News Page

RCE Greater Western Sydney: Youth Eco Summit

Australia’s Youth Eco Summit (YES) is an an award-winning partnership between the University of Western, the Sydney Olympic Park Authority and the NSW Department of Education and communities under the Regional Centre of Expertise in ESD for Greater Western Sydney (RCE-GWS) banner. YES was a unique two-day curriculum-based sustainability event that took place on 23 and 24 October 2013. It was designed to encourage students to adopt sustainable practices in all areas of life, to showcase practical initiatives and promote student leadership. It included hands-on workshops, seminars, displays and active learning projects for over 6,000 students and their teachers from 160 schools. It also provided a unique platform for students to teach students, and for industry and tertiary educators to engage with youth on a wide range of sustainability topics ranging from energy, making money out of waste, sustaining biodiversity to sustainable agriculture, fostering local food security, Aboriginal culture, student activism, green skills at work and careers in the area. Students who were unable to attend in person were connected to the event by video-link.

For those interested in finding out more about the event, please contact Mike Bartlett from Sydney Olympic Park via Mike.Bartlett@sopa.nsw.gov.au

(posted 31 Oct)

6th Asia-Pacific RCE Meeting and International Symposium on Sustainable Lifestyles

RCE Kitakyushu hosted the 6th RCE Asia-Pacific Meeting and International Symposium on Sustainable Lifestylesfrom 20-21 October 2013. Over 70 participants from 14 RCEs and one candidate RCE gathered in Kitakyushu, Japan and discussed various thematic as well as strategic issues including how to further strengthen inter-RCE collaboration and enhance ESD towards 2014 and beyond. The International Symposium on Sustainable Lifestyles was organized in conjunction with the

Asia-Pacific RCE Meeting in the afternoon of 21 October. The objectives of the symposium was to share good learning cases on ESD by RCE members; to discuss issues on enhancing ESD in local communities in view of multi-stakeholder partnerships and community empowerment; and to identify the significant role of ESD for creating sustainable societies. To read more about the meeting, click here:APMeeting.pdf.

(posted 31 Oct)

Third African RCE Continental Meeting held in Abuja

RCE Minna in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Global RCE Service Centre convened the 3rd African RCE Continental Meeting in Abuja on 20-21 August 2013. Over 100 participants drawn from African RCEs, National Universities Commission, the Global RCE Centre and the Niger State government attended the meeting. The first day of the meeting examined development and achievements of African RCEs with regard to community-engaged research. Specifically, the role of African RCEs and Nigerian universities in promoting community-engaged research were highlighted through three keynote addresses, technical presentations and open discussions. On the second day, participants held policy dialogues with the Governor of Niger State to identify ways of mobilising resources for widespread ESD implementation in Africa. Issues related to RCE expansion in Africa and updates on ongoing community-engaged research projects formed the main agenda of open discussions amongst RCE actors towards the end of the meeting. A total of 14 African RCEs were represented at the discussion. In general, the Abuja meeting succeeded in increasing visibility of African RCEs and Nigerian universities in the implementation of ESD. It provided a useful forum for ESD advocacy and sharing of case studies on community-engaged research. The National Universities Commission provided venue, accommodation and food to the RCE participants. The Government of the Niger State funded a welcome dinner, conference materials, publicity and souvenirs. The United Nations University through the Global RCE Service Centre provided travel support to representatives from 10 RCEs. A detailed report of the meeting and communiqué will soon be uploaded at http://www.rce-network.org/portal/africa..

(posted 29 Sep)

RCE Greater Nairobi: Teacher's Toolkit for Faith-based ESD

Since 2010, the Kenya Organization of Environmental Education (KOEE), a member of RCE Greater Nairobi, has worked with the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) to deliver quality education to impart knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that lead to a holistic development of learners, in line with the objectives of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. The objectives of the initiative are to:

a.    Enhance the faith-based value system and positive behavior in the school and community to promote sustainable development.
b.    Embed faith values about caring for creation into teaching on the environment in faith-sponsored schools to create a powerful link between people’s beliefs and their motivation to protect the environment.
c.    Enable teachers, pupils and the wider community to acquire awareness of and sensitivity towards environmental problems.
d.    Enhance teachers’ and pupils’ capacity to identify and solve sustainable development challenges, through multiple approaches in teaching and learning processes.

Read more about their initiative and the teacher's toolkit they created here:Faith-Based ESD in Kenya.

(posted 29 Sep)

RCE Goa: YUVA Youth Seminar

Recognizing the multi-dimensional potential of young minds in realizing the sustainable development goals,The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, RCE Goa and other key partners conducted the Goan leg of its seven-state interactive seminar series. The two-day seminar hosted undergraduate/postgraduate students, young professionals and enthusiastic individuals willing to voice their opinions and contribute towards a sustainable future. The seminar in Goa witnessed the presence of almost 100 youth from academic institutions. It also sought the active involvement of the National Service Scheme (NSS) and the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) youth groups from across Goa.For a full summary of the seminar, please download the project summary:RCEGoaYouthSeminar.pdf.

(posted 29 Sep)

RCE Goa: Waste Wise Workshop

RCE Goa and partners organized a ‘Waste Wise’ Workshop on waste management was organized by Planet J and conductedby TERI on 30 June 2012 at Dempo House, Panaji. Children from 12-16 years of age and from schools all over Goa participated in the workshop. For a full summary of the workshop, please download the project summary:RCEGoaWasteWiseWorkshop.pdf.

(posted 29 Sep)

Open call: ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme

The East-West Center and the ProSPER.Net Secretariat invite your institution to participate in the 2013 ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme, to be held at the East-West Center in Hawaii from 16 to 24 November 2013.

