Local award ceremonies held for Laureates of the 2021 UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development
The exceptional contributions to Education for Sustainable Development of three 2021 UNESCO-Japan Prize Winners were celebrated recently in Ghana, Palestine, and Peru.
Three local award ceremonies were organized to complement the main award ceremony of the 2021 UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development which was hosted at UNESCO Headquarters during the 41st General Conference on 19 November 2021 to celebrate the achievements of three laureates: World Vision Ghana, the Media Development Center of Birzeit University (Palestine), and Kusi Kawsay School (Peru). Funded by the Government of Japan, the UNESCO-Japan Prize on ESD was established in 2014 to recognize the role of education in connecting the social, economic, cultural and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) empowers learners of all ages with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to address the interconnected global challenges we are facing, including climate change, poverty, inequality, loss of biodiversity. Learners are encouraged to act as agents of change in creating a sustainable society.
On 18 January 2022, the Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Shtayyeh, welcomed the UNESCO Office in Ramallah, Japanese Representative office, and Media Development Center of Birzeit University, for their winning project, “Media and Information Literacy for Sustainable Societies.” The local ceremony in Ramallah recognized the Media Development Center of Birzeit University’s commitment to fostering societal change through youth empowerment.
Meanwhile, on 8 December 2021, the UNESCO Office in Lima joined the local authorities of Cuzco to congratulate Kusi Kawsay School, a member of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet), for empowering children, youth, and adults from indigenous communities through the creation and support of sustainable and multidisciplinary programs.
In Ghana, the UNESCO Office in Accra livestreamed a local award ceremony on 21 December 2021 to recognize the remarkable contributions of World Vision Ghana and invite the organization to continue to advance the country’s achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The local award ceremonies in Ghana, Palestine, and Peru provided the three laureates with a reminder that their projects are crucial to the continuation of ESD’s impact worldwide.
As UNESCO moves forward into the new year, the organization will remain committed to building bridges with key partners and stakeholders whose work aligns with its vision in promoting education for sustainable development.