Educational Materials As an Integrative Approach to a Just and Sustainable Transition: the Franco-Brazilian Cooperation

The methodological framework for two educational materials prior to the publication of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is analyzed. Conceptual modeling shows the interconnections among SDG 1, 2, 4, 12, and 15. The first project is the PROBIO-Environmental Education teaching material for biodiversity conservation, coordinated by the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment. A set of 45 pairs of illustrated educational sheets was produced in 2006 based on Paulo Freire’s dialogic problem-posing education. Students analyzed real, local socio-environmental conflicts and their respective solutions for Brazilian biomes and priority issues, connecting environmental conservation, education, and reducing poverty and hunger. The second project was focused on the conservation of the babassu palm tree (Attalea speciosa) in the Brazilian Amazon. An educational kit containing games related to the species and remote sensing with a teacher’s manual was created, and several educational activities involving stakeholders and schools were performed within the research project (started in 2013). The two educational materials are relevant in the context of a just and sustainable transition aiming to (a) promote knowledge sharing as a primary tool for social justice, empowerment, and socially engaged research; (b) disseminate actions and projects and bring researchers and civil society together for a just and sustainable transition in land use and occupation and for the wellbeing of the population; (c) parametrize future actions and re-interpret past actions within the conceptual framework of the 2030 Agenda to promote integration across the SDGs towards a just and sustainable transition.