The Leadership Programme provides opportunities for participants to develop inter-disciplinary skills to lead sustainable development initiatives appropriate to local, regional or global contexts. Through ‘Combining Collaboration, Expertise and Leadership for Sustainable Development’, participants will have an opportunity to gain skills in communication and consensual decision-making processes, gain competencies in adaptive leadership, and learn about team project development through problem-based learning cases in the community.

Resources have been committed to provide support for selected participants, who will benefit from exposure to a wide range of expertise from the East-West Center and ProSPER.Net community. The scholarship covers all costs of the Leadership Programme tuition, return economy class travel; visa application fee if applicable; ground transportation to/from airport in your country and in Honolulu;, accommodations; a modest per diem to cover meals and incidentals; and programmatic meals. Please note that travel insurance shall be covered by the participant’s responsibility. We also encourage all members and partners to consider supporting the applicants from your institute. The participation fee is USD 2,000 which covers all the above mentioned expenses except the air ticket and travel insurance.

Please download applications from the ProSPER.Net website (http://www.ias.unu.edu/prospernet/) and send the completed forms and advice on your level of support by 10 September 2013 to: prospernet.LP@ias.unu.edu.

(posted 29 Aug)

RCE Kakamega hosts Capacity Development Workshop for Eastern African RCEs on 1-2 August

The two-day capacity development workshop was a great opportunity for the participants to share their RCEs’ experiences – both successes and challenges – in regard to governance and coordination of the RCEs as well as transformative learning processes and to discuss how to expand and strengthen the network and collaboration within the region. Prof. Dr. Elizabeth S. B. Abenga, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and Mr. Hillary Mibei from the Kakamega County Commissioner opened the workshop with warm welcome and emphasized the significance of this workshop as an opportunity to facilitate multi-disciplinary collaboration and networking in addressing various sustainability problems.

Several candidate RCEs were also invited and actively engaged in the group discussion in which they could gain know-how on successfully initiating the RCEs in the region. Participants made a field trip to Buma Farm where innovative sustainable agricultural practices were demonstrated by a member of RCE Kakamega. The workshop was attended by more than 70 participants from RCE Kakamega, RCE Greater Nairobi and RCE Greater Pwani, RCE Greater Eastern Uganda, candidate RCEs, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and UNU-IAS. To download presentations and photos from the workshop, please visit:RCE Kakamega.

(posted 29 Aug)

6th Asia-Pacific RCE Meeting to be held in Kitakyushu, Japan on 20-22 October 2013

RCE Kitakyushu will host the 6th Asia-Pacific RCE Meeting and International Symposium on “Inspiring Sustainable Lifestyles – based on the perspective of ESD –” on 20-22 October. The meeting aims to strengthen collaboration among Asia-Pacific RCEs and to contribute to the global RCE movement through thematic, operational and strategic discussions. The meeting will also focus on developing a strategic roadmap for promoting ESD towards 2014 and beyond. At the International Symposium, which is open to the public, RCEs are also invited to present their flagship projects in the context of thematic areas such as Schools, Youth, Biodiversity, Community and Disaster Risk Reduction with a special focus on multi-stakeholder partnerships and community empowerment.

Registration is now open through the conference website http://2013aprce.com. For those who are interested in participating in the meeting, please register yourself before Friday, 20 September. Please note the deadline for financial assistance and submission of the case study abstract is Friday, 6 September. We look forward to your active participation.

(posted 29 Aug)

RCE Srinagar Celebrates International Day for Biological Diversity

CEE Himalaya, RCE Srinagar and Channel Mountain Communication, under the Government of India and UNDP Global Environment Facility supported project "Mainstreaming Conservation and Sustainable Use of Medicinal Plant Diversity in Three Indian States", celebrated the International Day for Biological Diversity 2013 at Dehradun, Uttarakhand. CEE has been engaged in this project in developing a communication strategy and tools for facilitating effective implementation of the project. Besides creating awareness about biodiversity, the celebration promoted conservation and cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plant diversity across the Indian Himalayan Region, particularly in the State of Uttarakhand. The celebration included guest lectures, discussions and films. One of the short films raises concern on the rapid loss of biodiversity adversely affecting the health care of 80% of rural and poor people in India; it focuses on Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs) and Medicinal Plants Development Areas (MPDAs) set up under the project. The video is uploaded on YouTube and can be viewed here:

(posted 29 Aug)

Strategic Priorities for the European RCEs

The European RCE co-Coordinators have created a short text on possible strategic priorities for the European region and opportunities for engagement on these initial thoughts. They are asking all interested RCEs to share their thoughts on these priorities via the RCE Portal. To read the text and join the discussion, click here.

(posted 29 Aug)

Registration Open for the 8th Global RCE Conference in Nairobi

We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 8th Global RCE Conference in Nairobi, Kenya from 26-29 November 2013. The 8th Global RCE Conference will be a significant opportunity for all of us to come together to further develop RCE strategy and crystallize a plan of action to enhance the RCE movement beyond 2014. More information about the conference is available here. In order to produce a tangible Conference output, we strongly encourage you to participate in the preparatory discussion through the RCE Portal www.rce-network.org/portal/conference-discussion. The discussions will be launched shortly by each session facilitator.

The RCE Portal will also be the venue by which RCE projects may be nominated for the RCE Award. More information regarding the nomination process and eligibility criteria is available here:RCEAwardEligibilityCriteria.pdf. Shouldyou have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us atrceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu.

