Issue 82: June 2018

Submitted by admin on Wed, 2018-06-27 14:30

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Message from the Global RCE Service Centre:

 
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
 

As we reach the middle of the year, attention now turns to the upcoming Regional Meetings. Please take note of the registration deadlines below – we look forward to seeing you at these events!

11th Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting Registrations

Registrations for the 11th Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting, to be held in Parramatta (Sydney), Australia, from 25-27 September, 2018 are now open.

For those NOT applying for funding support, the deadline to register is 11:59pm, Friday 10 August, 2018 (AEST).

For those applying for funding support, please note the registration deadline of 11:59pm, Sunday 1 July, 2018 (JST). Further details and required forms for submission can be found here.

7th Americas Regional Meeting Registrations

Registrations for the 7th Americas Regional Meeting, to be held in Posadas, Argentina, from 24-27 October, 2018 are now open.

For those NOT applying for funding support, the deadline to register is 11:59pm, Monday 3 September, 2018 (ART).

For those applying for funding support, please note the registration deadline of 11:59pm, Friday 13 July, 2018 (JST). Further details and required forms for submission can be found here.

Registrations Closing Soon: European and African Regional Meetings 2018

A reminder that registrations for the European and African Regional Meetings 2018 are closing soon!

The deadline to register for the Europe Regional Meeting 2018 is 11:59pm, Saturday 30 June, 2018 (CEST). Further details and required forms for submission can be found here.

The deadline to register for the 8th African Regional Meeting is 11:59pm, Friday 6 July, 2018 (CAT). Further details and required forms for submission can be found here.

Reminder: If you are attending a Regional RCE Meeting, don't forget to fill out an RCE Profile form (if you have not already done so) to showcase your RCE! Completed forms can be sent to RCEServiceCentre@unu.edu.

Sincerely,

The Global RCE Service Centre

 

Open Calls

 

Have Your Say: Survey on Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction

The 2nd Asian Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction, held 17-18 April 2018 (organised by UNISDR with support from IRDR), aimed to renew the commitment to the accelerated implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 as the pivotal means to achieve the goals of sustainable development and resilience. The outcome document generated reaffirms the importance of the twelve actions identified in the First Asian Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction in 2016, with the addition of two more actions.

A survey is being conducted to collect feedback about the 14 actions, with the analyses of the survey to be presented at the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction from 3-6 July 2018, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Complete the survey here.

Survey: Role of Networks on SDGs Implementation in the Local Level

Kalterina Shulla, of RCE Middle Albania, invites you to participate in a survey to contribute to the study, 'Analyses of the role of multi-stakeholder networks on SDGs implementation in the local level', part of her Ph.D. program at the University of Bonn, in collaboration with Hamburg University of Applied Sciences.

SDG implementation depends on the actions of existing partnerships, platforms and organisations already experienced on the MDGs, which makes the experience and contribution of the RCE network very valuable. Take the survey here.

 

Latest News

 

Youth Conference 'Youth Saves the Planet'

The ESD Youth Conference 'Youth Saves the Planet' took place from 14-16 May, 2018 at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris. Bringing together 70 ESD Youth Leaders from over 60 countries, as well as Okayama Youth as mentors, participants attended training workshops organised under the Partner Network 4 flagship project. Discussions focused on the scaling up of capacity-building activities as a follow-up of the flagship project, networking among the youth leaders and GAP partners, communication strategies to raise awareness of ESD, and the future direction of ESD.

RCE Czechia 2nd Annual General Meeting

On 23 May, 2018, RCE Czechia held its 2nd Annual General Meeting, with 17 member representatives in attendance from higher education, schools, informal education, governmental bodies, NGOs and its RCE Advisory Board. The RCE's activities and plans were presented, including their first jointly developed flagship project, 'Responsible Consumption – Education for Sustainable Lifestyles', which began recently, aiming to address SDG 12 through the education of school pupils and university students. Read more

RCE Srinagar Celebrates International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) 2018

On 22 May, 2018, RCE Srinagar, with support from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and Give2Asia, organised celebrations for the International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) in the districts of four states in India: Baramulla (Jammu & Kashmir); Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand); Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh); and Kokrajhar (Assam). Throughout these events, the role of biodiversity in balancing the ecosystem was presented, and how its loss affects climates and in turn agricultural practices which the livelihoods of these districts depend on. Read more

RCE Greater Dhaka Observes World Environment Day 2018

RCE Greater Dhaka and its host, the International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) celebrated World Environment Day 2018 on 5 June, 2018. The day began with a rally led by the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Abdur Rab, attended by RCE member partners, staff and students. Following this, a 'Birds Nest Program', organised by the Faculty of Environmental Science and Sustainability, was inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor. The objective of this program is not only to increase biodiversity but also to provide shelters for birds to survive natural disasters. Prof. Dr. Mohammed Ataur Rahman, coordinator for RCE Greater Dhaka addressed the audience, speaking about the environmental threats for birds, highlighting issues such as food scarcity caused by chemical fertilisers and pesticides based agriculture.

