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Catch up on what’s happening in the world of global citizenship education.
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A Workshop on Embedding GCED in the New Teacher Education Curriculum in the Philippines 2017-11-07 APCEIU co-organized a workshop on embedding GCED in the new teacher education curriculum in the Philippines from 24 to 26 October 2017. This workshop was co-organized by the Philippine Normal University, the Philippine National Commission for UNESCO, and the National Association of UNESCO Clubs in the Philippines. A total of 50 participants consisting of deans and professors of colleges of education and basic education teachers from all regions of the Philippines attended the workshop with the objective of reinforcing the effective incorporation of GCED in the teacher education curriculum in the Philippines. In the Philippines, a new teacher education curriculum has been introduced to prepare teachers for the newly approved K-12 (Kindergarten to Grade 12) curriculum in the basic education sector. Against this background, the workshop aimed to raise participants' awareness about GCED and enhance their understanding of the key concepts, practices, pedagogy and facilitation strategies for GCED and discussed methods for embedding GCED into the new teacher education curriculum. By the last day of the workshop, the participants shared their ideas on measures for incorporating GCED into the mandatory courses offered at teacher education institutions in the Philippines including: Assessment, Teaching Profession and Pedagogy. Finally, the participants presented their action plans to put GCED into practice in their respective institutions. As this workshop was also a realization of an action plan of a Filipino participant of the 17th Asia-Pacific Training Workshop held by APCEIU in July 2017, the workshop built a positive outlook on the continuous spread of GCED in teacher education in the Philippines. URL:A Workshop on Embedding GCED in the New Teacher Education Curriculum in the Philippines > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
Teacher’s Seminar in GCED: Spreading the Culture of Peace to Teachers in Bhutan 2017-11-07 Co-organized by Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) and Bhutan National Commission of UNESCO (BNCU), Workshop in Bhutan on GCED (Global Citizenship Education) took place for two days between 14 and 15 of October 2017 in Lhuentse District(Dzongkhag), Bhutan. The Workshop in Bhutan on GCED is the second post-Fellowship programme, Fellowship Good Practices & On-site Training, following the workshop held in Lesotho last July. The case of Ms. Dechen Pelden (2014 Fellowship Participant from Bhutan) on “Teacher Training on Project-based Learning(PBL) and GCED Pedagogies” has been selected as one of the three good practices, and the Workshop has been implemented to further encourage her efforts to enhance the capacity of the teachers in the district of Lhuentse, Bhutan. After the completion of the Fellowship Programme in 2014, Ms. Dechen has shared the knowledge gained during the two months training by hosting teacher’s workshop on Project-based Learning and GCED at her school as well as assisting her colleagues to carry out actual projects with their students in the classroom scene. The first day of the Workshop invited teachers of Autsho Central School located in Lhuentse District to learn about Project-based Learning and ways of materializing it in class. Ms. Dechen facilitated the session by first giving the basic concept and the steps of constructing projects in classes. She also provided several examples from her past experiences where she co-taught project-based classes on accounting. Discussions and dialogues on ways of implementation were carried out, and the teachers of Autsho Central School were grouped together based on the subjects they teach to generate actual lesson plans to be utilized in classes. The second day of the workshop was a platform for teachers in Lhuentse District to build the participants’ capacities and share their own experiences in the field of GCED. The Workshop gathered 26 principals, UNESCO Club/ASPnet coordinators and district focal persons to deepen their understanding on GCED and present their practices of integrating GCED during classroom teaching or club activities. The participants also addressed challenges they have faced while implementing GCED initiatives and discussed on ways of further enabling Global Citizenship Education in the context of Bhutan. Ms. Dechen will continue to share her knowledge on Project-based Learning with other teachers in Bhutan through facilitating six more workshops across the Lhuentse District. URL:Teacher’s Seminar in GCED: Spreading the Culture of Peace to Teachers in Bhutan > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
