Global Futures Oriented Research Collective on Education for Sustainability (G-FORCES)

• In Event: Relational Approaches to Prefiguring Learning Futures

Proposal

The grand challenge of planetary sustainability demands profound changes in all areas of life including transdisciplinary, convergence-based approach to reimagine and reinvigorate sustainability research and education.. Global Futures Oriented Research Collected on Education for Sustainability (G-FORCES) is a dynamic collaboration across 10 diverse networks of scholars and institutions who share a common commitment to transforming sustainability research and education toward disciplinary convergence, broad social and cultural impact, and equitable, just outcomes. G-FORCES aims to align educational networks toward more regenerative global futures while creating new opportunities for leadership and broadening participation from early-career and marginalized scholars, especially from the global South.


We have three goals for this presentation. The first is to present six key points of disconnection between knowledge production and its mobilization for planetary sustainability — the disconnects that G-FORCES aims to address. These six disconnections include (1) disparities in funding across disciplines, (2) lack of knowledge translation into behavioral outcomes, (3) over-prioritization of scientific literacy over other types of literacies, (4) lack of equity focus in sustainability research, education, and practice, (5) climate misinformation limits knowledge mobilization, and (6) exclusion of arts and humanities precludes new perspectives for research and action.


The second goal is to describe initial efforts to mobilize research to rearticulate the role of knowledge for planetary sustainability in formal education and lifelong learning. We will share the process and results from a comprehensive mapping that articulates and assesses capabilities, capacities, and resources across networks to identify gaps, synergies, and opportunities for inclusive, innovative knowledge production and exchange — as well as mapping the future by focusing on priorities and activities planned by each network. We believe this approach may be useful to others engaged in similar work that aims to co-create visionary approaches to push our own boundaries.


The third goal is to engage in thoughtful dialogue as we consider how scholars and practitioners might work relationally and synergistically to overcome epistemological resistance — both within the projects of attendees as well as G-FORCES that aims to generate innovative research synergies and create new spaces for sharing solutions across different networks and enhancing connectivity among the world's diverse scholars and practitioners to enact change.


Relationality is a driving force that will help us achieve the overarching G-FORCES goal: to bring together diverse sustainability-oriented research networks (i.e., sciences, social sciences, humanities) to rearticulate the role of knowledge for planetary sustainability in formal education and lifelong learning. We take care to generate opportunities for supporting early career and underrepresented researchers across national and international contexts, particularly those who are historically and currently left out - forging relationships and creating new connections and leadership opportunities among diverse international scholars, policymakers, and practitioners in accelerating education transformation for planetary sustainability within policy, pedagogy, and curricula.

Authors

• Andrea Weinberg, Arizona State University

• Iveta Silova, Arizona State University

• Carrie Karsgaard, Cape Breton University

• Gustavo E Fischman, Arizona State University

• Dilraba Anayatova, Arizona State University