News
Follow the newest trends and news in GCED.
1,676 Results found
UNESCO makes commitments to key-drivers to gender equality: education, science and culture 2 July 2021 As the world meets at the Generation Equality Forum, UNESCO is launching a set of concrete commitments to achieve tangible progress towards gender equality in key areas over the next five years while COVID-19 has magnified deeply rooted structural gender inequalities: On Girls’ Education, UNESCO will continue to lead a multi-stakeholder global coalition to support girls’ education in the wake of COVID-19, reaching 28 million learners in more than 80 countries with quality gender-transformative teaching and learning that promotes gender equality; On Technology and Innovation, UNESCO will work to close the digital gender divide, empower women scientists, and promote the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence which is free of gender bias and sexism. UNESCO will, for example, enable 10,000 women physicists to take leadership roles and provide access to at least 10,000 girls in Africa to studies on microscience; On Creativity, UNESCO will work to economically empower women artists and those working in the creative industries in Africa, by improving their access to audiences, funds, social protection schemes and increasing the number of creative industries enterprises owned and led by women, while promoting women’s rights to create, free of violence, sexism, and sexual harassment. Gender Equality is a global priority for UNESCO that cuts across its fields of competence: education, science, culture and communication. Gender equality cannot be achieved without concrete measures. Access to education for women and girls is a priority for UNESCO. Among other efforts, we are strengthening their access to scientific training where they are still under-represented. Our work also focuses on culture, where women’s representations are essential and where they are the most affected by the pandemic.-- Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO Although women have been on the front lines of the crisis, they are suffering sever backlashes. In education, 767 million young women and girls were impacted by school closures and 11 million may never return to class, joining the 132 million who were already out of school before the crisis struck. From the economic perspective, the recession is pushing 47 million more women and girls into poverty, destroying their economic independence and making them more vulnerable to gender-based discrimination and violence. We must ensure that progress achieved by countries around the world is sustained notably in education, where, according to a new UNESCO report, girls’ primary school completion rates have reached 87%, almost 20 percentage points more than 25 years ago. Women still face all too many obstacles in science, despite the brilliant success of researchers like Kati Kariko, from Hungary, who contributed significantly to the creation of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine against coronavirus. UNESCO’s data shows that women make up only one out of three scientific researchers although they constitute 45 to 55% of all university students and 44% of PhD students. Only 3% of female higher education students, however, choose to study information and communication technologies. This is why UNESCO funds young women PhD researchers through its Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World. It also provides STEM mentorship programmes for high school girls to nurture their interest in the sciences through role models and provides courses in coding, robotics and Artificial Intelligence. UNESCO further promotes the careers of young women scientists and gives visibility to their achievements through the annual UNESCO/L'Oréal For Women in Science Award. Since 1998, more than 3,600 women scientists have been recognized, 3,500 Young Rising Talents, PhD candidates and post-doctorates, were supported through financial support and leadership training. In addition, 117 Laureates have been honored for their excellence in science, including five who have gone on to win a scientific Nobel Prize. In the field of culture, UNESCO’s recent publication Gender & Creativity: Progress on the Precipice, analyses the gender gaps in the cultural and creative industries where women artists and creators continue to face unequal access to decent work, unfair remuneration, marginalization, as well as limited access to information and communication technologies. Related links: UNESCO Priority Gender Equality UNESCO Report: “I’d blush if I could” URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-makes-commitments-key-drivers-gender-equality-education-science-and-culture 
Citizenship education key to building sustainable and healthy communities, finds workshop 1 July 2021 UNESCO learning cities from around the world underscored the importance of citizenship education, especially in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, at a workshop on 17 June 2021. Almost 100 participants discussed strategies and programmes on the workshop theme, Citizenship Education for Healthy and Sustainable Communities. The event was spearheaded by the UNESCO learning cities of Gdynia (Poland) and Tongyeong (Republic of Korea), the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and the coordinators of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) cluster on citizenship education, the cities of Larissa (Greece) and Yeonsu (Republic of Korea). Strengthening community confidence to combat the pandemic through global citizenship education Participants acknowledged the key role of citizenship education in driving collective participation and engaging the passions of citizens, entrepreneurs, and civil society in building a better, healthier and more sustainable quality of life in cities across the globe. “Tongyeong has reached self-esteem, self-recognition and self-confidence in combating the pandemic as a result of their 16 years working in expanding global citizenship education and lifelong learning.”-- Dr Eun Kyung Park, Chairperson of the Tongyeong Education Foundation for Sustainable Development Delegates argued that that innovation will play a key role for cities and communities in managing present and future crises, and noted the key part education has to play in supporting this. “Education ensures our survival, our lives and our relationship with people.”