depend on the
input of the latter. Neglecting that continues the present situation whereby some EE-issues are
formulated on paper by ministries but have insufficient substance in reality.
Wednesday 13 July
The colloquium organiser (Toussaint Hinvi of Bénin-Nature) requested me to formulate the
questions for the working-groups on the last day of the meeting, which I did of course. And
thus the ´top-down´ group started working on: ´Qu´est-ce que la ministère de l´Enseignement
primaire et secondaire et la ministère de l´Environnement, les institutions formelles scolaires
(comme les collèges de formation des instituteurs et professeurs et l´institut du développement
des programmes) et les grands ong´s nationaux,
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peuvent faire de produire une stratégie nationale et régionale sur l´ee qui améliore la
connaissance, l´attitude et la responsabilité à l´environnement des élèves et étudiants en
Bénin?´
The other, ´bottom-up´ group started working on: ´Qu´est-ce que les ong´s nationaux en régionaux, les bayeurs de fonds et les équipes des enseigants,
peuvent faire d´améliorer la coopération professionnelle entre eux avec un résultat commun,
qu´on présente au gouvernement pour être incorporé dans une stratégie national en régionale
de l´ee?´
The reporting back and following discussion resulted in the establishment of 2 groups: the
´political´ group, representing the governmental approach, and the ´professional´ group, representing the ngo approach; both with tasks that are in line with the questions that were given
to them originally. The former group will be led by Emmanuelle ............... from the international school programme GLOBE (Cotonou) and the professional group by Ryan Smith from
CIPCRE (Pèrèrè). Secretary to the latter group is Toussaint Hinvi from Bénin-Nature (Cotonou).
With this conclusion the meeting was closed.
Further personal observations on both groups, see encl. 3.
I have made clear to the most relevant persons that NC-IUCN´s continued interest in educational matters in Bénin will be very much depending on structural results that are being obtained by both groups, not primarily (scattered) individual and/or incidental activities in the
field of EE anymore.
Thursday 14 July
Return to Cotonou; car repair and time-inefficient internet use.
Friday 15 July
Writing first part of report.
Discussion with Toussaint Hinvi; following results:
- TH will take care that the participants of the conference in Burkina Faso (TH, Rick
Gnonlonfoun and Toussaint Loubignon) will jointly produce their report of the meeting to NC-IUCN and send it to CMG
- evaluation of colloquium: most of the relevant ngo´s were present, psychologically
this was a very important meeting, first time in Bénin that most EE-workers meet, report of meeting will appear around September
- any finance that NC-IUCN is going to invest into EE in Bénin in the near future will
have to be spent before the end of October 2006
- the Holli centre cannot function as the secretariat of the professional group because it
is not enough equipped. However, it can serve well as a meeting-place
- I will try to organise a donor meeting about jointly operating in EE-matters in Bénin.
Saturday 16 July
Day off; departure for Ouagadougou.
Sunday 17 July
Registration, finishing first part of report.
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Monday 18 – Friday 22 July
Visit with 20 other participants the Sahel town of Dori where a programme on national structures, instruments and effectiveness of ee was presented. Insight was acquired in agricultural
practices and the solaced PAGEN project (Partenariat pour l´Amélioration de la Gestion des
Ecosystèmes Naturels).
Saturday 23 – Tuesday 26 July
The participants came from all possible francophone countries in the world. The Netherlands
is not considered to be such a country but the background of my presence was primarily the
result of being ´in the neighbourhood´ at that moment.
Participation in diverse meetings which usually brought little news: round tables, workshops,
plenary sessions, they all contained the same pattern of monologues and questions afterwards.
A march for the environment through the centre of ton, which has risen quite some media
attention. But what Africans seem to be very good in, is attracting the administrative top of
diverse neighbouring countries; presidents, premiers, ministers, generals(!), religious leaders,
ethnic leaders: they were all there. In how far this presence really contributes to the quality of
EE in a country can hardly be said, however.
The final declaration and recommendations did not contain anything spectacular or new element that had not already been seen before in other international forums. The impression
leaves that this conference, like many more francophone events in the world, are primarily set
up to offer a counterweight to the dominating – and still spreading – anglophone language and
culture of international events. Yet there is one element that I consider very positive and that
is that obviously language binds, regardless of culture. In practice this meant that rich and
poor are quite naturally sitting around the same table so that issues of mutual interest could be
discussed quite easily. In our circles this often leads to a somewhat uneasy setting.
Wednesday 27 July
Discussion at national IUCN-office of Burkina Faso with Clarisse Honadia Kambou, education specialist. (The regional IUCN-office, though in the same building, has no such person so
that no visit was paid to them). Background was the following:
- experiences with the EE-strategy in Burkina Faso
- possible cooperation with Bénin.
In 2000 an experienced consultant was sent around the country to find out about the status of
EE. On that basis a concise strategy for a period of 10 years was written and published in
2001, with the signature of the minister of the Environment. After that a national implementation plan for the first 4 years was designed. And then it went wrong:
- the period of operation was, politically seen, obviously too long
- the subject of EE was still formulated in terms too wide
- there was no regional translation of the plan.
Now those concerned are in a process of redesigning a text (with financial commitment) for 3
years. But there is not any certainty about real implementation yet.
Concerning cooperation with the Béninese C. Is ready to assist when requested. There are also
regional cooperation schemes like WAB between Niger, Burkina Faso and Bénin.
Thursday 28 July
Arrival in Cotonou.
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Lunch with Bram van Ojik, Dutch ambassador in Bénin. Most important was to hear that the
different sectors of bilateral development cooperation are more or less divided over the various countries, with a lead-country. For EE this means the following: environment is led by the
Germans (GTZ) and formal education by the Americans (USAID). That means that in a direct
sense the Netherlands do not operate very actively in this field (in an indirect sense, like promoting organic agricultural produce, it does, however!). Donors have regular meetings to discuss progress, evaluations etc. I will try to contact both organisations (here in B.) in order to
make the EE-strategy project known to them.
The Netherlands do have a bilateral treaty with Bénin in the field of sustainable development.
The present situation is that the former continues to invest financially in that treaty but it is the
Béninese government which decides how these finances are being spent. An opening for the
ministry of Education to approach the ´chef de cabinet´ of the ministry of the Interior?
Friday 29 July
Discussion with Rick Gnonlonfoun and Toussaint Hinvi about my draft report. Both agreed to
the proposals being made in connection with progress of the project. The former remains,
despite his ´high´ function in the ministry, personally committed.
I have made clear that my position is one of advice, towards the Béninese and also internally
within NC-IUCN. That means that my commitment and proposals have to be formalised by
Rietje Grit (head of Small Grants Unit) who decides about policy and finance. Finally I have
stated that I will propose sending a letter from NC-IUCN to both groups with invitations to
come up with proposals. The participants are well aware that the period of expenditure (in this
round) will end definitely by 1 November 2006.
It became also clear that a political statement concerning EE in Bénin can only be awaited
after the elections of March 2006. This means that the ´groundwork´ (see encl. 3) should – in
case of agreement by NC-IUCN – start as soon as possible.
Toussaint Hinvi has made clear that we might have achieved a totally new situation whereby
an active EE-network in Bénin is coming off the ground.
With this conclusion everyone will get to work.
Saturday 30 July
Day off.
Sunday 31 July
Discussion with Toussaint Hinvi about the development of the Holli centre and the organisation of Bénin-Nature itself. I have advised many things among which at least to thoroughly
look at the competencies of the organisation as a whole. Board, staff, membership: all need to
be looked at carefully in order to cope with the new challenges like really make the Holli centre a local, national and regional (countries in the ‘area’) education centre that is acknowledged by professional EE-circles.
Finally it was advised to find other ngo’s to share the responsibilities for Woutoutou, to find
advertisements and to find a way to make it financially more independent. Bénin-Nature
might then concentrate more on developing a professional magazine for those involved in the
new network.
Departure.
Monday 1 August
Arrival in Amsterdam.
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3. Lessons from Planet´ERE 3
Amadou Hampathé Bâ, one of Africa´s most famous story-tellers, said once: ´Un conte, c´est
le message d´hier destiné à demain, transmis à travers aujourd´hui´. What were the messages
from Burkina Faso that we can use tomorrow?
Many messages are hidden, e.g. the differences in values that are not mentioned in public but
surely play an enormous – if not the most important – role in trying to find out how ee in this
part of the world (if such a generalisation is allowed) might be developed further. Often they
are no messages at all, but just observations of the author. They are based on both the regional
and the central part of the conference. Both hidden and obvious messages I see as
´ingredients´ to work on the quality of ee in a country, this time in Bénin. A certain generalisation cannot be avoided, especially because the text below is based on non-systematic observations and on a very small scale.
