Lesson 5: Intercultural Dialogue for a more Sustainable future: can ICD be a basis for the accomplishment of SDGs?

Introduction

Cultural diversity plays an important role in achieving sustainable development, according to international discourse. Cultural diversity is recognized as one of the bases of sustainable development and a way to a more satisfying intellectual, emotional, moral, and spiritual living, in many authoritative publications. Other notable publications discuss the many ways in which collective and individual cultures interact and are expressed via the arts, literature, and folklore.

For an introduction to the topic, you can watch the video “The Role of Cultural Heritage in Sustainable Development” by Professor Koen Van Balen. This speech was held at the first international scholarly stakeholders conference in 2017, for the wider Khajuraho Heritage Region on the process of integration of the assets as an accelerator for sustainable development, within the context of the 2017 UNESCO Year on Sustainable Tourism for Development.

People's values, worldviews, knowledge, and creativity, all of which are intimately tied to culture, are critical to long-term sustainability. Cultural diversity, according to sustainable development theory, is a rich source of creativity, human experience, and information sharing that may help communities and society transition to more sustainable futures. It also recognizes the value of cultural variety in fostering a culture of peace, tolerance, nonviolence, and human fulfilment.

Intercultural dialogue leads to sustainable development by promoting traditional, local, and scientific knowledge sharing. More sustainable practices and better solutions to current challenges may be produced by integrating all of these important types of knowledge.

ESD must be culturally anchored and regionally relevant, according to the literature. It aims at framing values, worldviews, and cultural expressions as part of a participatory and dialogic process that is required for working together toward a shared future.

However, policies and programs for sustainable development do not always recognize cultural diversity as a useful tool for reorienting present behaviors or assisting in the construction of sustainable futures. Policies that really interact with culture must address the dual challenge posed by cultural diversity. Promoting the peaceful coexistence of culturally heterogeneous communities, as well as acknowledging the idea of learning to live together for a more positive and sustainable future, are critical. Policies should more properly represent the complicated, yet obvious, relationship that exists between ‘culture' and sustainable development and recognize that ‘culture' is the underlying component.

The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) offers a chance to better comprehend and incorporate cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue views into learning and education systems. This global platform might be the key to bridging the gap between cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental change, allowing the culture lens to guide possible solutions and progress. It specifically urges governments to integrate sustainable development into all educational systems, plans, and strategies, as well as to enhance public awareness of sustainable development efforts through education.

In terms of DESD, the internationally recognized ESD principles are considered to be:

• Futures thinking

• Critical and creative thinking

• Participation & participatory learning

• Partnerships

• Systemic thinking