Embedding sustainability in English language and intercultural communication textbooks

The idea of sustainable development is usually linked to world ecological problems, environmental protection, and in recent times – considering the influence of society and culture on world development – to the world financial crisis. The Earth Charter, launched on 29 June 2000, underlines that “we must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. A few years later, this understanding was more precisely formulated, with a focus on the role of education in the process of sustainable development, by the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): “Since ESD engages with such key issues as human rights, poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods, climate change, gender equality, corporate social responsibility, protection of indigenous cultures in an integral way, it constitutes a comprehensive approach to quality education and learning. However, the importance of Education for Sustainable Development is being realised and underlined not only by educationalists, but also by world leaders, since the challenge of working and striving towards achieving a sustainably developing world is a complex task, which cannot be solved without the help of appropriate textbooks. Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Our Common Future, 1987, 42)Užsienio kalbų institutasVadybos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta