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Broad commitment to education for sustainable development leads Espoo towards a sustainable future 2021-03-01 Sustainable development is the leading paradigm for learning city advancement in Espoo, Finland, one of the first UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) members to be given a UNESCO Learning City Award, which it received in 2015. A key to the city’s success is a strong focus on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). On 21 February 2021, Espoo shared its achievements with members of the UNESCO GNLC ESD Cluster. Officials from around 50 cities and representatives of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) also participated in the event. ESD: A job for all One of Espoo’s learning city goals is to empower its citizens to work towards a sustainable future by mainstreaming ESD through development programmes such as Sustainable Espoo and Participatory Espoo. Mr Markku Markkula, Chair of the Espoo City Board, presented the Espoo Story, which outlined the city’s strategy to involve its citizens, learning institutions, NGOs, private enterprises and research institutions in building a sustainable learning city together. Next, Deputy Mayor Mr Harri Rinta-Aho showcased the cross-cutting role played by ESD in national and local education curricula, and stressed that ‘ESD is not a matter only for education, but a matter for all of us.’ To put its strategic goals into practice, the city has set up cross-sectoral ESD teams and programs, and is mainstreaming a participatory mindset throughout the city. Empowering youth A powerful example of citizen engagement in the city is the Espoo Youth Council, which is made up of 40 elected members aged between 13 and 18 who regularly meet with the mayor and other city leaders to discuss issues pertaining to Espoo’s young people. Seventeen-year-old Oscar Smith, Head of Espoo Youth Council’s Sustainable Development Team, stressed the importance of giving young people an opportunity to have their say in decisions that will affect them. Moreover, he emphasized that ‘ESD is much more than classroom teaching’ and shared examples of how the youth council has supported the expansion of contraception policies and objected to budget cuts in education. The whole city as a learning environment Ms Annika Forstén, Senior Planning Officer for Espoo Education and Cultural Services, shared some examples of the city’s efforts to engage the local community in ESD. To empower citizens to co-create and feel a sense of ownership over their city, a team of participatory designers at Espoo’s public works department engaged residents in the planning of the city landscape. Recent projects have included, for instance, artwork in subway passages designed with youth groups and a health nature trail planned together with residents and NGOs. Moreover, to inspire a love of nature in even the youngest residents, kindergartens grow fruit and vegetables in urban gardens. The city has also developed an online game, My Espoo 2050, wherein players experience a future affected by climate change to help them understand and work to address environmental challenges. Culture as a vehicle for ESD Ms Forstén also shared how appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development are promoted in Espoo. Examples include the Culture Call programme, wherein art and cultural professionals visit municipal kindergartens to engage children aged three to five in creative projects, and the activities of the Espoo City Library, which has received international awards for its efforts to provide citizens with the knowledge and skills needed for the future. Educators about ESD Educators are of course key actors in fostering ESD. Ms Minna Kokora and Ms Marianne Leppänen, experts on early childhood education, shared how capacity-building for educators in Espoo is provided through a combination of pedagogical leadership, educational support, pedagogical tools and extra resources. Representing the Espoo Adult Education Centre, Ms Saana Karlsson from Espoo Adult Education Centre at Omnia shared how the capacities of adult educators have been elevated through a development project based on an eco-social approach to education by Professor Arto O. Salonen at University of Helsinki. According to the approach, taking care of ecological boundaries and a profound respect for human rights determine the possibilities for economic growth. To raise adult educators’ understanding of eco-social education, joint workshops have been arranged, educational materials have been drafted, and the required competencies of educators has been identified. The Espoo Adult Education Centre now has an exam in sustainable development, sustainability is part of annual staff development discussions, and an interactive platform for sharing experiences has been set up. A joint learning journey The UNESCO GNLC ESD Cluster will continue to identify examples of best practice and share them with the network and beyond in order to realize the potential of ESD to become fully integrated into lifelong learning strategies at the urban level. Further information UNESCO Global Network of Learning CitiesVideo tutorial: Learning cities and Education for Sustainable Development URL:https://uil.unesco.org/lifelong-learning/learning-cities/broad-commitment-education-sustainable-development-leads-espoo 
