2: Preparing the Ground, Weaving a Tapestry, Writing a New Story: Three Metaphors Describing the Essential Role of the Earth Charter in 21st Century Education

Many of us feel a deep desire to make a difference in the world – to use the power of love and care to address the difficult problems and issues of our time. We may even perceive this as a deeply existential feeling or perhaps as a personal mission in life. And yet, we also know it is a desire derived from a deep sense of community, collaboration, and dialogue.

This sense of relatedness is tied to an aspiration for a just, peaceful, and sustainable future. This is an ethical call related to a sense of universal responsibility that assumes an inherent interconnectedness with Planet Earth – its rivers and oceans, plants and wildlife, air and atmosphere. Humanity itself is part of this beautiful, diverse interconnected multiplicity of life forms and elements. The Earth Charter articulates this vision with a set of widely shared values, not to be imposed but rather contextualized in their plural identities of cultures, ethnicities, genders, religions, and political ideologies. This chapter will explore existing global efforts to reorient education to address the challenges of current times and how the Earth Charter can contribute to the process of re-imagining the purpose of education.