The specific policy amongst other tasks aims to engage local communities and indigenous populations, as informal and non-formal educators, in diverse Environmental and Sustainable Development Programmes, in order to enhance the intergenerational communication, conserve the local knowledge and culture and transmit and sustain the cultural resources in younger generations.
Additionally, through this policy are organized in the communities and in environmental fields a series of outdoor environmental and sustainable development programmes from pre-primary level to life-long activities, in order to make people aware about the importance of protecting and conserving our environmental and cultural identity as a key driver for creating better societies based on the principles of sustainability.
Furthermore, through the specific strategy emphasis is given to youth engagement with culture and environment as well with rural and suburban life aiming to support them to change their frame of mind and realize how the cultural and environmental resources can be used for achieving economic growth and supporting entrepreneurship and employability.
Examples of recent actions implemented include:
* The last 2 years the Community of Salamiou, cooperate with the international animation festival ANIMAFEST "OPSEIS TOY KOSMOU) and launched in Salamiou Environmental Education Center and in local community a synergy based on animation festival. For a week animation artists create there animations inspired by the culture and the environment and their creations are presented at the end to the audience.
* The staff of the Unit of Education for Environment and Sustainable Development cooperating with artists and offering seminars to teachers and students based on environment and arts. For example last year developed the program "The Climate calls S.O.S.: Action against climate change". For a year students and teachers worked with scientists and artists and created their animation about climate change in order to aware people about climate change, More than 100 schools participated to this action.
In addition, the Mediterranean Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development aims, amongst others, to enhance the cultural and environmental diversity between the Mediterranean countries as a means for strengthening a) cooperation, b) mutual understanding and c) environmental and cultural sustainability in Mediterranean region.
More than 100 Environmental education and Sustainable Development Programmes are offered through the Governmental Network of Environmental Education Centers based on environmental sustainability and social inclusion and culture.
The Mediterranean Strategy on ESD:
* The policy provided opportunities for exchanging good practices and ideas that enhancing the cultural and environmental dialogue between Mediterranean countries.
* Helped countries to come together and find those cultural and environmental elements that unite Mediterranean countries and operates as a means for strengthening cooperation amongst countries in order to achieve sustainability in Mediterranean Region.
* Helped the transition of environmental and cultural projects from one country to other.
* Revealed the importance of empowering local populations and indigenous people creativity and culture in countries as a tie that strengthen the Mediterranean cultural and environmental identity.
$1 million (national strategy)
Mediterranean strategy on ESD: Financial resources allocated to the policy depends from each country national funds. For the implementation of this strategy, Cyprus has allocated around 120.000 USD since 2016.
Even though the policy has not been evaluated yet, it is acknowledged that through its implementation there was an awareness of the close relationship between culture and environment. Furthermore, through the meetings of the Mediterranean ESD Steering Committee which is the coordination body for monitoring the policy implementation, it was resulted that:
* The Mediterranean Education for Sustainable Development Strategy is a great policy mechanism to inform countries about the developments amongst them in the fields of cultural and environmental sustainability.
* The Mediterranean Education for Sustainable Development Strategy is a unique opportunity of the Mediterranean countries to develop join programs, exchange ideas and strengthen the dialogue that can help them to conserve and ensure the cultural and environmental Mediterranean identity.
* The Mediterranean Education for Sustainable Development Strategy is an example of mechanism that can bring countries together and work jointly for confronting the common challenges that the Mediterranean countries phasing in relation to achieve sustainability (social inclusion, ensure cultural resources, conserve environment).