AAEE CONFERENCE (September 2004) Paper by Joy de Leo
SHARED VALUES FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND ECOLOGY
Introduction – Why values?
In the first decade of the 21st century, we are witnessing unprecedented growth and progress in many fields of
human endeavour: economic, social, cultural, political, scientific and technological. We had previously
experienced the end of the Cold War, the rise of democratic states, the disintegration of empires, the victory
over apartheid, the “wonders” (and horrors) of genetic engineering and a dramatic revolution in the information
superhighways – seemingly an age of progress and breakthroughs. However, we are also seeing increasing
conflicts, the rise of terrorism, a culture of fear and erosion in human rights, increasing crime and drug trade,
global warming, climate change, the loss of biodiversity, environmental disasters – the list goes on.
It is seemingly also a time of breakdowns. These breakdowns are also experienced as a collapse of cherished
human values that have, in some cultures, stood the test of time, such as peace, justice, equity, freedom, love,
compassion, trust, honesty/integrity, responsibility, respect for others and for the land that nurtures us.
Our response to world events has been to become more fearful, to batten down the hatches, to lose compassion,
to become selfish and to abuse human rights, justified on the basis of our need for security and certainty.
Increasing armaments, fortifying our borders and strengthening our economy are merely one strategy for
increasing security; a strategy that is proving not only to be ineffective but also increasingly destructive and
dangerous in major proportions.
There is however an alternative strategy, based on a new concept of human security founded on shared human
values – a security based on personal and community interactions and interdependent relationships. The recent
rapidly growing interest in human values and ethics the world over is testimony to the internal feelings of
disquiet experienced by heart-centred thinkers everywhere. A recent seminar in Adelaide on Ethics for oneworld presented by Peter Singer, was sold out and the venue had to be changed to accommodate more
participants – evidence of a growing need for a return to, or strengthening of, the values needed for a more
peaceful, humane and just world.
A holistic and transdisciplinary approach to education for sustainable development
Human values are of interest not only to those who concern themselves with issues of peace, justice and human
rights, but also to environmental educators and those concerned with the field of ecology generally. It is
commonly said that there can be no lasting peace without development and no development without peace.
However, I would add that there can be no peace or sustainable development without justice and human rights,
so any approach to Education for Sustainable Development must necessarily include these, and in particular the
values underpinning them.
It is interesting to note the expanding, dynamic and evolving concept of sustainable development that keeps
pace with change and varies according to local contexts, needs and priorities, and which has become more
holistic, encompassing concepts of peace, justice and human rights.
The concept of sustainable development emerged in the 1980s in response to a growing realisation of the need
to balance economic and social progress with concern for the environment and the stewardship of natural
resources for current and future generations. Since then there has been a growing understanding of the
complexity and inter-relationships of problems such as poverty, environmental degradation, wasteful
consumption, urban decay, population growth, inequality, health, conflict and the violation of human rights etc
which require a holistic, integrated, systems-approach to problem solving, which is described by UNESCO as
being transdisciplinary and inter sectoral (ie cross-curriculum).
It is an important time for environmental educators, as we stand on the threshold of the UN Decade for
Education for Sustainable Development, for which UNESCO is the lead UN agency, we need to ask ourselves,
how we are to contribute most effectively to the Decade’s Key Action Themes for Quality Education as
follows:
Environment, Sustainable Consumption, Water, Sustainable Tourism, Overcoming
Poverty, Human Rights, Rural Transformation, Gender Equality, Health Promotion,
HIV/AIDS, Media and ICTs, Intercultural Understanding, Cultural Diversity and
Indigenous knowledge.
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UNESCO calls for a transdisciplinary approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at all levels
of society, to devise options for a future based on the concepts of sustainability, equity, justice and peace,
which move beyond individual models available in different disciplines and sectors, to develop a new vision of
learning, as the starting point for the development of a new global, values-based consciousness to drive changes
in behaviour and lifestyles.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is then seen in this context as a vision of education that seeks to
balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the earth’s natural resources.
In order for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to raise awareness and to develop the knowledge,
skills and attitudes which lead to changes in behaviour and lifestyles needed for a sustainable future, UNESCO
maintains that ESD must foster transdisciplinary enquiries into not only environmental, but also social and
cultural issues, to encourage:
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A holistic, integrated and transdisciplinary approach to learning which crosses the boundaries of diverse
disciplines in order to address complex inter-related problems, extending way beyond a knowledge of
ecological processes to areas such as: futures education, sustainable consumption, protection and
management of natural and human resources, civics and citizenship, peace, equity, human rights, global
education, including population and health issues, protection of cultural and natural heritage and the
valuing of diversity through multicultural and indigenous education, to name but a few.