Building Solidarity and Contextualizing GCED in Latin America and the Caribbean through a Regional Network 2017-11-06 Co-organized by APCEIU and the UNESCO Regional Bureau of Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago) in collaboration with the University of Chile’s Chilean Observatory of Educational Policies (OPECH), the Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Network Meeting on Global Citizenship Education; “Towards a world without walls: global citizenship education in the SDG 4 - E2030 Agenda” took place on October 23-24, 2017 in Santiago, Chile. There were 45 participants representing civil society organizations, academic/research institutions and authorities from the region. This regional meeting built upon the achievements thus far in promoting GCED in the region. The meeting was composed of panel discussions and working groups on the concept of GCED and the implementation of SDG 4 Target 4.7 in Latin America and the Caribbean. On the first day, the sessions and panel discussions dealt with the concept of GCED and its adaptation in the varied contexts of Latin America. Also, panel discussion suggested the role of education systems and pedagogical strategies in the construction of a just, peaceful and more inclusive society. On the last day, the sessions included indicators and measurements of GCED and the formation of the LAC (Latin America and the Caribbean) GCED Network. The meeting discussions led to designing a framework for a LAC GCED Network. Initiating the meeting, Ms. Cecilia Barbieri, Director ai of OREALC/UNESCO Santiago expressed appreciation to APCEIU and OPECH for co-organizing the network meeting and emphasized the significance of promoting GCED in Latin America and the Caribbean. She mentioned that “The role of educational systems such as informal and non-formal pedagogy is important in developing the concept of GCED in the specific contexts within the region.” Following Ms. Barbieri, Mr. Utak Chung, Director of APCEIU, in his remark asserted that “GCED should be contextualized in the region to promote the universality of the world and particularities of the region” and quoted ‘Buen vivir’ and ‘La Convivencia’, the essential philosophy of ‘Learning to Live Together’ manifested in Latin America. To contextualize and regionalize GCED, participants discussed on ‘Hidden Citizenships’, ‘Excluded Citizenships’ and ‘Emerging Citizenships’ in Latin America. In the presentations and discussion, it was said that ‘Hidden Citizenships’ are historically denied and marginalized citizenships such as those of Afro-descent, indigenous and rural communities and ‘Excluded Citizenships’ are citizenships of migrants, children, women and displaced populations. ‘Emerging Citizenships’ suggests the rights of women and youth as deliberative actors. Also, participants debated on the global, regional and local measurements of GCED. The discussion focused on the indicators, learning assessments and evaluations to measure social transformation in Latin America. Afterwards, Mr. Jesus Redondo from Chile and Mr. Nestor Lopez from Argentina gave presentations on the importance and development of networks, followed by practical participatory activities and interactive group works where participants discussed strategies and mapped out the short/long-term objectives and activities of the regional network for GCED. Participants agreed in continuing to develop a community of practice on GCED for the region that will enhance information exchanges among network participants. Follow-up activities of the regional network for GCED is expected to be implemented leading to the next high-level education meeting of the region. URL:Building Solidarity and Contextualizing GCED in Latin America and the Caribbean through a Regional Network > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
17th APTW: Successful and Continuous Commitment to GCED 2017-08-08 As the oldest and longest running training workshop in APCEIU’s history, the 17th Asia Pacific Training Workshop on Education for International Understanding (APTW) was held from 20 to 28 in Seoul and Inje, Republic of Korea. This year, the workshop was organized in partnership with UNESCO Bangkok Office. Twenty-seven participants representing twenty-one countries gathered together to dive into the concept of global citizenship education (GCED) under SDG 4.7. As educators with backgrounds in teaching and training, policymaking, and curriculum development, it was a vibrant time of learning from one another’s ideas and practices. The nine-day workshop consisted of informative and interactive sessions with activities facilitated by GCED experts in the fields of the arts, human rights, sustainable development, and peace education. By learning the content, pedagogy, tools and skills of GCED application in their local educational settings, the participants were prepared to craft their own actions plans of implementation when they return back home. Through many engaging discussions and debates within the global paradigm, they committed once again to foster a culture of peace with their teachers and youth through education. > In addition, three days were dedicated to a field visit in Inje, Gangwon Province. Participants spent time at the DMZ Peace-Life Valley, which is only about nine kilometers from the most heavily militarized zone in the world - the DMZ. Many topics and themes were centered on non-violence, sustainability, and conflict resolution, especially in the context of the Korean War and division, including current inter-Korean relations. Most participants claimed that visiting the 4th Tunnel (a poignant remnant of a