-- Mr Jarosław Józefczyk, Deputy Director at the Municipal Social Welfare Center in Gdynia Citizenship education: A pillar of sustainability In the context of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on education, citizenship education drives collective action in promoting sustainable communities. To achieve sustainability, cities must provide concrete actions in terms of providing effective and efficient policies, democratizing access to knowledge, and involving stakeholders such as students, teachers and civil society. Proactive community and citizen engagement approaches are also needed. Ms Kim Jung Ae described how, in the city of Gwangmeong (Republic of Korea), citizenship education and participation in creative activities, such as through Net Zero Cafés, were crucial to addressing urban restructuring and the demolition of natural spaces. Ms Han Ae Lee (Republic of Korea) underlined how promoting inclusive and welcoming societies was reflected in Yeonsu city’s intergenerational lifelong learning programme to integrate new migrants and enable community engagement. Citizenship education: Fostering health and well-being Innovative and creative practices that promote dialogue and participation and support bottom-up initiatives sustain cities’ well-being. In the City of Gdynia, the Social Innovation Laboratory and the Green Hub were created as avenues to drive people’s participation on issues related to the environment and climate change. Ms Anna Posłuszna of the Gdynia Emigration Museum explained how opening a digital platform to showcase the museum’s work through active social media engagement enabled engagement with thousands of citizens. Fostering the well-being of the citizens, digital infrastructures, expanded health services and outreach through citizenship education are also crucial. Mr George Bagakis, from the City of Corinth (Greece), emphasized how teachers need to be supported so they can fulfil their roles effectively. Challenges at the time of crisis During the pandemic many citizens have experienced feelings of loneliness, isolation, lack of trust in institutions, and declining mental health. However, the pandemic also brought new perspectives on how to better work with technologies and communities, and to establish more positive collaboration and communication among people. Therefore, customized approaches to address the needs of vulnerable groups are also critical to restore and sustain the health and well-being of communities. Moving forward Citizenship education will play a key role in supporting the recovery and resilience of cities, building further solidarity and empowering excluded and vulnerable groups. More dialogue among stakeholders, better collaboration and exchange of best practice among institutions and cities, and continued capacity- building are needed to realize the potential of citizenship education in promoting sustainable and healthy cities. More insights will be presented and discussed when Yeonsu hosts the Fifth International Conference on Learning Cities from 27–30 October 2021. UIL’s work on citizenship educationFifth International Conference on Learning Cities URL:https://uil.unesco.org/lifelong-learning/learning-cities/citizenship-education-key-building-sustainable-and-healthy 
Tanzania strengthens evidence-based data collection to support girls’ education 1 July 2021 Strong data collection and evidence are crucial to inform policy-making, planning and the design of interventions that advance gender equality in and through education. In Tanzania, data on education is collected and provided by Basic Education Statistics Office, managed by the President's Office-Regional Administration and Local Government. While this work is important, gaps still exist. For example, Tanzania does not currently measure data around adult and non-formal education and does not have a set of indicators to understand the context and challenges affecting girls’ education. In Zanzibar, guidelines to collect and manage data in education do not exist. UNESCO is supporting efforts to strengthen data collection and management at central, regional, and district levels. This work is key to inform and strengthen the development of gender-responsive education policies and programmes that benefit girls and women in Tanzania. As part of this work, UNESCO provided capacity building trainings to data collectors and recommendations to improve existing data collection and management guidelines at formal and non-formal education levels. As a result, more than 1,200 data collectors in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar strengthened their capacity to collect, analyze and use gender-responsive data. In addition, UNESCO provided technical support for developing data collection tools and guidelines for adult and non-formal education and vocational training in Zanzibar. A set of indicators around gender-based violence and adolescent pregnancy has been integrated into the Education Management Information System. Meet Haji Juma Haji After participating in the capacity building training, Haji Juma Haji, a Literacy Officer at the Department of Alternative Learning and Adult Education, Zanzibar Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, is now working with his colleagues to improve their data collection and management systems. This training and guidance helped me gain a better picture of the challenges girls and women face-- Haji Juma Haji, Literacy Officer, Department of Alternative Learning and Adult Education, Zanzibar Haji is now sharing the knowledge he gained with colleagues who did not join the training, for instance, how to collect and analyze data to understand the context around sexual and reproductive health education. His department plans to revise a list of indicators used within the adult and non-formal education sectors following knowledge-sharing session. UNESCO provides support on the development of evidence-based data collection and management to promote girls' education in Tanzania as part of the UNESCO-UNFPA-UN Women Joint Programme, 'Empowering Adolescent Girls and Young Women through Education in Tanzania' supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency. More information UNESCO-UNFPA-UN Women Joint Programme Meet Angel and Fatma: Empowered through education in Tanzania Tanzanian girls and young women empowered through income-generating activities How water, sanitation and hygiene contribute to girls’ education in Tanzania URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/tanzania-strengthens-evidence-based-data-collection-support-girls-education 
UNESCO-APCEIU Virtual Consultation Meeting on Global Citizenship Education (GCED) for East Asian Countries 1 July 2021 On 17 June 2021, UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office, in close collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), jointly organized the virtual consultation for East Asian countries on Global Citizenship Education (GCED) progress at country level. A total of 20 government officials and experts from the Ministries of Education, the National Commissions for UNESCO, education institutions and civil society organizations in China, Japan, Mongolia and Republic of Korea participated in the sub-regional consultation for East Asia. The main objective of the sub-regional consultation was to review the progress of GCED implementation at the country level. The participants shared knowledge and experiences related to GCED initiatives, policy, capacity development, sharing best practices and discussed innovative strategies to strengthen and scale-up GCED in the cluster countries. Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Beijing Office, opened the virtual sub-regional consultation on GCED. He welcomed the participants and highlighted in his remarks the need to strengthen Global Citizenship Education (GCED) in the Cluster Countries and informed the participants that GCED remains one of UNESCO’s strategic responses to the many global challenges including COVID-19 pandemic that had affected all the countries. He reiterated the significance of scaling-up GCED by promoting, exchange, interaction and policy dialogue on GCED that will guide the world to find innovative solutions to a more just, peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and secure societies. Dr. Hyun Mook LIM, Director of APCEIU, highlighted in his opening remarks the necessity to further strengthen and deepen the policy and strategic dialogue, advocacy and monitoring of GCED at local, national, regional and global levels. He highlighted the slow pace of GCED implementation and integration in Member States. He highlighted the vision and mission of GCED to support countries integrate GCED in the education systems and assured the participants that APCEIU is strongly committed to play its role to advance GCED in all the countries. The sub-regional consultation was timely for the Member States to review the status of implementation of GCED and identify practical strategies to scale up GCED implementation at country level with a sharper focus on the SDG4.7 indicators and implementation of SDG4.7 and implications of COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify alternative solutions together to enhance GCED at all levels. Mr. Mark Manns from the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok then shared with the participants the update of the GCED regional activities implemented and coordinated by the Regional Bureau within the Asia-Pacific Region. The Regional Bureau acknowledged the excellent on-going partnership with APCEIU to further advance and mainstream GCED at country and regional level. Mr. Jay Jaehong Kim then followed the regional update from APCEIU who presented the update on the progress by APCEIU GCED initiatives and progress at the global and regional level. He highlighted the strategic partnership with UNESCO Regional Bureaus in all the regions to advance GCED in further performing its core functions as a category II Centre to promote policy dialogue, capacity development, and knowledge sharing through the GCED clearinghouse and monitoring evaluation and research. He urged all participants to register and take part in some of the GCED on-line courses offered by the APCEIU to increase their knowledge and understanding of GCED. The four Member States (China, Japan, Mongolia and Republic of Korea) covered by the UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office, made brief country presentations to inform the participants about the current progress, GCED scaling up, country actions, initiatives in GCED implemented in each of the cluster countries. Japan recognized the importance of GCED, which is fully integrated in the ESD Programme implemented in ASPnet Schools throughout Japan. Mongolia had fully implemented GCED aligned with the national strategy to mainstream GCED at all levels of the education system. China places GCED as an important priority. It hopes that the newly established UNESCO ASPnet Category II Centre will further promote GCED at the global and school level. Republic of Korea highlighted the importance of developing SDG4.7 indicators and wish to work closely with UIS to further expand on the global Indicators work related to SDG 4.7. The participants from cluster countries acknowledged the significant coordination role of the Regional Bureau and APCEIU in facilitating, supporting and coordinating the effective GCED implementation at the global, regional and country levels. They noted that the sub-regional consultation was very useful and informative in sharing good practices and experiences in the promotion of GCED and related technical issues on SDG4 Target 4.7. Indicators. After the update on the GCED progress and challenges by cluster countries, Mr. Roshan Bajracharya, Regional Advisor from UNESCO UIS Regional Desk, presented to the participants on SDG4.7 indicators and challenges. He highlighted on the technical aspects of developing SDG4.7 global indicators and challenges include the lack of data related to the SDG4.7 Indicators. All the participants have recognized the need to discuss more on the core indicators of SDG4.7 and address some of the challenges in separate UIS capacity building workshops in education statistics and SDG4 indicators. All participants at the consultation agreed that there is more work to be done on the SDG4.7 Indicators and more dialogue is needed. The participants unanimously agreed on the importance for a collaborative approach to work together in strengthening GCED implementation at country level in the East-Asia Sub-region. The participants from the cluster countries have agreed to establish a joint mechanism to share and to promote GCED good practices, SDG4.7 indicators, and data collection matters, which will ultimately contribute towards the achievement of SDG 4.7 and Education 2030 Agenda. In the closing remarks, Mr. Robert Parua, Programme Specialist for Education from UNESCO Beijing Office, thanked all the participants from the four cluster countries, Regional Bureau and UIS in participating in the first GCED sub-regional virtual consultation and assured the participants the continuation of the GCED dialogue on an annual basis to track progress. Mr. Lim, Director of APCEIU, thanked UNESCO Beijing for jointly organizing the GCED Consultation for East Asia and assured all participants that APCEIU is strongly committed to supporting the East Asian countries in strengthening the implementation of GCED at country level. The consultation closed with consensus to continue the constructive dialogue for GCED in the sub-region. Global Citizenship Education (GCED) is a strategic priority area of UNESCO’s Education Sector programme and builds on the work of Peace and Human Rights Education and culture of peace and non-violence. GCED has become an integral part of the global education agenda in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and has now become increasingly important since our world is more interconnected than ever before. UNESCO has established strategic