News

The 20th Asia-Pacific Training Workshop on EIU/GCED(APTW) was held virtually from 5-16 July this year, with the participation of 50 passionate educators from 28 UNESCO member states in the Asia-Pacific region. Under this year’s specific theme of the Workshop, “teach to transform in a challenging time”, the Workshop offered various training sessions, including a self-paced online course, interactive live lectures, webinars, and small group discussions. The sessions dealt with the thematic issues of GCED and ongoing social/educational issues in the context of Covid-19, reminding of participants of their roles and responsibilities as educators and as global citizens in the very challenging time.

During the 1st week of the workshop, participants took part in an e-learning course on GCED via GCED Online Campus with the sessions on media influence and critical literacy, gender equality, human rights, and transformative education in line with global citizenship and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While studying, participants have shared their own reflection and insights with the peer participants through small group discussions. 

During the 2nd week of the workshop, participants took part in live lectures, webinars, and discussions via various digital platforms. International experts in the field of EIU/GCED, including Dr. SoonYong Pak, Dr. Swee-Hin Toh, Mr Jefferson Plantilla, Dr. Haelim Cho, Ms LeaEspallardo and Mr Dylan Wray joined the Workshop as speaker and facilitator, providing lectures on the glocal issues around pandemic and transformative pedagogical approaches for GCED while engaging dialogues with the participants. Also, policies and practices on GCED in Korea have been introduced, providing applicable strategies and tips and soliciting approaches with the participants in their respective communities.

The 2-week journey on GCED has brought lots to think over, reflect on, and eventually, act on for the key educators across the Asia-Pacific as global citizens. Ms Louise May Lim, a participant of the 20th APTW Said, 

“Despite of the complex problems that we face in this time of pandemic, the 50 strong participants of this APCEIU’s flagship training-workshop took the courage to see the silver linings. Now we have clearer, and more critical understanding of GCED in this challenging time and its role in achieving the SDGs.  As educators who are courageously taking on the roles to envision and work to live in a more compassionate, kind, just, and peaceful world, this 20th APTW is equally a humbling and empowering opportunity for all of us.  In learning, re-learning, unlearning, and rethinking the essential themes in teaching, practicing, promoting as well as protecting glocal justice, human rights, women’s rights, and creative pedagogies in the GCED perspective, made us realized our sense of belongingness to a broader community and common humanity.  As APTW Alumni Batch 2021, we persevere not to lose our creativity since it comes in harmony with transformative and critical education.  We need critical and creative solutions to confront our complex problems that is when learning becomes effective, and relevant.  Now, it is about time to share to our local communities what we learned here. Just like the Hobbits of the Shire, who travelled all over middle earth, we became richer, and stronger in every sense of the word”

APCEIU will continue to support their endeavors in paving new and innovative ways for promoting global citizenship in their own communities and regions by offering continued learning and networking opportunities. As part of this, a one-month mentorship and grant programme will be provided to those who wish to implement GCED projects, where the participants could receive guidance and advices from the GCED experts in carrying out their own GCED initiatives with the seed funds from APCEIU. It is expected that various GCED actions will be taken by the participants, which will, in turn, bring impact to their communities and beyond.      

URL:

http://www.unescoapceiu.org/post/4221