The New Education for Sustainable Development Sufficiency Economy Philosophy in Thailand and Southeast Asian Countries
The New Education for Sustainable Development Sufficiency Economy Philosophy in Thailand and Southeast Asian Countries 1) Origin of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) The Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) is a fundamental principle developed by His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in the 1970s based on the foundational traits of moderation, reasonableness, and prudence, adding knowledge and virtue as guidelines for living. This philosophy is an approach to sustainable development that promotes utilising knowledge and virtue to create a sense of moderation, reasonableness, and prudence. It stresses the middle path as the overriding principle for appropriate conduct and way of life for the entire populace. The SEP is a developmental framework that can be applied to all areas of human development. It underpins many of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the eradication of poverty, the promotion of food security, and the implementation of sustainable consumption and production measures. Inspired by the Buddhist notion of the middle path, SEP puts into practice traditional social values of moderation, reasonableness, and prudence to govern all aspects of daily life. By providing a schema in which to “live within one’s means,” the SEP provides a path to sustainable development that advocates bottom-up resilience, starting from the community level. Notwithstanding the SEP’s roots; however, its core tenets are echoed in many other sustainable economic development theories. Additionally, the principles of moderation, reasonableness, and prudence can be found reflected in all major cultures, including those of Islam and Christianity. Sufficiency in this sense should not be confused with self-sufficiency, turning inward, rejecting globalisation, or retreating towards the mirage of a simpler world.
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