"Sustainable" concept of development

I think I might have written about this before, but today I had a successfull presentation about international aspect of sustainability at the University of Ajou Global Leadership for Sustainable Development International Seminar, exactly today, October 20th.

During my research I have read thousands of pages, papers, and so on, but also interviewed people, read newspapers. From common sense observation, sustainable development was put aside after the 1997 financial crisis in Korea, and it is very said because it influences not only natural environment but also national heritage - traditional Korea in terms of it's authentic non-museum non- festive manner is disappearing if not disappeared already.

Faculty are conscious about it, and they admit it as a sad fact, but not much can they do within this matter. They would have to be very close to actual policymakers in the presidential's committee to change that.
Maybe something even more is needed, such a conclusion came to my mind at the very end of my presentation. The comprehensive system of environmental awareness education is needed from the very kindergarden in schools and also in public media. Our minds are already shaped when we join academia, It's too late to learn about sustainable development or eco-friendly approach and manners of life.

How is it in Poland, one may ask. Well Poland is green because of it's historic heritage, public approach is divided, just like in Korea. Some say: grow, develop, grow, develop, build, expand, and some say: think before you act and "though shall not kill". Positivism and it's historic legacy of natural scientists who involved into early modern conservation ideas led to establishing first Natural Reserves and Natural Parks in the late 19th/early 20th Century. Later Sustainable Development was under the carpet during communist times, two professors worked on it and two of them also served as high rank UN ofiicials building framework fundamentals for global sustainability. For those really interested I recommend works and interviews of Ignacius Sachs or Stefan Kozłowski (more of Sachs in english).

Both Poland and Korea are facing modern development pressures. But both are conscious about growth limitations, and seek the way to achieve sustainability, and have ways to share the experience: Poland it's fundamental heritage for global conservation and Korea it's global stewardship for sustainable ideas.

The paper and the presentation will be published soon at my website: www.agnieszka,schibgilla.de

Have a nice day, evening, night.

Enjoy the natural world till you still can, treasure every little bit of it.
"The culture which cuts off from the wild life in nature around us and also from the wild life of our inner selves, is meant for self-destruction" Gary Snyder