COP27, the annual hope to fight climate change

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The 27th Conference of Parties will be hosted from the 6th to the 18th of November in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt. WEEC Network will follow the event, the opening plenary session will be held on the 6th of November, from 10 am to 1 pm.

According to the scientific community, the window for action on the climate crisis is rapidly closing, and COP27 represents (or should represent) a decisive moment to act based on the successes achieved (and failures) and future goals.

COP, the Conference of Parties, is the annual meeting of the countries that have ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international environmental agreement signed during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992). Its main objective (so far missed) is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, which are responsible for global warming.

COP27 is also an opportunity for all stakeholders to take a stand to address the global challenge of climate change effectively.

A part of the event will be dedicated to environmental education, as in the last editions.

Egypt – according to official statements- takes charge of the COP27 presidency recognizing the gravity of the global climate challenge and the value of collective action as the only means to address this threat, committing itself to support an inclusive, transparent and party-driven process to ensure timely and appropriate action. For further updates, we suggest following our work through our journals and socials.

The World EE Day 2022 at the University of Quebec

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For the World EE Day 2022 the Centre for Research in Environmental Education and Training (Centr’ERE) of the University of Quebec in Montreal, organised a lecture programme, discussing topics of high relevance.

These days mark three symbolic dates whose meanings significantly influence the relationship with education, indigenous peoples and the environment.

On 5 October, for International Teachers’ Day, the Education – Environment – Eco-citizenship Coalition invited its members and the general public to participate in a meeting to update the proposed Quebec Strategy for Environmental Education and Eco-citizenship. The meeting was an invitation to explore the trajectory of this public policy proposal, from its origins, through a series of steps taken by the Coalition to date. We have also presented recent updates to the proposal, opening up a new collective assessment

The 12th of October, known as the Day of the Discovery of the Americas, is symbolically identified as Indigenous Resistance Day, commemorating the 530-year struggles of the First Peoples against colonisers. This event joined the movement for an engaged eco-citizenship, aimed at confronting the current wave of colonisation of territories by the extractive industry. 

The seminar took place within the framework of Environmental Education Days 2022 and, more specifically, within the activities of the project Resistaction – Critical and political dimensions of environmental education in the context of socio-ecological conflict and their contribution to the emergence of alternatives, which examines these realities in Quebec and Chile. 

Meanwhile, on 13th October, as part of the Environmental Education Days celebrations, Centr’ERE invited participants to a conversation about the place and role of critical pedagogies in this fundamental dimension of education.

 In particular, critical pedagogies, associated with the thought of Paulo Freire, have been criticised for not making ecological issues explicit, whereas their potential and proven transformative and emancipatory power leads us to reflect on updating their role in environmental education and eco-citizenship. On the occasion of the Environmental Education Days, Centr’ERE invited participants to a conversation about the place and role of critical pedagogies in this fundamental dimension of education.

A Conference debates on political education in environmental and development issues, concluded the celebrations on 14 October.

This conference proposed to open the debate from a reading of the history of environmental and development education. It discussed the successive currents of environmental education, sustainable development and the Anthropocene era, with a view to highlighting the presence or absence of political education. The paper also pointed to a recent paradigm shift, following two decades of strongly behavioural education for sustainable development, towards education for the Anthropocene that offers more potential for political socialisation. This paper accompanied the publication of number 63 of the journal Éducation et socialisation on the subject, edited by Angela Barthes, Lucie Sauvé and Frédéric Torterat.

Environmental education is to build a new ecological society

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Distinguished representatives of the United Nations institutions at our side since the beginning of our adventure in 2003,

Czech authorities,

All members and staff of the local organizing committee, dear friends and colleagues engaged in environmental education, many warmest thanks for attending this 11th congress in Prague, onsite or online.

In spite of everything, against all the odds, we are here, in some way, in person or thanks to the Internet.

“Thanks” is the first word I want to underline, the second is “In spite of everything, we are here”.

After two years of huge pandemic and in times of war near us, with refugees around us. The situation is getting worse and we express our solidarity for the victims of the war.  “Near us” and “around us” is in the literal sense, near Prague and this congress Centre. But in a globalized world, on this small and finite planet, everywhere and everything is “near us”.

So, “Building bridges” and building bridges in times of climate urgency, this title imagined in 2018 is more and more meaningful.

In 1969 Environmental Education, the first journal on environmental education, inside of its first slim 32 pages issue, wrote that the goal of EE is that every citizen “knows it deep in his/her heart and bones, the simple facts that he/she is absolutely dependent on his environment, that he/she is affected by is environment, and that he/she affects his/her environment”.

This goal is ever valid, solid, and compelling.

This year we celebrate two significant fiftieth anniversaries: the first UN conference on the environment in Stockholm and the MIT report to the Club of Rome: “The Limits to Growth”.