collaboration with the UNESCO Category II Centre (APCEIU) in Seoul, Republic of Korea in advancing and promoting GCED at the global, regional and national levels through policy dialogues, capacity building and knowledge sharing in GCED. In close collaboration with APCEIU and the Government of the Republic of Korea, UNESCO has organized various global, regional, sub-regional and national consultations and conferences to further advance the GCED global agenda and to strengthen the capacity of education stakeholders in order to achieve SDG 4.7. More to read:GCED at UNESCO website: https://en.unesco.org/themes/gced APCEIU website: http://www.unescoapceiu.org/ GCED: Taking it local in Asia-Pacific: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000372869 A how-to guide for ‘taking it local’: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000375115 GCED learning and assessment: an analysis of four case studies in Asia: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000375112 GCED Clearinghouse: https://gcedclearinghouse.org GCED Online Campus: http://www.gcedonlinecampus.org UIS Target 4.7 Indicators Framework: http://tcg.uis.unesco.org/target-4-7-global-citizenship/ URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-apceiu-virtual-consultation-meeting-global-citizenship-education-gced-east-asian 
Collaboration Key to Societies’ Resilience against the risks of Harmful Content Online 28 June 2021 At a time when we are increasingly connected through digital technology, how to harness their potential to promote peace? How to balance the fight against hate speech and the respect to fundamental rights such as Freedom of Expression and Access to Information? Those questions posed by H.E Vincent Piket, Ambassador of the European Union to Indonesia were the focus of an online event entitled “Countering Online Disinformation and Hate Speech to Foster Peace” held on 23 June 2021 to mark the launching of the Social Media 4 Peace Project in Indonesia. “It is our hope that the Social Media 4 Peace project will contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Goal 16 and to the UN Action Plan of Action on Hate Speech launched by UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez to combat the online disturbing groundswell of xenophobia, racism and intolerance” Ms Julliand noted in her introductory remarks. “The Government of Indonesia calls for all relevant stakeholders to work hand in hand to address the risk of information disorder and hate speech. Stakeholders have their share to ensure a safe and peaceful digital world for our nation. Through our collaborative efforts, we can greet the benefits of Indonesia digital transformation agenda for better Indonesia and moving towards an inclusive and robust digital society,” said Ms Mira Tayyiba, Secretary General of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, Republic of Indonesia The second half of the event saw practitioners and experts explored and discussed the various aspects of the spread of harmful content through social media and the strategies to increase resilience of the people to those consequences both online and offline. Present at the discussion was Dr Novi Kurnia from the Department of Communication, Universitas Gadjah Mada and Indonesian Digital Literacy Community, Ms. Anita Wahid from Indonesian Anti-Hoax Community, Mr. Agung Yudha, the Director of Public Policy Twitter Indonesia and Malaysia and Mr. Asep Setiawan, Head of Organizational Development, the Indonesian Press Council. It was clear from the discussion that different stakeholders need to come together and seek collaborative solutions to answer the pressing issue of the spread of harmful content online, including disinformation and hate speech. One of the core objectives of Funded by the European Union Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace and led by UNESCO, the Social Media 4 Peace project aims to strengthen the capacities of societies be be resilient against the risks of harmful content spread online, notably through social media. The project also aims to enhance the understanding of roots causes of harmful content online as well as promote multi-stakeholders collaboration Indonesia is one of the three pilot countries alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Kenya. The lessons learnt at the country level will feed into the global discussion. As the UN Agency with the mandate to promote and protect freedom of expression, UNESCO brings together relevant stakeholders including representatives of social media platforms, national authorities, civil society organizations promoting freedom of expression, conflict prevention and peace building organization as well as conflict-affected communities through this project. UNESCO is the principal UN agency that promotes the freedom of expression including its corollary of press freedom and access to information. UNESCO contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 16 to promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies. For more information: Social Media 4 Peace (unesco.org)UN Action Plan of Action on Hate Speech URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/collaboration-key-societies-resilience-against-risks-harmful-content-online 
#CoronavirusFacts: strengthening access to reliable information amidst tensions and the pandemic in Haiti 28 June 2021 The ongoing pandemic and ‘disinfodemic’ on COVID-19 have emphasized the need for reliable information produced by professional journalists. In Haiti, journalists, fact-checkers and specialized NGOs have experienced increased difficulties to effectively and safely report and therefore, are looking for help to perform their role during the health crisis. In this context, UNESCO with the support of the European Union, implemented over the past year the project #CoronavirusFacts to support media professionals in reporting on the pandemic and debunk mis- and disinformation on COVID-19. "In this hectic information ecosystem, with all kinds of fake news, this project allowed us to distinguish facts from rumors." -- Meth-Saina Alexandre, Radio Sans Soucis The UNESCO Office in Port-au-Prince initiated the implementation of the project with local partners and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in May 2020. The project has enabled better promotion of the Haitian creole version of the media code of ethics, accepted by all the main media associations and journalists in the country. Because its guiding principles are at the heart of fighting disinformation, the code is used in the project discussions and activities such as in trainings for journalists across the country. The series of trainings on data journalism started in the regions of Ouanaminthe (North East) for 18 participants, Cap-Haïtien (North) for 22 journalists, and Mirebalais (Center) for 19 