divided Korea) left a lasting impression on them of the impact of war on both national and international peace. Towards the end of the workshop, Ms. Lea Espallardo, one of the facilitators of the workshop, stressed that GCED is not learned through just a worksheet or presentation, but is a transformative process and a vision worth fighting for. One participant stated that despite having read about GCED in the past, the workshop has brought the ideal, but broad concept to life. He now feels more empowered and supported to be an effective facilitator when he returns back home. The final discussion among the participants was filled with encouragement to continue their roles as global citizens to create more global citizens for a peaceful world. URL:17th APTW: Successful and Continuous Commitment to GCED > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
Johannesburg Meeting explored solidifying GCED Action in Africa 2017-04-20 Co-organized by APCEIU and the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA), the 2017 Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Global Citizenship Education (GCED) Network Meeting was held on 6-7 April 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting brought about 50 representatives from Sub-Saharan Africa education-related ministries, civil society organizations, universities and research institutions and UNESCO entities to develop strategies and solidify regional action for GCED, in light of its realization as an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The meeting held discussions and group work that identified existing action of different stakeholder groups on GCED, challenges, and ways forward. In particular, the meeting shone light on the importance of GCED in promoting transformative education and developing solutions with the region’s pressing challenges. The meeting also identified ways on how to implement SDG Target 4.7, to ensure that learners in the region are provided with knowledge and skills that promote sustainable development and global citizenship.Representing the host country, Ms Lefika Chetty, Deputy Secretary-General of the South African National Commission for UNESCO, at the opening of the meeting highlighted the urgency of GCED to leave no one behind in her congratulatory remarks, saying that, “It is obvious, especially within the overall context of accelerating global peace, that individuals and communities without a satisfactory level of basic education risk becoming marginalized not only within their own society but from the global society too.” Initiating the opening remarks from the organizing institutions, Mr Hubert Gijzen, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, explained that GCED, while relatively new to Africa, has existed in the region, and is an opportunity to rethink about the role of education, and a way to integrate all the dimension of sustainable development. In his words, he mentioned that “Global Citizenship may be a relatively new term in African countries. However, components of GCED such as human rights, citizenship, international relations, peace, conflicts resolution, democracy, and environmental education are not new in the lexicon of Africa.” Mr Utak Chung, Director of APCEIU, urged participants towards collaboration towards GCED, as it is everyone’s agenda. “Fostering global citizenship is not just one of the UN or UNESCO’s agenda. It is every educator’s agenda, every teacher’s agenda. It is everyone’s agenda,” he said. The meeting showcased the diverse efforts of institutions in the various sub-regions of Sub-Saharan Africa towards the promotion of GCED. It highlighted the different perspectives of stakeholder groups, ranging from governments, civil society organizations including the youth, research groups, higher education institutions, and international organizations including UNESCO and its related entities. At the same time, the meeting showed the diverse concepts embedded in GCED, including human rights, peace, and gender equality, among others, which has been implemented in the region for a long time. Participants voiced the importance of GCED in reinforcing the role of education in addressing current challenges of the region, including resolving conflict and the prevention of radicalization amongst the youth. They also discussed on strategies at the organizational, thematic and regional levels, identified priorities, and developed strategies to strengthen promotion of GCED. With the development of the strategies, follow-up plans were drawn where the key message is coordination and communication. Ms Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, congratulated the participants for their seriousness and commitment for GCED. She urged that participants to utilize the network formed in this meeting as a stepping stone towards building peace through education for Africa building on existing work, and to promote inclusiveness. The meeting jumpstarted the formation of the Africa Regional GCED Network, which is expected to map different GCED programmes and explore possible collaboration in light of solidifying regional action for GCED in Africa. Related Link: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/harare/about-this-office/single-view/news/identifying_strategies_and_solidifying_regional_action_for_g-1/ URL: Johannesburg Meeting explored solidifying GCED Action in Africa > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
