Looking Outward and Forward: UNESCO World Conference on Education and Sustainable Development

Halfway points of any endeavor are wonderful times to reflect and to revitalize: The World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development held in Bonn, Germany, promises to do just that. Held five years into the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, the conference will emphasize best practices and cooperation for education for sustainable development (ESD).

The conference, held March 31 through April 2, will bring together over 700 people from 150 countries and will have four main objectives. The overarching theme is to underscore how crucial ESD is to education at all levels. Related to that is a second objective of reviewing what has been done so far in ESD and what lessons can be taken from previous experiences.

Two other themes look to the possibilities ahead. The conference seeks to promote international exchange of ideas regarding ESD, particularly between North and South, and to share best practices and ideas regarding ESD on a global level. It additionally hopes to spark conversation and plans to develop strategies for the best paths to take for future development.

These objectives will be infused into all elements of the program, which include high-level segments, plenary and workshop sessions, exhibitions of 25 ESD projects, project-based workshops, and special events. An official program can be found here.

This conference is the second in a series of educational conferences UNESCO is holding on global education. Each conference strives to foster dialogue regarding best practices for educational priorities, and the potential to transform educational systems by sharing best practices and learning from each other is enormous. The opportunity to participate in such global dialogues, therefore, must not be wasted.