(posted 29 Aug)

Winners of the 2013 Young Scientist Award Announced

The Prosper.Net-Scopus Young Scientist Award in Sustainable Development is given annually to young scientists or researchers, based in the Asia-Pacific region, who have made significant contributions in the area of Sustainable Development. The award is open to those researchers who recently completed their Ph.D. (within a span of 5 years) and are engaged in graduate education and research activities that emphasize sustainable development. For 2013, awards were given in Water, Transport, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Sustainable Development. Find out who won by clicking here.

(posted 20 Aug)

Capacity Development Workshop for eastern Africa RCEs to be hosted by RCE Kakamega-Western, Kenya 1-2 August 2013

RCE Kakamega-Western in collaboration with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) of Kenya will run a capacity development workshop for eastern Africa RCEs on 1-2 August 2013 in Kakamega. The workshop aims to strengthen capacities of RCEs to implement transformative ESD projects through networked governance mechanisms. Participants will identify opportunities for further development of their RCEs and also explore possibilities for undertaking collaborative research projects. The Global RCE Service Centre will co-facilitate the workshop. For more information contactrceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu or Gabriel Angule of RCE Kakamega-Westernangule2001@yahoo.com.

(posted 28 July)

Community-Engaged Research Workshop and 3rd African RCE Meeting to be held in Abuja, Nigeria 20-21 August 2013

The Global RCE Service Centre in collaboration with RCE Minna and the National Universities Commission (NUC) of Nigeria will run a capacity development workshop concurrently with the 3rd African RCE meeting on 20-21 August 2013 in Abuja. The event brings together actors from African RCEs and Nigerian Universities to deliberate issues related to RCE development and implementation of community-engaged research projects in Africa. Outcomes from the meeting will be made available in the September RCE E-Bulletin. For more information contact:rceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu.

(posted 28 July)

RCE Srinagar addressing Uttarakhand Tragedy

The recent flash floods in Uttarakhand have left hundreds dead and thousands more missing. Continuing rains has caused a massive delay in relief operations. In addition to the human toll of the tragedy, there has been a severe loss of standing crops of agri, horti and other cultures. The fields and forests are covered with a thick layer of silt and boulders, and reclaiming them will be difficult and expensive. Important water sources and wetlands have also been destroyed. With the loss of these natural resources, food and nutrition for affected people is a major concern.

RCE Srinagar, through its member CEE Himalaya, is doing a needs assessment to help with long term reconstruction and rehabilitation. It is also supporting psycho social care, especially for children, and working to have education for children restored in the region. Once children come to schools and engage in constructive activities it will help in reducing their stress and trauma. For more information about the work being done, please contact:ceehimalaya@ceeindia.org.

(posted 28 July)

New Article and Video: Indonesian Communities Tackle Waste Issues

The ProSPER.Net Young Researchers' School (YRS) is a two-week capacity development programme for up and coming researchers who show promise in the field of sustainable development. In 2012, participants of the YRS visited the village of Sukunan close to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where, without any governmental support, an independent model of waste management was implemented. UNU-IAS Research Associate Aurea Tanaka and UNU's Stephan Schmidt put together and article and video of the visit and the waste management project. View the video and read the article by clicking here: http://unu.edu/publications/articles/indonesian-communities-tackle-waste....

(posted 28 July)

Higher Education Sustainability Initiative still open for Signature

The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) aims to get institutions of higher education to commit to teach sustainable development concepts, encourage research on sustainable development issues, green their campuses, and support sustainability efforts in their communities. The HESI is still open for signature. You can download and sign by clicking here:http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?menu=1073.

(posted 28 July)

Welcome two new ProSPER.Net Members!

Two new members were welcomed into the ProSPER.Net family at the ProSPER.Net General Assembly meeting earlier this month. Universitas Indonesia and the Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute are now both full members of the network, bringing the total number of ProSPER.Net members to 30. A warm welcome to both institutions!

(posted 28 July)

For Distribution: Revised ProSPER.Net Brochure

The ProSPER.Net Secretariat has revised the ProSPER.Net brochure to better highlight the work of the network and its growing membership. You can download a copy of the new brochure here:ProSPER Brochure July 2013.

For ProSPER.Net members interested in printing copies of the brochure, please contact prospernet@ias.unu.edu to have the high-resolution versions mailed to you.

(posted 28 July)

2013 Young Researchers' School

The 2013 ProSPER.Net Young Researchers’ School (YRS) will be hosted by Chulalongkorn University, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and Prince of Songkla University (PSU) in Thailand from 9-20 September 2013. The theme of this year’s school will focus on ‘Partnerships in Water and Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’. Fore more details, visit the 2013 YRS page:http://www.ias.unu.edu/prospernet/index.php/projects-2/young-researchers....

(posted 28 July)

New Publication: ProSPER.Net Working Paper

We are delighted to announce that the first ProSPER.Net Working Paper has been released! The paper focuses on integrating sustainability education into existing and built environment curriculum.    It was authored by Assoc. Prof. Usha Iyer-Raniga and Dr. Mary Myla Andamon from RMIT University. You can dowloadn the full working paper here: PROSPERNET_2013_WP_ENG.pdf.

(posted 28 July)

 

RCE Lusaka Participates in SARUA Workshop Forests’

The Lusaka RCE recently participated in the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) two day workshop, which was held at the University of Zambia on 9-10 July 2013. The theme of the workshop was “Climate Change Matters for Zambia”. The RCE was identified and recognized as one of the knowledge partners and research networks in Climate Compatible Development (CCD).It was also acknowledged as one of the networks spearheading research and outreach in the University of Zambia in Climate Change, while other RCE stakeholders specialize in community engagement, project implementation, policy development and regulatory activities. Expanding and replicating RCEs in other regions of Zambia, adopting a trans-disciplinary approach to research programmes, development of a holistic approach towards communicating findings at various levels of development were seen as future actions.

