Hiện nay, những vấn nạn về vấn đề môi trường như hạn hán, lũ lụt, sóng thần, cạn kiệt các nguồn tài nguyên thiên nhiên, ô nhiễm không khí, đất đai ...v.v và đặc biệt là biến đổi khí hậu đang diễn ra, đã và đang ảnh hưởng trực tiếp đến sự sinh tồn của bản thân con người. Do vậy, những lời kêu gọi con người phải suy nghĩ và hành động thiết thực để bảo vệ môi trường ngày càng trở nên cấp bách. Các hoạt động bảo vệ môi trường mang tính quốc gia, khu vực và toàn cầu ngày nay không chỉ ở mức độ phong trào vận động mang tính hình thức mà đã thực sự trở thành nội dung trọng điểm trong hoạch định chính sách của mỗi quốc gia. Để bảo vệ môi trường hướng đến phát triển bền vững, cần sự chung tay đồng thuận của toàn xã hội, các cấp các ngành cũng như mỗi cá nhân. Chúng ta cần phát huy vai trò của nhiều nguồn lực khác nhau, trong đó giáo dục đào tạo nguồn nhân lực có đạo đức sinh thái cho phát triển bền vững là một trong những nguồn lực quan trọng. Vì vậy, bài viết góp phần làm rõ vai trò của đào tạo nguồn nhân lực cho phát triển bền vững và vai trò của công tác giáo dục đạo đức sinh thái trong đào tạo nguồn nhân lực hướng tới phát triển bền vững ở Việt Nam. Trên cơ sở đó, tác giả bước đầu tiến hành đánh giá những thành tựu đạt được và những khó khăn, thách thức trong công tác giáo dục đạo đức sinh thái trong đào tạo nguồn nhân lực cho phát triển bền vững hiện nay. Kết quả nghiên cứu là cơ sở để tác giả đề xuất một vài giải pháp cơ bản tăng cường công tác giáo dục đạo đức sinh thái trong việc đào tạo nguồn nhân lực đáp ứng nhu cầu của phát triển bền vững.
Trang 1ECOLOGICAL ETHICS EDUCATION WITH THE ISSUES OF TRAINING HUMAN RESOURCES
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Do Thi Thanh Huyen
University of Finance - Marketing, Ho Chi Minh City
Abstract:
Environmental problems such as droughts, floods, tsunamis, depletion of natural resources, air and land pollution, etc., and especially climate change, are increasing and affecting human survival Therefore, the article clarifies the role of human resource training for sustainable development and ecological ethics education in training human resources towards sustainable development in Vietnam The research uses sociological survey methods through online questionnaires on the Google Form application for 18-25-year-old students from six universities The author initially assesses the achievements, difficulties, and challenges in ecological ethics education
in human resource training for sustainable development today The research results are the basis for the author to propose essential solutions to strengthen ecological ethics education in training human resources to meet sustainable development needs
Keywords: Ecological ethics, ecological ethics education, human resources, green
human resources, sustainable development, the role of ecological ethics education, the role of human resource training
1 Introduction
Sustainable development is one of the biggest formulas in the world today Humanity faces threats such as climate change, environmental pollution, resource depletion, ecological imbalance… Understanding and implementing sustainable development is an urgent requirement to protect the blue planet for the future and future generations In implementing the cause of industrialization and modernization
of the country, human resources development plays an important and indispensable role in the sustainable development process in Vietnam Human resources promote economic and social development The capabilities and qualities of this force influence the performance of organizations and communities and build a foundation for sustainable development Ecological ethics education is one solution that contributes to training human resources to ensure sustainable development Ecological ethics education aims to build workers with ecological thinking and responsibility towards the environment and society However, the issue of ecological ethics education in training human resources for society still has many shortcomings
Trang 2Educational institutions have not trained it, especially in higher education institutions Therefore, research on the role of ecological ethics education, identifying the pain points, and suggesting solutions for increasing the effectiveness of ecological ethics education in driving human resources toward sustainable development is critical
2 The role of human resource training for sustainable development
Human resources appeared in the twentieth century as a reflection of changes
in how human resources are managed and used in organizations and businesses, especially in industrial development and the emergence of human resources in modern industries Human resources are approached from many different fields, such
as business and management; human resources include all employees and staff in the organization along with their knowledge, skills, experience, and abilities Human resources are key to development and success in any organization or business In the economic field, human resources, capital, and natural resources are the three main factors of production Human resources play an important role in creating economic value and products In education, human resources relate to pupils, students, teachers, and all stakeholders in the teaching and learning process The quality of human resources in education affects academic performance and personal development In a social and developmental context, human resources include individuals and their knowledge, ambitions and ability to interact with their communities Human resources play an important role in building communities and ensuring sustainable development
