Message from the Global RCE Service Centre:

Dear colleagues and friends

The deadline to receive nominations for the RCE Award and your RCE Annual Reports is fast approaching. This year we are combining the annual reporting process with the RCE Award nomination process to make it easier on all RCEs to submit annual report information and nominate projects for an RCE Award, without filling information in twice. Please note that while it is not necessary to complete the annual reporting process in order to submit a project for an RCE Award, it is strongly encouraged.

To fill out your annual report, please visit the RCE Portal by clicking here. You must be given special access to create online reports. If you have logged into the RCE Portal and find you do not have access to the forms, please contact the Global RCE Service Centre (rceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu) requesting access and you will be granted that status. If you do not have a login for the portal or you have forgotten your username and password, please email rceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu and your information will be reset.

Once you have filled out your annual report, you may automatically submit any of your projects for the RCE Award. To do so, please go to the Awards section of the portal: here. Click on the button that says “Click here to nominate a project that you have already reported on in your Annual Report”; you will be given a drop down menu of all of your 2013 projects. Click on the project you would like to nominate, verify that all the information on the project is correct and fill out the extra RCE Award-related questions before submitting your project for consideration.

For those RCEs who would prefer to nominate a project for an RCE Award before filling out their annual report, please go to the Awards section of the portal: here. Click on the button that says “Click here to submit a new project for the RCE Award” and fill out the nomination form. Again, you will need to have logged into the Portal to submit an award and be given appropriate access to fill out the forms. If you do not have a login for the portal or you do not have access to the forms, please email rceservicecentre@ias.unu.eduand your information will be reset.

The RCE Awards were launched at last year’s global conference to encourage multi-stakeholder learning and increase the visibility of the work of RCEs. More information regarding the nomination process and eligibility criteria is attached. Nominations must be endorsed by the RCE partners.Annual reporting is mandatory for all RCEs. This year, we are asking that you submit your reports by 14 October 2013. This is the same deadline for nominating a project for an RCE award.

For those of you who are unable to access the online reporting tool due to poor internet access, please contact the Global RCE Service Centre (rceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu) and you will be given the appropriate forms in a Word document.

With much appreciation,

The Global RCE Service Centre

Upcoming Events

8th Global RCE Conference to be held in Nairobi, Kenya

26-29 November 2013

The registration deadline for the 8th Global RCE Conference in Nairobi, Kenya from 26-29 November 2013 is 10 October. 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. In light of the recent rare and tragic events in Nairobi, the conference organizers are closely monitoring the security situation; for now, the conference is scheduled to move forward as planned. More information about the conference is available on the RCE Portal here

6th Asia-Pacific RCE Meeting to be held in Kitakyushu, Japan

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.

The registration deadline is now extended to Monday, 7 October. For those who are interested in participating in the meeting, please register yourself through the conference website http://2013aprce.com. We look forward to your active participation.

3rd UNESCO-APEID Meeting on Entrepreneurship Education

10-12 December 2013

UNESCO Bangkok and the Ministry of Education in Malaysia are co-organizing the 3rd UNESCO-APEID Meeting on Entrepreneurship Education to continue on-going discussions about entrepreneurship education and to strengthen the network of entrepreneurship educators and practitioners. Objectives of the meeting are to: launch the Entrepreneurship Education network (EE-Net); share innovative and educational approaches, projects and practices of entrepreneurship education; identify potential areas of joint activities; and discuss 4th Meeting on Entrepreneurship Education and other follow-up activities for 2014.

About 100 participants including policy makers, educators, entrepreneurs, professionals and youth are expected to attend the meeting. The Malaysian hosts will cover local accommodation and meals of the participants for the duration of the meeting, but participants have to cover their own travel costs and other expenses.To find out more about the event, download this document: hereTo register for the event, please download the registration form (here)and send to UNESCO by 1 November 2013.

Latest News

Call for Contributions: RCE Communications Toolkit

A first draft of an RCE Communications Toolkit, aimed at increasing the communications capacity of RCEs worldwide, has been developed in partnership with a small group of RCEs(download a copy here. We are now hoping to get input on the toolkit from the wider group of RCE members and partners, including any relevant case studies that RCEs would like to share through inclusion in the final toolkit. RCEs with case studies to contribute may also be asked to present their case studies at the 8th Global RCE Conference in Nairobi this November. Please send your feedback and any relevant case studies to the Global RCE Service Centre at rceservicecentre@ias.unu.edu.

Call for Chapters: Research on Higher Education for Sustainable Development

The editors for the Handbook of Higher Education for Sustainable Development, to be published by Routledge Publishers in late 2014, are inviting all interested to consider writing a chapter for the book. The proposed Handbook aims at filling the gap that exists regarding research on educationfor sustainable development in higher education, and providing an orientation of existing and upcoming research approaches for higher education for sustainable development. Thus, it surveys where research on higher education for sustainable development is at currently, andwhere it may be going in the future. Please download further information here.

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 here.

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.

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: here.

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: here.

RCE London: Working with Grassroots movements -- Popular Education for Sustainability

RCE London in association with the Weeks Centre for Social Policy Research at London South Bank University recently organized the first in a London-wide discussion series on Political Action and Education for Sustainability titled "Working with Grassroots movements: Popular Education forSustainability". The key speaker, Dr Jose Roberto Guevara, focused on some of the challenges in the post 2015 global development agendas. He has a wide range of experience working with communities across the Asia Pacific region and is currently Associate Professor School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT, University of Melbourne. For more information on the event, please contact Ros Wade at wader@lsbu.ac.uk

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

• English: https://secure.unesco.org/survey/index.php?sid=87242&lang=en
• French: https://secure.unesco.org/survey/index.php?sid=87242&lang=fr
• Spanish: https://secure.unesco.org/survey/index.php?sid=87242&lang=es

Website Launched for the World Conference on ESD

The official website of the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development, to be held in November 2014 in Japan, has been launched. You can visit the website here:http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco-world-conference-on-esd-2014/.

New Publications and Resources

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.