The educators: skills, attitudes, values
I have met very different educators, logically: with very theoretical and very practical, with
wide and narrow interpretations of the environment. Like in every country one visits. But here
it seems to me that many of them have little practical knowledge of or even a great deal of
interest in nature: there was hardly anyone looking at animals, plants, landscapes, birds or
asking questions about those during meetings or excursions in the field. Apart from that every
now and then ´the environment´ as a subject came to table and it appeared to me that often it
was associated with issues like plastic as litter, the pollution of water or air. A ´big´ view I
have only seen in a project of north Burkina Faso, called PAGEN: a 15-year during project on
massive changes in the Sahelian society concerning their attitudes about the environment as a
whole, though originally directed towards the protection of elephants.
It led me to think about questions like professional background, training of the educators. Is
improvement needed here and are specific EE-trainings available?
The following is interesting as well. On one occasion a living sheep was offered to the regional group by the mayor of a village we visited, on its way back to Ouagadougou. Obviously meant for brochette processing ............. No loud protests were heard, neither from African, nor from European (forgiveness: let it be, this Africa) side, when the animal was bound
by its feet and put on top of the bus luggage-rack, to be transported some 250 km further
across mostly unmetalled roads where the butcher waited. Being confused myself what to do
about this obvious maltreatment in my - European - eyes, I asked an African colleague how he
felt about it. I was struck by the answer that conservationists in general did not approve of
such a practice anymore. But a protest or a discussion: no way.
The second element is the fact that educators in this conference litter as easily as anyone else
in the country. And that is surprising after this problem was brought to the table several times
as a subject of educational programmes. Am I missing something?
What is EE all about?
For myself I have formulated the following concerning what EE should be about in present
times.
The nature of environmental questions is changing slowly. There has been a tendency to formulate those questions in terms of conservation only, or at least chiefly: species, landscapes,
natural areas, ecosystems without economic exploitation like National Parks, nature reserves.
This indeed has been an important first step, because it contributed to the direct conservation
of nature (biodiversity) that was/is threatened.
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But in order to make a next step in helping sustainable societies develop, other issues belonging to the domain of EE have to be identified. The principles of those can be found in the tripartite goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, Rio de Janeiro, 1992), summarised:
1. Conservation of biodiversity
2. Sustainable use of biodiversity
3. Equitable division of the revenues of genetic resources.
Along these lines diverse groups within CBD have worked out some of these principles, like
the ´Ecosystem approach´ (see Shepherd, G., 2004: The Ecosystem Approach; Five Steps to
Implementation, IUCN) and the ´Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines´ directed towards
the sustainable use of biodiversity (see website CBD).
N.B. Both are somewhat overlapping.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment went even one step further by suggesting that
´ecosystems´ might be even brought into a direct combination with human needs (the ecological services):
- mountain and polar areas
- inland waters
- cultivated areas
- coastal areas
- forest and woodland areas
- drylands
- urban areas
- islands
- marine areas.
This interesting thought is based on the idea, I guess, that the first priority for global development now is to keep these functions going. With this assessment we have reached a situation that goes far beyond the relative ´luxury´ of conserving pure, undisturbed nature: the very
functioning of the whole planet in all its elements is at stake. For governments this may mean
that their policies directed towards the Millennium Development Goals (United Nations Millennium Summit, 2000) cannot be achieved without taking this ´ecological approach´ as one
of their political foundations.
What does this mean for EE? Not only the contents of EE – either in formal or non-formal
situations – have to be adapted to this reality but notably the pedagogic and didactic approach.
Should not, much more than is the case now, any child in the world have to learn the following (logically not in the words chosen):
1. I am part of the complexity of ecosystems in this world and therefore I feel connected
with its ecological characteristics.
2. Through learning-processes I will try to understand how my world functions.
3. The main characteristics that I may affect through my life are: diversity, relationships
and ´ecological services´ of the ecosystems.
4. I feel responsible for my own acting and will do everything within my intellectual, social and economic capacity to keep these characteristics intact.
A new ecological doctrine for EE to cope with the ongoing demand to contribute to a more
sustainable world? Maybe, but possibly a more suitable one than I see around me now:
- very often the present approach is one directed towards ´behaviour´
- a pedagogic basis that uses the idea of ´enjoying, knowing, acting´
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-
an emphasis on nature, not necessarily as a system in which man figures but as a picture for man to look at.