(posted 28 July)

 

RCE Greater Dhaka Celebrates Monsoon Rain Festival in the Bhawal Forest ‘To Save the Vanishing Sal Forests’
RCE Greater Dhaka celebrated the Monsoon Rain Festival in teh Bhawal Forest with a whole-day programme on 28 July 2013. During the day, young environmentalists studied the Sal forest habitats and habits of the plants; and the multipurpose uses including timber, house-posts, pilings, wood fuel and also the usage of green leaves for serving food and dry leaves as snacks and sweets serving trays/pots etc. The Bhawal Sal Forest is one of the vanishing deciduous forests of the Madhupur Tracts of Bangladesh. Due to urban-industrial expansion of Dhaka Megacity, the glorious Sal forest has been squeezing and losing its huge biodiversity and the natural habitat. Read more about the forests and the event by clicking here.
(posted 28 July)


New Online Resource: Community of Practice for ESD
RCE Crete together with the UNESCO Chair in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in ESD run an online Community of Practice for ESD. RCE Crete is now in the process of extending membership. Those who are interested can visit the community and click the "Contact" button at: http://community.cc.uoc.gr/. Individuals can also contact Vassilis Makrakis of RCE Crete directly (makrakis@edc.uoc.gr).
(posted 22 July)


High-Level Political Forum Replaces UN Commission on Sustainable Development
UN Member States have agreed to establish a new High‐Level Political Forum to boost efforts to achieve global sustainable development and to replace the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. The Commission, formed after the 1992 Earth Summit, helped generate action on a range of issues that led to international agreements or treaties. The Commission was also in the forefront in promoting the involvement of civil society in its work. However, governments and civil society actors came to share a belief that a higher‐profile body was needed to guide sustainable development towards the future we want.Download the press release by clicking here:http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1885press.pdf.
(posted 22 July)


New Publication: A Magazine on Business and Biodiversity
The Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity shares its most recent magazine on Business and Biodiversity. Download a free copy by clicking here:http://www.cbd.int/doc/newsletters/news-biz-2013-06-en.pdf.
(posted 22 July)


Support for Building Vocational Schools
The ESD Programme at UNU-IAS is supporting a project-idea developed by RCE European Regional Advisor Jos Hermans , which is now at the partnership creation stage. The Sustainable Vocational Schools Research Project will help regional stakeholders analyze and understand the educational needs of their respective regions, and then establish centers of vocational training to respond to those needs. The project is concentrated on four key domains: Economics, Engineering, Social/Health Care and Agriculture. There will be a strong focus on sustainable development, including care for the environment, human rights, and the values of democracy. The level of vocational training can be formal or informal and can address lower, middle or higher levels of education. Those interested can download this document for more on the project, its backgrounds and goals. To start the project, the project-team is looking for 5-10 pilot groups that have the ambition to start up a new school for vocational education or a training center. If RCEs and RCE partners know potential candidates, or could support pilots in their work, please contact Jos Hermans (jos.hermans48@gmail.com).
(posted 22 July)


Launch of RCE Greater Eastern Uganda!
RCE Greater Eastern Uganda (GEURCE) was officially acknowledged in December 2012. This was a great achievement for Uganda and to all stakeholders of GEURCE and it marks the second RCE in country, alongside RCE Greater Mbarara. In July, the steering committee for GEURCE kick started RCE activities with the official launch of the RCE. A one day stakeholder workshop was organized on 22 July 2013 to officially launch the GEURCE initiative. The event took place at Busitema University, which is the main coordinator of the RCE. In attendance was a special guest, the State Minister for Higher Education under the Ministry of Education and Sports; Honorable Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo. The official launch was aimed at consolidating the initiative and to lay the foundations for future activities. For more information, click click here.
(posted 22 July)


1st Dialogue on Article 6 of the UNFCCC
The 1st Dialogue on Article 6 of the UNFCCC took place in Bonn on 10 and 11 June 2013. The Dialogue was very well received by Parties and observers who found that the event successfully facilitated the exchange of a broad range of information on good practices in and challenges to climate change education and training as well as opportunities to enhance international cooperation on these matters. The webcast of the Dialogue and all presentations, including the joint presentation by the Alliance, are available at the following link:http://unfccc.int/cooperation_and_support/education_and_outreach/items/7....
(posted 22 July)


3rd African RCE Meeting to be held in Abuja, Nigeria
The Global RCE Service Centre in collaboration with RCE Minna and the National Universities Commission (NUC) of Nigeria will run a capacity development workshop concurrently with the 3rd African RCE meeting on 20-21 August 2013 in Abuja. NUC has kindly agreed to host the workshop and is expecting more than 25 RCE participants. Outcomes from the meeting will be made available in due course. For more information contactrceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu
(posted 22 July)


RCE Greater Dhaka celebrates World Environment Day
RCE Greater Dhaka celebrated World Environment Day in line with the adopted theme of United Nations for the year 2013: ‘Think.Eat.Save’. The worldwide slogan calling all to eat less to save food for others helps sustainable development that underlines the core issues of building communities so that all can live comfortably without consuming all resources. The Day's programme started with a rally on campus followed by a plantation at the university premises organized by the Center for Global Environmental Culture (CGEC) and the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM), with the collaboration of the wider RCE Greater Dhaka Network.
(posted 25 June)


