Message from the Global RCE Service Centre:

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Mark Your Calendars: Regional RCE Conferences 2018

The Global RCE Service Centre is pleased to announce the dates and locations for the regional RCE Conferences for 2018. Further information on each meeting will be provided in coming months.

·  8th African Regional Conference
8-10 August, 2018, Zomba, Malawi
Hosted by RCE Zomba

·  Europe Regional Conference 2018
28-31 August, 2018, Vannes, France
Hosted by RCE Brittany

·  11th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference
24-27 September, 2018, Sydney, Australia
Hosted by RCE Greater Western Sydney

·  7th Americas Regional Conference
17-21 October, 2018 (end date TBC), Posadas, Argentina
Hosted by RCE Cuenca del Plata

Call for Submissions for New RCE Publication: Disaster Risk Reduction in ESD

The Global RCE Service Centre would like to invite RCEs from around the world to contribute to a publication on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Education for Sustainable Development. While RCEs can certainly indicate other themes that the ESD project or practice includes, the focus of this work will be on Disaster Risk Reduction in education. Any authors interested in sharing an ESD project related to DRR are asked to:

1. Send an expression of interest to the Global RCE Service Centre (RCEServiceCentre@unu.edu) as soon as possible

2. Complete the new ESD project template in full and submit it to the Global RCE Service Centre (RCEServiceCentre@unu.edu) by 30 November, 2018. Download the template here.

Should you wish to join this project, all authors must declare from the outset the novelty of the content, that no parts of the manuscript have been published, nor are currently being considered for publication elsewhere, and that the authors are willing to provide the required information in the guidelines provided in the template, including securing the permission of all organisational actors involved in the project in addition to any established timelines.

While we will be collecting material throughout 2018, this project will not move to the publication stage until 2019 at the earliest.

Please note if you want to nominate your project for an RCE Award, your RCE will still have to submit this project into the RCE Portal through a separate process.

If you have any specific questions for clarification, please contact Dr. Philip Vaughter (vaughter@unu.edu) with a copy to the Global RCE Service Centre. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

RCE Applications 2018 Closing Soon

A reminder that organisations interested in applying to become an RCE are requested to submit an application by 30 April, 2018 to the Global RCE Service Centre (RCEServiceCentre@unu.edu). Details regarding the application process and schedule can be viewed here.

Sincerely,

The Global RCE Service Centre

Upcoming Events

1st Europe-Africa-Asia RCE Youth Virtual Conference

30 April, 2018, 09:00 GMT, online (virtually via RCE Penang USM Dashboard)

The Global RCE Youth Network in collaboration with RCE Kano, RCE London, and RCE Penang, in partnership with the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia will bring together European, African and Asian RCEs virtually for the 1st Europe-Africa-Asia RCE Youth Virtual Conference. The theme of the conference is 'South-North Migration Adversity and ESD's Role', with discussions to take place on how to address the challenges of youth unemployment, climate change, TVET and entrepreneurship, all of which trigger mass migration to Europe, as well as how ESD can assist in mitigating the associated problems. The conference will also provide an opportunity for young people to participate in solving issues that concern them and to exchange ideas and experiences on ESD, as well as discuss ways to further promote ESD at the national and global levels.

Presenters include: Professor Ros Wade, RCE London/London South Bank University; Professor Sadiya Sani Daura, RCE Kano/Bayero University; Professor Suriati Ghazali, RCE Penang/Universiti Sains Malaysia; and Professor Hafidzi Mohd Noor, University Putra Malaysia, as well as other stakeholders on migration and ESD from across the globe.

Any RCE members wishing to participate are kindly requested to complete this form. Instructions and a link to participate will be emailed to registered participants 48 hours before the conference.

Global Perspectives Series Webinar – Health and Sustainability: Ensuring Healthy Lives

8 May, 2018, 14:00 AEST, online via Zoom Webinar

Join RCE Greater Western Sydney for an international webinar on the SDGs, Community Health, Hygiene, Sanitation and Nutrition in India and Bangladesh. Featuring two case studies from the publication 'Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-being for All: Experiences of community health, hygiene, sanitation and nutrition within Regional Centres of Expertise on ESD', guest speaker Dr. Abdhesh Kumar Gangwar (RCE Srinagar) will present on 'Rural Sanitation and 'Open Defecation Free' Environments', along with guest speaker Professor Mohammed Ataur Rahman (RCE Greater Dhaka) who will present on 'Improvement of Health, Hygiene and Nutritional Status of Urban Slum Dwellers'. RSVP by 7 May, 2018 here. Please note only registered participants will receive access to the webinar (maximum of 500 virtual attendees).

For more events visit our ESD calendar.

Open Calls

2018 International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainability

Registrations are now open for the 2018 International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainability, to be held at Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China, from 2-7 June, 2018. Co-hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme, Tongji University, Xinhua News Agency and Beijing Environment Foundation for Young Talents, the theme for this year's conference is 'Less plastic pollution, better city life.' Interested full-time university students (including undergraduate, post-graduate, and PhD students) under the age of 35 years old can register online. The deadline is 25 April, 2018. Full details are available on the conference website here.