Currently, there are many different views on human resources The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) believes that human resources are all people’s knowledge, skills, experience, capacity, and creativity related to the individual development of people and the country (Central Institute for Economic Management Research, 2004) The World Bank believes that human resources are human potential, including the mentality, mental force and physical strength each individual possesses In Vietnam, authors Tran and Le believe that human resources are all people of working age who are capable of participating in a country’s labor, including physical strength, mental capacity and talent (Tran and Le, 2023) Author Doan believes that human resources is the concept of population index, population structure and especially human quality with all its characteristics and strengths in social development (Doan, 2005) The Communist Party of Vietnam affirms “Building Vietnamese people to develop comprehensively, with health, ability, qualifications, awareness, and high responsibility towards themselves, family, society and the Fatherland Promote the development of human resources, especially high-quality human resources” and “Train people in the direction of ethics, discipline, discipline, and
a sense of civic and social responsibility; have life skills, work skills, foreign languages, information technology, digital technology, creative thinking and international integration (global citizen)” (Communist Party of Vietnam, 2021, p.232-233)
Trang 3The above approaches show that human resources include all people along with their knowledge, talents, and skills in a specific system, organization, or community, playing an important role in different societal and economic sectors
“Sustainable development” appeared in the late 1980s and became an important term in economics, society, and environmental management During this period, environmental and natural resource problems were becoming increasingly serious It is recognized that the traditional economic development model is causing many negative consequences for the environment and society Sustainable development was first raised in the Brundland Commission Report, “Our Common Future,” published in 1987 In this Report, the combination of economic development, environmental protection and social justice is emphasized for the first time According to Brundland, sustainable development is meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs From here, sustainable development has become an important part
of global management policies and practices, especially in environmental protection and socio-economic development The content of the concept of sustainable development was supplemented and completed at the United Nations Summit held in Johannesburg (South Africa) in 2002 In Vietnam, in Article 3, the Law on Environmental Protection clearly states: “Sustainable development is the development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the needs of the world.” based on the close and harmonious combination between economic growth, ensuring social progress and environmental protection” (National Assembly of Vietnam, 2020, p.9) Through the above approaches, it can be seen that sustainable development is the combination of the three fields of economy, society, and ecology into a unified whole of nature - people and society
Sustainable economic development must go hand in hand with sustainable social and environmentally sustainable development These three goals interact and are closely intertwined in social development In particular, economic goal plays a decisive role and is important for sustainable development In particular, the economic goal plays a leading role and is crucial for sustainable development Sustainable economic development means rapid, safe, and quality development, applying scientific and technical achievements to production without harming society and the environment Social goals should be associated with development to ensure social justice and develop people comprehensively in culture, education, and health Environmental goals should be associated with protection, rational and efficient exploitation, use of natural resources, biodiversity maintenance, environmental pollution reduction, etc Protecting the ecological environment is protecting the natural basis of social existence - an important basis for sustainable development
Trang 4Sustainable development plays a very important role in the development of humanity in general, ensuring the protection and conservation of the planet’s ecological systems and resources, helping to build a good living environment for current and future generations, helps protect human health, improve quality of life, guide people to use natural resources in a balanced way, ensuring future generations can meet their needs Besides, sustainable development promotes competition, creating opportunities for sustainable economic growth while promoting positive social interaction and cooperation in the community, creating solidarity and social participation, and helping to build strong and sustainable communities
For achieving sustainable development goals, human resource training plays a major role
First, providing human resources with knowledge and creating awareness of
sustainable development This benefits society and the environment If workers understand the consequences of climate change, environmental pollution, poverty, and the concept of sustainable development, they will be prone to participate actively
in activities to address these issues Workers who understand sustainable development will be more sensitive to environmental and social issues They will see their responsibility and change personal and organizational behavior, implement resource-saving measures, and support sustainable products and services At the same time, they have a good awareness of sustainable development that can open up new business opportunities, combining business benefits with social and environmental benefits, helping to promote sustainable development in economic fields
Second, building necessary skills and capacities Today, human resource