RCE Middle Albania: Tirana GovJam
RCE Middle Albania took part the first Global GovJam from 4-6 June 2013. The event was a unique and highly successful experience - a global, volunteer-led innovation session that mixed citizens, public servants and innovation specialists in more than 30 cities on 5 continents. No one had ever done that before, and, it was a success! At the end of the Jam, around 650 people in over 30 cities had produced more than 120 projects. Watch a video of RCE Middle Albania’s contribution here http://youtu.be/AQrlcplEIaA. And check out all the Global GovJam events on the official website: http://www.govjam.org/frontpage.
(posted 25 June)


5th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V)
The 5th Tokyo International Conference on African Development was held in Yokohama, Japan from 1-3 June 2013.UNU-IAS co-hosted a special two part official side event on ESD. Part I of the side event was organized by UNESCO and co-organized by UNU-IAS and the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO. Entitled “ESD: A sound investment to accelerate African development” the side event will reinforce ESD as a sound investment in education.Part II was organized by UNU-IAS, co-organized by UNESCO, UNICEF and the RCE community, with the support of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. Entitled “Building Inclusive and Resilient Societies in Africa through ESD”, this side event will be held to highlight the role of ESD in building inclusive and resilient societies in Africa through strategic partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaboration in education and development planning. Attached, pleasefind a report from the side event. You can download the full minutes here.
(posted 25 June)


RCE Srinagar celebrates World Environment Day
RCE Srinagar organized a wide range of activities for World Environment Day. Considering the theme ‘Think.Eat.Save’, CEE Himalaya as part of RCE Srinagar focused on the topic of food wastage and the entire day’s program was planned around the same. An important part of the WED celebrations included discussions on solid waste management in Gangtok. In addition to generating awareness amongst participants regarding food wastage and management of domestic waste, other key environmental issues were also touched upon. The event was attended by more than 200 students. In addition, RCE Srinagar organized celebrations at two locations in Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh. The celebrations began with a rally in areas surrounding the participating schools. Following the rally, the students visited a nearby jungle with teachers and experts to learn about the rich biodiversity of the area. They then learnt about the causes of forest fires and ways to protect jungles from fires. After that the students proceeded to clean a patch of the the jungle by collecting Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) needles, a major cause of forest fires in summers. Afterwards, the students returned to their school and participated in various events like painting, poetry writing, and an environmental quiz. For more information please download these articles RCE Srinagar WED 1 and RCE Srinagar WED 2.
(posted 25 June)


Virtual RCE Youth Conference on Water
Congratulations to RCE Grand Rapids for hosting an incredibly successful virtual conference on water and sustainability for RCE youth. RCE Grand Rapids hosted the virtual conference on 17 May from Michigan, USA. Five other RCEs joined in from across the globe: RCE Bogota (Colombia), RCE Curitiba-Parana (Brazil), RCE Lima-Callao (Peru), RCE Rhine Meuse (Netherlands), and RCE Saskatchewan (Canada). Each RCE gave a short presentation on the water and sustainability issues facing their communities; these presentations were then followed by active discussions by the participating students. It serves as an excellent example of the ways in which RCE members can work together to help the youth of today face the sustainability challenges of tomorrow. The conference helped participants better understand the unique sustainability dilemmas facing various regions of the world, creating greater empathy, understanding and dialogue that will hopefully continue for years to come. RCE Grand Rapids has created a Facebook page, title Youth Virtual Conference of the UNU RCEs, to continue discussions on the topic. We encourage all members to log into Facebook and join the group. You can access the full recording of the virtual conference on the RCE Grand Rapids site:http://www.grandrapidsrce.org/. Check out the RCE Rhine Meuse site for their summary of the event as well:http://www.rcerm.eu/Virtual_Youth_Conference.html.
(posted 22 May)


New Case Study: RCE Greater Dhaka and the 2013 Brahmanbaria Tornado
The 2013 Brahmanbaria tornado was a deadly tornado that took place in the Brahmanbaria District of Bangladesh on March 22, 2013. The tornado struck 20 villages, killing 31 people and injuring approximately 500. Many houses and standing crops were badly damaged by the tornado and families were forced out of their homes and into temporary shelters in school buildings. This case study, written by RCE Greater Dhaka's Dr. Mohammed Ataur Rahman, details the immediate actions taken in the aftermath of the tornado and the ESD learnings gleaned from the experiences. You can download a copy of the case study by clicking here.
(posted 22 May)


Call for Participants in the RCE Delhi GREEN Olympiad!
The GREEN Olympiad is an annual written examination on the environment, which is an activity of RCE Delhi, through The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The exam attracts students from India and abroad, engaging them in an exciting environmental awareness activity that addresses a broad range of topics and leads to more informed national and international school network. It culminates in a televised TERRAQUIZ, a 13-episode environment quiz programme broadcast on various prominent TV channels, including National Geographic and the Discovery Channel. Participants must be from schools affiliated with recognized education boards and educational trusts and students in grades 8, 9 or 10 only. For more information, check out the GREEN Olympiad website: www.teriin.org/olympiad/.
(posted 22 May)


Global Consultation on Environmental Sustainability in the Post-2015 Development Agenda
What is the role of the private sector in the post-2015 development agenda with regards to environmental sustainability? How can the private sector be held accountable, and how can market forces be leveraged in favour of environmental sustainability? What incentives for environmental sustainability and green economy policies can be incorporated into the next set of development goals? How can an incentives based system be made accountable so that it is not abused by acts of green-washing? How can a green economy approach assist developing countries to leap frog in their development trajectory? How can the market be better utilized as a tool for change? Which market mechanisms can be harnessed for sustainability and how? Join the discussion by clicking here.
(posted 7 May)


