RCE Kano Digital Youth Forum

1. UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability · York University Toronto Canada
The Opportunity for a Green Recovery in the post-
COVID-19 era: the Role of ESD
RCE Kano´s Digital Youth Forum for Environmental Sustainability Ambassadors
5th October 2020
Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair

2. UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability · York University Toronto Canada
The world-changing disrupter
Please check the UN Portal for COVID-19 Response
https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/UN-response

3. UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability · York University Toronto Canada
 Threats and opportunities
 Available choices post-COVID-19, as there will be change:
o ‘back to normal’ or ‘back to where we were’
o ‘clean reset’ and ‘build back better’
o establishing a context of the ’next normal’
 How can we create some positive outcome from the pandemic in government,
private sector and civil society? Whole-society response?
 How can we maximize the outcomes of the situation the COVID-19 created?
 What is the role of the RCE community?
Disruptive change:
determining outcomes

4. UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability · York University Toronto Canada
1. Reorient education towards sustainable
development: covering existing subjects and
designing and integrate in curricula, address
issues and local context of the community
2. Increase access to quality education that is
most needed in the regional context
3. Deliver train-the-trainer programmes and
develop methodologies and learning materials f
4. Lead public advocacy and awareness-raising
efforts about the importance of education and
essential role of ESD in achieving sustainability.
RCE goals and major ESD thrusts
1. Access to and retention within quality
education system(s) ranging from pre-school to
life-long learning. (SDG 4 targets 1-6)
2. Reorienting existing education and training
systems to address a sustainable future. (SDG 4
target 4.7)
3. Public awareness and understanding of the
concept of sustainability issues and means of
informed action (all SDGs)
4. Training programs for all sectors including
private and public sector workplaces (all SDGs)
4 major thrusts of ESD4 RCE goals

5. UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability · York University Toronto Canada
Localize the global SDGs Learn from fighting climate change and
the pandemic
Overarching concepts
Levels of action
1. Prevent
2. Mitigate
3. Adapt
Credit: Unsplash/Spiske

6. UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability · York University Toronto Canada
 Realistic initiatives
 What are we rebuilding?
 How can we rebuild ‘green’ and achieve the next
’green’ normal?
Envisioning the ‘new/next normal’
Please check UNESCO´s campaign
https://en.unesco.org/news/unescos-next-normal-campaignCredit: Unsplash/Olah

7. UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability · York University Toronto Canada
Roles of an RCE
 Honest
facilitator/broker
 Key participants
 Permission/access
 Resources
(fiscal, in-kind etc.)
 Knowledge and
training source
Developing a green RCE strategy
Credit: Unsplash/Read
Engagement of stakeholders
 Workers
 Promoters
 Religious leaders
 NGOs
 Private sector
 Schools
 Universities
Special role of youth and youth
engagement

8. UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability · York University Toronto Canada
Thank you.
UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability
York University Toronto, Canada
Charles A. Hopkins
CHopkins(at)edu.yorku.ca
unescochair.info.yorku.ca
facebook.com/hopkinsesd
@unesco.chair
@hopkinschuck