Where is EE standing nowadays with that doctrine?
Target-groups
I have noted that during this conference many educational Approaches concentrate on the
schoolchild. Is this based on the hope that they will do better in future than we do now? Or are
they the conveyors of a message to their parents? Or are they simply so well concentrated in
the school organisation that educators can reach them easily?
A sociological theory suggests that societal changes take place only if a threefold approach is
followed:
- the individual
- the sociological groups (living quarter, family, peers, professional groups)
- the institutions (government, banks, cultural institutions, schools etc.).
Only in the case of the earlier-mentioned PAGEN project in the Sahel a methodology like this
one was observed through taking opinion-leaders, a regional, formal intervillage committee
and the general public as the various target-groups of the development project.
Also in the European countries that I know a bit, such approaches are more of an exception
than a rule, it seems.
Why not try this more often to see whether large-scale developments or changes really take
place?
Where cultures meet
A Finnish colleague once told me during a conference: ´You are a swimmer, always aiming at
a target. Can you never just float around on the waves and see where you get´? She must have
been tired from my restless moving towards the best results of the conference (I was the organiser ....). Although I certainly would not dare to state that this is a well-defined difference
between ´Europe´ and ´Africa´, there is something indeed. Have we learnt that our own initiatives and rationalised knowledge may lead to a success more rapidly and do Africans work
more in the spirit of their ancestors?
Whatever is true (I prefer to leave this to anthropologists and sociologists), one thing is certain: different as we may be, we have to work together, also in EE. And this undeniable fact
leads to the question: how then? I have an example from Costa Rica. A regional physical development plan had to be designed, some 8 years ago. Westernised Costa Ricans and Indian
communities had to cooperate, working and living in the same area. A colleague of mine had
been present at that time and reported some of the problems:
- decisions by Indians are only taken after contacting their ancestors
- the paper on which the document would be published should be blessed.
Contacting ancestors is being done by exclaiming rites and prayers. By adding those to the
document, before the section of decisions, one knew that the decision was approved by the
ancestors. Then: our industrialised paper is not blessed, rice-straw paper is for Indians of that
area. Therefore, the document was totally printed on that material (including even some of
their ornamentation) and everybody was satisfied. I consider this not a trick but a real solution
because it is lasting, to everyone´s satisfaction. Indians also see environmental problems and
their procedures had been acknowledged.
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Does this show a way to connect cultures in their attempt to really cooperate? I think so, but
there is one more thing to be said. Finding such a way – and every time again a different one –
is preceded by mutual understanding of each other´s position, values etc. That means in practice: meeting each other, often. I fear that for the time being this environmental sacrifice has
to be made because the harvest may be much bigger in the long run.
Finally: resignation in one´s economic fate in this world cannot be solved anymore by those
alone who are its subject. It is higher powers that nowadays decide on that. China can be
booming at once because it may have found a way to remain undisturbed by the protected
agricultural systems of Europe and the USA. Africa, I guess, cannot so easily: it is highly agricultural. So, speaking about systems and education: why is it only the anti-globalists who
work on the WTO, why do environmental educators not?
The sprit of West-Africa
I do not know very much about the countries, their people and their environment of WestAfrica, apart from reading books, newspapers and articles, international statements etc.; and
now this first visit. So, I am totally overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of workers all over the
place (there were around 1500 environmental educators present at the conference in Burkina
Faso, of which some 1300 Africans!), their feeling of collectivism (that has faded out already
in my country a long time ago) and their concentration.
This passion may be somewhat in contrast to my earlier remarks about limited interest in nature, but what I guess is that care for nature as an outspoken issue is something that (rationally) had to be learnt, whereas the former qualities come as a gift from their parents, thus local, education. Maybe many Africans face the same problems of orientation as we do, may
live in the same dichotomy, but then the opposite way.
