The role of personal histories in educating for a sustainable future

Abstract

While top scientists, politicians and social analysts argue over world economic crisis’s and issues on the impact of globalization, the developing countries are caught in a dilemma of trying to catch up while holding onto their traditional cultures. What is lost in the drive for development is recognition of the cultural ways of many communities whose very survival has depended on sustainable low impact lifestyles. In the rush to develop these ways of life are often destroyed. Through retelling of personal family oral histories of people who are living with the realities of what the pressures of global warming, globalization and sustainability have in the present. We aim to harness some of these possible solutions with educational material that both reflects the historic importance of their lifestyles and recognizes the necessary changes and how these can be incorporated into a collective sustainable future.The educational materials (initially a colouring book with Thai and English key stage reading text, aims to become web-based downloadable interactive material,) will aim at providing discursive topics to draw out students own experiences as well as the wider global issues. (A micro macro formula) The presentation will show work in progress developed for this pilot project: My Daddy is A Mahout – The story of Pum, who lives at the Royal Kraal in Ayutthaya, gives insight into the lives of the mahouts who work with elephants in a place that aims to celebrate the past and provide sustainable future of Elephants in Thailand.