Children fetching water near Mahalapye, Botswana, Africa, Fall 2007.
Education's role in Inclusive and Sustainable Development
FROM UNESCO's "Learning the Treasure Within"
"We believe that education plays an important role in inclusive and sustainable development. Improving knowledge and skills is an ongoing process. It is also - perhaps primarily - an exceptional means of bringing about development and building relationships among individuals, groups and nations. Our hope is for a world that is a better place to live in, where people will have learned to respect the rights of women and men to show mutual understanding and tolerance, and to use advances in knowledge to foster human development rather than to create further distinction between people."
Debswana's Headquarters, Gaborone, Botswana, Africa.
A Development Dynamic for Botswana, Africa
By building Schools, the Anglican Diocese of Botswana is contributing to a strategically planned and inclusive development dynamic
Botswana is a true gem of Africa. The size and shape of Texas it has grown from a cattle post country to that of a middle - emerging market economy.
For more than three decades, Botswana has had an extraordinary record of development, which can be attributed mainly to the following:
- Democracy and good governance;
- International goodwill
- Policy activism towards priority development
But contrary to the infamous De Beers slogan, diamonds are not forever. Leadership implemented and committed to a strong diversification policy. But the pace of diversification has been slow and five other problems - all related to the structure of the economy - have dogged Botswana's development. All of which need to be tackled head on for the impressive gains to continue to be consolidated.
These are in no particular order:
- Inequality
- Unemployment
- Poverty
- Excessive dependence on the state
- A slow pace of citizen economic empowerment.
To transform itself from its current state and to continue to build on the country's past successess, Botswana must first create and sustain a development dynamic to move towards an Information and Entrepreneurial Economy as set forth by the goals of Vision 2016:
The following four elements were singled out as critical in achieving Botswana's Development Dynamic:
- Quality Technology Rich Education and Training
- ICT Infrastructure
- Entrepreneurship
- Trade and Investment
Image is a Blue Sky rendition by Architect Michel Cavro for TAISBA'S Mathangwane Campus.
Campus & Facilities
CHALLENGES OF THE LOCAL VILLAGE ~ MATHANGWANE
- Energy Provision
- Climate Change
- Sustainable use of materials (waste Management)
- Water
- Demographics/Urbanization
- Poverty
- HIV/AIDS
A SOLUTION: A sustainable eco-school community
Form follows function: We believe that a built sustainable environment will affect continued economic growth and positive change. We are creating a legacy where the campus itself will serve to educate the next generation about economic security, social betterment and environmental stewardship. We believe that the next generation should be taught about the challenges that we are facing today. We should allow students to see their role in creating this world by studying and creating for topics like global warming, sustainable development, transportation, waste management, health care, poverty, and even education. Its not about finding the right answer. Its about being in a place where students learn the different processes of thinking, learn about ambition, involvement, and responsibility, along with academic subjects like science, math and literature.
