MEdIES / MIO-ECSDE has initiated a series of activities for promoting the Sustainable Management and ESD in Asterousia area (southern Crete) of Greece in cooperation with the Prefecture of Crete, Heraklion Development Agency and the Greek National Committee of MAB/UNESCO in the framework nomination of Asterousia region to the be accepted in the the MAB / UNESCO Network of Biosphere Reserves (BRs).

On March 26, two events were organized in Archanes / Crete:

(a) A Training of educators and Education Officers on ESD in protected areas and raising awareness of the local community about the proposal to integrate the Asterousia-Crete region into the MAB / UNESCO Network;

(b) A public consultation with local society, public and local government services, NGOs, local associations, colleges, scientific associations, universities, etc.

On April 19  two more meetings held in the Conferece Centre of Mires (Crete)

(a) a Workshop on ESD in Protected Areas  (a) Training of educators on Sustainable Development Education in protected areas;

(b) Public consultation with local society, public and local government services, NGOs, local associations, colleges, scientific associations, universities, etc. informing the local society on the proposal  to integrate the Asterousia area into the MAB Network.

Additionally MEdIES prepared a Guide on how to adapt and "localise"  the Mediterranean Strategy on ESD in the ESD activities to take place in the Asterousia in the framework of its nomination as a BR candidate. A relevant training is going to take place early in 2020.

About 20 teachers and trainers discussed and exchanged their experiences on the challenges they are facing in their mixed and diversed classes in terms of pupils' origin, skills, emotional intelligence, etc. in MIO offices, Athens, on October 30, 2019. This happens in the framework of the DIVE IN Greek Teachers' Seminar aiming to encourage the teacher to work on inclusion topics with their students and to be introduced in the opportunities that the DIVE IN provides to the schools to identify their needs in terms of inlusion-exclusion issues.

The 19 participants were introduced  to the DIVE IN project, its activities in schools and methodological tools while they tried out some experiential activities on about inclusion-esclusion cases based on drama techniques (i.e. still frame, hot seat, etc). The group also discussed the possilities they are offered not only by the DIVE IN but also the Inclusive Schools project coordinated by the BC which are in close synergy.

The targeted school interventions will follow in November and  December 2019 in five Primary Schools of Athens, during which the pupils will be engaged in an educational drama process, to explore topics of inclusion-exclusion and to be stimulated to create their own "Inclusion Action Plan" (the next year- 2020).

More information about the DIVE IN can be found  here.

MARLISCO exhibition in Athens Municipality - Combined with teacher trainings

This year we were very happy and honored to be exhibiting in the largest Municipality of Greece, the city of Athens. The exhibition was displayed in Athens for four weeks, open for Greek teachers, students and free visitors, with no entrance fees.

Two afternoon seminars were held on 1st and 3rd October, where 50 educators have been trained on the material Know Feel Act to Stop Marine Litter with many of them, revisiting the exhibition with their students. On selected days of October, about 420 students from 7 schools of Athens have visited the exhibition, and many of these groups will undertake year long projects in their schools on relevant topics.

Moreover, a group of  20 European Educators also visited the exhibition, "studying" it from a communication perspective.

The seminars and the school visits have been coorganised with Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of A’ Athens. Sincere thanks to ESD Officers Ms Maria Dimopoulou and Mr Manolis Hatziemmanouil.

The exhibition and seminars have been kindly hosted at Serafio Arts, Sports & Innovation Centre, while all events are under the auspices of the City of Athens!

The final training events in the framework of the Project between MEdIES/MIO and the Ghajn Centre/Energy and Water Agency of Malta took place on 16 and 17 October 2019. Some 30 teachers participated in both trainings coordinated by the MEdIES staff,  I. Alampei and V.Malotidi during which the teachers were introduced to the new four educational hands-on programmes of the Centre and their booklets that accompany the interactive wall games, on the following topics:

(a) Water Cycle & responsible water use

(b) Water management in the past (forts)

(c) The Non-Conventional Water Resources

(d) The sustainability audit of the Ghajn Centre.

The feedback received by the participants was quite positive, while most of them expressed the wish to re-visit the Centre together with their students, in order to take part in the interactive wall video games  and in the hands on activities. Read more about the previous MEdIES missions in Ghajn Centre here:

http://medies.net/articles.asp?cID=8&aID=1245&ereg=

http://www.medies.net/articles.asp?cID=8&aID=1244&ereg=

The new booklets of the Gjan Centre created by MEdIES

From 6 to 12 October 2019, 16 teachers and educators from Malta and Cyprus participated in a series of actions dedicated to ESD & Marine Litter, in the framework of an Erasmus supported KA1 week-long course organized for the 2nd time by MEdIES. The participants had the opportunity to be acquainted with various educational tools, follow lectures, participate in hands-on workshops, do a series of field visits including beach clean-up and monitoring and, finally came up with their own projects to sensitize their target groups on the issue of marine litter. The sessions took part in various places in the historical and the merchants centre of Athens, in MIO premises, the Hellenic Centre of Marine Research and included a visit to the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion as well as a day-trip to Aeginal Island.

