Education for Sustainable Development aims to increase awareness and understanding of the interdependent and unequal world in which we live, through a process of interactive learning, debate, action and reflection. It challenges perceptions of the world and encourages people to act for a more just and equal society at a national and an international level. Through pre-departure training, VLM volunteers actively engage in global justice issues and make a commitment to working in a sustainable manner and in a way that ensures local partners and communities lead and develop their own solutions to issues facing them. In tandem with this, VLM volunteers are facilitated to reflect on their experiences on their return to try and effect change and transformation both locally and globally.
To learn more about education for sustainable development –
To browse through resources –
Courses
Comhlámh run courses on a range of global justice issues and excellent preparation for overseas volunteering or for anyone interested in finding out more about making a lasting change in the world. Many of these courses can be done online and the ‘What’s Next’ course is highly recommended for all VLM volunteers on their return home. To find out more –
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s)
VLM is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and work with our partners the Daughters of Charity and Vincentian Fathers with the aims of alleviating poverty, promoting education and health and advancing gender equality in the Global South.
Through living out the Vincentian ethos of care and compassion for the vulnerable and those living on the margins of society, volunteers will be changed and, on their return, will share their experiences and educate others in development education and global citizenship. VLM’s contribution to development in the Global South includes a broad commitment to mission and a personal approach to people’s development. In the words of Pope Francis –
“We need well trained lay people who look to the future and are willing to get their hands dirty… we need lay people who take risks…and are not afraid to make mistakes”.
Pope Francis, June 2016
VLM is primarily concerned with working towards the following SDG’s –
To learn more about the SDG’s please see here –
For resources on the SDG’s please see here –
Ecological Sustainability
“We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family”
Pope Francis
VLM recognises that people living in the Global South who are doing the least to cause climate change are suffering its effects the most. We seek authenticity and a holistic approach to develop as an organisation rather than seeking growth. Overseas volunteering clearly has a carbon footprint due to the air travel element. The Covid-19 crisis has resulted in a radical reduction of our emissions as an organisation and we are determined to ‘build back better’. To this end we are committed to –
- Think before you print
- Carrying out meetings online where possible
- Promoting virtual volunteering as an option, especially where this relates to work that could be done online
