An Introduction to Mindfulness for Educationalists - Amanda Bailey, Bright Futures Educational Trust
Message of the Director - UNESCO | Building peace in the minds of men and women · 2018-09-11 ·...
Transcript of Message of the Director - UNESCO | Building peace in the minds of men and women · 2018-09-11 ·...
1
View this email in your browser
Photo: International Literacy Day, celebrated in Eastern Africa this year in Ethiopia, Madagascar, Kenya and
Tanzania (c) UNESCO
Message of the Director
Dear Colleagues and Partners,
My mission to Paris this week is twofold: firstly, I am attending the 1st UNESCO Partners'
Forum, where new and existing financial partners, such as Member States, multilateral
organizations, United Nations and the private sector will be present. In the framework of
the Structural Financial Dialogue, 11 Thematic Forum will be organized, addressing the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, one will be on the theme "Promote
Sustainable Development, Peace and Security in Africa". This UNESCO Partners' Forum will increase
the knowledge of donors and partners about voluntary contributions to UNESCO and will encourage
existing and new partners to engage with UNESCO in their programs.
I am then attending the Meeting of the Directors and Heads of the UNESCO Field Offices, where we
will discuss ways of further cooperation to support the implementation of Agenda 2030, the
intersectoriality of programmes, strategy developments and staffing for programme delivery, as
well as we will deepen the knowledge and the practicality of "UNESCO Strategic
Transformation" and its four thematic areas: Operational Efficiency, Communication,
Strategic Partnerships and Presence Worldwide, to make the organization more agile,
effective and efficient.
2
On 8 September International Literacy Day 2018 was celebrated in Eastern Africa in Ethiopia,
Madagascar, Kenya and Tanzania. In Ethiopia, a high-level meeting in the border town of
Ambo in the Oromia region of Ethiopia took place. Two-Member delegation from the Ministry of
Education also took part, to discuss progress and challenges in Literacy and Skills development.
The event was symbolic as lasting peace initiative between the two countries through Education. In
Madagascar, the National Strategy for Literacy was launched, where UNESCO provided technical
assistance for the Strategy. In Kenya, planned activities included a Literacy Walk, visiting Model
Adult Learning Centers and a Reading Tent. Finally, in Tanzania, a roundtable discussion on Adult
Education, Literacy and Skills Development took place, and their contribution to industrial
development of Tanzania. Moreover, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning Report was
launched.
This year's theme, Literacy and Skills Development, reminds us that worldwide, more than 260
million children and adolescents are not enrolled in school, six out of 10 children and adolescents -
around 617 million, do not acquire the minimum skills in literacy and numeracy; 750 million young
people and adults still cannot read and write and among them, two-thirds are women.
In an ever-changing world, where the pace of technological innovation is continuously accelerating,
traditional literacy skills and numeracy skills are no longer enough; new skills, including information
and communication technology skills, are becoming increasingly necessary. Preparing young people
and adults for jobs, the majority of which have not yet been invented is a challenge. In this light,
access to lifelong learning, taking advantage of pathways between different forms of training, and
benefiting from greater opportunities for mobility, has thus become indispensable. Our aim as
UNESCO is to support the development of literacy and skills, to ultimately improve people's lives
and work, and contribute to equitable and sustainable societies.
I wish you a good and productive week ahead,
Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta
3
Announcements
New UNESCO Team Member in Uganda!
Mr. Cik Moses joins UNESCO team in Uganda as an Associate
National Project officer. He holds a Master’s Degree in Education
Planning Management and Administration and also a post
graduate diploma in Project Planning and Management. He has a
passion for skilling young people (15-18 years old) and youth (18
to 35 years old). For the last 15 years, he has been involved in
Education and skills development for young people and youth at
both managerial and technical levels, witnessing the impact of the work through the change of
attitude to work for the young people and engagement in gainful self-employment for the
youth. When working with World Vision, Save the children, Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands
in Uganda, ICCO cooperation, Edukans and also as a private consultant, his contributions had
tremendous impacts in the lives of young people and youth in and outside Uganda. It’s with this
passion that he comes to UNESCO Better Education for Africa's Rise (BEAR II) project. He hopes to
utilize the opportunity with UNESCO to share his skills, knowledge, experiences and also learn and
explore opportunities for advancing the objectives of the sector, as well as of UNESCO.
African Union Kwame Nkrumah Awards for Scientific Excellence (AUKNASE):
Continental & Regional Awards 2018 Edition
The AUKNASE programme targets young researchers, women scientists and all scientists in Africa.
The Award aims at recognizing outstanding African scientists for their achievements and discoveries
in science, technology and innovation, thus promoting scientific development in Africa and
highlighting the importance of research in Science, Technology and Innovation. Rules of
procedures, in EN and FR. Deadline for submission: 10 November 2018. Consult the website
for additional information here.
4
Rising from the Depths Calls for Innovative Projects on marine cultural heritage
UNESCO partners with the Rising from the Depths Network will identify ways in which marine
cultural heritage can directly benefit coastal communities in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and
Madagascar. Despite its richness marine cultural heritage is one of the most unknown,
underappreciated and under-exploited cultural resources in East Africa. Critically, this heritage is
under threat from natural forces and climate driven coastal change as well as recent intensification
in coastal and offshore development. Calls for Project is open until 14 September 2018, to
apply with your innovative project, click here
Funded PhD Opportunity Maritime Cultural Heritage and Sustainability in East Africa
As part of the Global Challenges Research Fund/Arts and Humanities Research Council project
titled, Rising from the Depths: Utilising Marine Cultural Heritage in East Africa to help Sustainable
Social, Economic, and Cultural Benefits, Ulster University is offering a fully-funded PhD
studentship in Maritime Cultural Heritage and Sustainability in coastal eastern Africa.
