RCE E-Bulletin 25: July 2013

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Issue 25: July 2013

 

Message from the Global RCE Service Centre:

 

Dear colleagues and friends

As many of you know already, the 8th Global RCE Conference will be held in Nairobi, Kenya this November. RCE Greater Nairobi and the Global RCE Service Centre are pleased to launch the website for the conference, which can be found here. There you will be able to find out more information about the programme, registration and other logistics.

The conference website is hosted on the newly revised RCE Communications Portal and has links to the various online discussions that will take place prior to the conference. If you have any questions regarding access to the portal, please contact the Global RCE Service Centre at rceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu

In addition, we have the great honour of introducing you to the newest members of the UNU-IAS ESD Programme team, Miho Henmi. Miho comes to us with a vast amount of experience from a wide range of institutions, such as Temple University, Thomson Reuters, and JP Morgan Securities. She will be with us for the next few months, helping out with both RCE and ProSPER.Net related activities. Originally from Yokohama, she has also lived in the United States for an extended period of time. And she has two wonderful children, a young boy and daughter. Please join us in welcoming Miho-san!!

With much appreciation,

The Global RCE Service Centre

 

Upcoming Events

 

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. 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

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 contact rceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu or Gabriel Angule of RCE Kakamega-Western angule2001@yahoo.com.

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.

Latest News

 

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 here.

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.

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..

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.

Call for Articles on Health and ESD

The ESD programme at UNU-IAS is hoping to produce a publication on Health and ESD as part of the series “Learning Contributions of RCEs on ESD”. By converting good practices and successful case studies into learning materials the publication is expected to contribute to capacity development activities within and outside of the network. The publication would cover diverse areas in the field of health. Interested RCEs are invited to contribute articles for this publication. For more information, please contact rceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu with an expression of interest, before 15 August 2014.

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).

Deadline Approaching for Input to UNESCO’s DESD Final Report

As mentioned in previous bulletins, the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) will be held in November 2014 in Japan to mark the end of the UN Decade of ESD (DESD) and celebrate its achievement. In this regard, UNESCO is now preparing a final report on the DESD and developing a post-2014 ESD programme framework. In the light of this, UNESCO is requesting key stakeholders to participate in the data collection process by submitting two questionnaires: (1) Education for Sustainable Development after 2014 (which was due 30 March 2013) and (2) the UN Decade of ESD Final Report (due 31 October 2013). As the deadline for the second questionnaire approaches, we encourage each of you to fill one out. The questionnaires are available in English, French and Spanish (see links below).

Questionnaire 2 – UN Decade of ESD Final Report is due by 31 October 2013

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.

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/7670.php.

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.

New Publications and Resources

 

New Article: Cultivating “Green Professionals”

RCE Rio de Janeiro, RCE Sao Paulo and the RCE Community are featured in a new UN University article that discusses the role of higher education institutions in cultivating a new generation of green professionals. The article was written by UNU-IAS Research Associate Aurea Tanaka with members of RCE Rio de Janiero and RCE Sao Paulo. Read the full article here: http://unu.edu/publications/articles/cultivating-green-professionals.html.

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).

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-issues.html.

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.

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 download the full working paper here.

 

This is a publication of UNU-IAS RCE Global Service Centre.

Please send your comments, suggestions and materials to rceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu

Visit the ESD Programme's News and Events page regularly for up-to-date news and event information.

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