Call for Expert Reviewers: IPBES Global Assessment

IPBES has announced the start of the external review for the second order drafts of the chapters and the first draft of the Summary for Policymakers of the IPBES global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The period for this second external review is 30 April - 29 June, 2018.

To participate as an expert reviewer for the global assessment:

1. Register as a user on the IPBES website

2. Apply to become an IPBES external reviewer for individual chapters of the global assessment (link works when logged in as an IPBES website user)

3. Once registered, you will receive an email providing confidential access to the draft chapters and will be requested to submit your comments in English using the provided template

For any queries regarding this external review, please contact Hien Ngo (hien.ngo@ipbes.net).

Call for Proposals: Future Forward Summit on Sustainable Higher Education

The COPERNICUS Alliance Conference 2018, 'Future Forward Summit on Sustainable Higher Education', co-organised by Ecocampus, is now calling for proposals. The summit aims to bring together those who are connected to higher education and who are a part of making a positive change for sustainability. Proposals should provide fresh perspectives and share innovative practices or renewal processes that support a sustainable future. Details on topics and how to submit a proposal can be found here. The deadline for submissions is 25 May, 2018.

Call for Contributions: IPBES Capacity-building Rolling Plan

IPBES has launched a call to support the implementation of activities under three priority areas of its capacity-building rolling plan. Contributions are invited for:

1. Supporting the use and uptake of approved IPBES assessment reports;

2. Developing guidance on national and (sub)regional science-policy platforms and networks; and

3. Supporting the development and increasing use of learning materials on IPBES guides and assessments.

Additional information and access to the forms to register can be found in each area described above. Any further questions or contributions beyond the three priority areas under this call can be sent to the technical support unit on capacity-building at tsu.capacitybuilding@ipbes.net. The deadline for submitting contributions under this call is 3 June, 2018.

Call for Papers: Special Issue of Sustainability – 'Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development'

An upcoming special issue of Sustainability will focus on ESD competencies from preschool to higher education and in non-formal and informal education. The special issue is calling for papers, with potential topics including, but not limited to, the integration of ESD competencies in policies, strategies and programmes, innovative pedagogical approaches to ESD competencies, curriculum developments, and processes and tools to assess ESD competencies. The deadline for manuscript submissions is 30 November, 2018. Further details can be found here.

Join the Movement: #RecipeForDisaster

The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a social media movement – #RecipeForDisaster – aiming to put a spotlight on the issue of food waste and simple solutions which can be taken to prevent it. Anyone can participate by taking ingredients which are close to their 'use by' date, creating a meal using those ingredients, sharing their video or pictures on social media, nominating three friends to create their own, and then making a donation to the WFP which will go towards them reaching their target of Zero Hunger by 2030. Read more

Latest News

RCE Greater Yenagoa Members Mark International Women's Day 2018 with Two Events

Oloibiri Youngsters Foundation and Public Library, a member of RCE Greater Yenagoa, marked International Women's Day (8th March 2018) with two events, under the theme 'Press for Progress – Time is Now'. The first event, held on International Women's Day, was 'Call It as It Is', a campaign against all forms of violence and discrimination against women. A follow-up event was held on 27 March, 2018, titled 'Women Education and Empowerment Dialogue', a boardroom event strictly for women in leadership to dialogue on issues relevant to women who are pushing for progress in their various spheres. Read more

RCE Srinagar Organises Teacher Training Workshops on DRR Preparedness

Throughout April 2018, CEE Himalaya and RCE Srinagar organised four teacher training workshops (TTW) on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) preparedness for the teachers of the Jarwal Block, situated in the Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh. Teachers across the district – which is highly prone to floods each year – actively participated in the workshops. Sessions and topics discussed included the role of teachers and schools in achieving a disaster resilient, climate-smart and sustainable community, as well as training on creating school disaster management plans (SDMPs) and village contingency plans (VCPs). Read more

ESD Books, Publications and Other

Video: UNESCO Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development

Take a look at UNESCO's new GAP on ESD video, 'Think, Live and Act together. Be part of the change through ESD'. This video presents key objectives, messages and flagship projects of the GAP and is available in English, French and Spanish.

Workshop Proceedings: The Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on the Global Action Programme on ESD and Cities

A report outlining the key results of the 'Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on the Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Cities', held in New Delhi, India from 28-30 November, 2017, is now available. Over 65 participants attended the workshop, with representatives from 15 countries, including those from the RCE Network. The document, available here, also consolidates recommendations identified for integrating ESD in cities in the Asia-Pacific region. A video containing highlights from the workshop can also be viewed here.

Sustainable Development Goals: Delivering Change

The 2018 edition of UNA-UK's (United Nations Association - UK) annual publication providing analysis and recommendations on achieving the SDGs is available for download here. The publication features a range of articles, such as 'Local action, first hand', which discusses the importance of grassroots ownership and local action to set priorities, mobilise support and implement the SDGs, by presenting examples from Kenya and the UK.

A Comunicação das Mudanças Climáticas

This guide on communicating climate change (available in Portuguese, published by Paco Editorial), is a resource for scientists, journalists, educators, politicians and other stakeholders. Download the publication here.