Environmental education is to build a new ecological society.

According to Edgar Morin, it is to build a human community -a planetary community of destiny. Thanks to the culture of interdependence, and of the limits, it can come to light, a culture we can cultivate, breed, and spread. We must be a force of peace and ecological transition drivers.

It needs more competencies, more research, more relationships, and alliances. In sum, more contacts and a stronger WEEC Network.

On Wednesday, we will announce the 12th WEEC in 2024. From now we encourage all of you to consider candidacies for the 13th congress in 2026. The call for bids opens today.

Thanks a lot again. Have lovely days of talk, discoveries, and new friendships. And meet again every day after this 11th congress in Prague, which I wish fruitful and gratifying.

Despite everything.

11WEEC: We started “building bridges”

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The 11th WEEC started today in Prague in the new hybrid guise, linking more than 600 environmental educators, practitioners and experts who have come in person to the Czech Republic and those connected online from all over the world in a single embrace.

In the opening ceremony there were greetings and speeches from Miloš Vystrčil, President of the Senate of the Czech Republic, Anna Hubáčková, Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic , Milena Králíčková, Charles University, Rector, the UN agencies representatives Stefania Giannini, UNESCO and Niclas Svenningsen, UNFCCC, Nouzha Alaoui, Secretary General of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Environment, the sponsors and, of course, the chairs and organisers of the congress Mario Salomone, WEEC Permanent Secretariat and Jan Činčera, Masaryk University, Local Organizing Team.

«In spite of everything – said Mario Salomone – against all the odds, we are here, in some way, in person or thanks to the Internet. “Thanks” is the first word I want to underline, the second is “In spite of everything, we are here”. After two years of huge pandemic and in times of war near us, with refugees around us. This goal is ever valid, solid, and compelling. This year we celebrate two significant fiftieth anniversaries: the first UN conference on the environment in Stockholm and the MIT report to the Club of Rome: “The Limits to Growth”. Environmental education is to build a new ecological society.
According to Edgar Morin, it is to build a human community -a planetary community of destiny. Thanks to the culture of interdependence, and of the limits, it can come to light, a culture we can cultivate, breed, and spread.
We must be a force of peace and ecological transition drivers. It needs more competences, more research, more relationships, and alliances. In sum, more contacts and a stronger WEEC Network».

Jan Činčera highlighted the good chance and joy of being reunited again on such a occasion of professional growth and networking.

Nouzha Alaoui underlined the role of the countries of the southern hemisphere, still underestimated, but facilitated by the spread of new technologies that shorten distances and make online connections possible.

Anna Hubáčková, Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic, underlined the importance of the European Green Deal and the challenges to be faced with regard to the delay in communicating climate change. Along the same lines, the rector of the University of Prague reiterated the need for collaboration between schools to strengthen the SDGs. Thus Stefania Giannini, Unesco, drew attention to issues related to youth for climate.

Two interventions focused on the means we already have available for sustainability. Svenningsen said that people are the most important goal, the work that needs to be done is to give the means for understanding the tools we already have. Piccard stressed on education and economics are not in competition, they are two poles that must be in balance. “we already have the tools to build the future we imagined and the solutions are already among us, we have collected over a thousand!”

Centr’ERE and UQAM: various courses for anyone concerned with environmental education

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Potrebbe essere un'immagine raffigurante il seguente testo "Éducation, environnement, écocitoyenneté nneté Programme court de 2e cycle en éducation éducat relative à l'environnement சாதன"

The University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) offers professional development courses allowing teachers, teachers as well as any member of the school staff to complete their training on a theme or in a specific area. 

DDD 8532 Secondary Environmental Education course

The DDD 8532 Secondary Environmental Education course is aimed at practicing secondary school teachers who are aligned with the reality of their practice.  

This is a 3-credit graduate program and the course is taken over two academic sessions.  

A first experimental cohort will start in January 2022.  

See the detailed course description. 

For more information: boelen.virginie@uqam.ca 

Consult the information document of the Faculty of Education at UQAM 

To register: education.formationcontinue@uqam.ca 

Deadline: December 1, 2021 

Short Program in Environmental Education

Another project is the Short Program in Environmental Education. This training is intended for anyone concerned with the integration of environmental, education and citizenship issues. It focuses on the development of skills in the design, animation and management of education and training projects relating to the environment in different intervention settings: at school, in the community, in business, in the media, parks, museums, interpretation centers, in the context of international cooperation, etc. 

The student is invited to explore the multiple dimensions of an education centered on the relationship with the environment by examining in particular its importance and its meaning for human development and social transformations. 

Admission deadline: December 1, 2021 

For more information: ere.uqam.ca 

Apply for admission