ESDNET Blog

Do you receive the UNESCO ICT in Education newsletter? This week there is an interesting link on ICT to promote peace.

“Thanks to the revolution in ICTs, there is a real opportunity for ‘multilogue’ to promote mutual understanding and peace,” said Abdul Waheed Khan, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information in Bangkok, Thailand.
The transformative affect of ICTs on the media landscape is helping the media sector fulfil their fundamental role as a witness, as a watchdog and as a means for people to communicate. These simple and often affordable tools empower ordinary citizens, allowing them to document the world around them and share that information beyond their national borders, he said.

Mr Khan stressed that when allowed access to all the information presented without fear or favour, communities seek common ground to resolve their differences. “It is the manipulation of facts, the warping of the truth to secure an agenda benefiting one group over another, which leads to rivalries, misunderstandings and ultimately violence,” he said.

Mr Khan also presented UNESCO’s initiative of the “Power of Peace” network that envisions connecting the power of media and ICTs to the concept of building peace through communication and information.

Vesak Day, the full moon day of the fourth lunar month, is the most important annual event for the Buddhist community. It commemorates the Birth, Enlightenment and Final Nirvana of Lord Buddha. In December 1999, the General Assembly of the United Nations, at its fifty-fourth session recognised the Day of Vesak as an International Day of the United Nations and resolved that an appropriate activity would be held annually at the UN Headquarters and other offices as well.

Find out more about the ICT in Education newletter.

Long before ESD there was Rudolf Steiner. EduCareDo is a one way of self awakening and learning based on the works of Steiner.

It evolved in response to the needs of many people who are searching for new possibilities to develop their capacities in freedom on the path of self-knowledge.

This path is not only for self development, but also for the benefit of fellow human beings and the world.

It is for people, who, because of their life circumstances such as family, work, time restrictions, health or financial difficulties or distances from learning centers cannot attend regular courses, seminars or colleges.

EduCareDo offers Self Awakening Study Courses in Distance Education Mode

In the meantime some of our ESDNET members probably subscribed to the AtKisson Report. It always gives the latest ’sustainability news’. Reading through the latest issue, I learned that Alan Atkisson also writes for a popular blog called WorldChanging.

With over 50 writers this blog really puts the pieces together. There’s a lot of very up to date info on ESD.

Find out for yourself!

As you all know Google started to scan millions of books from libraries all over the world. My hunger for ESD knowledge led me to test http://books.google.com/

And after 0.11 seconds my quest gave me 2750 possible leads! Simply amazing! You can also narrow down your search by choosing a specific category within ESD.

Here’s what I found on googlebooks! Check it out!

Bart Cornille

Did you already check out the Youth Action for Change Sustainable Development Online Course wiki?

Youth Action for Change is a small association that works to empower youth around the world. You can visit their homepage here: YAC Homepage

This course was done in May and June 2007 and facilitated by Mabel from Peru and Kjell from Germany. The 30 participants came from very diverse backgrounds. You can have a look at who they are on the list of participants.

This wiki is the main learning space, because it points you to all the resources. They also have a Nicenet course room for forum type discussions and a group blog “Green Changemakers” to keep in touch after the course.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Thanks for this interesting wiki Do Van Nguyet.

Check it out,
Bart Cornille

As ESD-NET member I wish you all a happy (solar-lunar) New Year.
We have probably all made our New Years’ resolutions, including Google.

Google.org aspires to use the power of information and technology to address the global challenges of our age: climate change, poverty and emerging disease. In collaboration with experienced partners working in each of these fields, they will invest their resources and tap the strengths of Google’s employees and global operations to advance new major initiatives.

You cannot believe it? Chech out this movie!

Realizing that it takes more than just having a computer in the classroom to enable teachers to pass on the skills students need to do well in today’s world, the United Nations has developed new guidelines to help instructors better
use information and communication technology (ICT) in education.

The new guidelines – ICT Competency Standards for Teachers – was developed by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in cooperation with technology giants Cisco, Intel and Microsoft, as well as the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).

UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said the guidelines – which will be presented to education ministers from more than 100 countries at the Moving Young Minds Conference in London on 8th January – provide a tool that will help
policymakers and teacher-training developers plan their use of ICT.

“These standards consist of modules that will help trainers prioritize their
needs and design training curricula adapted to specific requirements and
resources, reflecting UNESCO’s conviction that countries must occupy the
driver’s seat of educational planning,” he stated.

The agency noted that the standards go beyond just addressing ICT skills,
and takes into account the specific needs of teachers, curriculum and school
organization. They should “contribute to the education of a better-informed
citizenry able to advance economic and social development.”

Ismael Peña-López is a lecturer at the Open University of Catalonia, School of Law and Political Science, working in the field of Public Policies for Development, with a special focus on ICT. He set up a blog (now he calls it personal research portal), intended to share with all of us the knowledge he might have gathered the last years and the thoughts that might have arisen.

His research interests can be written this way:
• Digital Divide, e-Readiness, ICT4D
• ICTs in cooperation for development, nonprofit technology, online volunteering
• e-Inclusion, digital capacitation
• e-Learning, e-Portfolios
• Open Access, Open Science, Access to Knowledge

Todays’ post is on Web 2.0 and development. Very interesting thoughts indeed.
Thanks Jef Peeraer for giving me this link to the ai-see-TEE-lo-gee site.

What is the most famous Web 2.0 application upto now? Indeed, we all know the wikipedia, isn’it? The wiki gives a fairly good overview of what ESD is. It touches upon what sustainable development is, what ESD is, it’s characteristics, history, and so on.

The external links also offer a wealth of information on ESD. Of course, there is the Agenda 21, Chapter 36- the basis of ESD- and the Earth Charter Initiative. On the latter website, you can endorse the charter, read the book or the action blog.

There is also a link to the ACCU website ( The Asia-Pasific Cultural Centre for UNESCO) You really need to take some time to go through this site including the learning packages on Environment (PLANET) or the Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education. Don’t forget to go to the literacy page where you can download loads of posters and booklets. There is a ‘Letter to Tomorrow’ photo competition too. Check it out, the closing day for this competition is 5 January 2008.

There is a lot that can be said about the Wikipedia… but on ESD there is a lot to be learned.