RCE Okayama gears up for 2014 ESD Week Multi-stakeholder Meetings
A series of multi-stakeholder meetings, including the Community Learning Centre meeting, UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet) meeting, Youth Conference and the 9th Global RCE Conference will be held in Okayama, Japan prior to the UNESCO World Conference on ESD, which is scheduled to be held in Nagoya, Aichi in November 2014. To further promote ESD activities in the region towards and beyond 2014, the City of Okayama set up a UNESCO World Conference on ESD Promotion Bureau this April. On 25 April the city of Okayama, which serves as the Secretariat of RCE Okayama, organized a symposium on “hospitality”. Ms. Won J. Byun from RCE Tongyeong was invited to talk about her experiences as a chief coordinator of the 7th Global RCE Conference in front of 150 audience members. Interactive and participatory environments in which post-DESD plans can be discussed with international and local participants will be key to the success of other events like this one.
(posted 25 Apr)


ASEAN Environmental Education Action Plan
Representatives of ASEAN Member States from respective Ministries and Departments of Environment and Education, as well as other key stakeholders, participated in a workshop on the ASEAN Environmental Education Action Plan (AEEAP) 2008-2012 Review and Its Successor Plan Formulation from 8-10 April, 2013. The achievements of AEEAP 2008-2012 implementation at the level of the ASEAN Member States (AMS) was discussed, in addition to ASEAN-wide activities. The Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development network (RCEs) and the Promotion of Sustainability in Postgraduate Education and Research network (ProSPER.Net) were both recognized as partners in the implementation of the plan’s four target areas – formal education; non-formal education; institutional and human resource capacity building; and networking, information dissemination and communication. For more information, please contact the Global RCE Service Centre or the ProSPER.Net Secretariat.
(posted 25 Apr)


RCE Barcelona: Avalon Sustainability School
Avalon Sustainability School, organized by RCE Barcelona partners, develops transformational learning experiences in wild places for young people, aged 13 to 19 to engage in the challenges of our time in a fun, creative way. Participants come from diverse countries and backgrounds to learn from each other, develop new skills, live in community and gain competence in outdoor leadership, creativity and sustainability. In 2012 young people came from Palestine, Turkey, Jamaica, Spain, Germany and the UK. This July participants from Pakistan and Indonesia will also join the camps to be held again in the Spanish Pyrenees. RCE Barcelona welcomes partnerships with other RCEs to enable young people from different countries to participate in this multicultural learning partnership and is currently working with RCE Cairo to explore the possibility of holding a camp in Egypt in 2014. Please circulate this information to young people in your RCE and other networks. For more information click here or visit http://avalon-school.org/.
(posted 24 Apr)


RCE Publication: Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
Recently the RCE publication on Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity was highlighted in the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s Biodiversity Policy and Practice section. If you would like to download a copy of the book click here or visit our Resources and Publications page and look under the Case Studies, Training Manuals and Other Resources section.
(posted 24 Apr)


Video Update: RCE Srinagar Celebrates World Wetlands Day 2013
As mentioned in a previous News and Events update, RCE Srinagar and partners organized a World Wetlands Day 2013 exhibition and orientation workshop on the importance of wetlands in environmental ecosystem in February in Uttarakhand. (Read more by clicking here.) RCE Srinagar has just produced a video from the World Wetland Day commemorations, which is available for viewing below.


(posted 9 Apr)


Call for Nominations for 2013 ProSPER.Net-Scopus Young Scientist Award
The 5th Annual ProSPER.Net-Scopus Young Scientist Awards (YSA) will be held in August 2013 in Singapore. The award is given annually to young scientists and researchers from the Asia-Pacific region who have made significant contributions in the area of sustainable development. The 2013 YSA will award the areas of Water, Transport and Information and Communication Technologies for Sustainable Development. Nominations are being accepted from 1 April to 30 June 2013. For more information about the nomination process, visit the 2013 YSA page
(posted 2 April)

New Publication: ProSPER.Net Newsletter
Check out the latest ProSPER.Net news bulletin which can be downloaded here. You can view past newsletters by visiting our ProSPER.Net Bulletin Archive.
(posted 2 April)


New Publication: RCE Newsletter
Check out the latest RCE news bulletin which can be downloaded here. You can view past newsletters by visiting our RCE Bulletin Archive.
(posted 2 April)


New Publication: 7th Global RCE Conference Summary
The 7th Global RCE Conference was held in Tongyeong, the Republic of Korea, from 21 to 24 September 2012. The Conference looked to the end of the Decade on Education for Sustainable Development in 2014 and beyond, providing a vision for the future and generating the momentum needed to make that vision a reality. It also served as the launching pad for a series of local, regional and global initiatives. Read all about the events that took place by downloading the official conference outcome document here. You can download presentations and the full minutes of the conference here.
(posted 27 Mar)


RCE Greater Western Sydney: Update from Alive!
RCE Greater Western Sydney and the Hawkesbury Environment Network Incorporated (HEN) recently launched the Alive! project and so far it’s shown good success. Alive! engages young people in Hawkesbury by empowering them to identify and address a local environmental issue. The project is innovative and unique as the environmental issues that the young people work on are identified by them and they therefore have ownership over the solutions they help create. You can read more about the project on the HEN website.

