BildanfangJasson JakovidesBildende

Dear readers,
"I am happy to talk to you too, Joe - if you're out there", Barack Obama, now president-elect of the United States, said on 15 October 2008. And everybody knew whom and what he meant. Meanwhile, most of us know Joe the Plumber. And while in the final analysis we do not really know an awful lot more about him or why he is suddenly so famous, we all know enough to join in the discussion.    

Those of us who have been struggling for years to popularize the topic of sustainability in general and, in particular, sustainability as an educational subject are rubbing our eyes in wonder. Why don’t we manage to communicate this effectively? If we did we could finally explain to people what sustainability is all about, why it is important and what will happen if we do not start acting in a more sustainable way. 

I am convinced that in order to make sustainability more popular and more widespread in our country each and every one of us must be able to explain to the person next door what we mean by sustainability and what each of us needs to do to achieve a more sustainable development.  At the 2007 Round Table we therefore asked the participants of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development: "What is it that a maximum number of people must know, be able to do and actually do by the end of this decade?" And: "How do we tell our kids, neighbors and friends?"  

The latest edition of the BNE journal offers you a wealth of good communication strategies, examples of successful project implementation, useful advice and creative ideas. I would suggest that you read it from cover to cover and I would be very pleased if it provided you with ideas and suggestions for the your own project’s PR work.     

Yours,

Jasson Jakovides
Member, German National Committee for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development