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Encl. 1: programme of the meeting at Holli centre/Lama forest
Programme du Colloque International sur l’Education environnementale pour le
Développement Durable
11 & 13 Juillet 2005 dans la foret de la Lama
Lundi 11 Juillet :
17h :
19h30 – 20h 30 :
20h30- 22h
:
Arrivée des participants au Centre de Bénin Nature sis à Saclo Bohicon
Dîner et échange informel
Projection d’un film vidéo sur la conservation de la nature
Mardi 12 Juillet :
6h 30 – 7h :
7h 00 :
7h 30 – 8h 30 :
8h30- 9h00 :
9h00- 9h20 :
9h20- 9h30 :
9h30- 9h45 :
Petit déjeuner
Départ pour la foret de la Lama
Visite de la foret
Pause
Présentation des participants
Installation du Présidium du colloque
Présentation des objectifs du colloque
9h45 – 10h :
10h –10h15 :
10h15-10h30 :
10h30-10h45 :
10h45-11h00 :
11h00- 11h30 :
11h30- 11h45 :
11h45- 12h00 :
12h00-12h15 :
12h15-12h30 :
12h30- 12h45 :
12h45-13h15 :
13h30-14h30 :
Communication de l’ONAB par Nadine Worou
Communication de CIPCRE Bénin
Communication de Peace Corps par Mr Sailer
Communication de l’ABE par Mr DAGBA
Communication de AVPN par Mr Jacob Agossevi
Débat
Pause café
Communication de Aide et Action
Communication de Bénin nature
Communication du CENAGREF
Communication de Potel / Natitingou
Débat
Déjeuner
15h – 15h15 :
Allocution de bienvenue du Directeur Technique de l’ONAB
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15h15-15h30 :
15h30-15h45 :
15h45-16h :
16h00-16h15 :
16h15-16h30 :
16h30- 17h 00 :
17h00-17h30 :
17h30- 18h :
19h :
21h 00 – 23h30 :
Allocution du Directeur Adjoint des Forets et des Ressources Naturelles
Allocution du Président de Bénin Nature
Allocution de Chris Maas Geesteranus, Représentant UICN
Pays Bas
Allocution du Représentant du Ministère de l’Environnement
Allocution du Ministre de l’enseignement Primaire et Secondaire
Communication de Chris Maas Geesteranus. sur le processus
de l’intégration de l’éducation environnementale dans les programmes scolaires aux Pays Bas et dans certains Etats de
l’Europe
Débat
Pause café et visite des stands avec les officiels.
Départ pour le Centre de Bénin Nature
Dîner festif
Mercredi 13 Juillet :
7h – 8h :
8h :
8h-30- 8h 45 :
8h45- 9h 00 :
9h00- 9h 15 :
10h :
10h – 12h :
12h- 13h :
13h – 14h :
15h :
Petit Déjeuner
Départ pour la foret de LOKOLI
Communication du Centre Béninois anti Pollution Dr Magloire
Martins
Communication de Ecopas Bénin
--------------Travaux en groupe
Travaux en plénière
Déjeuner et Photo de famille
Fin des travaux du colloque.
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Encl. 2: introduction of CMG during the meeting at Holli centre/Lama forest
Bénin colloque, 11-13 juillet 2005, centre Holli/Lama/Lokoli, Bohicon
Présentation de Chris Maas Geesteranus
CN-UICN, Amsterdam, Pays Bas
[email protected]
Je vous remercie de m´inviter à ce colloque spécial. J´espère que les résultats seront utiles
pour la programme éducative nationale et pour la conférence en Burkina Faso la semaine prochaine. Mon directeur du Comité Néerlandais de l´UICN vous salue et nous souhaite un colloque fertile.
Ma raison de participer en ce colloque est la coopération continuelle entre la CN-UICN et
Bénin Nature pour assister et structurer son efforts en cadre de l´EE et particulièrement le
fonctionnement du centre Holli.
Je voudrais vous raconter une petite histoire de l’EE en les Pays Bas, pas pour vous convaincre que ça a une qualité supérieure dans notre pays mais afin que d’accentuer les principes et
les conditions sur lesquelles notre EE est fondé. Ces principes pourraient être universelles.
EE a une histoire longue dans les Pays Bas: au début de la siècle passée il y avaient 2 enseignants qui ont vraiment enthousiasmés la population hollandaise de prendre soin de la nature.
C’était un temps que beaucoup de gens avaient des soucis au sujet de la protection de la nature. La raison: une industrialisation progressive comme on pouvait observer partout dans
l’Europe.
Exactement après la seconde guerre mondiale se formait une organisation éducative que a la
caractère suivante qu´elle possède encore aujourd’hui, l´Institut d´Education Environnementale à Amsterdam:
- combinaison des professionnelles et des volontaires (maintenant un corps professionnel dans le capital (Amsterdam) et répandus en tous les 12 provinces des Pays Bas:
120 professionnelles et 17.000 volontaires divisés en 180 branches
- projets dans les écoles et activités pour la population générale
- orientation sur la nature aux environs des gens et aussi sur les problèmes écologiques
dans des autres pays.
Cette organisation est encore la plus grande et influente dans notre pays aujourd’hui. J’y travaille maintenant comme un volontaire aux questions de coopération éducatif mondial (par
exemple avec Sénégal maintenant).
Une autre développement importante après la guerre était l’intérêt de notre gouvernement en
questions de l’EE. C’était a 1974 quand je commençait a travailler comme le premier collaborateur national pour l’EE au ministère de Culture. Il faut comprendre que beaucoup des gens
au gouvernement et dans les ong’s se connaissaient d’une organisation concernant la nature,
établi pour la jeunesse. Tous ces gens avaient trouvés leur propre direction professionnelle
mais – et ça c’est important – continuassent de se rencontre: le premier réseau de l´EE.
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Plus tard on peut dire qu’une thème nouvelle s’annonçait: l’environnement on voyait que
douzaines des ong’s furent établies dans le pays. Après beaucoup des combats on avait décidé
de coopérer. Aussi en relation du travail pour les écoles.
Mais il y a plus. On a aussi pu voir une concentration d’intérêt locale depuis 1970. Ce qu’il a
développé Ç’est un autre réseau entre des jardins botaniques, des jardins zoologiques, des
centres pour les visiteurs en les régions naturelles, des musées de la histoire naturelles et des
centres locaux dessinés de soutenir – dans une manière professionnelle – les écoles, la municipalité, la population locale en mieux comprendre les faits et les valeurs de la nature en de
l’environnement.
Ce réseau, ensemble avec les fonctionnaires publiques et avec les professionnels des ong’s est
une structure unique dans le monde.
Qu’est que ç’est le secret? Argent? Non, seulement partiel. Il y ont autres sources de succès :
1. Pression renouvelante du gouvernement nationale
2. Coopération à l’échelon nationale et initiatives du parlement
3. Une mouvement locale forte
4. Une modèle de coopération entre tous au lieu de combat
5. Participation des institutions en cas de développement une politique de l’EE
6. Qualité de l’entraînement des professionnels éducatifs
7. L’intérêt des universités en développer la qualité des méthodes éducatives et les recherches éducatives
8. Et puis, l’argent, oui, naturellement.
Mais, qu’est que tout ça veut dire? Seulement que nous sommes bien organisés relatif à l’EE.
Ça ne veut pas dire que notre EE est influente suffisante dans notre société. Et ça ne veut pas
dire que le sujet de notre EE est très avancé. Non, mon observation est que notre EE est rétrograde dans son contenu, d’un autre temps. Le sujet est encore la conservation de la nature
prépondérante mais aussi dans notre pays ça ce n’est pas la problème véritable. Il s’agit des
systèmes écologiques aujourd’hui que doivent fonctionner infiniment.
Ça me conduit au sujet principal de l’EE. L’évaluation des écosystèmes pour le millénaire,
publié par les Nations Unies cet année, nous donne un message très important: que le fonctionnement et les services écologiques des écosystème sont vital pour le survivant des gens
mondial. Prenez cette forêt de la Lama. Toussaint Hinvi de Bénin Nature nous a écrit que la
protection de cette forêt est le sujet de son projet éducatif pour lequel il nous a demandé du
soutien. Mais est-ce qu’il s’agit de la protection ou de l’utilisation durable ou de toutes les
deux? J’ai compris que l’abat des arbres, l’agriculture non-durable sont les plus grandes problèmes. Pour l’EE ça a des conséquences. L’objet des études de l’EE n’est pas la protection
seulement, mais aussi l’acceptation d’une exploitation durable par les communes en cette région. N’est-ce pas ?
La traité concernant la biodiversité mondiale nous donne 13 principes qu’on peut utiliser afin
que l’aménagement durable soit un fait. Il s’agit du législation, coopération, utilisation économique durable, questions de participation de la publique, etc. En tout cas, cette problème
surpasse les possibilités locaux. Il s’agit des questions d’une nature sociale, économique,
culturelle et écologique sur le niveau national ou bien international.
