UNESCO Technical Consultation on Global Citizenship Education, Seoul,  9 – 10 September

The UN Secretary General started a Global Education First Initiative in the year 2012. Three areas were mentioned as top priorities: Access, quality, and global citizenship education. UNESCO invited a Technical Consultation Group to Korea, and the host was APCEIU, the Asia Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding. More than 50 experts from around the world joined the consultation, shared ideas and experiences, and agreed on an outcome document which will further enrich an important emerging area for international cooperation in education and development. The Regional Director of dvv international was invited also, and he looked at issues on how to combine, local, national, regional and global concerns, especially for youth and adults within lifelong learning for all.

UNESCO Forum on Global Citizenship Education: Preparing learners for the challenges of the 21^st Century, Bangkok, 2 – 4 December

This important policy forum was jointly organized by UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and the Regional Office in Bangkok as well as the new Mahatma Ghandi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) and the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU). It was opened by the Minister of Education from Thailand. It had a rich programme with a diversity of participants. A very resourceful and engaged group were the around 20 young people representing a variety of countries and organizations. The Forum had a good mixture of plenary and workshops, one of which was jointly organized by ASPBAE, PRIA and dvv international looking at “Education through Global Citizenship: Youth-led Learning and Engagement in Participatory Democracy”, which was well received. 

The programme and concurrent sessions are attached. Further details will be posted later.