Latin America: combating COVID-19 Disinformation 2021-02-12 PortalCheck is the first digital COVID-19 resource hub in the region and one of the first of its kind in the world. Designed and Implemented by UNESCO and Chequeado - LatamChequea the platform includes resources, recommendations, news and fact-checking experiences and more The information shared about COVID-19 is increasingly being threatened by the "fake news" phenomenon that is rapidly spreading throughout social media networks and as a consequence could potentially cost lives. On Thursday 11th February 2021, UNESCO and Chequeado - LatamChequea will officially launch PortalCheck, an online initiative that offers valuable resources and tools on how to combat COVID-19 mis/disinformation in Latin America and the Caribbean. The platform (regional hub) consists of compiled notes and resources for distinct audiences created by expert fact-checkers from throughout the region. PortalCheck is designed and implemented by UNESCO Montevideo in partnership with Chequeado and LatamChequea and funded by the European Union. The platform includes a section based on the most recurrent COVID-19 disinformation in the region, and content can be viewed in different formats such as videos, texts and podcasts. It also includes tips and tools for educators, content creators and influencers, to support them not to unwittingly spread mis/disinformation. The launch will also coincide with the first edition of "Digital Lab PortalCheck", The Lab aims to link representatives of leading digital social networking platforms, fact-checkers and fact-checking organisations, journalists with some of the most prominent social media influencers in Latin America and the Caribbean. You can connect with the event through this link. Lidia Brito, director of the UNESCO Regional Office of Sciences for Latin America and the Caribbean, said that "this project is part of the global initiative '#CoronavirusFacts - Addressing disinformation about Covid-19'. We are pleased to announce that we have already recorded 2,500 people registered for the launch and 27,000 visitors to the website and this is before we have conducted the official launch". "PortalCheck is a collaborative project by organisations who are working on disinformation, to offer useful resources in one unique space so that we can all contribute to verifying information that comes to us and prevent the spread of disinformation," said Laura Zommer, executive and journalistic director of Chequeado. For more information, please contact Sandra Sharman, project advisor for #CoronavirusFacts: Latin America and the Caribbean s.sharman@unesco.org URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/latin-america-combating-covid-19-disinformation 
Majority of countries do not ensure the right to pre-primary education, according to new UNESCO study 2021-02-07 A new UNESCO study on the right to pre-primary education shows that the legal provisions for free and compulsory pre-primary education are lacking in 2/3 of the world’s countries. Of the 193 countries examined in this study, 63 countries have adopted legal provisions for free pre-primary education and 51 countries have adopted pre-primary education as a compulsory level in national legal frameworks. “We are concerned about the status of pre-primary education from a legal rights perspective and the fact that too few countries have established pre-primary education as a right,” says Borhene Chakroun, Director of Policy and Lifelong Learning Systems at UNESCO. Despite the low take-up of legal frameworks, the study shows that enrolment in pre-primary education has been increasing since 1999 worldwide, with an acceleration since 2010. Yet, 1 out of 2 children still does not receive pre-primary education today. Early childhood care and education is increasingly recognized as an essential element in realizing a wide range of educational, social and economic rights. It enables all children, including the most vulnerable, to start school on an equal footing with their peers and improve overall educational achievement and enhance social equity. The paper has found that countries with free or compulsory pre-primary education have higher rates of early childhood well-being. The country cases in this study show that the adoption of free and compulsory education could affect the quality of education in some countries due to the level of teacher preparedness, and adequate training could be weakened with the sudden expansion of pre-primary education. Addressing the expanding capacity of teacher training institutes and the recruitment of trained pre-primary teaching personnel is therefore essential. By emphasizing a rights-based perspective to the implementation of pre-primary education, the study aims to complement existing literature on Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.2, which focuses mainly on policy outcomes. Based on the findings, the study proposes a set of levers for policymakers to promote the inclusion of early childhood and pre-primary education as a human right within long-term education and development objectives. Read also the advocacy brief accompanying the study and presenting the main findings UNESCO is convening an Innovative Dialogue on Early childhood care and education (ECCE) on 28 January 2021 to engage global leaders, policy-makers and ECCE stakeholders in a global partnership strategy. The COVID-19 response has relatively neglected young children, resulting in them becoming the greatest victims of the pandemic due to a lifelong impact on their education and well-being. Photo: fotorawin/Shutterstock.com URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/majority-countries-do-not-ensure-right-pre-primary-education-according-new-unesco-study 
