DESD in the Pacific Islands with special reference to the University of the South Pacific

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DESD in the Pacific Islands with special
reference to the University of the South Pacific

• Konai H Thaman

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Presentation themes

• Pacific realities contexts
• Pacific Framework Action Plan
• The University of the South Pacific
• Major Challenges to ESD in PICs
• (Students need to be familiar with the Pacific
  ESD Framework see book of Readings)

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Pacific Contexts

• Small, vulnerable island communities
• Diversity of cultures languages
• Heavy dependence of foreign intellectual
  financial resources
• Lack of good governance leadership
• Long history of inappropriate unsustainable
  development in all areas of life (including
  education)
• Weakening foundations for ESD

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Pacific ESD Framework

• Priority areas for action
• Formal education
• Non-formal education
• ESD Governance
• Research Innovation
• Communication Advocacy
• (follows Asia Pacific ESD Framework)

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Pacific ESD Framework Action Plan

• PICs commitment to DESD (cross cutting theme 5,
  BEF)
• Provides platform for establishing
  strengthening regional partnerships
• Serves as a guide for the development of national
  ESD Action Plans and assisting PICs prioritise
  develop national initiatives
• Recognizes that ESD is about learning by
  doing/action (central to indigenous education)
• Acknowledges that ESD is conceptualized
  differently by different people depending on
  their cultures, political contexts individual
  leanings
• Acknowledges that ESD is dynamic flexible

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ESD at the University of the South Pacific (USP)

• USP - regional university with 12 member
  countries
• USP - a ACCU Centre of excellence (RCE) UNU
  Centre of expertise (COE) for ESD
• UNU/ RCE - one of 7 launched at Nagoya, 2005.
  Major goal to mainstream ESD in educational
  institutions
• ACCU/COE - one of 5 in Asia Pacific region. Major
  focus promote ESD especially through non-formal
  ed.
• USP lead agency for promotion of the Pacific
  Regional ESD Framework Action Plan (FEMs
  2006/2007).
• Pacific Centre for Environment Sustainable
  Development (PACE-SD)- coordinating role for USP
  ESD activities

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Specific /on-going ESD-related activities

• ACCU/USP Project - Mainstreaming ESD for capacity
  building in PICs. Five yr project (2007-2011).
  Major areas of foci are teacher ed.
  sustainability ed., community empowering. UNU
  Keio Uni. helping with development. E-delivery of
  course materials planned
• Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Islands Ocean
  Development- approved by USP Senate in 2007 (a
  reorienting of old Dip. in Environmental
  Studies). Three new courses developed using
  ACCU-COE funding. Two new courses using other
  funding.
• PACE-SD working in collaboration with other USP
  sections as well as SPREP UNU. Program on
  offer in 2008.

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ESD Activities (cont.)

• Post-graduate (multi modal) course in
  Education- Global Educational Instruments with
  special focus on DESD. First offer, 2007
• University Consortium of Small Island States
  (UC-SIS) USP with UWI, UOM, USVI Uni of
  Mauritius, signed in 2005. Main focus -
  development of research courses using DFL mode.
  Acknowledged by UNESCO as a cooperation program
  for capacity building within the framework of
  UNITWIN/UENSCO Chairs program. Development of new
  courses to address three pillars of ESD
• On going regional ESD survey (mapping) creation
  of data base for ESD projects being coordinated
  by PACE-SD.

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Planned Activities

• Regional projects with national focus on
• Re-orienting curriculum to SD (USP, 2008/09)
• Re-orienting teacher education to SD (USP/PATE)
• Research Innovations (Sustainable Livelihood
  and Education Project (2005/06, IOE/NZAID, SLEP)
• EDULINK Project ACP-EU Cooperation Program in
  Higher Ed. Major goal strengthen capacity of
  HEIs. Participating institutions - USP, NUS
  UPNG. (Proposal approved, 09)

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Some Challenges

• Lack of coordination ESD has become a
  bandwagon for well meaning people agencies,
  all trying to help PINs
• Competing interests perceptions of what ESD
  means, what needs to be done and who should do
  what
• E is often silent with more emphasis on SD
  especially in higher education the corporate
  sector
• Slow pace of acknowledgement of role of Pacific
  Indigenous Knowledge Systems (PIKS) in enhancing
  ESD especially in formal education
• Many ESD projects may not be sustainable due to
  heavy dependence on foreign expertise,
  intellectual managerial capacity, finance.

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Bonn Draft Declaration, 2009(UNESCO World
Conference, April 2009)

• 1. At policy level (in UNESCO member states)
• Promote ESDs contribution to quality ed.
• Increase public awareness understanding
• Mobilize adequate resources funding
• Reorient education training systems through
  policies at national local levels
• Develop strengthen existing national, regional
  international mechanisms for ESD that respect
  cultural diversity

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Bonn Declaration (cont)

• 2. At practical level
• Support incorporation of SD issues using
  integrated systematic approaches in formal,
  non-formal informal ed. at all levels
• Reorient curriculum teacher ed program to
  integrate ESD in both pre in-service programs
• Promote research, monitoring evaluation
  strategies share information of good practice
• Develop extend partnerships to integrate ESD
  into training, vocational ed workplace learning
• Involve youth in ESD design implementation

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Bonn Declaration (cont.)

• Enhance contribution role of civil society
• Value recognise contribution of indigenous
  local knowledge systems
• Promote gender equality
• Develop knowledge through ESD networking
• Encourage scientific excellence, research
  knowledge development for ESD through involvement
  of higher educations research networks
• Engage available expertise within UN system

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Class activity (to be done in pairs)

• Study the Bonn recommendations at the practical
  level, keeping your country or region in mind.
• Select 5 actions from the list of 11, and for
  each one, address the question, how can this be
  done in my country? Make a suggestion as to how
  each action might be operationalised (put into
  action)
• Share your findings with the rest of the class