Project "The political plant" is a model for sustainability

The project, which is funded by the German Federal Foundation for the Environment (DBU), impressed the jury with its exemplary commitment and special dedication to the Global Sustainability Goals of the United Nations. The "National Award - Education for Sustainable Development" was awarded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German UNESCO Commission.

The project, with the full title "Political Plant: Plants, Knowledge, Engagement - Developing, Testing and Disseminating Innovative Educational Formats at Conservation Academies and Botanical Gardens," combines biodiversity education and political education. The word mark "Political Plant" exemplifies the fact that ecosystems, wild and cultivated plants are equally subject to political considerations and legislation. In the project, botanical gardens and state-supported conservation academies form (federal) state teams. They are partly supported by biology didactics. Together, the teams develop educational offers in the sense of education for sustainable development (ESD).

The aim of the project is to present and communicate the effects of wild and useful plants on different areas of human life. The focus is on the close links between agriculture, environmental protection, the economy, politics and social interaction. Since 2019, the Greenhouse for Tropical Crops and the Department of Didactics of Civic Education at the University of Kassel have been responsible for management and coordination. Strategic partners are the Verband Botanischer Gärten e.V. (Association of Botanical Gardens) and the Bundesweite Arbeitskreis der staatlich tragenen Bildungsstätten im Natur- und Umweltschutz (BANU) (National Working Group of State-supported Educational Institutes for Nature and Environmental Protection).

The award recognizes organizations, networks and communities that are working within the framework of UNESCO's ESD 2030 program to make our society more livable and sustainable. Dr. Andrea Ruyter-Petznek (Department of Education in Regions, Education for Sustainable Development at the BMMBF) and Dr. Roman Luckscheiter (Secretary-General of the German Commission for UNESCO) honored 22 actors for their outstanding commitment. The award-winning initiatives reach people with innovative educational offers, content and ideas and empower learners to participate responsibly in shaping a sustainable future.

The project is featured on the UNESCO ESD 2030 program website: www.unesco.de/bildung/bildung-fuer-nachhaltige-entwicklung/nationale-auszeichnung-bne

For more information on the project, visit www.die-politische-pflanze.de/startseite

Background

ESD 2030 stands for "Education for Sustainable Development: making the global Sustainable Development Goals a reality." Sustainable development means ensuring human dignity and equal opportunities for all in an intact environment. Education is central to sustainable development. It enables people to make decisions for the future and to assess how their own actions will affect future generations or life in other regions of the world.

The United Nations 2030 Agenda sets out the implementation of education for sustainable development as a goal for the global community. Launched in 2020, UNESCO's ESD 2030 program aims to advance the structural anchoring of ESD throughout the education system. In Germany, ESD is implemented on the basis of the National Action Plan for Education for Sustainable Development.

Contact:
Eva Maria Kohlmann (Coordinator)
University of Kassel Tropical Greenhouse
Steinstraße 19, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany.

Phone: 05542-98 1244
E-mail: die-politische-pflanze@uni-kassel.de
www.die-politische-pflanze.de