Thru Novel Lenses! New Vision New Perspectives New Ideas New Directions For the New World! Futuring Sustainable Development in the Post Pandemic Planet From Pre School to Policy Making
Paris awakes to shock this morning over violent attacks. Still uncertain about what the state of emergency means for people and how much movement is allowed it what civil liberties contained while Parisienne want to keep their routine activities...
More than 120 reported dead; two hundred people reported injured...
...
More soon
#paris #parisattacks #parisbombings
Bombing in Paris tonight all of Paris shut down
Some 40 killed 60 hostages different parts of Paris. It's Friday night...many people out....streets emptied in seconds
killings at a bar in 10th district at a bar near France a stadium Stade De France, 15 dead at concert hall
While the focus of the International Year of Light has been been about how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health, it also recognises that light plays a vital role in our daily lives. It has revolutionized medicine, opened up international communication via the Internet, and continues to be central to linking cultural, economic and political aspects of the global society. (see link here). Over the doorway to Room II where the UNESCO Education Commission of the 38th General Conference met lending its energy to the room as policy makers, politicians, educators, librarians, NGOs and social workers met to analyse and assess and helped carve a pathway to the future we want through the Education Agenda to 2030 is the painting by Mexican Rufino Tamayo. It was commissioned for the then newly
built UNESCO headquarters in Paris. It captures what may be considered a
Grecian legend of Prometheus bringing fire to mankind – to others it is the
indigeneous spirit of our regions, the primeval energy of fire that sparked the
progress of humankind through innovation and invention. Tamayo’s own words on
his mural as he passed it to us was:
That the light that seems to irradiate
out of the fire of my badly lit ‘Prometheus’ may illuminate the spirits of
those who are in charge of the tremendous task of unifying the world through
culture
That
was 70 years ago. Now, 70 years on, we are again renewing that commitment,
charged with the task of unifying the world through transforming the culture of
education and spreading enlightenment through art, culture, science and information.
And may the many myriads of Divali that would light up the world tonight illuminate our hearts and minds towards a culture of peace so we leave the best possible legacy for this and coming generations of the world we want. Happy Divali!
The UNESCO General Conference unanimously adopted the Report of the Education Commission with high praise for quality and efficiency from member states and the Conference Chair on November 13, 2015. This follows the adoption of the report by the UNESCO Education Commission of the report of UNESCO’s number
one programme area - Education – and its aligned budgets at Commission sessions at the 38th General Conference .
The more than US$117 million dollar budget and aligned programmes
for education were subjected to intensive scrutiny by member states but was piloted
to successful consensus.
Chairing it was challenging and taxing at times, but member states were intent on value for money and in redirecting focus on programmes and activities that would meet the global agenda to 2030 in the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the interrelation with SDG 4 of Quality Education to ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’.
The Commission met to consider the programme and budgets for
2016-2017 of UNESCO Major Programme I – Education - and to prepare the draft
programme and budget for 2018-2021.
Education holds the largest share of UNESCO’s US$667 million
budget and is labelled its number one programme area, which may explain the
avid participation.
The major task was to assist members states and the
secretariat in ensuring that initiatives reflect expectations of the Education framework for action to 2030 and would help bridge the gaps in reaching
the education for all goals and stimulating synergies between the formal and
conventional school and classroom-based education focus with equally
influential non formal arenas of knowledge acquisition and transmission through
home, community, media, culture and other spheres so as to make the global
education thrust more inclusive, more holistic and therefore more sustainable.
Member States expressed concerns that the global financial
crisis and other economic challenges that have affected UNESCO’s financial
position but were reassured by the Assistant Director General for Education, Mr
Qian Tang that UNESCO’s education agenda continues to attract partners and
sponsors as ‘everyone wants to be involved in education’. That Mr Tang and his
Secretariat were able to promptly respond to all queries posed to the Commission
helped in the success of our deliberations.
Balancing the diversity of interests and
priorities were perhaps the most challenging, but at the end of the day we were
able to work our way from at times extreme and conflicting positions to a
centre of consensus that found a balance between global and national
priorities.
