We have completed the first three-year running period of the Chair in Education for Eco-citizenship and Sustainable Development (CEEDD). During these three years, the CEEDD Chair has worked hard to establish an eco-citizen culture within the Lebanese youth and adult community, within the University through the “USJ Verte” project (USJ Going Green) and outside the University through projects in Lebanese municipalities, schools and villages.In order to train eco-responsible citizens and leaders, prepared for the world of tomorrow, optimistic and confident in their country, the Chair operates in five areas: Education and Training, Awareness, Research, Project Management and, Cooperation with Ministries, other Chairs, NGOs and national and international initiatives, in terms of eco-citizenship and sustainable development.

According to the Brundtland Report (1987), sustainable development is in line with the idea that human societies must live and meet their present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; we believe that this awareness can only be achieved through training and raising awareness.

In Lebanon, the problems in terms of sustainable development are related to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN): the economic crisis leading to the widening of the gap between social classes and the increase in the number of families living in poverty, diseases and public health problems, inequality in the quality of education and the mastery of languages, gender inequality (gender parity: Lebanon was ranked 115th out of 134 countries in the world, and 6th among the 15 Arab countries included in the ranking), excessive water consumption and lack of sanitation, the number of illegal and non-rehabilitated quarries, the problem of toxic waste treatment and other waste management, excessive urbanization and monoculture, uncontrolled forest fires, energy expenses and air and marine pollution, endangered and endemic species, xenophobia, etc.

However, our approach is intended to be positive and solution-oriented in the face of all prevailing environmental and social problems and despair, because we believe in the power of education. From a young age and throughout life, we aim at changing the representations, the relationship with the environment, the attitudes, the behaviors, the decision-making and the values mobilized by every Lebanese citizen, with all that change entails as a result of resistance and anguish to be managed. As put by Steve Lambert, “our thought system destroys our environment, we would have to change our thoughts to protect ourselves.” We believe that changing conceptions and establishing a new relationship with the environment through “Education for …” will enable us to change habits, behavior and attitudes through “interdisciplinary project pedagogy” and the development of eco-citizen competencies and skills.

Thus, the CEEDD Chair continues to work for an eco-citizen awakening and for an awareness on sustainable development, where everyone becomes aware and responsible for their daily actions and their impact on our planet Earth. According to Pierre-Jakez Helias, “the wisdom of the earth is a total complicity between man and his environment”.During the academic year 2017-2018, the Chair has carried and steered an   anthology of activities and projects that will enable it to achieve its vision. This report summarizes the main achievements of the Chair during this academic year in terms of governance, training, raising awareness, research, projects and cooperation.