As part of the project, 13 short documentaries were made of each project done by University of Western Sydney media students. The videos were produced in collaboration with the students and community members of RCE GWS, including HEN. The videos are a fine example of presenting change using the voice of the next generation of leaders. We encourage you all to view the videos and share them widely: http://www.youtube.com/AliveProjectHEN
(posted 27 Mar)


Americas RCE Regional Conference
RCE Lima-Callao hosted the 2nd Regional Conference for RCEs in the Americas in Lima, Peru, from 27 February to 2 March 2013. Presentations from the meeting and a press release are available for download here.
(posted 27 Mar)


Japanese RCE Meeting 2013
RCE Hyogo-Kobe will host an annual meeting for Japanese RCEs on 28 March. The meeting has been held annually since 2008 to strengthen collaboration and network among Japanese RCEs. It provides a great opportunity for Japanese RCEs to share information on each RCE’s activities as well as to discuss potential collaborative actions and projects. In so doing, they have created a joint brochure and inventory to be used for information-sharing as well as for the promotion of RCEs and ESD activities nationwide at any events organized by the RCEs. In addition to the meeting, a special lecture on ESD and RCEs will be given by Mr. Kazuhiko Takemoto, Director of the ESD Programme, UNU-IAS.
(posted 27 Mar)


Thoughts on Sustainable Agriculture
RCE Greater Dhaka member and Director of the Centre for Global Environmental Culture at the International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, Mohammed Ataur Rahman, has shared his thoughts on sustainable agriculture. To download a copy of his work, click here.
(posted 25 Mar)


Be inspired: Leadership for a Sustainable Future
The Honorable George K. Heartwell, Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan USA, shared his views on leadership in sustainability on the eve of the 2nd Americas RCE Regional Conference in Lima, Peru. Here is a short excerpt of his speech:"We work for a world we will never see. We must take our satisfaction from the knowledge that our contribution moves the world inexorably closer to a state of pure and perfect sustainability. In that work is our hope. Hope born of a vision and sustained by the certainty that what we do makes ultimate sense even if we do not live to see its final flowering." Read the full speech by clicking here.
(posted 28 Feb)


ESD in Teacher Education Workshop
RCE KwaZulu Natal just concluded a workshop with 20 Heads of Teacher Education Institutions offering Degrees and Diplomas from 9 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States. The participants - 4 Deans, 17 Principals and Rectors of Teacher Education Colleges - committed themselves to the process of mainstreaming ESD with strong sustainability and agency in TeacheEducation. Many of the institutions involved in the workshop were members of RCEs, such as the National University of Lesotho and Lesotho College of Education, both in the Lesotho RCE; Mutare Teachers’ College in Mutare RCE; and the University of Zambia in RCE Lusaka. The event marks a significant step for ESD and show that sustainability practices are gaining momentum in Southern Africa.
(posted 20 Feb)


New Video from RCE Srinagar's International Mountain Day Celebrations
To highlight the importance of mountains and promote the mountain agenda, RCE Srinagar, CEE and ICIMOD celebrated International Mountain Day 2012 with 250 students and teachers in Uttarakhand, India. Drawing, painting, slogan writing, performing skits competitions, lectures by resource persons and a rally was organized on the day. Watch the video below, which captures all the events and explains the importance of mountains in India.

(posted 19 Feb)


Framework of Action on Youth for the RCEs
At the 7th Global RCE Conference hosted by RCE Tongyeong, Republic of Korea, the RCE community issued the Tongyeong Declaration reaffirming all previous declarations related to education for sustainable development (ESD) and declared their commitment to implementing strategic actions that build a global learning space on ESD. In support of the Declaration was the Positioning RCEs document, in which RCEs committed to implementing strategic and thematic actions as well as other relevant actions that may arise over time, with a view to building a global learning space on sustainable development issues. Among the thematic actions identified is ‘RCEs, Youth and Schools’. At the recent RCE Youth Session at the YUVA Meet 2013, A framework of actions on youth for the RCEs was drafted. You can download a PDF of the framework by clicking here.RCEs are invited to share their thoughts on the framework by emailing rceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu
(posted 19 Feb)


Youth Unite for Voluntary Action - YUVA Meet 2013
The Youth Unite for Voluntary Action (YUVA) Meet was held on 28-29 January 2013 in Delhi, India as one of the special events to the annual international conference called Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS). The Energy and Resources Institute (the Secretariat of RCE Delhi) has been hosting YUVA Meet since 2009 and this year in close collaboration with the Government of India – Ministry of Youth Affairs and Spouts, Tetra Pak, British Council and UNU-IAS. It was followed by the RCE Youth Session and attended by youth representatives from 10 RCEs around the world. To read more about the YUVA Meet and the RCE Youth Session click here.
(posted 19 Feb)


RCE Munich: Dennis Meadows 40th anniversary of “Limits to Growth”
Forty years ago the Club of Rome published “Limits to Growth”, one of the original studies on sustainable development. On this occasion, the Rachel Carson Center, Partner of the RCE Munich (BenE München) invited lead author Prof. Dennis Meadows to Munich. His talk was part of the joint series of lectures “Leitbild Nachhaltigkeit” and was the high point of a series of exciting encounters. This sustainability lecture was initiated one year ago and was organized by RCE Munich together with the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society (RCC) and the “Verein für Nachhaltigkeit”. It involves 15 colleges and universities from the Greater Munich area. For several years now, BenE Munich has been applying Dennis Meadows’ methods in their project “GenE – shaping competences for sustainable development”. During his trip he found the time to dine with a group of people engaged in this project. To read more about these efforts,click here.
(posted 19 Feb)


RCE Srinagar Celebrates World Wetlands Day 2013
RCE Srinagar in collaboration and cooperation with Centre for Environment Education (CEE Himalaya) and Aagaas Federation organized World Wetlands Day 2013 exhibition and orientation workshop on the importance of wetlands in environmental ecosystem on Saturday 2 Feb 2013 at D.A.V Inter college , Karanpur, District - Dehradun , Uttarakhand. Every year, World Wetlands Day is celebrated the world over to mark the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar. To read more about RCE Srinagar's activities,click here.
(posted 19 Feb)