With key pitches on inclusivity, equity, transformation to
reach all through intersectoral and multidimensional approaches, we believe we
have defined a path that will see the global education agenda directing meaningful
actions that will give effect to other SDGs and be beneficial to communities
everywhere. It was energising to have such keen and enthusiastic participation
from both member states and the support of the UNESCO Secretariat under Mr Tang
and Mr Borhene Chakroun and our team Lee Sohae, Paz Portales, Mariana Kitsiona,
Katrien Daelman, Jennifer Dajczman and Maimouna Niang.
The Commission sat from November 4 to 7 when member states
proposed revisions and recommendations to align the programmes and budgets to
their national priorities and to reflect global development goals. Also examined by the Commission which received
consensual approbation were the following: implementation of the resolution concerning UNESCO
educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories; management
and establishment of UNESCO institutes and centres, recommendations from the
Youth Forum of the 38th General Conference presented by Ms Biru Anjanie from Indonesia, Ms Esther Van Duin from the Netherlands, and Mr Faisal Khalid Bin Ghannam from Saudi Arabia.
For more see this blog; and www.unesco.org
Photos Above: Chair of the UNESCO Education Commission Dr Kris Rampersad and the secretariat at work behind the scenes during the 38th UNESCO General Conference at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris France. Mr Borhene Chakroun and our team Lee Sohae, Paz Portales, Mariana Kitsiona, Katrien Daelman, Jennifer Dajczman and Maimouna Niang. (Photo: Kris Rampersad Archives)
UNESCO Secretary General Mrs Irina Bokova greets Dr Kris Ramperad, Chair of the UNESCO Education Commission at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris France. (Photo UNESCO/Cyril Balleul).
1.Chair of the UNESCO Education Commission, Dr
Kris Rampersad and Secretary to the Commission Mr Borhene Chakroun talk to a
delegate at the meeting of the commission at the 38th UNESCO General
Conference. (Photo: Kris Rampersad Archives, 2015)
The Triumph of Gollum in the Land of Shut Up Suicide of the
Fellowship of Partnerships Book 11. A Sequel Futuring the Agenda Forward https://goo.gl/HU3rp3
Celebrating Jamettry The Sacred and the Sacriligious
While the focus of the International Year of Light has been been about how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health, it also recognises that light plays a vital role in our daily lives. It has revolutionized medicine, opened up international communication via the Internet, and continues to be central to linking cultural, economic and political aspects of the global society. (see link here).
Education holds the largest share of UNESCO’s US$667 million
budget and is labelled its number one programme area, which may explain the
avid participation.
Member States expressed concerns that the global financial
crisis and other economic challenges that have affected UNESCO’s financial
position but were reassured by the Assistant Director General for Education, Mr
Qian Tang that UNESCO’s education agenda continues to attract partners and
sponsors as ‘everyone wants to be involved in education’. That Mr Tang and his
Secretariat were able to promptly respond to all queries posed to the Commission
helped in the success of our deliberations.
With key pitches on inclusivity, equity, transformation to
reach all through intersectoral and multidimensional approaches, we believe we
have defined a path that will see the global education agenda directing meaningful
actions that will give effect to other SDGs and be beneficial to communities
everywhere. It was energising to have such keen and enthusiastic participation
from both member states and the support of the UNESCO Secretariat under Mr Tang
and Mr Borhene Chakroun and our team Lee Sohae, Paz Portales, Mariana Kitsiona,
Katrien Daelman, Jennifer Dajczman and Maimouna Niang.
Chair of the UNESCO Education Commission Dr Kris Rampersad and the secretariat at work behind the scenes during the 38th UNESCO General Conference at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris France. Mr Borhene Chakroun and our team Lee Sohae, Paz Portales, Mariana Kitsiona, Katrien Daelman, Jennifer Dajczman and Maimouna Niang. (Photo: Kris Rampersad Archives)
UNESCO Secretary General Mrs Irina Bokova greets Dr Kris Ramperad, Chair of the UNESCO Education Commission at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris France. (Photo UNESCO/Cyril Balleul).