Cette approche nous conduit déjà aux questions des institutions responsables d’une politique
nationale pour l’EE où même l’éducation relative à la développement durable. Si on observe
les résultats hollandais, on voit qu’il y a une groupe diverse que se sent responsable pour cette
politique nationale. Ce sont les ministères de l’Agriculture, de l’Environnement, de
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l’Education, des Affaires Etrangères, du Transport Publique, l’association de tous les provinces, l’association des districts de l’administration des eaux. Il a pris une douzaine des ans
avant que cette structure s’est formée. Mais c’est une structure inéluctable si on voudrait atteindre une situation – en quelques ans – dans laquelle on peut dire que l’EE est partie de votre société.
Pour finir ma contribution à cette moment, j’ai quelques propositions pour vous que peuvent
vous aider former les contours d’une stratégie nationale au sujet de l’EE:
1. Faites une inspection dans vos propres instituts, ong; qu’est que c’est la qualité de votre
organisation, des collaborateurs, et aussi du bureau?
A quel degré sont elles décentralisées? Ou sont elles seulement des organisations nationales?
2. Faites une connexion, une alliance peut-être, entre vous et avec les professionnels dans la
conservation de la nature, la défense de environnement, le secteur social-économique,
avec les administrateurs de l’espace et des forêts.
Ce sont les gens qui décident la qualité de notre nature, la biodiversité et les écosystèmes.
Il faut trouver – avec eux – une formule commune à l’usage durable des écosystèmes.
3. A base d’une celle formule commune vous pouvez bien décider qui sont les groupes-cibles
stratégiques et partout quels buts vous voulez atteindre avec ceux. Il s’agit des groupescibles comme des personnes individuelles, des groupes sociales et des institutions sociétales. Et certainement il faut se diriger vers l´éducation formelle et informelle!
Il ne faut pas oublier que les changements qu’on envisage dans la société ne sont plus le
résultat des changes d’attitude de la population seulement, mais cet des changes dans les
groupes sociaux et des dans les groupes professionnelles aux institutions comme les banques, les universités, le gouvernement, les systèmes culturelles, etc.
4. Une stratégie nationale sur l’éducation relatif au développement durable est très désiré mais
difficile d’atteindre. Pourquoi? La raison primaire est que les actions de vos instituts sont
valables en son même mais doivent être en harmonie avec la politique nationale en ce sujet. Plus moderne c’est si ces actions contribuent à cette politique: une forme de participation.
Mais la grande question est naturellement: est-ce qu’il y a une telle politique sur ce sujet?
Si non, il y a une nécessité de parler aux fonctionnaires des ministères différentes ce
qu´est leur planification dans la Décennie de l’Education relatif au Développement Durable des Nations Unies.
5. A quels niveaux se trouvent les modifications qu’on peut envisager? En tous cas, si on
voudrais vraiment changements effectifs, il s’agit dans la système de l´éducation formelle
de 3 niveaux:
- premier niveau: le contenu de l‘éducation, les didactiques, les matériaux
- deuxième niveau: l’inspection, la formation des enseignants, les examens, les recherches éducatives et le développement des programmes de l’études
- troisième niveau: le gouvernement avec son politique éducative.
Ce que je veux dire, est: il n’y aura aucune innovation éducative si on ne réussit de lier ensemble toutes ces forces que sont concernées au progrès de l’éducation dans un pays. Ceci
c’est la plus grande problème en cas le gouvernement Béninais n’a pas encore concrétisé
une stratégie nationale et intégrée à ce sujet. Il y ont beaucoup des activités au premier ni-
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veau (exécutif) mais plus moins aux autres. Je voudrais proposer que la ministère de
l´Enseignement primaire et secondaire et la ministère de l´Environnement accordent un
processus de participation des professionnels en l´éducation de l´EE et des ong´s pour ensemble réaliser un plan national et régional de l´EE que surpasse l´état du papier.
Enfin: maintenant ce n’est pas le temps pour préciser la rôle du centre Holli en développer
une stratégie nationale sur l’éducation environnementale ou bien même relatif à la développement durable. Je voudrais seulement dire la suivante. Observant les activités journellement,
j’ai l’impression que le centre travaille surtout au premier niveau. C’est bien mais pas suffisant. Je voudrais discuter avec vous, peut-être les jours prochains ou après retournant de la
conférence en Burkina Faso que seraient les possibilités de construire un centre exécutif de
même que stratégique.