This is an international studentship for suitability qualified applicants from Kenya, Tanzania,
Mozambique and Madagascar. To read more and apply, follow the link here.
5
News of the Week
Young People shape Kenya's Cultural Heritage by Digitizing Local
Traditional Games
First-ever National Youth Conference held in South-Sudan
South Sudan develops an Action Plan to nominate their first World
Heritage Site
6
Last week's events
Quality Gender Responsive STEM Education- Regional Training for Francophone Africa
3 to 15 September 2018
Karen, Kenya
UNESCO, with the Center for Mathematics,
Science and Technology Education in Africa
(CEMASTEA), financial support from the
Government of Japan, and in partnership with
the Institut de la Francophonie pour l'Education
et la Formation (IFEF), the International Center
for Girls' and Women's Education in Africa of the
African Union (AU/CIEFFA), the Forum for
African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and
Microsoft, organized a regional training of trainers for representatives from the Ministry of
Education and teacher trainers on gender-responsive STEM education in order to engage, inspire
and empower more girls and women to undertake STEM studies.
The training adopts a theory-to-practice approach, drawing on UNESCO’s Cracking the Code report,
the US Mission to UNESCO’s TeachHer initiative, and other resources and programme experience.
The modules explore the situation related to STEM education in Africa, gender-responsive STEM
education, gender-responsive pedagogy, gender-responsive teaching resources, and ICT
integration in STEM education. The methodologies employ a mixture of interactive pedagogy
including guided group activities, role play, group-based problem-solving and field visits, to build on
participants’ facilitation skills.
The training of trainers is currently taking place in Nairobi, Kenya (3-14 September 2018). The
regional training will take place from 22-26 October with national teams of 6 to 8 people from 12
French-speaking African countries (Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Comores, Chad, Côte
d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, and Senegal). Please
7
click here for more information on UNESCO’s work to advance gender-responsive STEM education
Participants drawn from Francophone countries in Africa attended the regional training,
which aimed at encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM, including in arts and design (STEAM),
and demystifying the notion of girls' involvement in science.
Follow more on Facebook @Cemastea Kenya and official Hashtag: #GirlsCrackTheCode
Check all the Photos on Flickr: Quality Gender Responsive STEM Education, Thank you Justine &
Elodie from HQ for all the photos & support!
8
Visit of the Delegates of Nanjing University to Kenya
6 September 2018
A delegation of 15 teachers and students of the Nanjing University, together with the Chinese
representatives to UN Environment, met with the Director and representatives of the five sectors of
the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa.
The delegation of the Nanjing University discussed with the UNESCO Regional Office potential areas
of China-Africa collaboration, on themes including peace education, conflict resolution, water
science, climate change, digitization of documentary achieves of radio and cultural heritage, etc.
Modalities to be explored include working with Universities in the region, through UNESCO Chairs,
and raising fund jointly.
Check all photos during the Meeting, on Flickr: Nanjing University's Visit to UNESCO
Forum for the Parliamentary Committee & Forum on Education in Uganda
UNESCO, in collaboration with the
Ministry of Education and Sports -
Teacher Instruction Education and
Training (TIET) Department, the
Uganda National Teachers’ Union
(UNATU)organized a forum for the
Parliamentary Committee and Forum on
Education to identify strategies for
empowering teachers and ensure that
the Parliament plays a more significant
role in improving the quality of the
teachers’ well-being, performance and welfare. The meeting also focused on presenting the various
country processes, systems and interventions that have been developed or underdevelopment to
improve the efficiency, motivation and management of teachers with intentions of improving
performance in schools as well as advocate for an increase in the budget allocation to support the
9
education agenda. The event was held in Kampala at Imperial Royal Hotel on 4th September 2018
with 50 participants in attendance and the Parliamentarians made a commitment to address the
persistent concerns for teachers, particularly through budget allocation.
Other meetings that took place included 2 sub-regional social dialogue meetings for teachers in
Mbarara (5th September 2018) and Masaka (6th September 2018) as a precursor for the World
Teachers Day celebration to be held on 5th October 2018.
Upcoming Events
Launch of the Teacher Management Information System (TMIS) supported by the
Capacity Development for Education Programme (CapED)
18 to 20 September 2018
National Education Sports and Sector
Kampala, Uganda
UNESCO International Days
International Literacy Day
8 September
International Day of Democracy
15 September
10
Missions
Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta
1st UNESCO Partners' Forum and Meeting of Directors/Heads of field offices
11 to 15 September 2018
Paris, France
Mika Odido
UNESCO/IOC Training course on Marine Spatial Planning
9 to 14 September 2018
Mombasa, Kenya
Publications SPECIAL ISSUE INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY 2018
Harnessing the Potentials of ICTs: Literacy and Numeracy
Programmes using Radio, TV, Mobile Phones, Tablets and
Computers
11
Fostering a Culture of reading and writing- example of dynamic literate environments
Guidelines for designing inclusive and digital solutions and developing digital skills
Managing tomorrow's digital skills- what conclusions can we draw from International Comparative
Indicators?
Funding Skills development- The private sector contribution
A global measure of digital and ICT Literacy Skills
Birthdays
We did not forget the August born Team members!
Virginia Mumo Ntheketha
26 August
Mika Odido
31 August
Faith Mulwa
31 August
Karalyn Monteil
14 September
12
13
Tweet of the Week from UNESCO in the Eastern Africa Region
Tweet of the Week, from @IOC-UNESCO The @UN is to start historic negotiations on a
treaty to protect the high seas. But just how endangered is our #ocean? What's the added
impact of #climatechange? Come hear from science & policy experts on 10-11 Sept @
@UNESCO. Follow @ http://en.unesco.org/ocean-climate-conference … #OceanDecade
14