The Jena Declaration: A Global Movement for Sustainable Futures
The Jena Declaration (TJD) is an international initiative developed in collaboration with leading academic, cultural, and scientific institutions, supported by the UNESCO Chair on Global Understanding for Sustainability. Launched in 2021, TJD promotes a bottom-up, culturally sensitive, and locally rooted approach to sustainability, offering an alternative to conventional top-down policies.
Key Principles
The Declaration emphasizes:
-
Integration with everyday life: Sustainability must be embedded in daily practices, not just in policy.
-
Cultural and regional adaptation: Solutions must respect local realities, traditions, and social contexts.
-
Transdisciplinary collaboration: Combining natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities to address sustainability challenges.
-
Social inclusion and participation: Engaging individuals, communities, and especially youth in shaping sustainable futures.
-
Human-nature interdependence: Recognizing that humans are part of nature and that sustainability requires holistic, systemic approaches.
Global Movement
Since its launch, TJD has grown into a worldwide network of researchers, institutions, civil society groups, artists, and engaged citizens from over 140 countries. The initiative includes three main program lines - Art, Education, and Civil Society - coordinated by a secretariat at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, in partnership with institutions worldwide.
Objectives
TJD seeks to:
-
Advance the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by embedding sustainability into culture and everyday life.
-
Enable locally and culturally appropriate solutions to global crises.
-
Inspire positive change driven by creativity, joy, and enthusiasm, rather than fear or deprivation.
-
Foster intergenerational engagement and empower communities to co-create a better future.
The initiative has already attracted a diverse network of supporters, including Nobel Laureates, leading scientists, UNESCO partners, and thousands of engaged citizens.
Those interested in supporting the movement can sign the declaration and join a growing global network here:
🔗 https://www.thejenadeclaration.org/declaration/we-declare-that