Thanks to Rachna Sharma for transcribing this session! Join the AASHE 2011 Transcription Project and help spread the great ideas presented at the conference!
Different Session – Hoping to get inputs from participants for Rio+20
Presented by Paul Rowland, Executive Director, AASHE
AASHE 2011
· US pays relatively less attention to UN Processes
· We have not taken up the opportunities available to us/responsibilities as a world citizen
· Original Rio meeting was focused on sustainability in education – outcome – Agenda 21
· Outside US, Agenda 21 is used for benchmarking / grant funding – paid attention to – not so much in states
· Chapter 36 – Talks about education, not much on higher education (~ 2 sentences on tertiary education)
· What do we expect to come out from Rio+20 – June 4 -7 coming year?
· Concern – It may leave out tertiary education’s (TE) role in education for sustainable development again.
· How do we move forward on making sure this does not happen?
· What are the deadlines for providing inputs/ ways to provide inputs?
· How can we make sure that there is language in the outcome document that would provide some leverage for tertiary education?
· Rio20 website - www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/ - Interesting information
· Framework for discussing the role of tertiary education in Sustainable Development at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) – At the AASHE website
· Compilation Document – November 1 (Deadline) – Public comments/ UN agencies/ others
· Trying to engage different groups – so that their inputs can reach the compilation document before the deadline in a collective manner – foundation to show that we need to make contributions to EST
· US Position is relatively secure
· If you were a delegate at Rio+20, what would you say about TE?
· How to provide inputs – on AASHE website (www.aashe.org/node/54492)
· 4 sets of questions as sort of a guideline on what to provide input on -
· What are the expectations from the outcome document/ its structure?
· What are the comments if any on existing documents -
· Sustainable development goals
· Revitalizing global partnerships
· What are the views on implementation and how to close the implementation gap? Which relevant actors are envisaged as being involved (Governments, Specific Major Groups, UN Systems)
· What specific cooperation mechanisms envisaged – relevant timeframes?
· Stated focus – Discuss and refine
· Green economy in context of sustainable development and poverty eradication
· Institutional framework for sustainable development
How would it help?
· Declarations and statements – remain just statements
· Institutional framework will help translate them – asking questions on efficiency and effectiveness, millennium development goals, who takes responsibility of what comes next
· Which UN agencies will be expecting to report which institutions on what – Accountability
· Content, focus, ambition and how they are translated to action
· Processes much too long and restrictive – thus hope of providing inputs directly to the compilation document and impress upon the fact that it’s not just individual/ AASHE but multiple international institutions
· US partnerships in this realm? – Not so much
Audience Interaction:
Question – What is the timeline to contribute in TE framework documents?
· Getting into compilation process is important.
· Delegates would then be taking the compiled version of draft documents obtained from during the compilation process
· March – International gathering to discuss before the Rio+20
Question – Is there a relationship between Rio-21 and UNFCCC/ other such UN Groups?
· 3 Major corps
· Texts don’t refer much to this relationship
· Lobbying groups attending – much stronger presence
· Good time to enter global conversation
Question – Are there any secondary resources helpful for people trying to understand UN processes for the first time?
·
Suggestion – Most effective way to ensure comments reach UN/ Summit is to – reach delegates
· Once the US delegates list is announced, send relevant documents to them
Challenges –
· Educators have no official voice in how these things take shape.
· Recognized list of stakeholders – education not a part of this list, YOUTH is
· Address the gap – What is the role of educators in this whole process?
· There is a huge difference between how educators view sustainable development and how the rest of the world views it; the hinge being poverty
· There is no reference to poverty alleviation in any of the AASHE documents
· Why do we only talk about green technology/ green jobs?
· Could include poverty alleviation as a clause in the compilation document.
Suggestion – UN is a huge organization – Many other groups may also be working on similar programs
· Example – Global compact signatories – introduce section in Rio+21 – addresses management education
· UNU – United Nations University – opening the doors of better economic participation – some leverage there.
· Connection to sustainability commitment coming out of UN in next 2 - 3 weeks?
· UN Global Compact Academia Group – Pilot schools to be involved in signatories to this declaration
Suggestion – (From Green Campus Initiative – Korea)
· Since the Focus of Rio+20 is on two different aspects - we should decide on what aspect can we provide some suggestions/ comments
· When discussing about Green Economy – Sustainable Development – education+ technology+ economics, thus educators can contribute comments here too.
· Institutional Framework – We have to change tertiary education fundamentally
· Our university education system is based on industrial age – growth oriented
· We are living in doomsday age – consuming more than what we have now
· Thus our education should be changed fundamentally – sustainability oriented education
How to provide inputs?
· Web Form
· Name
· Country
· Input on UNCSD Compilation Document
Why should we be doing this?
We should be dealing with such UN processes
We have the resources
· to understand these issues
· help others understand these issues
· act on these issues
These outcomes can influence how resources are deployed in countries.
Just waiting to see what happen is not being ‘globally responsible citizen’
