Dear MEdIES friends and Task Group Members,

Please find herewith the No 58 quarterly Information e-bulletin of MEdIES.

Follow us at www.medies.net and also on FB at http://www.facebook.com/MEdIES.net.

The MEdIES Secretariat

Contents

1. Visibility & Events

A. MEdIES celebrated the World Environment Day combating Marine Litter (01June 2018).

B. MEdIES at the Technical Consultation Meeting on the Future of ESD (Bangkok, 5-7July 2018)

C. Summer University, Leonidio – Monemvasia, Greece, 7 – 15 July 2018

D. Two teacher trainings on marine litter combined with the MARLISCO Exhibition for Greek teachers (26 & 27/9/2018)

2. Material & ICTs

A. Online web APP on NCWRs is underway

B. Developing hands-on material on water for the Għajn Water Centre in Malta

C. A new MOOC on odor pollution is in the pipeline!

3. Other News

A. UNESCO online consultation on the future of ESD

B. MEdIES hosts a KA1 Erasmus+ training on ESD and marine litter, 7-13 October 2018

C. MEdIES is preparing ESD trainings for Egyptian Educators

1. Visibility & Events

A. MEdIES celebrated the World Environment Day combating Marine Litter (June 2018)

Invited by the local Municipal Public Enterprise for Education & Development, on the island of Mykonos, MEdIES co-organised two activities for the students and the public on the 1st June 2018. In the morning, 50 students with their teachers, from the 1st Primary School collected about 75 kg of trash, mostly plastic, in the beach of Platis Gialos (!) while the students promised to come back and monitor the litter on the beach regularly. The data of the clean-up were used as input for the Let's Clean Up Europe Campaign. In the afternoon, MEdIES officer, Mr Psallidas gave two presentations on current Challenges and Solutions relating to Water and Waste Management in islands. Read more: http://medies.net/articles.asp?cID=8&aID=1199

B. MEdIES at the Technical Consultation Meeting on the Future of ESD (Bangkok, 5-7July 2018)

Following a series of online text reviews and consultations on the draft Position Paper on the future of ESD, prof. Scoullos actively participated in the UNESCO/GAP Technical Consultation Meeting on the Future of ESD (July 9-10, 2018 Bangkok, Thailand) where the Position Paper was further discussed and elaborated. This paper is expected to be presented for approval in the 206th session of the UNESCO Executive Board, in 2019). Read more about the meeting here The position paper has just been uploaded by UNESCO for online consultation (read below 3.1)

C. Summer University, Leonidio – Monemvasia, Greece, 7 – 15 July 2018

This was the 4th in a series of Summer Universities that have been previously organised by MIO-ECSDE, through MEdIES, on topics related to sustainable management of Protected Areas and Biosphere Reserves (BRs). This year focus was on tourism and local products, within the framework of green growth and sustainable development. The Summer University took place in the area of Parnon-Maleas, in Peloponnese, Greece aiming to contribute in the preparation of the nomination dossier of the region to enter the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, and had 56 participants from 15 countries. The three Working Groups came up with useful recommendations that will be used as input to the preparation of the nomination dossier of the region. The Summer University was co-organised and supported by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (Venice Office); the Regional Development Company of Parnon; the Management Body of Parnon, Moustos, Mainalon and Monemvasia, the UNESCO Chair and Network of the University of Athens; the Greek National Committee of MAB/UNESCO, the Centre of Environmental Education (CEE) of Molaoi and the Mediterranean Universities Network for ESD (MedUnNET). Read more: http://www.medies.net/staticpages.asp?aID=1191&overRideCategory=1

D. Two teacher trainings on marine litter combined with the MARLISCO Exhibition for Greek teachers (26 & 27/9/2018)

MIO-ECSDE (through MEdIES), the Municipality of Nikaia city and the Ministry of Education, through the ESD Officers of the Dpt. of Piraeus have co-organised two teacher trainings on Education about Marine Litter on 26 and 27 September 2018 (for secondary and primary level respectively). The trainings took place at the display venue of the MARLISCO Exhibition and the trainees had the opportunity to be informed about it and explore how they can use it as an awareness tool with their students. In total, the two trainings had approx. 50 participants, whom are going to visit the Exhibition with their classes in the coming weeks: targeted school visits from Nikaia region are scheduled daily by the Municipality. The educational material “Learn Feel Act to Stop Marine Litter” that is used in the intervention has been approved by the Greek Ministry of Education. The exhibition will be also open to the public in certain weekdays and Saturdays from1st October to 15th December 2018. During its 2.5 month s display it is expected that that more than 5000 students and free visitors will visit the exhibition! http://www.medies.net/articles.asp?cID=8&aID=1222

2. Material & ICTs

A. Online web APP on NCWRs is underway

During the past 6 months MEdIES staff has been working closely with a team of IT developers and graphic designers to develop this new web APP on Non-Conventional Water Resources (in English). This application will capitalize the 10-yr education interventions of the NCWRs Programme that run in Greece, Cyprus, and Malta. The application will be an interactive online learning tool inviting the learners (10+ years old) to discover various aspects of NCWRs through games and quizzes. The APP is expected to be online by Dec 2018.

B. Developing hands-on material on water for the Għajn Water Centre in Malta

Għajn Water Awareness Centre in Malta has teamed up with MIO-ECSDE (through MEdIES) to further strengthen the educational programmes of the Centre. Following last years’ collaboration on developing four touch-screen interactive games, this year we are collaborating to develop four hands-on educational programmes to ‘compliment’ the experience of the e-games, and enhance the students’ learning experience when visiting the centre. Read more: https://lovinmalta.com/sponsored/water-conservation-can-be-fun-and-heres-where-you-can-learn-all-about-it-in-malta

C. A new MOOC on odor pollution is in the pipeline!

In the framework of the D-NOSES Project, MIO-ECSDE (through the MEdIES) has undertaken the development of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the not-so-known issue of odour pollution (in English). The MOOC is expected to be ready in September 2019 and will be developed on the new e-learning platform of MIO-ECSDE, including three e-learning modules addressing: (a) the wider public (b) school students (c) university students. The content will be developed by MIO-ECSDE in cooperation with its D-NOSES partners.

3. Other News

A. UNESCO online consultation on the future of ESD

UNESCO invites concerned stakeholders and the public to review the draft position paper on the Future of ESD and share their comments. The draft paper has gone through a series of consultations and experts meetings. It reflects on where the work of ESD stands amidst new emerging contexts and proposes the way forward. The final text, once approved by UNESCO General Assembly, will be summarized into a programme and launched in 2020 for implementation onwards to 2030. The text can be downloaded from this LINK: https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/unesco_position_paper_on_the_future_of_esd_280918.pdf

Share your comments and feedback by 9 November 2018 here: https://secure.unesco.org/survey/index.php?sid=28329&lang=en

B MEdIES hosts a KA1 Erasmus+ training on ESD and marine litter, 7-13 October 2018

MEdIES is very happy to host and organize a week-long training on ESD & Marine Litter from 7 to 13 October 2018. The training will be attended by ~ 25 formal and non formal educators coming from Malta, Cyprus, Italy and Greece. It will combine presentations, visits, a beach-clean up and hands-on workshops, mainly based on the material "Know, Feel, Act! to Stop Marine Litter". A session about “Non-Conventional Water Resources” will be also held! More at: http://www.medies.net/articles.asp?cID=8&aID=1110

C MEdIES is preparing ESD trainings for Egyptian Educators

MEdIES is organizing two back –to-back trainings in Cairo, Egypt focusing on the Action Plan of the Mediterranean and ESD methodologies to take place in the coming December (2018). Tio this end the we are liaising and consulting with Officers, Ministries and Stakeholders engaged in ESD in the country on how to better mainstream the AP in the country’s related processes (see development of a National Plan on ESD). More soon!