Message from the Global RCE Service Centre:

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Update to RCE Logo Use Policy

The RCE Logo Use Policy has been updated to further clarify the use of the RCE logo on promotional material and output material. In addition, we ask that any written publications produced by RCEs include a disclaimer, as noted in the updated Policy. Please note, the process for applying for approval to use the RCE logo through the RCE Global Service Centre has remained unchanged, with all requests to be sent to RCEServiceCentre@unu.edu with a completed form. The updated RCE Logo Use Policy can be accessed here.

Sincerely,

The Global RCE Service Centre

Open Calls

2018 International Essay Contest for Young People

Entries are now open for the annual essay contest organised by the Goi Peace Foundation. Open to those aged up to 25 years old, the contest aims to harness the energy, creativity and initiative of the world's youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. Essays can be submitted in English, French, Spanish, German or Japanese in response to the theme 'The Change I Want to Make', with prizes of JPY 100,000 and JPY 50,000 awarded respectively for 1st and 2nd places. Entries close 15 June, 2018. Guidelines on how to enter can be found here.

Vacancies: Sustainability Knowledge Community (SKC)

Calling all higher education sustainability professionals – NASPA's Sustainability Knowledge Community (SKC) is looking for passionate individuals to serve in vacant positions on their Executive Board. The Sustainability Knowledge Community is an international organisation of student affairs scholars and practitioners charged with the advancement of environmental justice education on college campuses. Their vision is to see sustainability embedded within student affairs through policy, dialogue, and student engagement. Three Regional Representative positions are currently open: Regions III (Southeast US [Texas to Virginia], Bermuda, Bulgaria, Jamaica, Kenya, South Africa, and Taiwan), Region IV-East (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Ontario, and Wisconsin), and Region VI (Arizona, Australia, California, Guam, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore). Any questions can be directed to the SKC'S Co-Chair Elect, Shea Alevy, at Shea.Alevy@asu.edu and more information can be found here.

Applications Open: Scholarships in Climate Action at the University of Malta

The Government of Malta, through the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, is currently accepting applications for three scholarships it is offering for students wishing to engage in postgraduate studies at the University of Malta commencing in the academic year 2018/2019.

Scholarships are for the Master of Science by Research on crucial climate related issues such as water management, renewable energy, marine conservation management and climate action governance.

The deadline for applications is 25 May, 2018. For further information contact The International Office, University of Malta (international@um.edu.mt) or view the full details of the scholarship here.

Fellowship: Apply to be a Solar Ambassador

Applications are currently open for RE-volv's Solar Ambassador Program, a unique fellowship opportunity for college students to develop key project management, outreach and communications skills while tangibly taking action on climate change through solar energy. During the fellowship, over one academic year, undergraduate students are given the opportunity to spearhead a solar energy project for a local non-profit in their community. Student teams will receive in-depth training in solar energy policy, financing, crowdfunding and community engagement while working in their community to deploy a solar energy project for a local non-profit. The deadline for applications is 1 May, 2018. For further information contact Anna Foreman (anna@re-volv.org). Application materials and further details can be found here.

Latest News

Asia-Pacific SDG Youth Challenge Commences

The first youth-led Asia-Pacific SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Challenge, supported by the RCE network, commenced in February with 30 youth-led projects submitted across 12 RCEs, as well as three ESD-related projects from UNESCO. During the challenge (due to run until mid-August), youth across the globe will focus on SDG 13: Climate Action and SDG 14: Life Below Water to mobilise on-ground activities in their local region. Read more

RCE Srinagar Celebrates International Women's Day 2018

RCE Srinagar celebrated International Women's Day (IWD) on 8th March, 2018, across two separate events aimed at educating and improving livelihoods for women in India. The first event was held in Rithaura village, in which issues related to DRR preparedness, WASH and skill development were addressed and discussed, whilst in Bahraich, a workshop for pre-service trainee teachers for elementary education on DRR preparedness was conducted. Read more

2018 UN World Water Development Report: Nature-based solutions for water

The recently launched 2018 World Water Development Report (WWDR 2018), titled 'Nature-based solutions for water' seeks to inform policymakers and decision-makers about the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) to address the water management challenges the world faces across all sectors. Read more

RCE Srinagar's World Water Day 2018 Celebration Educates Students on WASH

RCE Srinagar recently held a one-day programme to celebrate World Water Day 2018 (22 March, 2018) at Gyan Convent School in the Bahraich District in Uttar Pradesh, India. The programme focused on educating students on various activities related to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), highlighting the importance of maintaining proper hygiene in schools and the benefits of upholding safe practices. Read more

Press Release: 13th International Knowledge Globalization Conference 2018

The 13th International Knowledge Globalization Conference 2018 was held 23-25 February, 2018 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Organised by the International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) (the host of RCE Greater Dhaka) and the Knowledge Globalization Institute, Suffolk University, Boston, USA, the theme of the conference was 'Sustainable Development Goals – Success and Challenges', and aimed to assess the progress of SDGs. More than 300 researchers, experts, teachers, and policymakers participated in the conference, which included a roundtable discussion on 'Higher Education for Sustainable Development for Bangladesh', along with papers presented on ESD, gender equity, climate action, life on land and sustainable landscape management. Read the full press release here.

ESD Books, Publications and Other

Turning Promises into Action: Gender equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

UN Women's new flagship report provides a comprehensive and authoritative assessment of progress, gaps and challenges in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from a gender perspective. Based on available data, it looks at global and regional trends for women and girls in achieving the SDGs and provides practical guidance on the implementation of gender-responsive policies and accountability processes. Read more and download the report here.

UNESCO Project Planner

For those seeking to design and implement a project, UNESCO's Project Planner is a useful tool to help in moving from an idea to an actionable project plan. It guides users through the stages of the project cycle, from Planning, Budgeting, Fundraising, Implementation, Communications, through to Monitoring. Access the tool here.

Transforming German Cities into Organic Food Gardens

With ever more people living in urban centres, food security – and quality – is becoming a pressing issue. This article takes a look at the way German cities are taking the task of producing organic products to a hyperlocal level. Read more