Reframing for global sustainability

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to encourage discourse concerning a “sustainable societal system”, proposing S.E.E.D. (=Secure‐base Earth Equilibrium Development). S.E.E.D. outlines a possible transition to a viable future civilisation, a realistic eco‐social turnaround, a “taming” (i.e. a cultivation) of the market with regard to the changed context (“nature”, ecosystem). Thus, it can become a key point for “sustainable global citizenship”; and all educational efforts in this direction are demanded.Design/methodology/approachThe design/methodology/approach is along the main components of the model of “Synoptics”, i.e. systemic social analyses using so‐called “objective hermeneutic methodology”. This outline is the short version of the complete text of an ESD memorandum on S.E.E.D. (Vienna, 2012), which comprises approx. 200 pages; thus it has had to be very condensed.FindingsFor moving towards a sustainable global societal system, a “transitional phase” is needed. One possible transition model is S.E.E.D. Further deliberation about our future social architecture as well as some immediate and critical steps are urgently needed and are to be encouraged; this text merely aims to be an incentive.Research limitations/implicationsHermeneutics can only deepen the understanding of social systems. It recognizes the difference in relation to “science” – based on the “reproducibility of situations” (replication) and therefore the possibility of a methodology by “replicable experiments”, which are not (yet) possible in the social realm.Practical implicationsThis article aims to deepen the understanding of the “whole” of a social structure – as a system – and it outlines an alternative social architecture (S.E.E.D.) for the next (transitional) historic phase. The crucial factors for a “context‐appropriate change” are education (which has to become both more and more multicultural and have a global perspective at its core) and the media (where all its instruments – new and old – are very important).Social implicationsThis social architecture (S.E.E.D.) aims towards intensifying the political discourse for a democratic political transition. It can be first envisaged for European states, respectively, within the EU (and finally worldwide). This outline might be useful for pedagogic purposes as well. If climate knows no boundaries, then why should modern teaching endeavours be limited to national boundaries?Originality/valueThis paper's originality/value lies in promoting the discourses with regard to concrete proposals for a sustainable social “architecture” with some utopian component parts still remaining today.