C’est le défi que mon organisation CN-UICN veut relever avec vous. Mais: notre soutien ne
sera d´une caractère éternelle et c’est pourquoi il faut investir aux activités structurelles et
activités qu’aident à faire le centre plus indépendant des finances externes. J’espère que nous
pouvons discuter les priorités les plus urgentes pendant les jours prochains.
Pour ceux intéressés j´ai une brochure sur la stratégie néerlandaise d´éducation relative au
développement durable. Spécialement je voudrais bien offrir cette brochure au secrétaire général adjoint de la ministère de l´Enseignement primaire et secondaire afin qu´il se laisse inspirer en son travail journalier.
Merci pour votre attention.
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Encl. 3: provisional description of national strategy groups Bénin
In order to clarify the work and specific tasks of these groups more, I have attempted to define
some elements that I expect the groups will adopt. With this there is a certain degree of logic
that the 2 groups indeed will work together. To be more specific: the input of the professional
group is of indispensable value to the decision-making of the political group. Which even will
lead to a time sequence: the work of the latter can only be finalised in case the results of the
former will be delivered. The suggestions for the elements follow below.
Political group
Goal
Preparation of a national strategy to integrate EE in the Béninaise primary and secondary
schools, and a regional implementation plan.
Objectives
1. Involve all relevant professional and volunteer workers, public and private institutions
in the field of EE that can help this strategy develop and make work. Make especially
use of the ´professional group´.
2. Formulate the goals and general direction of EE in accordance with the requirements
of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UN-DESD).
3. Formulate the contents of EE in harmony with the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the results of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
4. Select those target-groups in the formal school system that should de reached with priority.
5. Select those target-groups on individual, social and institutional level that can contribute, directly or indirectly, to the achievement of the goals of EE.
6. Determine the most important (clusters of) activities and programmes that may be instrumental in achieving the goals of the strategy.
7. Decide about the period in which the strategy is meant to be carried out.
8. Decide about a financial acquisition plan and its main allocation over the activities.
Desired composition
GLOBE, Emmanuelle ..................... (chair)
Ministère des Enseignements P&S, Rick Gnonlonfoun ?
1 Repr. of Ministère de l´Environnement, H&U, Directorate of Communication, ………..
2 Repr. of teacher training college p&s, ..............
Repr. of curriculum development unit, .................
1 Repr. of the Inspectorate, ...............
Working-method, some suggestions
1. Appoint, in addition to the chair of the group (if not the same), an executive manager
(outside government?) to take up daily responsibilities for developing the strategyprocess.
2. Gather data about formal status quo of ee in the country.
3. Gather information about data in ee of the region (through regional office of IUCN?).
4. Formulate long-term goals for ee in the school system, on the basis of 2 and 3.
5. Integrate with the information of the professional group.
6. Formulate a political statement (after elections of March 2006).
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7. Formulate an executive, short-term plan with budget for the school year 2006-2007
according to 6.
8. Evaluate 2006-2007 on the basis of which a multi-year plan is formulated.
9. Appoint a programme manager, outside government, etc.
Professional group
Goal
Preparation of a multi-year view by the professional and volunteer EE-community (ngo´s) to
support a national strategy for EE in the school system.
Objectives
1. Activate the EE-network of professionals and volunteers that will enable the national
strategy to be developed and carried out with the highest quality of performance.
2. Provide an actual, informal status of formal EE in Bénin, including an inventory of
the most pressing needs to that end (see also under the political group, nr. 2).
3. Provide an insight how the various target-groups on individual, social and institutional
level can be reached and what objectives may be achieved.
4. Provide an insight into the local distribution of support facilities for teacher teams,
covering the country.
5. Decide on the most important educational materials that will be needed for the various
age-groups in school (longitudinal approach).
6. Provide an insight in the most pressing needs in teacher-training concerning EE and
the possibilities for refresher courses.
Desired composition
CIPCRE, Ryan Smith (chair)
Bénin-Nature, Toussaint Hinvi (secretary)
Nature Tropicale, ……………
Peace Corps, …………….
An IUCN-member in Bénin, .................
…………………..
…………………..
…………………..
2 Teachers ?
Working-method, some suggestions
1. Appoint, in addition to the chair of the group (if not the same), an executive manager
to take up daily responsibilities for developing the process.
2. Formulate goals and objectives for the end-results of the group (see under
´Objectives´).
3. Collect all relevant information needed to feed 2.
4. Formulate a multi-year view with needs, priorities, etc.
5. Integrate results with the political group.