Educação para sustentabilidade e construção de capacidades nas cidades do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

The learning and the “capacity development” are important for development of more sustainable cities. The university as a place of scientific production and development of technologies should be concerned about the society in which it operates, promoting dialogue in order to become aware of local issues and propose actions to minimize or resolve them. Thus, the objective of this research is to develop and apply methodologies and educational strategies for sustainability, from the university, that enhance the capabilities of the population, making it sensitive to environmental and social issues, thus promoting their engagement in sustainable actions. This research is part of the PreSust-RS, a project developed in partnership with the University of Hamburg in Germany (HAW) and three higher education institutions in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (UFRGS, UFSM and UPF). His methodology was based on the identification of stakeholders through partnerships formed in the cities polo of the study (Porto Alegre, Santa Maria and Passo Fundo). These stakeholders were were invited to participate in methodological procedures of mobilization, training and awareness. All search steps were based in the themes: solid waste, mobility, energy and urban planning. The stakeholder participation varied from one city to another, being higher where there was an articulator of the focus group. Despite the small number, the focal group of Passo Fundo presented the best results to the acquired knowledge in the comparison of pre- and post-test questionnaires. The seminar in each group produced a document that was called “Open Letter”, suggesting practices to be implemented in the addressed themes. In closing, participants received a certificate regarding the training and they signed the “Open Letter” to posteriorly be filed in the main government agencies of the three cities participating of the research (City Council and the Public Ministry). The interaction of the University with the community led to the development of skills, strengthening capabilities, including a change of the habits, concepts and even an empowerment principle based in the involvement of the participants trained in sustainable actions for the local community.