Kick-off Meeting for the 2nd Phase of GCED Curriculum Development & Integration 2017-04-04 The 2nd Phase of GCED Curriculum Development & Integration has officially kicked off with the International Bureau of Education(IBE-UNESCO) as well as the four partner countries(Cambodia, Colombia, Mongolia and Uganda)from 22-24th March at APCEIU GCE Hall. Delegates from Cambodia, Colombia, Mongolia and Uganda shared the progress made during the 1stphase in setting up the GCED Curriculum Development & Integration Committee and carrying out a needs assessment and situational analysis of its curriculum. The four countries proposed their 2nd phase action plan, which elaborated specific details and relevant information to fulfil the following goals: First, to integrate global citizenship into the curriculum and/or produce GCED materials according to their needs, and second, to conduct a pilot test of the output. The kick-off meeting was successful with the enthusiastic participation of partner countries and IBE-UNESCO. This meeting will provide assistance in setting out a clear path for the year ahead. Also, it will aid further cementing every stakeholder’s resolve in implementing the course of action they came to adopt. In addition, APCEIU had the opportunity to present its Policy Guide on Global Citizenship Education to gain feedback from the participants. The draft guide, which is due to be published later this year, is expected to serve as a frame of reference for policy makers. The main contents of the draft guide aim to integrate and strengthen GCED in educational policies, strategies and plans. URL:Kick-off Meeting for the 2nd Phase of GCED Curriculum Development & Integration > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
Examining practices for educators to empower learners to become global citizens: UNESCO Week for Peace and Sustainable Development 2017-03-22 More than 500 experts, practitioners and policymakers from across the world gathered in Ottawa, Canada and explored pedagogical approaches and teaching practices to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED). The UNESCO Week for Peace and Sustainable Development: the Role of Education (6-10 March 2017) brought together the Global Review Forum for the Global Action Programme on ESD (GAP) and the Third UNESCO Forum on GCED representing UNESCO's two major educational approaches. Participants examined good policies and practices for educators and teacher trainers to empower learners to become global citizens. On 8 March, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova officially opened the 5 - day event and an exhibition of 42 booths showcasing a wide variety of practices and approaches to ESD and GCED. “We need the education that promotes understanding between cultures, that strengthens the resilience of societies. And we need teachers equipped with the skills and confidence to foster these competences.” She highlighted the importance of teachers’ role to cultivate global citizenship. APCEIU participated in the exhibition under the name of ‘Global Citizen Campus’ which consists of hands-on activities related to GCED as well as SGDs, Global Citizen Passport, online materials such as GCED Clearing House, APCEIU’s publications including GCED best practices, etc. The APCEIU’s booth drew the attention of many participants, providing a platform for sharing practices, ideas, and insights on GCED. The Third UNESCO Forum on GCED, which opened on 8 March, drew together GCED experts, educational practitioners, civil society organizations, young people, research institutions and universities, UN agencies and other partners from the public, non-governmental and private sector from all regions. “Teachers are on the frontlines of bringing GCED into learning environments. Without confident, qualified and well-prepared teachers, we cannot advance GCED,” said UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, Qian Tang, at the official opening of the Forum. Utak Chung, Director of APCEIU, in remarks at the opening of the Forum, pledged that APCEIU will continue to support promoting GCED with UNESCO and other partners. He also renewed the APCEIU’s endeavours towards the global advancement of GCED and reaffirmed that fostering global citizenship is not just the UN or UNESCO’s agenda, but ultimately a global agenda for all. During the Forum, APCEIU co-organised and supported two concurrent sessions. In collaboration with the UNESCO Bangkok Office, APCEIU organised a session titled “Preparing teachers for global citizenship education in Asia: what works?” on 9 March. Inviting two experts from the region, Francis Daehoon Lee (Sungkonghoe University) and Toh Swee-Hin (University of Alberta), the session explored themes and pedagogical methods through which GCED can be approached. On 10 March, APCEIU supported a session titled “Teaching with young people: What do learners expect from GCED?”, led by the GCED Youth Network. The GCED Youth Network was established by a group of youth advocates for GCED who participated in APCEIU’s annual programme for youth. Anna Susarenco from Moldova and Lorena Gamarra from Peru introduced advocacy techniques which teachers and educators can use to engage young people in GCED. The third UNESCO Forum on GCED focused on teachers’ crucial role for pioneering frontline to bring GCED into classrooms and for achieving SDGs. Throughout the Forum, participants exchanged ideas and information on GCED and strengthened networks to ensure that practical change is brought into learning environment. URL:Examining practices for educators to empower learners to become global citizens: UNESCO Week for Peace and Sustainable Development > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