RCE Srinagar Holds Webinar to #BeatPlasticPollution

Another event held on World Environment Day within the RCE community was a webinar, 'Beat Plastic Pollution', organised by CEE of RCE Srinagar, in collaboration with UN Environment (UNEP) and the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. With over 120 participants across 10 countries and 69 cities globally, in addition to 60 attendees live at the venue (hosted at the Lincoln Room of the US Consulate General, Kolkata, India), the webinar stressed the need for global participation in order to combat plastic pollution. Read more

 

ESD Books, Publications and Other

 

New Volume: Issues and Trends in Education for Sustainable Development

UNESCO's latest volume from their Education on the Move series is now available. This publication explores key issues and trends related to ESD policy and practice, looking at how ESD has evolved, with a focus on key competencies and thematic areas, as well as how ESD is implemented in the five Priority Action Areas of the GAP. Download the publication here.

Policy Brief: Education for Sustainable Development and the SDGs – Advancing ESD Policy

Developed by GAP partner network 1, this policy brief includes key messages and recommendations for advancing ESD policies in light of the SDGs. It highlights the role of education in supporting the implementation of the sustainable development agenda and its importance for human development. Read it here.

City Prosperity Initiative

How prosperous is your city? UN-Habitat's City Prosperity Initiative (CPI) provides an innovative approach to urban measurements, with the aim to identify opportunities and potential areas of intervention for cities to become more prosperous. Dimensions measured include Productivity, Infrastructure Development, Quality of Life, Equity and Social Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, and Urban Governance and Legislation. Learn more

Urban Environmental Education Review

Released in 2017 by Cornell University Press, Urban Environmental Education Review explores how environmental education can contribute to urban sustainability. Topics range from the urban context to theoretical underpinnings, participants, and educational approaches in urban environmental education. Ten selected chapters were made freely available to The Nature of Cities, an international platform for transdisciplinary dialogue and urban solutions, and can be viewed here.

Earth Overshoot Day 2018 – #movethedate

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity's demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. Hosted and calculated by the Global Footprint Network, an international think tank, this year that date falls on 1 August, 2018. Join the movement of people around the world taking steps to #movethedate – find out how you can contribute and explore the solutions available here.

Can Smart Cities Be Equitable?

With the focus on making cities 'smarter' with the help of data and technology, is there a risk of deepening inequality? Is it possible to deploy technologies that serve everyone? Read more in this article, featured on the Brookings website.

Sharing Cities: Activating the Urban Commons

This book features a collection of 137 case studies and policies in 11 categories that demonstrate that cities can be run by the people by putting them at the centre. It offers a practical reference guide for community-based solutions to a range of challenges cities face such as affordable housing, sustainable mobility, and more. Read more

EarthEd: Rethinking Education on a Changing Planet

With contributions from 63 authors, including chapters on traditional environmental education topics, such as ecoliteracy, nature-based learning, and systems thinking, this book looks at how teaching must evolve in order to produce sustainability leaders as well as equip students with the necessary skills to survive in a world facing inevitable environmental changes. Read more

World Development Report 2018 – LEARNING to Realize Education's Promise

The World Development Report 2018 (WDR 2018), 'LEARNING to Realize Education's Promise' is the first WDR devoted entirely to education. It explores four main themes: 1) education’s promise; 2) the need to shine a light on learning; 3) how to make schools work for learners; and 4) how to make systems work for learning. Download the report

 

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

If you wish to contribute to the monthly bulletin or have news, upcoming events, or publications, you would like to share, please use this form. You can mail it to the Global RCE Service Centre: rceservicecentre@unu.edu. Submissions must be made by the 15th of every month. In addition, we encourage you to continue using the RCE Portal to exchange ideas, share expertise and resources and deliberate emerging sustainability issues towards ESD implementation at a global level.

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

 

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