participants in December 2020. Participating journalists have made their own videos from the trainings accessible here and here. In March 2021, a two-day workshop covering data journalism, ethical and professional processing of information, identification of rumors and how to treat and debunk mis-and disinformation, were organized in Jérémie (Grand’Anse) for 22 participants, des Cayes (South) for 24 participants, de Miragôane (Nippes) for 16 participants, and de Jacmel (South East) for 20 participants. Through practical exercises, participants get knowledge on web Content Management Systems and social media accounts management. Electricity and 4G internet coverage issues in Haiti made it important to organize in-person seminars further contributed to the need ensure that this series of trainings could reach journalists working on the ground also in rural areas and in all parts of the country to help strengthen their skills to bring reliable information to the public. It also allowed to tailor discussions to the local context and experience. In total, more than hundred journalists across seven out of ten departments of the country have received trainings on how to debunk disinformation and misinformation and creating online media sharing of reliable information, contributing to a more peaceful dialogue in the Haitian society. "This training funded by the European Union is a real opportunity offered by UNESCO in Haiti to strengthen my capacities, in particular by mastering the tricks of management of social networks, fact-checking, mapping for a faster dissemination of the information." -- Jaudelet Junior Saint-Vil, Voice of America Correspondent Following these sessions, and to ensure sustainability, regional working groups were established where relevant information on COVID-19, best practices, key principles and values for information processing are shared through WhatsApp and other Social Media platforms. These professional networks aim at reinforcing relationships between journalists who participate in the project and more generally contribute to a strengthened journalistic profession in Haiti. “It is now much easier for journalists to report, because we have many more means of communication and these tools which are within our reach, we had to learn to use them”. -- Fritz Ronel Thermessan, Cap-Haitien The security situation in Haiti has continued to deteriorate in recent months. Gang violence in Port-au-Prince and several provincial towns have forced thousands of people to abandon their homes, despite the coronavirus pandemic which continues to claim many lives among the population. These training sessions come at a critical time when people need reliable information from credible sources. Parallel to these trainings, the project also supports and enables national campaigns against disinformation. Particular emphasis is placed on increasing media and information literacy for the population at large, and on the promotion of the Code of Ethics for media partners. With the support of civil society partners, the last step will be to consider a mechanism for the adoption of the code by new online media, not yet regulated or organized. The capacity building introduced thanks to the #CoronavirusFacts project directly contributes to professionalizing Haitian journalism and factchecking communities. About the #CoronavirusFacts project Based on the central tenet that information is the opposite of disinformation, the UNESCO project #CoronavirusFacts leverages the pivotal role of freedom of expression and access to information to address information needs in times of COVID-19 and to tackle the massive wave of disinformation which threatens to impact democracy, sustainable development and stability around the world. Funded by the European Union and implemented in nine countries and four regions, the project supports professional, diverse and independent media’s capacity to report on the pandemic; strengthens local fact-checking organisations to debunk misinformation; and empowers youth and other citizens to critically process what they read and hear linked to COVID-19 through training in media and information literacy. Due to unprecedented challenges for the media and digital technology sectors, UNESCO has created a Resource Center of selected responses to COVID-19. To learn more, visit: https://en.unesco.org/covid19/disinfodemic/coronavirusfacts URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/coronavirusfacts-strengthening-access-reliable-information-amidst-tensions-and-pandemic-haiti 
Friends for Education Call for Getting Learning Back on Track 26 June 2021 On June 24, the Group of Friends for Education and Lifelong Learning organized a briefing on education recovery as part of its mid-year meeting. Panelists from UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank shed light on the new joint Mission Recovery initiative and presented constructive recommendations on how to reopen schools safely and make up for learning losses for students through catch-up programmes and teachers’ empowerment. The Group also discussed strengthening the focus on the provision of quality and inclusive education for all at the UN level through important upcoming initiatives. Briefers underlined the huge learning losses for students across the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently close to half the world’s students are still affected by partial or full school closures and over 100 million additional children will fall below the minimum proficiency level in reading. In response to this learning crisis, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank recently launched a joint mission – Mission: Recovering Education 2021 – that is focused on three priorities: bringing all children back to schools, recovering learning losses, and preparing and supporting teachers. Calling for a system-wide transformation, Robert Jenkins, Chief of Education and Associate Director of Programme Division at UNICEF, urged members to seize the opportunity during the recovery to rebuild resilient education systems through broad-based partnerships. Getting marginalized children back to school and providing them with a full range of support and care should be a priority. Joining the discussion on the financial side, Mrs Raja Bentaouet Kattan, Lead of Partnerships at the World Bank, expressed serious concern about the widening learning poverty exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As per UNESCO Institute for Statistics, she noted that COVID-related school closures could increase the learning poverty rate in the low- and middle-income countries by 10 percentage points, from 53% to 63%. In this context, she underlined three components of the World Bank’s actions in support of the Mission Recovery initiative: supporting foundational learning; promoting after school