The course was evaluated in its totality through anonymous online questionnaire that revealed a high level of satisfaction (4 on an 4 point scale), while the vast majority declared they would absolutely recommend the course to a colleague. Still, there is some room for amedments in the course's design: Most trainees asked for more workshops and hands-on sessions (compared to the theoretic ones) and declared that participants from other countries would have enriched the course's implementation. Additionally, some participants asked for cultural "orientations' or guidelines to be included for a future course.

View some snapshots from the course at our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MEdIES.net

MEdIES was happy to take part in the organisation of yet one more Summer University, this year in  the Central Balkan Biosphere Reserve (BR) in Bulgaria. For one week, from 21 to 28 July 2019, the newly established Central Balkan BR was home to more than 35 young experts, PhD students, and staff of BRs from 15 countries, chosen from 125 applications, from all over the world.

This was the fifth one in a series of Summer Universities that have been established and co-organized by MIO-ECSDE and the UNESCO Venice Office, supported every time by a different BR or a candidate BR. The previous ones were held in Amfissa, Greece (2014), Samothraki Greece (2016), Sardinia, Italy (2017), and Parnon, Greece (2018), focusing on topics of designation and functioning of Biosphere Reserves within the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme of UNESCO.

The 2019 edition of the Summer University focused on the topics of Integrated Management, Sustainable Tourism and BR Promotion. It was co-organised with the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation. The national and local hosts and supporters include the Ministry of Environment and Water, the National MAB Committee of Bulgaria, the Directory of “Central Balkan” National Park, the Karlovo Municipality, the Troyan Municipality, the National Bulgarian Commission for UNESCO, the Chateau Copsa, Rozino Organic Farm, the National Exhibition of Artistic Crafts and Arts, the village Oreshak, the Hotel Caza Art, and the project “Unity”.

It was an intensive, multidisciplinary and experiential training that aimed to develop the understanding and competences of the participants on the management of Biosphere Reserves as "laboratories" and "catalysts" for Sustainable Development. During the week, in a program combining theoretical sessions, practical work and many visits, the participants were introduced and discussed the future of Biosphere Reserves.

Find in this link an overview, brief report, presentations and documents of the event

View some snapshots of the event below

Ice break session

Official opening at the Karlovo Municipality

Official opening at the Karlovo Municipality

A group photo

Another group photo

Eating together

Paragliding experience

Paragliding experience

Life in the Central Balkan Park

Walking in the Central Balkan Park

Group work session

Closing ceremony at the Troyan Municipality

Closing ceremony at the Troyan Municipality

Informal evaluation Session

Certificates time

The 2nd Meeting of the Mediterranean ESD Committee & Regional ESD Workshop took place with success on 24-26 July 2019 in the city of Heraklion in Crete hosted by the Heraklion Development Agency and the Region of Crete, organised by MIO-ECSDE/MEdIES and the UNESCO Chair on ESD in the Mediterranean, supported by the UN Environment/MAP, UfM and the Ministry of Education of Cyprus and under the official auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, the Hellenic Ministry of Environment & Energy and the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO.

The meeting gathered 80 participants from 20 countries, and namely: Algeria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Syria and Tunisia, Turkey. The participants were mainly representatives of the Ministries of Education, Environment that follow the Action Plan of the MSESD processes, Universities and NGO staff, as well as representatives of: UNESCO, UN Environment/MAP, UNECE, UfM and LAS.

The meeting served a two-fold purpose: (A) To review the progress made in mainstreaming and applying the Action Plan of the Mediterranean Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (MSESD) by the countries and stakeholders, and provide input to the international and regional processes and frameworks where MSESD is integrated: ESD 2030 (by UNESCO, following the GAP), the Mediterranean Strategy on Sustainable Development (MSSD), the initiatives of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). (B) To promote thematic priorities of the region through the lenses of ESD, such as:

- Education on Sustainable Consumption & Production (SCP) | links with green and circular economy

- Combating Marine Litter and Plastics through ESD & promoting ocean literacy

- ESD & Biodiversity issues | links with Biosphere Reserves (BRs)

- Education for Human Rights, Refugees & Inclusive Societies

In the afternoon of June 24 the Executive Meeting of the Med. ESD Committee took place during which a review of the Committees' activities made by Prof Scoullos, followed by a discussion on potential orientations for the next period of: 2019 - 2021, and the overall framework of collaborations & resources for the Committee's activities and initiatives. Members of the Committee are: UNESCO and UNESCO Venice Office,UN Environment/MAP, UNECE, UfM, LAS and the Ministries of Education of Cyprus (Chair), Croatia, Greece, Malta, Portugal and the Ministry of Environment of Jordan, while MEdIES of MIO-ECSDE has been entrusted with the overall Technical Secretariat of  the Committee.