National Workshop on “Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship” in Islamabad, Pakistan 2017-03-08 Co-organized by APCEIU, UNESCO Islamabad and UNESCO Headquarters, a National Workshop on “Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Education” was held on 15 - 17 February in Islamabad, Pakistan. This three-day national workshop was especially for the education stakeholders in Pakistan to raise their awareness and understanding on the concept of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals target 4.7. Aimed to ensure that all leaners are provided with the knowledge, attitudes and skills to promote sustainable development and global citizenship, this workshop was a forum of discussing issues around SDG 4.7 by participants from Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, provincial/area education department offices, civil society organizations, research institutes, academia and youth organizations. This national workshop was facilitated in the participatory format through presentations, group works and activities to help participants deepening their understanding on ESD and GCED as well as internalize its concepts to develop action plans respective to their own educational contexts. As one of the sessions, Prevention of Violent Extremism through Education (PVE-E) was focused by reflecting current situation of incidents by extremists especially in Pakistan. During the workshop, participants worked in groups to share their best practices and at the end of workshop, established key recommendations and detailed action plans in three areas of Education Policies, Curriculum and Teacher Education. At the closing of the workshop, Director Utak Chung expressed his gratitude to the workshop participants and UNESCO Islamabad, and promised continuous support from APCEIU for future cooperation as follow-up on this opportunity. He mentioned that “as a partner of SDG 4.7, we look forward to working together with educators in Pakistan to enhance GCED and ESD through diverse opportunities and APCEIU programmes.” URL:National Workshop on “Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship” in Islamabad, Pakistan > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
Workshop for sharing the outcomes of 2016 ‘Support for GCED Course Development 2017-03-06 An academic workshop to share the outcomes of 2016 ‘Support for GCED Course Development’ was held at the Jeju International Peace Center on 22-23 February this year. The workshop was attended by the professors who had designed and implemented GCED courses at 9 different universities in the Republic of Korea during the 2016 Autumn semester (July to December) under the support of APCEIU. It was an opportunity to share and discuss among professors the outcomes, operational strategies and teaching methods with regard to the implemented GCED courses. Throughout this workshop, the participants could share and learn about newly developed GCED curricular implemented in each university/department. In addition, in-depth discussions on shaping the future of GCED course development and implementation was continued, such as finding ways to link the existing GCED courses to students’ career paths and out-of-school education programmes as well as on the importance of developing a necessity for development of common GCED reference materials and GCED courses assessment mechanism. URL: Workshop for sharing the outcomes of 2016 ‘Support for GCED Course Development’ > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
APCEIU publishes GCED Photobook “Begin from the end -> From Siberia to Baltic Sea” 2016-12-26 As a part of GCED content development utilizing photography, APCEIU published a GCED Photobook “Begin from the end -> From Siberia to Baltic Sea”. This photobook contains around 130 photos that were taken during the journey on Trans-Siberian Railway crossing the Eurasia continent. The book also carries interesting stories which describes cities and people from each train stops with perspective of Global Citizenship Education. The background for this photobook, Russian Federation not only has diversity of peoples and cultures from the largest territory in the world but also is a country with unique identity which encompasses both Europe and Asia. APCEIU hopes to share with readers the vast nature of Siberia, stories of peoples, and the unforgettable experiences of sharing and communicating through the journey on train. APCEIU also aims at delivering the core values of GCED such as Cultural Diversity, Peace and Learning to Live Together through images and stories in this book.