tutoring and other catch-up programmes; measuring students’ learning losses and performances while tailoring teaching to each student’s needs. She particularly stressed the importance of integrating digital technologies into schools by improving digital infrastructure and preparing students and teachers with digital literacy skills and numeracy skills. Bringing the focus on teachers, Carlos Vargas Tames, Chief of Section for Teachers Development at UNESCO, stressed the importance of supporting them in leading educational change in the recovery and driving the transformation of learning globally. Assisting teachers to adapt curriculum and assess students’ learning needs as well as fully utilize the digital technologies would pave the way for effective transformation of education. He also highlighted UNESCO-led events and initiatives, such as the Global Education Meeting, the Global Education Coalition and the Global Teacher Campus, in mobilizing partnerships in response to the education crisis and achieving the goal of reaching 1 million teachers by the end of 2021. Following the panel discussion, members of the Group exchanged recent updates and activities on the education front. Among others, members were invited to join a high-level event in commemoration of the second International Day to Protect Education from Attack to be held on September 9, 2021. Additionally, they were sensitized on the upcoming Global Education Summit: Financing GPE 2021-2025 that will take place on July 28 and 29, 2021 as co-hosted by the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The meeting also welcomed the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a new member of the Group. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/friends-education-call-getting-learning-back-track 
UNESCO Chairs gather for knowledge sharing and collaboration ahead of September’s International Literacy Day 26 June 2021 On 10 June 2021, UNESCO organized an online meeting with nine UNESCO Chairs and one observer prior to this year’s International Literacy Day (ILD), which will focus on “The right to literacy in times of COVID: the contribution of digital literacy and distance learning programmes”. Among the 31 participants were UNESCO Chairs in literacy, lifelong learning, and skills development, and ICT and education from universities in Belarus, China, Cyprus, France, , the Netherlands, Uganda, Ukraine, USA, and the UK. This was the first time such a meeting with UNESCO Chairs was organized to enhance cooperation between the Organization and UNESCO Chairs for the promotion of literacy in the lead up to ILD 2021 and beyond. Participants were introduced to UNESCO’s work on literacy, identified key issues to be addressed through the ILD celebrations, and explored potential areas for future collaboration. The meeting facilitated interaction between the chairs, resulting in the UNESCO Chair in Literacies, Green Skilling and Capacity Development for Sustainable Communities in Africa, and the UNESCO Chair in Knowledge Transfer for Sustainable Development supported by ICTs being connected for possible collaboration in Uganda. UNESCO’s work in related areas In the Opening Session, Mr. Borhene Chakroun, Director of the Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems at UNESCO Education Sector (ED/PLS), highlighted the importance of digital learning in today’s world, and the need to understand the interplay between literacy and digital skills: literacy is required for acquiring digital skills, while literacy without digital skills is no longer sufficient. Mr. Chakroun invited UNESCO Chairs’ contribution to ILD and to implement the UNESCO Strategy for Youth and Adult Literacy 2020-2025. Noting how youth and adult literacy was not always prioritised in national COVID-19 responses, Mr. David Atchoarena, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) reiterated that literacy is at the core of lifelong learning and essential to the right to education. Mr. Atchoarena encapsulated the world as an extensive laboratory for the massuse of digital technology in education and highlighted both benefits and risks of this, including amplifying inequalities and exclusion, which must guide our endeavours for shaping future education. Mr. Sobhi Tawil, Director, Future of Learning and Innovation Team (ED/FLI), UNESCO, which hosts the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, introduced UNESCO’s normative work in developing an international declaration of connectivity and technology in support of the right to education, as well as the right to information and knowledge more broadly. Through the Futures of Education initiative, UNESCO will launch a report of the International Commission in November and continue to catalyse public debates and research on futures of learning. Mr. Tawil stressed the importance of interdisciplinary research, which is key to addressing education and development challenges ahead. Ms. Mari Yasunaga, Programme Specialist, Section of Youth, Literacy and Skills Development, ED/PLS, UNESCO and Ms. Rakhat Zholdoshalieva, Team Policy Support and Capacity Development Manager at the UIL, provided an overview of UNESCO’s activities in youth and adult literacy at a global level. Ms. Sarah El Attar, Education Programme Coordinator at UNESCO Kabul, then detailed UNESCO’s literacy work in Afghanistan. Key questions for promoting distance literacy learning in a digital world through effective, equitable, and inclusive learning The following session centred on how to harness the potential of technology for distance literacy learning. Mr. Dan Wagner, Professor of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, United States of America (UNESCO Chair in Learning and Literacy) emphasised that skill requirements had changed over time, and digital skills and literacy are bound together in today’s world. Two key questions were: Does digital technology accelerate or constrain literacy learning? What are the target groups, with regard to challenges faced by non-literate youth and adults such as limited connectivity and language issues? On the issue of access and quality, Mr. Wagner said: “Should access be priority, or quality of instruction? It is not enough to provide learners with digital devices.” Another dilemma emphasised was equity, raising the question of whether we opt for providing digital learning opportunities to some with connectivity and electricity, or if we should reach out to more people. “Digitalization is a huge motivation for many learners, but we must pay attention to risks and equity,” said Mr. Wagner, reemphasising the need for appropriate policies and interventions to bridge formal education and less-resourced adult and non-formal education. Ms. Nikleia Eteokleous, Associate Professor of Education at Frederick University in Cyprus and UNESCO Chair in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education, highlighted three aspects to be considered for successful online education for youth and adults: communication and interaction between and among, instructor and learners,; educational materials corresponding to the principles of online and blended learning; and technological tools and applications for digital learning. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching and learning practices have dramatically altered. We need to realize what we have gained and must take one step further with the use of technology,” said Ms. Eteokleous and suggested ten recommendations for the use of technology in education, including enhancing pedagogical frameworks, materials, assessment methods and quality assurance mechanisms for distance learning, and the need to support educators who play the crucial role. Potential areas for future collaboration The final session reflected on potential areas for future collaboration. Ms Inga Nichanian, Senior Programme Assistant, ED/FLI, introduced York University’s (Canada) video, ‘UNESCO Chair in 3 minutes: UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability’. Subsequently, Mr Willy Ngaka, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Adult and Community Education, Makerere University, Uganda (UNESCO Chair in ‘Literacies, Green Skilling, and Capacity Development for Sustainable Communities in Africa), explained how the Chair intends to develop a multi-stakeholder platform for research and capacity development that bridges multiple areas – literacy and digital skills, education for sustainable development, learning of refugees. Mr. Ngaka stressed the importance of regional and international cooperation, and engaging communities. He also elucidated the concept of ‘green skilling’ which employs community knowledge and abilities to develop and sustain a resource efficient society. He argued that in times of Covid-19 we must do more with less and see the recovery as an opportunity to bring together social, community, and ecological goals. The meeting concluded with closing remarks from Mr Hiromichi Katayama, Chief at the Section of Youth, Literacy, and Skills Development at UNESCO, who thanked participants for their contributions. Noting that of 40 UNESCO chairs in literacy, lifelong learning, skills development, and ICT and education, only about 40 per cent are outside Europe and North America. He reiterated the importance of cognitive diversity and the need to expand partnerships with universities across the world for continued collaboration with UNESCO Chairs towards ILD2021 and in the Covid-19 recovery phase. The following UNESCO Chairs participated in the meeting Launched in 1992, UNESCO’s UNITWIN programme promotes international cooperation and networking between universities and currently involves about 840 institutions in 114 countries in UNESCO’s field of competence. Of about 40 UNESCO Chairs literacy, lifelong learning, skills development and ICT and education, the following Chairs participated in the meeting: UNESCO Chair on Vocational Education in the Sphere of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) of Persons with Special Needs, Belarus, UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning, China, UNESCO Chair on Lifelong Learning and Adult Education, Cyprus, UNESCO Chair in Digital anthropology, Panthéon Sorbonne University, France, UNESCO chair in Lifelong learning, youth, and work in the Netherlands, UNESCO Chair in ‘Literacies, Green Skilling and Capacity Development for Sustainable Communities in Africa' in Uganda, University of Pennsylvania Chairholder, UNESCO Chair in Learning and Literacy in the USA, UNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation in the UK, and UNESCO Chair in New Information Technologies in Education for All in Ukraine, as well as a candidate of UNESCO Chair in Global Adult Education in Malta (observer). Learn more: International Literacy Day What UNESCO does to promote literacy UNESCO Strategy for youth and adult literacy 20202025 UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) Global Alliance for Literacy within the Framework of Lifelong Learning (UIL) Futures of Education UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme UNESCO’s response to the COVID19 crisis URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-chairs-gather-knowledge-sharing-and-collaboration-ahead-septembers-international 
Hate speech amid COVID-19 25 June 2021 UNESCO New Delhi organized a two-day regional dialogue, “Hate speech in the times of COVID-19”, on 22 and 23 June, with the aim of promoting dialogue around the growing issue of hate speech during the global pandemic. The dialogue mobilized a variety of experts from around the world to contribute to the discussion. Speakers included representatives from academia, law, civil society, governments, media organizations, journalists, social media companies, and development partners. Over the two days, speakers deliberated on the root causes, manifestations and risks of hate speech around the world, and exchanged best practices in countering and addressing hate speech through various sectors. The first panel, given the task of setting the context and deconstructing hateful narratives, agreed on the importance of local and bottom-up research to understand and respond to structural, historical and nuanced drivers of hate, including in South Asia. Speakers pointed to shifts in discussions about hate speech, including the recent growth in hate speech detection through algorithms used by artificial intelligence, while pointing to the need for human-centric debates and solutions. The second panel, tasked with capturing key solutions and strategies for promoting peaceful narratives, stressed the need for a multi-layered and multi-disciplinary endeavour. Speakers representing both traditional media and social media channels spoke about the important role of journalists and media professionals in shaping communications and promoting through their work high standards and fact-based reporting and media content. Growing levels of hate speech and polarization present us with an urgent challenge to promote and protect the freedom of expression while standing firm against all forms of intolerance.-- Eric Falt, Director of UNESCO New Delhi Building resilience to and awareness of hate speech through education, particularly through media and information literacy, and educating youth on their online and offline responsibilities and rights, were pointed out as a key interventions in this work. Panellists also shared experiences in the use of innovative methods, such as comedy and counter messaging campaigns to promote tolerance. Finally, both discussions emphasized the important role of decision-makers in promoting inclusive public policies that move beyond regulation of content to promoting freedom of expression and the shared values of tolerance and acceptance in societies. The dialogue concluded with reflections on the need for stronger partnerships and renewed commitments from all sectors to mobilize and stand up against hate speech, particularly in the midst of recent and new manifestations of hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this multi-sectoral effort to tackle hate speech, UNESCO and its key partners can contribute to building more peaceful societies. Useful links: Global citizenship education Preventing violent extremism through education UNESCO publication – Countering online hate speech URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/hate-speech-amid-covid-19 