最新全球教育监测报告提醒勿忘弱势群体，并敦促拉美和加勒比国家在疫情下促进教育包容性 2020-11-13 A new GEM Regional report in partnership with SUMMA shows that COVID-19 has increased education divides in Latin America and the Caribbean, which was already the most unequal region in the world before the pandemic began. Although the report acknowledges the efforts made by countries to continue distance learning programmes, it points to the need to develop urgent measures to reach those left behind. Its recommendations show steps policy makers most prioritise in their response plans so that the education emergency does not turn into a disaster. The Report, Todos y todas sin excepción, produced by the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report and the Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC /UNESCO Santiago), along with the Laboratory of Education, Research and Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean (SUMMA) shows that, prior to the pandemic, in 21 countries, children from the richest households were five times as likely as the poorest to complete upper secondary school. Learning outcomes were low before COVID-19. Only half of 15-year-olds achieved minimum proficiency in reading. In Guatemala and Panama, barely 10 disadvantaged 15-year-old students master basic mathematics skills for every 100 of their better-off peers. Indigenous people and Afro-descendants also have lower attainment and literacy rates. In grade 3, students who do not speak the language of the test are less likely to reach a minimum level of proficiency in reading. The probability of Afro-descendants completing secondary education was 14% lower than that of non-Afro-descendants in Peru and 24% lower in Uruguay in 2015. Adolescents with disabilities were on average 10 percentage points less likely to attend school than their peers. "The education systems in the region are not only characterized by low quality, but also by high levels of inequality and social exclusion. This problem has been exacerbated by the pandemic. For this reason, we must urgently invest and reform our education systems to develop their capacity to adapt to the particular needs of their students and territories, recognizing, valuing and building on diversity, as an essential and constitutive element of educational quality." - Javier González, Director at SUMMA The report includes a set of key recommendations for the next decade, which will help countries achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and calls for schools to be more inclusive, which many still are not. A survey of 10% of schools in Jamaica showed only 24% had ramps and 11% had accessible bathrooms. Bullying urgently needs to be addressed: LGBTI youth in seven countries being heavily victimized were at least two times as likely to miss school. "Now more than ever Latin American societies need to come together as a society and build bridges. What all of us think and uphold matters. Everyday discrimination against migrants, backlashes against progress for gender equality, identity and expression, and false beliefs about the ceiling of potential for people with disabilities end up reflected in education systems. Change is urgently needed, but it won’t happen unless we all sign up." - Manos Antoninis, Director of the GEM Report Better data is needed on those left behind. In the Caribbean, only 4 of 21 countries have had a publicly available household survey since 2015 to disaggregate education indicators by individual characteristics. The Dominican Republic was the only country in the Caribbean to participate in a cross-national learning assessment in the same period. Training teachers to teach inclusively is also critical. In Brazil, Colombia and Mexico over half of teachers reported a high need for training on teaching students with special needs. Claudia Uribe, Director of OREALC said: “There is the expectation that teachers have strategies to compensate for these disadvantages, but it is difficult to do so if they do not have the tools and training to do so. Two-thirds of countries say they will train teachers on inclusion in the region, but data indicates that this is not yet the case in practice. Our Report urges countries to pay greater attention to this”. Curricula and textbooks must represent all groups are fairly, and respectfully. Textbooks in various countries tend to present indigenous peoples in stereotyped images and situations, when they are represented at all. Educational support is often not provided in the home language, affecting children from indigenous communities, children and young people of Haitian origin who have migrated to Spanish or English-speaking countries, and children whose mother tongue is different from the official language of the school, as is typically the case in Caribbean countries. In Suriname, for example, only 4% of children in Sipaliwini district speak the language of instruction, Dutch, at home. The Report shows that the region is often an example of strong laws and policies that express a will for change, but calls for these to be more adequately implemented. The analysis of the PEER educational profiles of each country in the world from the GEM Report on Inclusion shows that 10 of the 19 countries in the world that adopt inclusion for all in their educational laws are in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, although the laws in only 42% of the countries in the region provide for the education of persons with disabilities in separate settings, not many ordinary primary schools serve students with disabilities. In Nicaragua, for example, a third of the approximately 10,000 students with disabilities studied in special schools in 2019. In countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, among others, regulations have not yet been established to guarantee the right to education of refugee boys and girls and migrants from Venezuela, which has led national and international civil society actors to work together to meet their needs. The Report has ten recommendations in total, backed up with evidence based examples from across the region and invites countries to take them into account in their plans for action in the decade for action until 2030 and to prevent education progress backsliding as a result of COVID-19. The Report is the focus of a 2020 Regional Forum on Education Policy – Inclusion and Education in Post-Pandemic Times, 9-12 November with ministry officials and experts in education from across the region. This platform for exchange is co-organised by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), the GEM Report, OREALC/ UNESCO Santiago, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and the UNESCO Division of Education 2030 Support and Coordination. The forum will provide a space for policy makers to develop concrete actions for developing policies to mitigate exclusion in the region. Contacts: Carolina Jerez, OREALC/UNESCO Santiago: c.jerez@unesco.orgKate Redman, GEM Report: k.redman@unesco.org URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/dont-forget-disadvantaged-says-new-gem-report-urging-countries-latin-america-and-caribbean 
80 indigenous and community communicators strengthen their MIL capacities to fight disinformation 2020-11-10 UNESCO, INE, DW Akademie and Comunicares Association, offered a workshop to reinforce the importance of Media and Information Literacy among communicators who serve to the most vulnerable audiences in Mexico To equip people with the knowledge and skills to understand the functions of the media, critically evaluate the content they disseminate, make informed decisions, and respond appropriately to misinformation, UNESCO, the Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE), Deutsche Welle Akademie, and Comunicares Association, held a workshop for indigenous and community communicators about Media and Information Literacy (MIL). On October 27 and 28, communicators from Sonora, Sinaloa, State of Mexico, Mexico City, and other Mexican states, participated in the workshop "Todas y todos contra la desinformación" (All against disinformation). During that session, they acnowledged the skills and tools provided MIL for the development of a more reliable communication system that allows people to minimize the risks of false, malicious, or erroneous news that also circulate through social networks and digital platforms. 13 of the participants are Nahuatl speakers, 9 are Mayan speakers, and the rest of them speaks one of the other 44 indigenous languages (and Spanish). Most of the participants work at community radio, television, newspapers, and digital media, which allows MIL strategy to empower citizens in their relations with the media, and communication to extend to more people in Mexico, mainly those who belong to the most vulnerable communities, including indigenous communities. Representatives and collaborators of organizations such as Asociación Mundial de Radios Comunitarias de México (AMARC) and the Sistema de Radiodifusoras del Instituto Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas (INPI) were part of the workshop developed by the Comunicares Organization. At the end of the workshop and through an evaluation, the participants expressed their interest in the learning process. They even requested more opportunities to "learn about the media and the challenges that it faces in today´s social network environment. They also wanted to know how to use tools to inform and to communicate. The workshop was conducted by Comunicares Association, partner of DW Akademie in media and information literacy teaching projects, especially when it comes to indigenous communities. The DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle's center for international media development, journalism training, and knowledge transfer. Through its projects, it strengthens the human right to freedom of opinion and free access to information. It also implements Media and Information Literacy in practice. The workshop is part of the DW Akademie's Campus AMI Central America digital meeting series within the framework of UNESCO's Global MIL Week. The National Electoral Institute was in charge of the calling for the workshop through the Local Boards, who sent the invitation to the community media of their entities. Likewise, it offered the webinar that closed the workshop, called "Media in a democratic context to strengthen the role of the media in the dissemination of true information to help in the construction of an informed, committed, and empowered society. The workshop is part of the cooperation agreement signed by UNESCO and INE on October 26, 2020, in a ceremony presided over by the UNESCO Representative in Mexico, Frédéric Vacheron, and the President of INE, Lorenzo Córdova Vianello. This ceremony marked the beginning of AMI Week in the country. Global MIL WeekWith the topic "Resisting Disinfodemics: Media and Information Literacy for All and by All," the Global Media and Information Literacy Week (GMW) 2020 runs from October 24th to October 31st. This is a response to the growth in misinformation that has accompanied the current SARS-CoV2 pandemic. It also highlights the need to "improve the skills of all people to interact critically with information, media and technology. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/2Gb7Cip. For more information:"> g.velazquez-alvarez@unesco.org URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/80-indigenous-and-community-communicators-strengthen-their-mil-capacities-fight-disinformation 
Declaración de Seúl sobre la Alfabetización mediática e informacional Para Todos y Por Todos 2020-11-04 On the 10th anniversary of Global Media and Information Literacy Week, stakeholders from all over the world gave a resounding affirmation as to the urgency to strengthen people’s media and information literacy competencies. The number of celebratory events increased from one hundred events in 2019 to over three hundred events in 2020. The outcomes of the deliberations in the Feature Conference and Youth Agenda Forum have been immortalized in the Seoul Declaration on Media and Information Literacy for Everyone and by Everyone: A Defence against Disinfodemics. This Seoul Declaration benefited from a consultation with close to one thousand registered participants. Through the Seoul Declaration, partners and participants called for media and information literacy for all. They: Emphasized that “media and information literacy (MIL) is a core competency for addressing the disinfodemic, and that MIL also contributes to access to information, freedom of expression, protection of privacy, prevention of violent extremism, promotion of digital security and combating hate speech and inequality”. Recognized “UNESCO’s effort to promote a Global MIL Cities Framework to stimulate creative learning about MIL in city spaces and the involvement of non-traditional actors in promoting MIL”. Called on duty bearers at the national to city levels to “commit to advancing ‘Media and Information Literacy for Everyone and by Everyone’ through policy and resource allocation across all relevant areas, including education, health, elections, child protection, climate, gender equality, governance and regulation, to mention some examples”. Urged technological intermediaries to “play an accountable role, through institutionalized multi-stakeholder systems, as part of the social endeavor to tackle disinformation and to build communities that are media and information literate”. Requested UNESCO, in cooperation with other UN Agencies, to “maintain a focus on inclusion of disadvantaged groups in MIL engagements, and to continue to foster gender equality in relation to MIL.” Read the full Seoul Declaration on Media and Information Literacy for Everyone and by Everyone: A Defence against Disinfodemics. UNESCO is thankful to all our partners, chief among these the Republic of Korea for hosting and co-organizing the Global MIL Week 2020 Feature Events. UNESCO is also grateful to long standing supporters of the Organization’s global media and information literacy actions such as the European Commission and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. UNESCO gives a big thank you to members of the UNESCO MIL Alliance and all our other partners. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/seoul-declaration-media-and-information-literacy-everyone-and-everyone-0 
De la crisis a la oportunidad: La educación y formación técnica y profesional (EFTP) en tiempos de la COVID-19 2020-10-21 Por Ramón Iriarte, Especialista de Programa en Educación, Oficina Regional de Educación para América Latina y el Caribe (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago) Durante los últimos meses hemos conocido las distintas estrategias que los países de América Latina y el Caribe han adoptado para garantizar la continuidad del proceso educativo de más de 160 millones de estudiantes. En su mayoría han establecido, casi todos en forma parcial y en tiempo récord, mecanismos de enseñanza remota apoyada por materiales impresos y medios tecnológicos como la radio, la televisión, y en los lugares donde fuera posible, tecnologías digitales e internet. Sin embargo, cuando pensamos en las y los estudiantes de la Educación y Formación Técnica y Profesional (EFTP), a pesar de los esfuerzos para sostener el proceso formativo, es evidente la dificultad adicional que ha generado la pandemia por las características propias de esta modalidad, centrada en el desarrollo de competencias prácticas para el sector productivo. La imposibilidad de asistir a los talleres y laboratorios de las escuelas técnicas y a los puestos de trabajo en los centros de práctica profesional ha limitado las posibilidades de logros de aprendizaje en la EFTP. Las experiencias reportadas en los distintos países nos han permitido identificar rasgos comunes en los dilemas que enfrentan, en las estrategias de abordaje y en los principales riesgos que se visualizan para el futuro inmediato en los sistemas de EFTP. Una de las mayores dificultades, que afecta tanto a docentes como estudiantes, son las asimetrías en el acceso a las tecnologías, el equipamiento tecnológico y la conectividad a internet. Un reciente reporte del Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina (CAF) indica que la penetración de internet en América Latina y el Caribe alcanza en promedio un 78,8%. Sin embargo, la cifra oculta diferencias significativas entre países y al interior de ellos, y revela que frecuentemente el acceso a internet se realiza a través de telefonía móvil, con señales frágiles, inestables y de mala calidad. La crisis de la COVID-19 ha puesto en evidencia la urgencia de mejorar la conectividad y la posibilidad de consumo de datos fijos inalámbricos. La conectividad ubicua es más indispensable que nunca, por lo cual, en todos los países se están impulsando iniciativas específicas para llegar a las poblaciones más vulnerables y combinar distintos medios tecnológicos para no dejar a nadie atrás. La escasa disponibilidad de recursos y materiales educativos específicos para la EFTP es otra de las debilidades para la que es necesario sumar esfuerzos. Aunque aún es necesario ampliar las iniciativas en este sentido, hemos podido identificar, por ejemplo, el esfuerzo realizado por el Centro UNEVOC de la UNESCO, que ha compilado una lista de recursos educativos abiertos para la esta modalidad educativa; así como acciones realizadas por algunos de los ministerios de educación de la región para generar recursos digitales específicos en las distintas áreas, especialidades o figuras profesionales de la EFTP. Las competencias digitales de las y los docentes de EFTP constituye un factor clave para incorporar de manera más efectiva el uso de tecnologías en el desarrollo de habilidades técnico-profesionales, sobre todo a través de modalidades no presenciales o híbridas, o el uso de tecnologías emergentes como la realidad virtual o aumentada, el big data y la inteligencia artificial. La educación a distancia constituye un nuevo paradigma, para el cual pocos docentes de EFTP están preparados. Es por esto que será importante desarrollar capacidades que permitan reflexionar y tomar decisiones acerca de la viabilidad, el potencial y las limitaciones de esta modalidad en sus distintas áreas de formación. La EFTP puede contribuir de manera significativa en la reactivación económica de los países de la región, apoyando la recuperación de los puestos de trabajo que han sido perdidos durante la pandemia. La reconversión laboral de trabajadores cuyos puestos ya no podrán ser restituidos y la generación de una fuerza laboral mejor calificada para dar respuesta a las nuevas demandas que emergen en el mercado laboral. La incorporación de la EFTP como uno de los ejes estratégicos en los planes de reactivación económica será una medida fundamental en este proceso. La crisis de la COVID-19 debe ser una oportunidad para repensar y replantear el modelo actual de preparación de la fuerza laboral para América Latina y el Caribe, en el marco de una visión estratégica, contextualizada y de largo plazo. Este periodo nos obliga a pensar en nuevas soluciones para la coyuntura actual y futura, capitalizando las lecciones aprendidas para configurar sistemas de EFTP más flexibles, resilientes y sensibles al contexto, que promuevan el desarrollo sostenible de manera inclusiva, equitativa, y enmarcada en una perspectiva de aprendizaje a lo largo de toda la vida. Se vienen tiempos de incertidumbre y desafíos, un contexto en que la cooperación internacional y las alianzas público-privadas en el ámbito de la EFTP pueden resultar valiosas para afrontar los complejos escenarios que emergerán en el contexto post-pandemia. El intercambio de información, conocimientos, experiencias, prácticas prometedoras y la transferencia de capacidades serán los caminos que conducirán hacia las innovaciones necesarias, para que los modelos de EFTP den respuestas apropiadas a las demandas de la “nueva normalidad”. URL:https://es.unesco.org/news/blog-crisis-oportunidad-educacion-y-formacion-tecnica-y-profesional-eftp-tiempos-covid-19 
UNESCO Green Citizens showcases grassroot projects at the service of biodiversity and sustainable development 2020-10-20 Today UNESCO will launch the Green Citizens initiative to amplify the voice of some 100 local citizen projects worldwide in key domains of biodiversity and sustainable development, including the Ocean, Water/Hydrology, Education for sustainable development, Indigenous and local knowledge. UNESCO has witnessed a great increase in the number and pertinence of local citizen projects over decades of scientific research in biodiversity, oceanography and hydrology, and conservation work in its protected sites around the world (Biosphere Reserves, Geoparks, natural World Heritage sites). The Organization wishes to highlight and support local, innovative, duplicable citizen projects with a verifiable impact on their community and stimulate the dissemination of new change driving ideas worldwide. The project reflects the conviction that changes in our relationship with living ecosystems will only be achieved by bringing together the complementary actions of the different actors at all levels and the reinforcement of networks of committed individuals and organizations. It is also a call on decision-makers to act quickly and a reminder that it is only together that we can make the change that is needed. UNESCO Green Citizens is a collective endeavour bringing together the Klorane Botanical Foundation as a founding partner, Adveris digital agency, Passion Pictures Paris, Twitter (for Good), artists including Juan Delcan, Roxane Campoy, Desta Hailé, students and volunteers, as well as partners, dubbed Watchers such as Solar Impulse Foundation, Sparknews or ChangeNow that are critical in identifying outstanding local projects. The Initiative enriches UNESCO’s extensive and growing range of programmes and partnerships aiming to protect biodiversity. **** More information UNESCO biodiversity URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-green-citizens-showcases-grassroot-projects-service-biodiversity-and-sustainable 
Opinión: Acceso a la Información Pública para alcanzar los Objetivos para el Desarrollo Sostenible 2020-10-09 Profesor Ricardo RivasPresentación: Periodista. Vicepresidente de la Unión Sudamericana de Corresponsales (UNAC) Poco más de dos siglos y medio atrás –el 2 de diciembre de 1766, aunque algunos historiadores sostienen que fue en 1776- en Suecia, se promulgó la primera ley de libertad de información de la que se tenga registro en la historia universal. Aquella fue la “Ley de Libertad de Prensa y Expresión y del Derecho a Acceso a Documentos Públicos”, que fue el resultado de los esfuerzos realizados para alcanzar ese objetivo por el sacerdote sueco-finlandés Anders Chydenius, quien además era tabernero, diputado, economista y viajero incansable. La llamó “Ley para la Libertad de Prensa y del Derecho de Acceso a las Actas Públicas”. Casi un cuarto de siglo más tarde, en la Asamblea Nacional, en Francia, los representantes del pueblo francés, declaran que “la ignorancia, el olvido o el desprecio de los derechos del hombre son las únicas causas de las desgracias públicas y de la corrupción de los Gobiernos”. De aquella reflexión, emergió la “Declaración de los Derechos del Hombre y del Ciudadano”. Desde entonces, se reconoce que “la sociedad tiene derecho a pedir cuentas a todo agente público por su administración”. El hito siguiente se concretó 200 años más tarde desde la ley sueco-finlandesa. Es el Acta para la Libertad de Información, de 1966, en los Estados Unidos, que fue mejorada en el transcurso de la década de los años ’70, como consecuencia del caso que se conoce como “Los Papeles del Pentágono” (que recientemente dio lugar a la película “The Post”) y del “Escándalo de Watergate”, investigado y publicado por los periodistas Carl Bernstein y Bob Woodward, en el diario The Washington Post. Cuando ésta última información se hizo pública, Richard Nixon, 37° presidente norteamericano –para evitar ser destituido- renunció a su cargo. Estocolmo, París, Washington, entonces, es el recorrido que en dos siglos transitó la sociedad civil para alcanzar el ejercicio pleno de un derecho que, sin embargo, en aquel año, sólo podía ser ejercido por unos 255 millones de habitantes cuando la población global se estimaba en unos 3.394 millones. Claramente, en la lógica de la bipolaridad emergente del fin de la Guerra Mundial II y pese a que los triunfadores en aquel conflicto bélico se autodenominaban como líderes del “mundo libre”, el secreto de Estado, era un objetivo de mucho mayor relevancia que el de la una democracia extendida, para todos y todas, con acceso pleno a la información. En la segunda década del siglo 21 la situación cambia positivamente. El avance de la sociedad civil sobre el secretismo de Estado es notable. La UNESCO, junto con otras agencias multilaterales del sistema de Naciones Unidas, desde muchas décadas trabaja intensamente en el diseño de políticas públicas para que el acceso a la información pública deje de ser un objetivo a alcanzar. El periodista Bill Orme, en un trabajo que desarrolló para UNESCO, al igual que un reciente reporte de la CEPAL (Comisión Económica para la América Latina y el Caribe), dan cuenta que aún cinco países del área –Cuba, Haití, Surinam, Venezuela y Bolivia- carecen de leyes de acceso a la información pública que son esenciales para la plena vigencia del Estado Democrático de Derecho en orden a los estándares internacionales. Sin dudas, queda mucho trabajo por hacer. Es necesario asumir la democracia y la libertad como dos asuntos pendientes, porque –siempre- es posible construir sociedades más libres y más democráticas. Recientemente, uno de los más relevantes pensadores del siglo 20 –aunque no sería un error expresar de dos siglos- Edgar Morin, en un MOOC que dictó y dirigió desde París junto con UNESCO, a partir de su propia producción bibliográfica que vinculó con los contenidos de la Agenda 2030 de Objetivos para el Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), fue claro y contundente. Sostuvo, enfáticamente, que “no puede haber reforma política sin reforma del pensamiento político, lo que presupone una reforma del pensamiento mismo, lo que presupone una reforma de la educación, lo que presupone una reforma política (porque) no hay reforma económica y social sin reforma política (y, tampoco) hay reforma de la vida ni reforma ética sin reforma