training institutions need to teach necessary skills and competencies related to sustainable development, such as project management skills, including planning, executing, and evaluating projects effectively Time management skills help workers know priority tasks, schedule work, and divide time appropriately to ensure project progress-skills in data analysis and impact assessment of decisions and activities related to sustainable development Communication skills include the ability to present ideas, listen, and interact with others effectively; Problem-solving skills include the ability to identify problems, seek information, and provide effective solutions to sustainability issues; Teamwork skills such as the skill of listening to others’ opinions, the skill of expressing opinions and resolving conflicts constructively, etc
Third, meeting the needs of the labor market In the current ecological crisis
context, the demand for experts and employees with knowledge and skills related to sustainable development is increasing Many organizations and businesses are looking for ways to reduce negative environmental and societal impacts Having staff
Trang 5knowledgeable about sustainable development can help them improve their image and reputation Therefore, they need human resources capacity to help them achieve this goal Many industries, such as renewable energy, resource management, and green engineering are growing strongly and need quality human resources At the same time, training human resources with knowledge of the ecological environment can meet increasingly intense international regulations and standards on environment and sustainable development
Fourth, human resource training encourages creative thinking and innovation,
which is important in ensuring the sustainable development of society and the environment Training human resources with creative and innovative thinking helps vocational education institutions create society experts, leaders, and policymakers who are capable of facing and solving environmental problems They can research, analyze and come up with new solutions to complex problems such as ecological crisis, global warming Businesses and organizations can use human resources with creative thinking to develop sustainable products and services that meet the growing needs of domestic and international markets
Fifth, creating sustainable development Human resources trained in
knowledge related to sustainable development will be able to spread their knowledge and actions to others in the community This promotes the sustainable development
of society and the Environment
Thus, training human resources for sustainable development helps improve knowledge and personal skills for future workers and is also a useful solution to promote the steady development of society and the environment This helps build a solid basis for long-term development, benefiting individuals, organizations, and communities
3 The role of ecological ethics education in training human resources for sustainable development
The ecological imbalance and negative impact of environmental pollution on human health and life cannot be noticed in just a few years, so even though nature has been devastated for a long time in recent years, people have become aware and interested in ecology and ecological ethics education in the direction of sustainable development
Ecological ethics appeared in the first half of the twentieth century with many different perspectives In the Western world, ecocentric ethics emerged in the ‘40s and ‘50s of the twentieth century, represented by Leopold, and deep ecology by Naess They believed that the entire universe (including all living things and the material conditions necessary for life) must be equally important Leopold says “A
Trang 6thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community It is wrong when it tends otherwise” (Ho, 2005)
Taylor founded biocentric ethics in the ‘70s and ‘80s of the twentieth century They view life as the value of all living things and believe that destroying the life of each creature means destroying its value, which is a crime Humans will know how
to protect and respect nature when they realize the unity of life values of all species Because all things on earth have value and are related and equal to each other, humans must treat all living things fairly to survive and develop Thus, ecocentric ethics considers morality in the context of the vast universe, while biocentric ethics mainly considers morality in the living world
In the Eastern world, it is perceived that there is a unity of heaven, earth, and humanity Mankind is a product of nature, relies on nature, and has a strong relationship with nature It lives near nature and gradually forms moral feelings, habits, and ecological and cultural lifestyles
Vietnamese author Vu writes, “Ecological ethics includes a system of views, concepts, ideas, feelings, principles, rules, standards, and so on, which provides and regulates human behavior in the process of transforming and renovating nature to serve human life, the existence and development of society in ecological conditions that still have their unique characteristics” (Vu, 2009)
When requiring people to behave properly with nature, author Nguyen believes: “Ecological ethics is a combination of rules, principles, and standards, thanks to which people have the will to self-consciously adjust their behavior towards nature following the interests and happiness of humans with good development and sustainability between humans and nature” (Nguyen, 2015)
Despite many views in different areas and at various levels, ecological ethics generally aims to regulate human behavior toward nature through value standards
Ecological ethics education has become an important content in the educational programs of many countries Ecological ethics education for people is considered an effective solution for addressing increasing environmental challenges Ecological ethics education is the basis for orienting human awareness in the relationship with nature Education, ecological, and ethical values standards guide awareness, attitudes, and behaviors to help people see their obligations, responsibilities, and conscience toward the social community
