PASSIVE education is precisely that - education that passively informs, delivered in a way that allows the audience or recipients to choose whether or not they act upon what they have learned.  

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For example, the global accounting firm, Deloitte have a climate change awareness program available for all of its 411,000 staff. But whilst it points out what changes they can or might like to make in order to reduce their carbon footprint, it stops short of asking them to do anything other than give it consideration.

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Whilst the initiative is well intended, and undoubtedly a step forward by going beyond what most organisations offer, it wastes the opportunity to actually engage the commitment of those who undertake the program by leaving any resulting action to a personal decision. 

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Freedom of choice is a great thing, but when the future of planet depends upon it, and the unpalatable (and unlikely) alternative is legislated change, there is a very strong case for directing choice.

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This can be achieved through the use of ACTIVE education.

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Active education engages participants by asking them to participate in the learning process by discussing, debating, questioning and proffering their own views. In return, they are challenged about their beliefs and ideas. 

 

But taken a step further, learners can be asked to act upon the subject matter and asked to make a personal commitment to change. This is not uncommon in adult education where participants in a training program are asked to develop a development plan that outlines how they will apply what they have learned. 

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The Plant Based Future initiative requires that all participants are actively asked to commit to eating plant based for at least one day per week.  Because of the environment and ethos of the event, all attending are encouraged to commit and become part of a much larger initiative.