de las condiciones económicas y sociales de la vida, y no hay reforma social y económica sin reforma de la vida y reforma ética”. Claro y contundente. Desde esa perspectiva, “los ODS, son el plan maestro para conseguir un futuro sostenible para todos y todas (dado que) se interrelacionan entre sí e incorporan los desafíos globales a los que nos enfrentamos día a día, como la pobreza, la desigualdad, el clima, la degradación ambiental, la prosperidad, la paz y la justicia”. Con ese marco contextual, el pleno ejercicio del derecho de acceso a la información pública es sustancial para la co-construcción de una sociedad incluyente que tienda, asimismo, a constituir una ciudadanía planetaria. Los términos empleados en esta publicación y la presentación de los datos que en ella aparecen no implican toma alguna de posición de parte de la UNESCO en cuanto al estatuto jurídico de los países, territorios, ciudades o regiones ni respecto de sus autoridades, fronteras o límites. Las ideas y opiniones expresadas en esta columna de opinión son las de los autores y no reflejan necesariamente el punto de vista de la UNESCO ni comprometen a la Organización. URL:https://es.unesco.org/news/opinion-acceso-informacion-publica-alcanzar-objetivos-desarrollo-sostenible 
El derecho a la educación de personas migrantes y refugiadas, una prioridad para la UNESCO en el Proceso de Quito 2020-10-09 Durante los días 23 y 24 de septiembre de 2020 se realizó la VI ronda del Proceso de Quito, liderada por la Presidencia Pro Tempore de Chile. La reunión culminó con la firma de la Declaración Conjunta del Proceso de Quito - Capítulo de Santiago. La Declaración, suscrita por 13 países de América Latina y el Caribe, destaca el compromiso de los estados por seguir trabajando de manera articulada en una eficiente respuesta a la crisis migratoria y humanitaria venezolana, desde un enfoque de Derechos Humanos y tomando como una de las prioridades, la educación. La crisis sanitaria, social y económica sin precedentes causada por la pandemia de la COVID-19 ha puesto de manifiesto la fragilidad e interdependencia de nuestro mundo, afectando de manera desproporcional a las personas históricamente marginadas y agudizando la situación de vulnerabilidad de las personas migrantes y refugiadas venezolanas en la región. “No obstante, instancias de coordinación regional como el Proceso de Quito evidencian los importantes esfuerzos que los países están realizando para dar respuestas integrales y que cada vez más vinculan la respuesta inmediata y humanitaria con políticas de desarrollo a mediano y largo plazo” señaló Claudia Uribe, directora OREALC/UNESCO Santiago durante la VI ronda del Proceso de Quito. Esta instancia de diálogo es un espacio de trabajo técnico regional que, desde septiembre de 2018, articula la participación de Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, México, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú y Uruguay, para garantizar una migración segura, ordenada y regular en pleno respeto a los derechos humanos, y conforme a las normativas nacionales, los instrumentos internacionales y las buenas prácticas de la región. Luego de la implementación del Foro Regional Educación más allá de las fronteras, organizado por UNESCO en agosto de 2019, se creó el Grupo de Trabajo Educación y Movilidad Humana, con el objetivo de que la educación mantenga siempre un rol fundamental, brindando todo el apoyo necesario para que los ministerios de educación de la región puedan hacer efectivo el derecho a una educación de calidad que incluya a todos y a todas, y especialmente a niños, niñas y jóvenes migrantes y refugiadas. El contexto actual de emergencia ha visibilizado la importancia de la escuela, lo que es particularmente cierto para la población migrante y refugiada, para quienes la escuela se articula como una de las fuentes fundamentales de protección y cuidado. La evidencia nos muestra que, en circunstancias críticas de emergencia, e incluso cuando las comunidades lo han perdido todo, la educación sigue siendo una prioridad para las familias-- Claudia Uribe, directora OREALC/UNESCO Santiago En este escenario las prioridades definidas por el Proceso de Quito para la educación son centrales, ya que se requieren más y mejores datos, así como un monitoreo constante de la situación de estudiantes migrantes y refugiados que permita focalizar políticas y mejorar las respuestas educativas. Por otra parte, es necesario fortalecer los marcos normativos de la región para asegurar que elementos como el estatus migratorio o la falta de documentación no impidan el acceso a los sistemas educativos y sus servicios y prestaciones. Para continuar apoyando a los ministerios de educación de la región en este desafío, la UNESCO implementará un taller regional dirigido a las unidades de estadística y gestión de la información, así como para los equipos encargados de movilidad humana, con el objetivo de presentar los resultados del estudio de Sistemas de Información y Gestión Educativa y diseñar una hoja de ruta en conjunto. Por otra parte, se elaborará una matriz de marcos normativos nacionales para la inclusión educativa de estudiantes en situación de movilidad y se fortalecerá el monitoreo del progreso y la diseminación de buenas prácticas entre países de la región. URL:https://es.unesco.org/news/derecho-educacion-personas-migrantes-y-refugiadas-proceso-quito