Like other types of ethics, ecological ethics includes three basic components:
eco-ethical awareness, eco-ethical behavior, and eco-ethical relationships The three
have a close relationship with one another to establish the ecological ethics of each
individual or community in general Eco-ethical awareness is the human realization
Trang 7of the position and role of the ecological environment and the understanding of nature’s laws and the human-nature relationship, leading to the formation of feelings, beliefs, and ecological lifestyles Eco-ethical awareness includes eco-ethical
knowledge, sentiments, and beliefs Eco-ethical knowledge is the basic element of
eco-ethical awareness, while eco-ethical sentiment is the most important Without it, all the values of eco-ethical knowledge cannot be transformed into eco-ethical behavior Eco-ethical awareness is the foundation and psychological condition for exercising eco-ethical behavior, which means eco-ethical behavior expresses eco-ethical awareness in reality This system is created from social practices of different historical periods to protect the ecosystem Eco-ethical behavior manifests in self-conscious and voluntary activities in exploiting and using resources and
environmental protection Eco-ethical relationships are the beneficial relationships
between humans (the moral subject) and nature (the moral object) In this relationship, the moral subject must have respectful perceptions and behaviors toward nature to protect both parties’ interests.Like other types of ethics, ecological ethics
includes three basic components: eco-ethical awareness, eco-ethical behavior, and
eco-ethical relationships The three have a close relationship with one another to
establish the ecological ethics of each individual or community in general
Eco-ethical awareness is the human realization of the position and role of the ecological
environment and the understanding of nature’s laws and the human-nature relationship, leading to the formation of feelings, beliefs, and ecological lifestyles
ethical awareness includes eco-ethical knowledge, sentiments, and beliefs
Eco-ethical knowledge is the basic element of eco-Eco-ethical awareness, while eco-Eco-ethical sentiment is the most important Without it, all the values of eco-ethical knowledge cannot be transformed into eco-ethical behavior Eco-ethical awareness is the foundation and psychological condition for exercising eco-ethical behavior, which means eco-ethical behavior expresses eco-ethical awareness in reality
In Vietnam, ecological ethics education is of interest to many researchers Author Phan said: “Ecological ethics education is an educational process about scientific, ethical, aesthetic, and political awareness in the field of ecology, along with forms and solutions Appropriate education aims to equip each person to proactively and actively participate in activities to improve and protect the natural environment” (Phan, 2008)
Author Do, when analyzing the content of building a cultural environment in the 21st century, affirms, “Eco-ethical education in building a humane ecological, cultural environment is to build and educate a system of standards new connection with responsibility, obligation, conscience and the meaning of life with the relative stabilization of human behavior, choices, and orientation in the process of
Trang 8humanizing the school environment according to the human image Ecological ethics education is aimed at unifying humanistic attitudes towards nature in the process of building a new cultural environment” (Do, 2007)
Thus, it can be understood that ecological ethics education is a purposeful activity of educational subjects through specific forms Specific educational methods build individuals with a deep awareness of environmental and social issues related to sustainable development, forming feelings, beliefs, attitudes, and voluntary and responsible behavior towards the natural environment, encouraging the educated to participate in positive action to solve environmental challenges
Ecological ethics education for future human resources includes three basic contents: education on ecological ethical awareness, education on ecological ethical relationships, and education on ecological ethical behavior
First, educate awareness of ecological ethics Educating ecological, ethical
consciousness includes educating ecological, ethical knowledge, ethical sentiments,
ecological ethical beliefs, and ecological ethical will Eco-ethical knowledge
education includes equipping learners with a system of knowledge about the
structure, functions, and roles of the environment and ecosystems, natural cycles, interactions between species, and how the environment affects life on Earth; Current status, causes and negative impacts of environmental pollution, climate change, and ecological imbalance; knowledge about the rational use of natural resources; It is necessary to understand clearly the measures to restore, protect and enrich the natural world, limit the destructive effects of ecological balance, and combat actions that pollute the environment; Skills and knowledge on how to solve complex environmental problems; be disseminated about the Party’s policies and guidelines, and the State’s policies and laws on environmental issues; knowledge of traditional
ecological ethical values Educating sentiments about ecological ethics is an
important content Ecological, ethical sentiments become human moral awareness’s driving force and capacity They demonstrate the ability to perceive and evaluate moral phenomena (right, wrong) through emotions and simultaneously express their personality Teachers need to educate healthy and pure love of nature Learners need
to see that protecting the ecological environment is joy and happiness because they
can protect their lives Educating ecological ethical beliefs is about love for nature,
confidence in one’s cognitive ability, and the right decisions regarding the ecological
