Decisiveness

• Suggested duration: 15 mins
• Technique used: A race across a room followed by reflective discussion
• Materials required: Materials that suggest an ‘egg & spoon’ race eg different round objects, spoons of different sizes, forks etc.
• Aim of activity: To highlight the range of decisions people take, how they have imnplications and how some people act according to different values.
• Underpinning components: UC12.2a; UC12.3b
• Connection with other competences: Responsibility

Short description

In groups of three ask them to select an implement and an ‘egg’. Gather at a start point. State that ‘All three members need to travel across the room as quickly as possible while keeping their egg in the spoon’ (Imply but do not specify that they should do this one at a time). Run the race a few times and see if anyone complains that it is not fair (e.g. different implements, different ‘eggs’ or someone is cheating). Plenary: discuss reactions and thoughts e.g. thoughts about cheating, equality, rules.

• Suggested duration: 15 mins
• Technique used: Individual activity ‘quiz’
• Materials required: Slides of various simple dilemmas 
• Aim of activity: To encourage learners to reflect on values and principles that underpin decisions
• Underpinning components: UC12.1b; UC12.2a
• Connection with other competences: Responsibility

Short description

Individually, learners quickly reflect on each dilemma presented and write down their response. Small groups then discuss their choices and the reasons those decisions were made. Whole group then discuss the various principles that underpinned decisions and whether there were any inconsistencies.

• Suggested duration: 20 mins
• Technique used: Small group discussion
• Materials required: Examples of real life problems with possibly social, environmental and economic impact
• Aim of activity: To encourage learners to think about different solutions and then think of the values that might underpin them
• Underpinning components: UC12.1b; UC12.2a; UC12.2b
• Connection with other competences: Attentiveness; Responsibility

Short description

Small groups each study a different real life problem-based scenario and try to come up with at least six different solutions/ways forward. Then for each solution consider which values underpin it and which might be compromised. Whole group, discuss solutions proposed and the related values.

• Suggested duration: 15 mins
• Technique used: Short lecture
• Materials required: Slides
• Aim of activity: To encourage learners to think about decision making processes
• Underpinning components: UC12.1a; UC12.3a
• Connection with other competences: Attentiveness

Short description

Responses to dilemmas. Need to sometimes bend or break rules? Examples from history e.g. suffragettes, anti-slavery, gay rights. Revolution vs evolution. Need to change society to make it sustainable?

• Suggested duration: 25 mins
• Technique used (e.g. research, simulation, debate): Role play based on the true story of the exploitation of agriculture land on Diamond Island in Cambodia
• Aim of activity: Understand that Sustainable Development Issues, such as the use of land, uphold different views and aspects thus requiring in-depth analysis for decision making, seeking alternative choices, and accounting for the consequences of these choices.
• Underpinning components: UC12.2a; UC12.1b; UC12.2b
• Connection with other competences: Attentiveness; Transdisciplinarity

Short description

A scenario is presented, for describing the problem in Koh Pich a small island in Cambodia, where the Government in 2004 decided to remove from the island the 134 agricultural families aiming to transform the natural island to a free trade centre, attracting multinational companies to invest on it. The discussion of the scenario is based on issues like changing the use of land and the social, economic, ecological consequences of this change; the destruction of professional groups, the uprooting of populations, the disruption of social cohesion. When the issue is discussed in depth, using various sources of information, the group is divided in small groups taking different roles:

1. The local population
2. The representatives of the Government 
3. The Investors 
4. The representatives of the environmental parties
5. The representatives of Mass Media

Each group justifies its opinion and uses various resources of information to build their arguments. Role-play is expected to reveal all the different aspects of the issue, their consequences and impacts, aiming to reach a decision that will ensure the sustainability of the island and the population.

• Suggested duration: 30 mins
• Technique used: Values clarification
• Aim of activity: Understand that our choices and decisions are based on deeper beliefs and values that we hold concerning the world we live in and therefore it is necessary to explore these values when making decisions and choices in order to reorient them towards the principles of sustainable development.
• Underpinning components: UC12.1b; UC12.2b; UC12.3a
• Connection with other competences: Attentiveness; Transdisciplinarity

Short description

A scenario is given, where three young people (George, Thomas and Joanna) decide to buy a cotton t-shirt. Their decision for buying the t-shirt is based on specific characteristics: the brand, the style, the fashion trends in their country, the country of the t-shirt production, the working conditions for the production of the t-shirt, the salary of the workers that produced the t-shirt, the type of cotton and where it was cultivated, how it was made and by whom. The three teenagers decide to buy their t-shirt based on different criteria. Thomas bought a t-shirt for 100 euros based on fashion, George bought his t-shirt for 10 euros from a charity shop and from cotton that a label indicated that is organic and finally Joanna bought her t-shirt from the internet from a fair trade company. Her t-shirt cost 15 euros, was made from organic cotton and had printed on the phrase “Make poverty history”. Groups discuss the values that determined the decision of each kid to buy the specific t-shirt. It will be useful to use main principles and values of the Earth Charter. It will be useful to firstly discuss and analyse the values of the Earth Charter before discussing the t-shirt selection of the young people. Finally, each member of the group is asked to respond to the questions below:

• “Were there any cases where your decision for buying a product was based on these values? Yes or no? Why?”
• If you were asked to buy a cotton t-shirt, what criteria would you use to buy it? Are there any values from the ones discussed above that you think will impact your decision? Which of them and why?

• Suggested duration: 45-60 mins
• Technique used: Debate 
• Aim of activity: To help students realise that for each issue, there are different approaches and views that require in-depth analysis and scrutiny, collective and consensus decision-making and action.
• Underpinning components: UC12.1b; UC12.2b; UC12.3a; UC12.3b
• Connection with other competences: Attentiveness; Transdisciplinarity; Action

Short description

The scenario of the activity describes a village situated near a protected natural area that attracts the interest of a developer. The developer intends to buy land in the village and build a tourist resort. The area is famous for its biodiversity. The forest hosts unique species and is one of the few local forests that survived from forest fires. The village was very famous for its climate and beauty and many decades ago it was one of the most populated villages in the area. Nowadays the village has very few citizens, mainly old people, and year by year the population declines. The decision of the developer has caused many reactions by the local authority, which is divided in two. On one side, there is the part of the local authority which considers that this project will rejuvenate the area economically and socially by creating new jobs especially for the young people. On the other side, the rest of the local authority functionaries consider that this kind of development will destroy the area, will maximize the risks of the degradation of the area and believe that there are alternative ways for boosting local economy and community, such as using the current infrastructure of the village (e.g. abandoned houses) for agro and eco-tourism, to develop the village in harmony with nature.

Two different positions emerge from the scenario: a) those that agreed with the developer’s project and b) those that are against. For the debate each party must develop its position and support it with arguments. The party that supports the project should emphasise: a) to the rejuvenation of the village; b) the new jobs and the settlement of young people; c) the limitations that they will have to pose to the developer in order to conserve the protected area; d) the active role that they will undertake during the project implementation, etc. Also their justification must include those parameters: a) How the local community will confront the other environmental consequences, b) How will they ensure that the village will benefit from the project, etc. The party that is against the project must give emphasis to: a) the use of the current infrastructure, b) the limits of the development, c) revealing the cultural and natural heritage of the village through other ways, d) the risk of the village remaining isolated, since the tourists will stay in the resort, etc.

It is important that all interested parties reach a decision or suggest alternative solutions for developing the area and actively involve the local community to the decisions and their implementation.

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