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Skills development to enable responsible decision-making for the sustainable long-term future of the
economy, ecology and social well being of all communities, with skills such as:
Critical and creative thinking
Oral, written and graphic communication
Collaboration, cooperation, teamwork
Conflict management, reconciliation and healing
Using technology and ICTs
Evaluation and reflection
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Lifelong Learning which involves people of all ages and at all levels of education in ESD, so as to
empower everyone to make decisions and to act in culturally appropriate ways to redress the problems
that threaten our common future.
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Looking forward in time to sustainable futures
The development of the whole person
However, we need to go beyond mere content and theme considerations and skills development in seeking
effective approaches to ESD. We need to explore new teaching and learning processes and methodologies for
the development of the whole person, so as to also engage the affective and spiritual dimensions of the human
person, that are the drivers and motivators for action and attitudinal change.
We need to find new ways of fostering the values needed for a peaceful, just, humane and sustainable world,
while also promoting the critical thinking and open-hearted discernment needed by young people to exercise
independent choice in the personal values by which to live.
This expanded and evolving definition of ESD therefore also requires a holistic approach to the development of
the whole person to enable real behavioural change to occur.
The (Australian) National Goals for Schooling (MCEETYA 1999, p.1) emphasise the development of the
whole person and embrace values both implicitly and explicitly as follows:
“Australia’s future depends upon each citizen having the necessary knowledge, understanding, skills
and values for a productive, rewarding life in an educated, just and open society.
Schooling provides a foundation for young Australians’ intellectual, physical, social, moral, spiritual
and aesthetic development……
….when students leave school they should have the capacity to exercise judgement and responsibility
in matters of morality, ethics and social justice, be able to make sense of their world, think about how
things got to be the way they are, make rational and informed decisions about their own lives and
accept responsibility for their actions…
be active and informed citizens.. ..able to exercise their rights and responsibilities…
have an understanding of and concern for the stewardship of the natural environment…
to understand and acknowledge the values of ATSI cultures to Australian society…..
and the value of cultural and linguistic diversity…..”
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We therefore need to create a Pedagogy for the development of the Whole Person that is values-based - an
integrative, holistic methodology which brings together the:
 cognitive – intellectual – for the acquisition of information & knowledge, critical thinking,
discernment, moral reasoning, problem solving, resolving ethical dilemmas
 affective – emotional – harnessing feelings and emotions that motivate action, exploring values,
attitudes and emotionally charged thoughts, developing compassion, empathy, caring, love, concern for
others
 physical - behavioural – skill development in recognising and managing emotions and interpreting
feelings, practicing skills, expressing values in consistent actions, conscious awareness of values
behind changing actions according to emotions (ie fear, anger, love).
 spiritual – inspirational, aspirational – the integration of body, mind, heart and the transcendent
inspiration/aspiration, reflection, contemplation, meditation, conscious self awareness, self observation
and self correction assisted by spiritual intuition
To develop:
 a compassionate mind
 an intelligent, thinking heart
 skills motivated by values for effective, intelligent, compassionate decision-making, behaviours and
action,
 to become spiritually inspired by the highest aspirations, values, virtues and qualities, of which human
beings are capable, in order to take appropriate action.
Values – caught or taught?
So how does one teach values or can we teach them at all?
In the past, educators have considered that education was and needed to be, values free. We now know that no
educational activity can be completely values free, as each of us carries within us values that are often
unconsciously held, yet subtly communicated to others, expressed through our demeanour, attitudes, actions,
speech and behaviours. These deeply held values are conveyed to children and young people, influencing them
in ways that we are not always aware of at the time.
It is particularly important for educators to be aware of what values they are communicating through their
choice of educational activities, classroom and school and practices and even the policies and guidelines of the
school as a whole. The modelling of values and behaviours that are conducive to positive and constructive
relationships are just as influential in shaping the values of children as any active attempts to teach values, if
not more so. In this way it may be said that values are more caught than taught. But this is just one part of the
story.
In a community where values are both implicit and explicit through social policy and custom, it is critical that
learners develop the capacity for discriminatory awareness of how their own and others' values influence their
thinking, choices and actions. In the past, it was theoretically possible for wise parents and educators to
influence children in positive ways by their example, to guide a young person on life’s journey, gently
encouraging them to find their special gifts, talents and interests and empowering them to reach their full
potential.
Today children and young people are increasingly exposed to the values and “culture of the screen”, to which
we have not given our explicit consent, but which are nonetheless imposed upon us and upon our children. The
influence of significant adults is increasingly diminished as the media and information technologies usurp this
role, leading to conflicting and confusing messages being conveyed and received.
The influence of the media and communication technologies requires young people to have critical ethical
