PENGLAI PEACE FORUMSchoolnet for Quality EFA, ESD and Cultural Diversity

19-21 August, 2009PENGLAI, CHINA

 Organised byChina National Federation of UNESCO Clubs and

Associations,Chinese National Commission for UNESCO

&Penglai Municipal Government

 A Review on: “SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION &

DIVERSITY IN CIVILISATIONS" Aug. 19, 2009

 B. N. Sharma

Central MemberNational Federation of UNESCO Associated Schools of Nepal

(NAFUCAN)Kathmandu, Nepal

 

ByB. N. Sharma

Central MemberNational Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers

and Associations ofNepal (NAFUCAN)Kathmandu, Nepal

 

Declaration of United Nations in Nov. 1998:2001 as International Year of Dialogue amongCivilisations:UNESCO played a lead role in Globalisation of :• Human/Cultural Aspects• Economic Aspects• Financial Aspects• Technological Aspects

This declaration of Dialogue among Civilisations was a sequential event after the year 2000 as ‘The Year of Culture and Peace.’

UNESCO took the role of a catalyst in the Educational Achievement through:a) Dialogue for bridging intl. Cultural

Understandingb) Tolerance for Diversityc) Promotion of Ethics and Values of Human

Rights

The Goal borne in mind was:“ Reduction of Ignorance and Prejudice of the Diverse Cultures of world.”

• Education was considered as an essential foundation of both:A) Culture of PeaceB) Dialogue among Civilisations

Values of all Civilisations:SolidarityToleranceRecognition of Human RightsFundamental Freedom for all

All these values had to be given globally equal impetus.The Task now of Educators globally was to: • Change the attitude of the Youth to change the disparity.• Emphasize on ‘Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge (ASK) in

Education.

UNESCO works by:ASP NetworkHuman Rights EducationNon-Violence Education* Intl. Ministerial Conference on the Dialogue amongCivilisations – Quest for New Perspectives NewDelhi Declaration July 9-10, 2003 with its 23 point

Resolutiondeclared:* All Civilisations celebrate the Unity in Diversity of

human kind by creation of better opportunity for Dialogue between each other: in brief “ Vasaudaiva Kutubakam”.

What goes beyond the frontiers of nations:Natural resourcesFoodHuman PhilosophySocio-cultural behavioursEducationEconomic developmentScience and Technology

Common Issue of today (laggings):a) Gender Equalityb) Opportunity and Inclusivenessc) Reduction of Defiance between Cultures• Goals to achieve in the new millennium:

• Education for all (EFA) – all kinds: knowledge to skills• Justice for all (JFA) – protection of Rights• Work for all (WFA) – underprivliged to privilegedHow to go about this?* By making Science and Technology as a tool for Inter-

cultural communication and understanding for Pluralism.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD):Year 2005 – 2014 has been observed as the UN decade of

Education for sustainable development: declaration of the UN General Assembly in 2002 and launched from 2005. A Review was done in a ‘World Conference on ESD’ in

Bonn, Germany (Mar. 31 – April 2, 2009)It was noted at ‘The Intl. Forum on ESD Dialogue’ held at

Tokyo, Japan Dec. 2-5, 2008 (South – Pacific region) that: Future action, Result Oriented strategic projects, involvement of

GOs & INGOs along with NGOs & involvement of research contributions through a global consortium would bring effective achievements.

Sustainable Development:How can we acheive this?

1) By Education for All (EFA) as stated by Johannesberg Plan of Implementation at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.

2) Total Quality Education and Total Quality Management for the making of Good Leaders & Managers (Student Quality Circle – SQC movement)

3) National Networking of GOs , NGOs & INGOs and coordination of their International practices

Core ESD Issues in Asia-Pacific Region

* Issues and Examples:Information and Awareness: Eco-media, media literacy,

ICTKnowledge Systems: Learning for local and

indigenous knowledge, integrating traditional and modern technologies

Environmental Protection and Management: Biodiversity, climate change, natural resources, conservation:

Peace and Equity: conflict resolution, peace, equity, appropriate development, democracy

Local Context: Community development, empowerment

Transformation: Rural transformation, urbanization, sustainable habitat, water, sanitation, public infrastructure

Culture: Diversity and intercultural/interfaith understandingCross-Cutting Issues and Themes: Human rights, citizenship,

gender equality, sustainable futures, holistic approaches, innovation, partnerships, sustainable production and consumption, governance

Health: HIV/AIDS, malariaEnvironmentl Education: Integrated pest management,

environmental awareness, community recycling programmesEngagement of Leaders: Professional training courses,

executive education, partnerships, networking