BildanfangRoland BerneckerBildende

Dear readers,

As a result of the Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, adopted by UNESCO's General Conference in October 2005, the UN Organisation succeeded in getting coveted front-page coverage in the world press. This was definitely not only a consequence of the vehement USA-opposition to this new legal instrument. Those who experienced the 'kick-off' for the preparation of the text in autumn 2003 as well as the various stages of negotiations, could not avoid perceiving the high expectations the majority of the 193 UNESCO member states associated with the new convention.

Cultural diversity is a resource for the sustainable development of the earth. Diversity is a characteristic of pluralistic societies, in which people with different cultural backgrounds live together. The acknowledgment and respect of diversity as a basic requirement of life and a requirement for cultural development has to be learnt. Political attempts to create a cultural homogenisation in  in the 19^th and 20^th centuries failed and led to immeasurable suffering.

This issue of the ESD online-magazine is dedicated to 'Cultural Diversity', the theme of the year of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

Cultural diversity opens a manifold of courses of action towards sustainable development. The diversity of problems represents a fantastic richness in creative approaches and ways towards finding solutions. There is no universally effective recipe for sustainable development. Regarding the necessity of finding solutions for the problems of our non-sustainable lifestyle, taking a look at the unknown can lead to a new awareness. An understanding of sustainability as a change in awareness and of levels of expectation can only evolve from the existing cultural identity. The concept of sustainability is of universal importance. If anything can lay claim to global significance then the goal of an education for sustainable development. This global demand must not defer from the fact that the answers and approaches to problems of sustainability are very different in various cultural contexts. Cultural diversity is not only a 'reservoir of freedom' as it was once defined by the UNESCO in the negotiation process of the convention; it is also an inexhaustible reservoir, which addresses possible solutions for the pressing problems of our time.

Thus culture, in the sense of an artistic debate on the subjects of sustainability, motivation and inspiration, can provide the opportunity of changing the way of looking at certain circumstances, or at a specific situation in life or maybe reversing this viewpoint completely. The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development wants to achieve no less than this. Diversity can become a source of strength if we overcome the fear of approaching things where the risk of a new viewpoint is involved. We, who often see ourselves too quickly as being the forerunners for everything – how does the question of sustainability turn out with regard to the North-South divide? An African delegate used to say "you have clocks, but you have no time".

Accompany Samuel Fleiner in this issue, on his virtual walk around the exhibition "Kunst im Klimawandel" (Art in Climate Change).

We would be happy to receive your ideas and comments on this issue.

Roland Bernecker
Secretary-General of the German Commission for UNESCO