Environmental and Climate Action Dialogue Guide for Museums, Cultural Centers, and Historic Sites

Toolkit/framework/roadmap
Dialogue plans

Resources

Docs & Forms

OCM Datasheet

Intended Audience

Museums and similar institutions

Rafael Citrón Ortiz Latino Center

2015

“Museums and cultural centers have been called upon to provide critical perspectives on present-day social debates, because they provide inclusive space for people to consider multiple perspectives and learn from each other’s stories. Personal and group identity is always in flux, just as culture is always changing with new circumstances and generations. Community museums and cultural centers have the power to help people shape identity in meaningful ways, by drawing on cultural heritage to address contemporary issues.

This Guide can help you to discuss environmental and climate issues with your community, utilizing institutional and regional assets, such as people’s diverse cultural values and practices that are friendly to the environment.

Use this guide to:

• Create your own dialogue program, and train staff to facilitate.

• Bring your collections to life, using cultural heritage to address contemporary issues, connecting past and present.

• Understand your community better, connecting local social issues affecting residents to environmental and climate issues.

• Give visitors a meaningful experience that will prompt them to inquire more and even take climate action.”

Avaiable in

English
Spanish

5Ps

Actions

SDGs LINKAGES

The resource is closely linked to SDGs 4.7 (education for sustainable development), 12.8 (lifestyles in harmony with nature) and 13.3 (climate change education and awareness). The resource also supports staff to have relevant and appropriate resources and skills to engage people with climate change, supporting SDG 4.4 (skills for work). The resource also supports SDG targets around inclusion and participation, including SDG 10.2 (universal social, economic and political inclusion), 11.7 (safe and welcoming green and public spaces) and 16.10 (protect the right to information.

Click on the SDG Target to discover Our Collections Matter indicators

SDG 4.4: Increase the Number of People with Relevant Skills for Financial Success
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Number of young people and adults in skills-development activities and programmes drawing on collections, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
Increase in number of young people and adults in such programmes.
Number and proportion of staff who have received training in the last year, to better support their contribution to the SDGs.
Programs and processes in place to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce.
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SDG 4.7: Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Numbers of people in each type of programme drawing on collections from different demographic groups.
Increases in numbers of people in each type of programme from different demographic groups.
Proportion of people involved in such programmes in relation to overall audience size.
Evidence that learners have acquired knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development.
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SDG 10.2: Promote Universal Social Economic and Political Inclusion
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Collections development to ensure that collections effectively meet the needs of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
Number and proportion of educational and participatory programmes that promote participation irrespective of social or other status.
Numbers and proportions of people making use of collections in relation to the demographic of the local population.
Numbers and proportions of people involved in focused programmes aimed at promoting social, economic and political inclusion.
Numbers and proportions of people from different demographic groups involved in decision-making processes relating to collections and collections-based institutions.
Number and types of partnerships that build relationships with marginalized groups, individuals and communities.
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SDG 11.7: Provide Access to Safe and Inclusive Green and Public Spaces
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Numbers of people accessing collecting institutions from different demographic groups, notably women, children, older people and persons with disabilities.
Increases in numbers of people accessing collecting institutions from different demographic groups.
Measures taken to remove barriers to access green and public spaces.
Extent of green space provided by collections institutions.
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SDG 12.8: Promote Universal Understanding of Sustainable Lifestyles
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
Extent to which global citizenship education and education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in formal, informal and non-formal education programmes and activities drawing on and related to collections.
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SDG 13.3: Build Knowledge and Capacity to Meet Climate Change
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Plans in place to enhance positive contributions to addressing climate change through use of collections. Plans in place to ensure collections, collections institutions and broader society can adapt effectively to climate change.
Plans in place for effective education and awareness raising on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
Plans in place to reduce negative contributions of collections-related functions, e.g. measuring greenhouse emissions with plans and targets in place to reduce them.
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SDG 16.10: Ensure Public Access to Information and Protect Fundamental Freedoms
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information.
Plans in place, and plans implemented to enhance public access to information relating to collections.
Plans in place, and plans implemented to support fundamental freedoms, in line with human rights, national and international agreements and legislation.
Plans and procedures in place for public access to information relating to the operation and management of collections-based institutions.
Complaint mechanism in place for public to use where public access to information and fundamental freedoms not supported or fulfilled.
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5Ps

ACTIONS

SDGs