A year in the life: ALE, GRALE and the Futures of Education 25 June 2021 We have reached a moment of potential transformation in adult education. We need to seize it, argues Paul Stanistreet The next year will be formative for the field of adult learning and education (ALE). Preparations are underway for the seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII), in all likelihood in summer 2022. Meanwhile, the fifth Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) is being finalized, to be published in late spring next year. Add to this UNESCO’s Futures of Education commission, which will report at the end of this year, and the fast-approaching midway point in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and it is clear that this is a moment of potential change in education, and in adult education in particular, which I believe we need to grasp. The enormous challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the changing work environment, demographic shifts and, most critically, the climate crisis, mean that more of the same is no longer an option we can responsibly pursue. It is early days in the drafting of GRALE 5 but there are intriguing and important themes emerging that point to a new direction for adult education and lifelong learning. The report has taken active citizenship education as its thematic focus, a response, in part, to GRALE 4 that found that citizenship education was neglected in comparison to adult education for vocational purposes and basic skills education. But the choice also reflected UIL’s perception, driven in part by an understanding of the above challenges, that citizenship education, and in particular the emerging notion of global citizenship, was critical to all our futures, and to the future of the planet. Global citizenship education (GCED) represents UNESCO’s response to the challenge of ensuring peace and planetary sustainability, and a fairer, more equal world. The idea is to empower learners of all ages to understand that these are global and not only local issues and to become active promoters and civically minded advocates of more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable societies. GCED builds on UNESCO’s historic commitment to peace and human rights education, and its humanistic understanding of the value of education. But it does so in a way that challenges us to think beyond the human and to see human futures as inextricably linked to the future of the natural world in which we live and of which we are a part. Honouring both UNESCO’s humanistic traditions and the need to move beyond them in some respects is one of the conceptual challenges facing the Futures of Education Commissionas it shapes its final report. One strand of the commission’s still-emerging thinking has involved reframing the four pillars of learning set out in UNESCO’s 1996 Delors Report – learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be – in terms of what Noah Sobe terms‘commoning actions and strengthening the common good’. Of course, it remains to be seen what the commission puts in its final report, but the idea of reorientating learning towards the common good and joint endeavour speaks both to the social purpose origins of the adult education movement in civic learning and collective action and to the challenges of the present, most notably the biggest challenge of all (overshadowing even the pandemic, which has absorbed all our attention for the past 18 months): climate change. This thread of ideas, in one form or another, also runs through the early draft of GRALE 5, which points to the need to adjust the focus of adult education provision towards common action and common, global goods. Adult education is not, and should not be, all about private benefits or economic development. It is, most crucially, about building the capacity for common action and giving people, to paraphrase cultural theorist Raymond Williams, ‘resource of hope’ rather than reasons to despair. As the Futures of Education Commission recognizes, this is the educational challenge of the next decades, and it is the challenge in particular of adult education. This perspective, as the Futures of Education commission also notes, is an immensely discomforting and provocative one. It requires us to rethink old models of endless economic growth, to challenge entrenched patterns of inequality, reproduced and, in many cases, exacerbated through the pandemic, and to view education not as a means of control or cultural reproduction but as a vehicle of progressive change. It means refining our conception of ‘development’ and rethinking our humanism in a way that transcends the human. We have got used to thinking nothing can change. The world is maddeningly unequal and unfair. Resisting the forces that arrest progress is exhausting. Despair is the default for many millions of people. Hopelessness, to quote David Graeber, has become boring. But, of course, change is possible. Things do change, even things that seem unchangeable, but only through determined collective action and a willingness to think big. It is still possible to meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to reverse much of the damage we have done to the environment. But it will only happen through the kind of education that transforms our perspective on what is possible, that joins our efforts and gives us hope of something better. One of the key messages of GRALE 5 will be that we need to rebalance adult education participation towards education for active citizenship, and towards global citizenship, in particular. I see considerable hope in this, especially given the pivotal moment represented by CONFINTEA VII. The world can change, if we seize the opportunity. Perhaps the main lesson of the pandemic is this: a better, fairer, more sustainable future is possible, but only if we work together and, truly, leave no one behind. Paul Stanistreet is Head of Knowledge Management and Communications at UIL URL:https://thelifelonglearningblog.uil.unesco.org/2021/06/21/a-year-in-the-life-ale-grale-and-the-futures-of-education/