environment Educating the will for ecological ethics is to help learners determine
not to commit acts that are harmful to nature and, at the same time, firmly fight, condemn, and prevent acts that harm environmental interests
Second, educate ecological ethical relationships Ecological ethical
relationships are beneficial relationships between humans and the natural world In
Trang 9it, humans are considered the moral subject; nature is the moral object Correct ecological ethics is the unification of human interests with the interests of nature to protect the natural-human-social system Education on ecological interest relationships includes education on organic relationships, dialectical unity, and interactions between humans and nature; education about environmental justice,
principles, content, and role in development
Third, educate ecological ethical behavior Ecological, ethical behavior is
regulated by certain ecological, ethical standards such as love, respect, and protection
of the ecological environment; protection of climate and biodiversity; and Practicing
an ecological and humanistic cultural lifestyle Based on these ecological ethical standards, learners will self-adjust their own ethical behavior concerning the natural world Ethical behaviors that need to be educated for human resources include keeping your living and study areas clean, saving resources, recycling products and materials, and strictly complying with the laws stated in the Law on Environmental Protection 2020…
Ecological ethics education is very important in training human resources for sustainable development
First, ecological ethics education improves the personality of future human
resources In the current development process of Vietnam, natural resources should
be considered a valuable source of social production capital that, until now, there is
no substitute Exploiting and rationally using natural resources and protecting the living environment is an ethical issue and, more importantly, protecting human livelihoods Ecological ethics education helps learners respect and protect the natural world as their own lives Ecological ethics education is a part of social ethics education, contributing to forming and perfecting learners’ personalities, especially concerning the natural world
Second, ecological ethics education in human resource training contributes to
increasing the effectiveness of environmental protection for the sustainable development of humans and the natural world Ecological ethics education helps build the future workforce with a deep awareness of the important role of the environment and human impact on the environment This helps create sensitive human resources and a sense of responsibility towards the natural environment Eco-ethics education promotes the development of skills to solve complex environmental problems These skills are the basis for delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to environmental challenges Ecological ethics education encourages positive connection and interaction with the natural world It encourages learners to participate in environmental protection activities such as environmental projects, recycling, and garbage collection… Eco-ethics education provides knowledge and
Trang 10methods for sustainable business development, encouraging the creation of green products and services At the same time, ecological ethics education contributes to guiding the building of communities with common environmental ethical values This creates consensus in the social community’s actions to protect and preserve the environment Thus, ecological ethics education is an important tool to gain knowledge about the ecological environment and an important factor in building responsible and sensitive human resources on environmental issues, ensuring sustainable development for society and Earth
4 Achievements and difficulties, challenges in ecological ethics education
in training human resources for sustainable development in Vietnam
Recently, with the attention of the Party, the State, organizations, businesses, human resource training establishments, and the whole society, ecological ethics education in training human resources force also achieved many significant achievements
First, the Party and State have paid attention to the issue of environmental
protection The Communist Party of Vietnam has issued many directives and resolutions
on ecological environment protection, such as Directive No 36/1988/CT-TW dated June
25, 1998, on “Strengthening environmental protection during the country’s industrialization period”; Directive No 25/CT-TTg, dated August 31, 2016, of the Prime Minister on some urgent tasks and solutions on environmental protection;
Strategic orientation for 2021-2030 national development is regulated in Documents of the 13th Party Congress (among the 12th development orientations, the
1st, 6th, and 12th are on environmental protection) The 6th content focuses entirely on environmental issues (Communist Party of Vietnam, 2021), etc The National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam also issued Environmental Protection Law No 2/2005/QH11 dated November 29th 2005, and Environmental Protection Law No 72/2020/QH14 dated November 17th 2020… Thoroughly grasping the Party and State’s guiding views on environmental protection education and propaganda work for the people, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Directive No 02/2005/CT-BGD&ĐT dated January 31st 2005 on strengthening environmental protection education; Directive No 40/2008/CT-BGDDT on launching the emulation movement “Building friendly schools, active students” in high schools in 2008-2013 Thus, in recent times, the Party and State have shown interest in environmental protection in general and ecological ethics education in particular The Party’s guidelines and strategies, the State’s policies and laws are constantly being affirmed and supplemented following the requirements of the country’s reality and the times