* Towards Knowledge Societies (The First UNESCO World Report)
* "Communication: from information society to knowledge societies" (The UNESCO Courier, Oct. 2003)
* Knowledge Societies and Culture
* Infosheet (PDF Format)
"The World Program for Human Rights Education (from 2005 onwards) aims at encouraging the development of sustainable national strategies and programs in human rights education.This international trend highlights a consensus that the education system plays a vital role in fostering respect, participation, equality and non-discrimination in our societies.
It is important to bear in mind, however, that international programs can only support – and not substitute for – committed, vigorous and concerted national action. United Nations programs acquire real value only if national and local actors take responsibility for implementing them in their communities, and use them as mobilization and advocacy tools.
©Permament Delegation of the U.S. to UNESCOAt the Closing Plenary Session of the Fulbright New Century Scholar (NCS) Symposium at UNESCO in Paris, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Dina Habib Powell announced the creation of two new U.S. initiatives: an International Fulbright Science and Technology Award, and an International Fusion Arts Exchange Program. Both programs will enable young people from different countries to come together for academic exchange at American universities.
The closing plenary session was hosted by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the U.S. Permanent Mission to UNESCO. The Fulbright New Century Scholars program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.
Dina Powell reminded her audience that:
“The U.S. recently worked within UNESCO and the OECD to develop guidelines for quality provision in cross border higher education, helping to share information and build capacity to promote international educational exchanges”,
before announcing:
“So we decided to create a new International Fulbright Science and Technology Award, which will bring outstanding international students to our country to study for Ph.D.'s in science and technology. "
She added:
“The arts create common understanding that transcends language and borders. Music is especially effective in this role and speaks very powerfully to young people. Since one of our primary goals is to reach young people internationally, what better way to do this, we thought, than through an exchange in music?
So I am absolutely delighted today to announce, here at UNESCO, the creation of a new international exchange, the Fusion Arts Exchange, that will allow young people from different countries to learn about, compose and perform popular music together. We will bring university students from countries with especially rich musical traditions-such India, South Africa, Mali, Brazil, and Ireland just to name a few-with American students, to study and work together at a U.S. university with a world-renowned music study program and facilities. They will look at international and U.S. musical traditions and composition, learn about careers and economic development opportunities for their societies in music-related fields, and have the chance to compose and perform together and develop on-going collaborations.”
Check out the series of UNESCO thematic publication on education! The objective of these newsletters, briefs, journals, and bulletins is to provide a forum for disseminating newsworthy information on Education activities, experiences, best practices, etc… to facilitate the work of practitioners and education advocates. Reports marked by (*) are also available in selected languages.
Highlights country (Thailand) and regional news on Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) resources.
International Review of EducationInternational journal on the comparative theory and practice of formal and non-formal education.
Information and Communication Technologies in Education Newsletter:
Provides the latest information on educational planning and management.
A scholarly publication dealing with major problems and trends in contemporary higher education.
Provides information on the work of UNESCO in the field of social and human sciences. It is available both in printed and electronic form.
Informative newsletter of the UNESCO Office for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean.
* Remembering Jack Fobes
* Tributes to John Fobes by Koïchiro Matsuura and Paul Schafer
* Jack Fobes: Lien-Link Memorial Articles
* Dr. Zvi Bekerman, Truman Institute and Melton Center, Hebrew UniversityComment: This event, organized by a UNESCO chair, illustrates how UNESCO can catalyze action to promote peace with very little expense drawn from its own budget.
Some things on integration and its pedagogies: Research findings in the Palestinian Jewish bilingual integrated schools in Israel
* Dr. Gabriel Salomon, Center for Research on Peace Education, University of Haifa
The challenge facing environmental and peace education: Sustaining the change
The Governments of the States Parties to this Constitution on behalf of their peoples declare:
That since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed;
That ignorance of each other's ways and lives has been a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world through which their differences have all too often broken into war;UNESCO Constitution
* Peace is reverence for life.
* Peace is the most precious possession of humanity.
* Peace is more than the end of armed conflict.
* Peace is a mode of behaviour.
* Peace is a deep-rooted commitment to the principles of liberty, justice, equality and solidarity among all human beings.
* Peace is also a harmonious partnership of humankind with the environment.
* Today, on the eve of the twenty-first century, peace is within our reach.
The 2006 UNIVERSITY TWINNING and networking scheme “UNITWIN” directory is now available online. It is an important networking tool for one of UNESCO’s major education networks.Over the last fourteen years the UNITWIN Program has developed into a truly worldwide, inter-university co-operation scheme based on interdisciplinarity, intersectoriality and networking. It has since become one of the major intersectorial Programs and an integral part of activities developed by UNESCO various Sectors, services and Field Offices.
Today 584 UNESCO Chairs and 66 UNITWIN Networks have been in the Program involving over 700 institutions in 124 countries. It contains full information on each of reporting Chairs and Networks covering 70 disciplines and identifies the contact persons, partners, events and publications for each one.
Download
UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Program, Ten Years of Action: Case studies (2005)
Procedures for the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Program
Guidelines for Submission of Project Proposals
The International Convention against Doping in Sport; safeguarding traditional sports and games; boosting physical education and sport at school; and sport and human values are among topics that UNESCO will present at the 5th World Forum on Sport, Education and Culture, 22 to 24 October at the International Conference Centre in Beijing. Organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games (BOCOG) in partnership with UNESCO, the Forum will elaborate on the theme of “Sport and a World of Harmony.” About 800 participants coming from every continent are expected to attend.
Serhiy Bubka, UNESCO Champion for Sport, will address the first plenary session on “Cultural and educational perspectives of the Olympic Games.”
Olympism and multiculturalism, sport and social harmony and the future of the Olympic movement are some of the issues that participants will debate during the sessions. They will also review the preparation of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and visit Olympic sites.
The conference is open to representatives of organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, concerned with sport, education and culture, representatives of the United Nations system and universities as well as of the Olympic family, particularly National Olympic Committees, International Sports Federations, Olympic Games Organizing Committees, Applicant Cities and Olympic sponsors. Cultural organizations and the media are also invited.
This Forum follows on the one held in June 2004 in Barcelona (Spain) as part of the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures.
Check out UNESCO and Indigenous Peoples: Partnership to Promote Cultural Diversity!
* UNESCO's Antipoverty Portal
* Commemorative Activities at UNESCO
* Interview with Monique Ilboudo (Burkina Faso): "Poverty is disregard for human rights"
* Poverty in SHS Views 14 [ PDF ]
In our increasingly diverse societies, it is essential to ensure harmonious interaction among people and groups with plural and varied cultural identities as well as their willingness to live together. Therefore the fostering of dialogue among cultures and peoples, can only occur on the basis of the recognition of and respect for cultural diversity. In this context, UNESCO advocates for inclusive and participatory policies as a guarantee of social cohesion, the vitality of civil society and peace.
Roads of Dialogue
The concept of “roads” or “routes” has been at the heart of many of the Organizations’s intercultural dialogue projects. Roads are itineraries by which individual travelers or communities have conveyed their ideas and customs across continents and oceans. From the Silk Route to the Slave Route to the Iron Roads in Africa, history has shown us that routes are venues for the exchange of cultural experience, ideas, values and goods through art, trade and migrations.
A principal objective of a dialogue is to bridge the gap in knowledge about other civilizations, cultures and societies to undertake concrete activities, inspired and driven by dialogue, especially in the areas of education, cultural diversity and heritage, the sciences and communication and media.
