The project addresses several interconnected challenges in global development education:
First, there's the fundamental challenge of making global issues feel personally relevant to Copenhagen students. When sustainability challenges occur far from home - whether it's deforestation in the Amazon or water scarcity in Africa - students often struggle to see how these issues connect to their daily lives in Denmark.
Second, we face the challenge of bridging what we call the "empathy gap." Research shows that people tend to care most about what they can see and experience directly - their empathy typically extends only as far as their immediate environment. This makes it difficult to foster genuine concern for global challenges that feel distant and abstract.
Third, there's the educational challenge of creating learning experiences that truly resonate with students, particularly those in gymnasium and higher education. Traditional classroom-based approaches often fall short in engaging these students with complex global issues. They need more sophisticated, multi-layered learning experiences that respect their maturity while challenging their perspectives.
Finally, there's the challenge of connecting abstract global goals (like the UN's Sustainable Development Goals) with tangible, local realities. Students need to understand how these high-level objectives manifest in their own community while also grasping their global significance.