Latest ESD Publication from RCE Curitiba-Parana
RCE Curitiba-Parana has released the latest edition of their ESD Bulletin. The edition, available in Portuguese only, is entitled Sustainability and Mobility: Advancing in a Post Rio+20 Context. To download the publication, click here.
(posted 19 Feb)


Call for Applications for new Regional Centres of Expertise on ESD (RCEs)
The United Nations University is now calling for applications for new RCEs. Those organizations  interested in becoming an RCE are requested to send expressions of interest to UNU-IAS by Monday, 15 April 2013. RCE candidates are then requested to submit an application and an application summary by Monday, 3 June 2013. The Secretariat will communicate with the applicants in July and August, so that applications can be developed in time for the Ubuntu Committee Meeting in the last quarter of this year. For more information regarding guidelines for applications and for further information, visit our Call for Applications page.
(posted 14 Feb)


Researching Resilience: Young Scholars Look to Communities as Classrooms
A new article and video from the ProSPER.Net Young Researchers' School (YRS) has just been released. The video showcases a group of refugees living in a temporary settlement after the eruption of Mount Merapi in 2010. The shelter serves as an excellent model of a resilient society in the context of post disaster management. Scholars from the 2012 YRS visited the refugees to learn more about the various modes of production they've developed, such as the production of crackers from cassava and sweet potato, as well as the manufacturing of accessories. Watch the video below and access the full article by clicking here.

(posted 4 Feb)


World Wetlands Day 2013
RCE Srinagar, India is organizing World Wetlands Day 2013 celebrations in the Himalayan State of Uttarakhand on 2 February with its partners CEE Himalaya and AAGAAS Federation. Over 150 students and teachers from 25 schools are expected to attend this annual event. Numerous activities centered on the theme for this year, “Wetlands Take Care of Water”, have been organized for the participants.These include birdwatching and identification, a drawing competition, essay and slogan writing, pledge writing on a large piece of cloth, guest lectures, banner and placard-making, and taking out of a rally with the banners and placards. The day-long celebration will touch upon various issues of wetlands degradation and services provided by wetlands. Like every other year, we hope to spread the message of wetland conservation with full and active participation of the younger citizens of the State.
(posted 29 Jan)


RCE Bohol Official Launch
After more than a year since its acknowledgement by UNU, the Regional Centre of Expertise on ESD in Bohol - RCE Bohol - finally made its formal launching on January 3, 2013 at Bohol Island State University (BISU) main campus in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines. Though ESD activities and programmes are already well underway, the RCE Bohol team decided to organize an official launch party in order to ensure that the wider public and other cause-oriented organizations would know of RCE-Bohol and the possibilities for greater participation and collaboration. To read more and see pictures from the launch, click here.
(posted 24 Jan)

New RCE Publication: Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) were developed as sites for participatory learning and action within the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), opening up more collaborative and inclusive learning spaces towards more just and sustainable ways of life now and in the future. Some of the contours of these emergent education processes of collaborative learning-to-change as they relate to traditional knowledge (TK) and biodiversity are developing in many RCE contexts today. The Education for Sustainable Development Programme at UNU-IAS has worked with RCEs worldwide to create a new publication showcasing a series of case studies in this regard. To download the book click here.
(posted 23 Jan)

The 5th Tokyo International Conference on African Development was held in Yokohama, Japan from 1-3 June 2013. UNU-IAS co-hosted a special two part official side event on ESD. Part I of the side event was organized by UNESCO and co-organized by UNU-IAS and the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO. Entitled “ESD: A sound investment to accelerate African development” the side event will reinforce ESD as a sound investment in education. Part II was organized by UNU-IAS, co-organized by UNESCO, UNICEF and the RCE community, with the support of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. Entitled “Building Inclusive and Resilient Societies in Africa through ESD”, this side event will be held to highlight the role of ESD in building inclusive and resilient societies in Africa through strategic partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaboration in education and development planning. Attached, please find a report from the side event. You can download the full minutes on here.

RCE Yogyakarta will be hosting a special international seminar and workshop alongside the ProSPER.Net General Assembly and Board meetings, to be held from 4 to 6 July 2013 at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta. The seminar and workshop will provide a platform to gather a broad range of stakeholders from academia, government ministries, local government, international organizations, NGOs, community groups, and experts on sustainable cities. For more information, visit http://rce.lppm.ugm.ac.id/iswsc2013/

October 8 2011 marked the six year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in the Kashmir Valley. Reconstruction is now nearing its end and the rehabilitation efforts are well on their way.The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) Himalaya has been a part of the rehabilitation process since 2005, through its integrated earthquake response programme ‘Rebuilding Trust’. Implemented in 5 districts in Kashmir valley this programme focused on restoring education and introducing disaster risk reduction strategies in schools.Beginning Wednesday 16 November, CEE and its partner Welthungerhilfe will host a workshop to discuss the links between various initiatives undertaken through the Rebuilding Trust programme with state initiatives. For more information and contact details, click here: http://www.ias.unu.edu/resource_centre/CEE-DRR Concept note Nov 14.doc

Keeping in line with the commitment to create an informed future citizenry,RCE Delhi is organizing YUVA Meet 2012 from 30-31 January next year. YUVA, which stands for ‘Youth Unite for Voluntary Action’ is a special event of the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) 2012. The objective of the meet is to enable youth to voice their opinion on larger issues of Sustainable Development and Climate Change. Next year’s theme is ‘Conserving Global Commons: Transforming Knowledge into Action’.The organizers are pleased to invite students and institutions across various RCEs to participate in the YUVA Meet 2012. For more details about the meet and registration process, please download the Application Form and the International Registration Form or visit their website at http://youthconnect.climateofconcern.org/ The final date for registration is 30 November 2011