| Summary: | In light of the global sustainability challenge there is a growing recognition that
human societies which are not living within the means of the natural world will need to
undergo a transformation. In Western or Industrial societies this will require a radical
rethinking, reconfiguration and reorientation. In order to accomplish this, education will play
a crucial role, but while there have been many educational programs which focus on
sustainability they have not been all that effective. One attempt which is breaking new
ground is the Global Living Project. It is a six week experiment in sustainable living which
combines the hands-on practice of attempting to live equitably and sustainably within the
means of nature with some theoretical grounding in why this is necessary, and how it may be
possible.
What does a program such as the Global Living Project offer in terms of supporting
and initiating social change? Seeking to answer this question this thesis documents and
analyses the first Global Living Project Summer Institute which was held in the Slocan Valley
of British Columbia, Canada in 1996. Using a qualitative evaluation process based on my
experience as a participant researcher, and supplemented by a review of significant literature,
participant responses to two questionnaires and the journal I kept, I identified seven
significant aspects of the Global Living Project learning experience. They are:
1. The effect of seeing and experiencing alternative lifestyles.
2. The impact of mentoring or teaching by example.
3. The out-of-mainstream context of the project.
4. The spiritual, emotional and ritual components.
5. The exploration of the concept of community and the community building which
occurred.
6. The acquisition of tools for action.
7. The curriculum and pedagogy employed.
These seven aspects were instrumental in leading to four outcomes which are significant in
terms of moving toward sustainability. These were:
1. That the GLP participants were led to a greater and deeper understanding of
both the nature and complexity o f the ecological and socio-political global
situation, and a more intense uncovering and questioning of the fundamental
assumptions behind Western culture which are the driving force of the
problems.
2. That a great deal of personal healing and/or growth took place for many of
the GLP participants which resulted in a sense of renewed optimism and sense
of personal power.
3. That GLP participants were led to a deeper scrutiny and understanding of
personal belief systems and feelings around issues of sustainability and to a
greater awareness of their personal purpose and direction within the
sustainability movement.
4. That GLP participants had an expanded recognition of possible paths for
action and of the actuality of putting them in practice.
I conclude that if global ecological sustainability is to become a reality, then we need both to
integrate these aspects into other environment education endeavours, especially at a
community level, and also encourage and support more program such as the Global Living
Project. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of === Graduate
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