Conclusion

My learning journey throughout GSE827 has been varied, fun and (at times) challenging. I have gained a greater understanding of the importance of engagement as an integral part of moving towards sustainability. 

I think that, given the disparate nature of international interpretations of what sustainability is, participation and capacity building, especially around critical thinking skills, is the only way we can avoid being bogged down in debates over definitions and move towards meaningful action. It's been noted (ARIES 2005) that sustainability is not a precise state or process, its an "ongoing learning process" which involves us all in creating shared visions, actions and challenging current assumptions, and I would agree with this idea.

The most exciting part of this learning journey for me has been meeting my many classmates and learning about their various interpretations of sustainability, especially the international students in the class (particularly during our envisioning exercise). Despite having sometimes disparate visions of sustainability, we all worked together really well and, I think, demonstrated the way that bringing people of different backgrounds and knowledge together can really create something that’s more than the sum of its parts.