dispositions as they engage with the world. The rate of change both locally and globally, coupled with the
complexities, pressures and demands of modern life, require a holistic and systemic response to social needs
which may be met through a focus on the values that guide the choices and actions of people throughout life. It
is no longer possible for the family unit, or the church, or the school as single institutions to be solely
responsible for instilling and developing a values-oriented sense of direction.
Many educators now agree that one of the most effective and enduring approaches to counteracting the
pressures and influences faced by children, is to teach critical thinking and questioning skills, judgement and
discernment, focussing on the process of values formation. Students then develop the confidence and skills to
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consciously choose between conflicting values, to solve problems and ethical dilemmas and to select the most
meaningful and relevant quality information from a mass of data.
The approach to values development being advocated is not an attempt to control, dictate or moralise, but rather
to develop resilience in children, enabling them to critically evaluate and make constructive choices for
themselves from a range of powerful external influences. The process of values development involves a lengthy
process which continues throughout life, and is not so much to be found in the content of education but in the
evolutionary learning process of values acquisition, addressing all the dimensions of the learner, reinforcing the
values identified until they are integrated and reflected consistently in the learner’s actions and behaviours.
This valuing process is holistic and integrative, in that it seeks to integrate the values for the development of the
whole child, which represents a shift from a content to a process-based approach, from a teacher-centred to a
student-centred approach, and finally from a focus on the values to the valuers themselves. This process
necessitates experiential learning. The educator provides the learning opportunities, context and atmosphere in
which genuine values exploration, expression and discovery may freely occur, and guides the learner’s own
discernment experience The learner’s self awareness is heightened, leading to a strengthened identity, self
direction and personal empowerment to act upon the values that are freely and consciously chosen.
The benefits however, are not only personal but collective, as an emerging generation assume the responsibility
for creating a future that is peaceful, equitable, sustainable and respectful of human dignity.
Whose values?
The question is often asked: whose values are being modelled and promoted by educators as being those that
would contribute to a peaceful, just and sustainable world. In one sense, it is easy to answer this question, as the
values needed to live together peacefully, justly and harmoniously with others and with the natural world are
well documented, as they underpin the major international documents on human rights, social, cultural and
political rights and those relating to the protection of the environment and sustainable development. Many of
these universal or shared values, also to be found at the base of the great world faiths, are being compared and
documented as forming the basis for a Global Ethic for a united humanity.
Some of these values may be conveniently grouped as follows:
Equality, Equity, Justice, Fairness
Freedom, Democracy
Peace and Non Violence
Respect, Diversity, Tolerance, Acceptance, Understanding
Mutual Respect
Human Dignity, Individual Worth
Responsibility – personal, social, civic, environmental
Care and Concern for others & for the environment, Compassion, Collective well being
Honesty, Integrity, Transparency, Accountability
Reconciliation, Truth, Forgiveness
These shared and universal values raise our awareness of our unity, interdependence and fundamental
humanity. They enable us to be at peace within ourselves, to live together peacefully with others, and to be in
harmony and balance with the earth and all life. Indigenous peoples have always known this. We in the west
are only now discovering it.
However, the matter is not as clear-cut and simple as listing universally held values. There is the issue of
cultural values, which vary considerably between cultures and societies, and even between families and
individuals. Studies and comparisons of values among diverse cultures and among communities and individuals
seem to indicate that while the values are basically similar when listed, the words used to describe the values
may differ, but more importantly, the relative priorities given to certain values are where the main differences
exist. This suggests that certain values gain greater importance according to the context and circumstances.
A comparison of values in the Asia Pacific region show that while there are many values that we share, as
cultures we place them in a different hierarchical order. In Australia for example, the value of a fair go takes
pride of place as our number one value, even though it does not always seem to be the case. If we were to trace
the reasons for this we would find it in our unique history.
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In other countries in the region, values associated with honour, saving face and politeness would rate as having
a higher priority than they would in Australia, in some cases being rated more highly than honesty. In yet other
places, family duty, responsibility and obligation would be rated higher than in Australia and so on.
Given that we live in a multicultural society, then it would be reasonable to assume that the broad mix of
cultures and traditions necessarily complicate any attempts to identify shared values. But this does not need to
be the case, as long as we continue to accept cultural, linguistic and religious diversity, which by definition
involves acceptance of different values systems, as co-existing alongside the shared values for living together
as Australian citizens.
The Australian Citizenship Council conducted a national survey and published the outcomes in its Report
entitled: Australian Citizenship in a New Century which identifies seven core civic values and commitments as
follows:

relationship with the land

the rule of law

a representative liberal democracy

tolerance and fairness

a commitment to the well being of all Australians

acceptance of cultural diversity and

recognition of the unique status of Aboriginal peoples.
This survey was conducted some years before the events of September 11 2001. It would be reasonable to
assume that the results would be different today and that personal and national security would figure
prominently. In the past few years we have experienced severe values conflicts within Australia, as the culture
of fear have caused some to question previously held values, relating to human rights and valuing diversity for
example, and have led others to despair and rail against the values exemplified by government authorities.
As we may see, values are no simple matter. If values priorities vary according to context and circumstance,
then any attempts to unilaterally impose values on an education system at the national level is likely to have
mixed impacts and results.
This means then that school communities must take the initiative themselves to involve teachers, students and
parents in the process of identifying the values priorities that will underpin all aspects of school life, for
genuine ownership and commitment to occur.
National Framework for Values in Education
A draft National Framework for Values Education in Australian schools has been developed in the past year
which outlines an underpinning vision and a set of guiding principles to support schools in implementing values
education. While the framework is reasonable for a first effort, and excellent in parts as it advocates a whole
school approach, it attempts to articulate the shared values as follows:
 Tolerance and understanding
 Respect
 Responsibility
 Social Justice
 Excellence
 Care
 Inclusion and trust
 Honesty
 Freedom
 Being ethical
While no one would argue that this is an excellent list of values, to which we would all no doubt subscribe
(with the exception of being ethical which is not actually a value), it is preferable to present a flexible
framework of categories of values clusters, within which individual school communities have the freedom to
identify and name the priority values which address the key issues and concerns in that particular community.
The value of caring for the environment regrettably does not appear in the framework.
For example, the values clusters might be articulated as follows:
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Social Justice (includes, equity, equality, inclusion, the common good)
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Sustainability (includes care and stewardship of the environment which are not
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emphasised in the framework but may be found in the National Goals for Schooling)
Civics and citizenship (includes freedom, rights, responsibilities etc)
Valuing Diversity (tolerance, acceptance, respect, valuing difference, inclusion etc)
Social values (includes, care, concern for self & others, respect, cooperation,
collaboration, team work, peace and harmony etc)
Personal values (eg honesty, integrity, trust, love, compassion, forgiveness, resilience)
Achievement or Excellence (which address quality of educational outcomes)
Summary implications for educators
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A holistic and transdisciplinary (ie cross-curriculum) approach to education for sustainable
development is needed to encompass the concepts of sustainability, equity, justice and peace, spanning
across educational disciplines and learning areas.
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Education for sustainable development needs to be holistic and integrative therefore requiring a
Pedagogy for the development of the whole person that is values-based. In other words, an integrative,
holistic methodology which brings together the:
cognitive, affective, physical and spiritual dimensions of the child
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Values should be integrated into teaching methodologies, with an emphasis on critically exploring
one’s values and practising the living of one’s values consistently in choices, decisions, actions and
behaviours. This should ideally occur in a non-judgemental and non- moralistic learning environment.
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The importance of role modelling values by all school staff needs to be emphasised, as this is more
powerful and influential in shaping values than directly addressing values education in the curriculum.
Values also need to be reflected in all school policies and processes.
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Values Education has implications for teacher training both in-service and pre-service, including school
administrative staff, and the provision of ongoing support for teachers and staff to critically explore and
live the values identified.
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Values clusters should provide a framework within which individual school communities have the
freedom to identify and name the priority values which address the key issues and concerns in that
particular community.
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Further and ongoing research is urgently needed in the field of values education.
References:
UNESCO website for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
Values for a Changing World – Dr. L R Quisumbing, Joy de Leo
Making Children Whole, Joy de Leo in EQ Australia, Issue four, Summer 2003
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