INTRODUCTION ESD ACTION IN COVID-19 ERA The COVID-19 global pandemic was declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in March 2020 and has deeply challenged nation states in responding to the pandemic itself and to cascading health, social and economic crises. By May 2020 approximately a third of the world’s population was in full or partial lockdown in an attempt to contain the pandemic. At the time of writing over 25 million people have been infected worldwide with over 850,000 deaths recorded and it is estimated the actual number of infections is likely to be 5-10 times higher. As health systems globally struggle to cope with the increasing infection rates and fatalities there has also been a ‘Coronavirus’ global recession with rapid increases in unemployment as a consequence of economic shutdown. The crisis has exacerbated inequalities, with the impacts falling on the most vulnerable communities. It has highlighted the global connectedness of our world. COVID-19 has also prompted urgent calls for collective responses that recognise the interconnectedness of our world. It underlines the vital importance of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 in supporting a recovery that leads to greener, more inclusive economies, and stronger, more resilient societies. In response to this crisis, and inspired by the Asia-Pacific RCE Coordinating Committee, RCE Srinagar in cooperation with RCE Greater Western Sydney organised a coordinated webinar series “ESD Action in COVID-19 Era: Experiences of RCEs of Asia Pacific Region”. The aim of these virtual forums, held over three webinars in May and June 2020, was to reconnect with the RCE community to learn from each other about how each RCE is responding to this pandemic. The webinar series was attended by 220 virtual guests, with 16 countries and 39 RCEs represented by 37 presentations. The series of RCE presentations highlighted the impacts of the pandemic on local communities including health, food security and education challenges. However, in the midst of these changes, it opened up greater opportunities for collaboration and the sharing of skills and knowledge. It provided the time to reflect and develop new modalities. The range of communication tools and new ways of working were discussed, as were innovative solutions such as virtual fieldwork. The pandemic has provided opportunities to implement new learning methods, to rethink the skills and learning outcomes of educational programs, and has further highlighted the importance of valuing the skills within communities. Through the webinar series, the RCE Network has proved to be an excellent platform from which to collaborate, respond, support each other and build an inclusive society where all can live with pride and purpose. RCEs must continue to discuss pandemic-related issues and further cultivate intra- and inter-RCE collaboration. The initiatives and insights shared in the three webinars could usefully be taken up in other communities and thus potentially influence policymaking. Through these webinars the RCE community may well have built a foundation for what might evolve as the RCE Global Learning Space on ESD. Citizen science taken by RCEs to the community can connect people globally and accelerate the efforts of achieving the SDGs. The webinars created a ripple effect and enthused and recharged the RCE community. There are repeated requests from several RCEs to hold more such webinars. RCE Greater Western Sydney and RCE Srinagar thank all the invited speakers, the RCEs of the Asia- Pacific region and globally for their active participation and making the webinars a success. RCE Greater Western Sydney Sustainable Futures team Western Sydney University RCE Srinagar Dr Abdhesh Kumar Gangwar Convenor, Asia-Pacific RCEs Coordinating Committee 2
webinar series report
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