During the two-days Workshop that followed on 25-26 June, the participants shared their experiences on ESD national plans and programmes and SDGs strategies. To this end, the Workshop was divided to four Thematic Sessions including key presentations and interventions by participants, on Education on SCP, Combating Marine Litter and Plastics through ESD, ESD & Biodiversity/ Biosphere Reserves (BRs), and Education for Human Rights, Refugees & Inclusive Societies.

Find here the Presentations.

In general, all countries had an important progress to share regarding ESD promotion and mainstreaming in the related policies, agendas and initiatives, at the national level,  since the 1st Meeting of the Med. ESD Committee, in Nicosia, Cyprus (November 2017), a fact very encouraging and positive, as the Chair of the Committee and Prof Scoullos, pointed out. Prof Scoullos pleged, on behalf of the Secretariat, to report this information to the liaised international organisations and bodies, and make some highlights during the UNESCO ESD & GCED Forum  in Viet Nam (2-5 July 2019). Additionally, the need of more and effective collaboration among countries and programmes was once more highlighted and the Secretariat promised to intensify efforts towards this end, with the help of the counties. Last but not least, the case and example of the Asterousia area of a territory committed to be sustainable and keep strong links with ESD was noted as one of the take-home messages.

Documentation

Final Programme

List of references

Concept note

The Mediterranean Strategy on ESD (MSESD) (trilingual publication)

The Action Plan of the MSESD in English French Arabic

Link of Dropbox (photos)

Snapshots from the meetings

The exhibition is comprised of short video animations and story boards. It aims, on one hand, to sensitize the public in Greece and Malta about the water resources, their threats in both countries and wider in the Mediterranean, aggregated by climate change, and on the other, to shed light on potential solutions offered through alternative, 'non-conventional' water resources.

All videos are exclusive creations of students of Department of Graphic Design and Visual Communication of the University of Western Attica. Their content relates to various aspects (from (over)consumption, to pollution, irrigation, etc.). The short video animations created with youthful imagination, humor and taste transmit messages for the proper use and management of water and, hopefully, contribute to the cultivation of environmental literate and responsible citizens.

The exhibition was organized in parallel in the two countries, between April - May 2019 in the context of the 2019 World Water Day, themed "Leave no-one behind". It total, the exhibition that has been seen by more than 2,200 visitors, including families, students and teachers.

This exhibition is the result of the collaboration of two universities (University of Western Attica & University of Athens), one governmental agency(Għajn National Water Conservation Awareness Centre of Malta) and two non-governmental agencies (MIO-ECSDEand GWP-Med). Long-term cooperation between them is expected to grow further in the future.

Shots from the display of the exhibition in the two countries :

More about the exhibition and the organisers:

www.youtube.com/teianima

https://www.energywateragency.gov.mt/

https://www.facebook.com/ghajn/?tn-str=k*F

https://www.uniwa.gr/gd/

www.mio-ecsde.org

www.medies.net

From May 23 to May 25 2019, more than 20 expert trainers from Greece, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, gathered in Athens and exchanged methods, stories, experiences and challenges in inclusion education they face in their countries.

Apparently, our barriers in our work settings are many, and not always obvious. Thankfully, there are also many options for improving our inclusion strategies and paths to do that.

After this training we feel more inspired and skilled to proceed with our efforts on inclusion at a country level and at work level. MEdIES staff is thankful to those workshop trainers that prepared engaging and thought provoking workshops and to the all participants that devoted their time to meaningfully attend this seminar.

Shots from the meeting

This was the 10^th year for MEdIES to have collaborated with GWP-Med to implement educational activities in schools and teacher trainings. This year’s activities took place mainly in the wider area of Athens from February 2018 to June 2018, in Thessaloniki city (April 2018) and in the island of Kalimnos and Agathonisi on 28 Octover - 2 November 2018. Totally we reached to 2425 students & 307 teachers.

As in previous years, the educational activities in the schools targeted mainly primary and early high school students, aiming to inform and sensitize them on the issue of water saving, particularly through the revival of the traditional practice of rainwater harvesting and the greywater recycling practice. Our approach is experiential and discovery-based. At the end of each intervention in the class the educational poster “Water cycle in the town” is disseminated to students.

In Kalimnos and Agathonisi,  280 students and  76 teachers participated in the project's activities coordinated by Vassilis Psallidas.

In Thessaloniki 286 students and 31 teachers were engaged (access the report)

In Attica, a plethora of educational activitiers for students and teachers were carried out in which 1859 students participated while  200 teachers have been trained in the respective seminars and events. The activities in Athens are coordinated by Mr Vassilis Psallidas.

All educational activities are organised in collaboration with the Departments of Environmental Education (EE) of Primary and Secondary Education of the respective Directorates of the Ministry of Education, Research adn Religious Affairs.

The activities are under the educational component of the Non-Conventional Water Resources in the Mediterranean Programme led by GWP-Med and supported by the Coca Cola Foundation (in Atlanta).

Snapshots from the activities in schools: