Okayama ESD Project Fundamental Plan

• The Okayama ESD Project
• Objectives
• History

To tackle one of the current universal problems, building of a society promoting Sustainable Development (SD), United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) was put into place in January 2005. DESD International Implementation Scheme (DESD-IIS) and Domestic Implementation Scheme (DESD-DIS) were developed in September 2005 and March 2006 respectively.
At the same time, the United Nations University (UNU) proposed the concept of the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCE) for the further enhancement of DESD by promoting collaboration with every ESD practitioner in the world and practicing ESD activities according to the specific characteristic of each region as well as sharing their achievements and problems.
In April 2005, Okayama region approved the concept and set up the Okayama ESD Promotion Commission, which is composed of related organizations and groups, and formulated the “Okayama ESD Project Fundamental Plan” led by this commission. In June 2005, by conducting activities based on the fundamental plan, Okayama region was certified as one of the world’s first RCEs by the UNU.
Since certain achievements and problems arose, a new fundamental plan needs to be developed by reviewing the plan which was set in 2005 and by illustrating common directions that each related organization should work on.

The number of project participants has increased from 40 organizations to over 100 organizations and about 60% of schools in Okayama region practice ESD related activities. Also ESD activities at Community Learning Centres (CLC) and universities have been accelerated and it is drawing worldwide attention.
One of the achievements is the increasing number of organizations, which are promoting broad-based ESD, and communities, which are addressing ESD throughout middle school districts. As activities by those proactive organizations are spreading, the role of the Okayama ESD Promotion Commission has been changing. Compared with the time the commission was set up, it is now more necessary to focus on how activities are adjusted among groups.
On the other hand, there are still a lot of tasks, such as raising the awareness of whole communities and building a sustainable society, which are still the goals of the project. Therefore, the important goals are developing an effective ESD program, training teachers, cultivating learning facilitators and inter-organizational coordinators, supporting ESD activities, informing the entire community, and strengthening the structure of each organization in order to cooperate together.
In addition, as of FY 2008, there are 55 RCE authorized localities all over the world and ESD activities keep spreading domestically and internationally. Within this dynamic, we will contribute to the promotion of broad-based ESD by making use of our experience as the world’s first authorized RCE. For example, we have experience exchanging information about our past projects and achievements with our RCE partners.

1. Based on the fact that the fundamental plan, which was devised in 2005, was one of the requirements to be certified as RCE, we must keep the very basic framework of the original plan until the final year of DESD.
   
2. Based on the achievements and tasks, it has to be practicable and shareable with organization officials who have responsibilities in the Okayama ESD Project.
   
3. Since all organizations in the region are intending to promote ESD, we must clarify the role of each organization in order to promote the project by the entire region.
   
4. We must develop the role of research organizations, such as universities which have specialized knowledge and skill, in the framework of the project in order to conduct research and evaluation for the further promotion of the project.
   
5. When it comes time to plan the schedule and set goals, take note that this project should be supported by the entire region as a long term goal, but in particular the year 2014 as a sort of closure.

Despite the fact that designated areas are mainly in Okayama City and its neighboring communities, we aim to enhance activities by cooperating with other undesignated areas as necessary.

This project mainly focuses on the fields of environmental education and international education but also should reflect the components of environment, society, economy, and culture as much as possible considering the examples illustrated in the UNDESD-IIS. In addition, we aim to enhance information exchange and cooperation with other fields of activities to promote ESD.

The aim of this project is promoting DESD at a local level. The implementation period is 10 years from April 2005, and by setting a project period every 2 years, we will revise its framework, promotional methods and the contents of the activities in light of  achievements and problems.

This project has to be implemented based on the philosophies as follows.

1. A framework should be built in which all ESD-related organizations and individuals participate and cooperate in order to develop their knowledge of SD and expand the activities of building a sustainable society. 
   
2. Based on the results and achievements, each organization and institution should accelerate their characteristic activities and play their important roles for promoting ESD effectively while cooperating with the entire region.
   
3. This project, which revises and strengthens each activity within it, will face difficult and complicated challenges. For resolving these challenges, it is important to rebuild the bonds among organizations and the framework of the project as well as to revise and strengthen each activity of related organization based on their achievements. Also we will give sufficient consideration to enhancing the transparency of organizational management.

Objectives to realize the aim of the project Community-Based Human Development for Sustainable Society are as follows:

1. To clarify the challenges and resolve them in order to promote ESD according to the specific characteristic of each region by conducting ESD activities based on the concept of RCE illustrated by the UNU and DESD-IIS/DIS, and by getting a picture of the activities of related organizations in the Okayama region.
   
2. To increase the number of organizations and individuals, which take initiatives in building a sustainable society, by deepening everyone’s understanding of SD in the Okayama region.
   
3. To accelerate the promotion of DESD by rallying the exchange and cooperation among ESD practitioners. Numerical goals of the project are as follows:
   (a) All elementary school districts have to conduct ESD activities at least once in a year.
   (b) Over 150 organizations in the entire region have to participate in the Okayama ESD Project.
   (c) There have to be more than four ESD-related projects conducted with the cooperation of various organizations of the local unit, such as the middle school district.
   (d) More than 10% of the population in the designated areas has to proactively participate in the activities related to the building of a sustainable society.

Based on the objectives, this project has to follow policies as stated below:

The commission is in charge of coordinating cooperation among organizations and plays important roles as follows in order to accelerate further promotion of ESD in the entire region:
(a) Formulation of the basic policy of the Okayama ESD Project.
(b) Promotion of the project by designating and supporting the activities and the organizations which meet the objectives of the project.
(c) Enhancement of the cooperation and exchange between organizations engaged in ESD.
(d) Improvement of knowledge and awareness about ESD in the entire region.
(e) Enhancement of the cooperation and exchange between other regions and institutions engaged in ESD.
In addition to these, in order to take specific actions, we will establish subsidiary institutions as follows:

• A. Council
  The Council is composed of members from ESD related organizations to make decisions on the promotion policies of the project and action plans of the Okayama ESD Promotion Commission.
  
• B. Steering Board Council
  The Steering Board Council is composed of members from organizations participating in ESD activities to discuss about specific action plans, designation and support of organization activities, and collaborative venture-based on the Council’s policies. Also following the instructions of the president, the Steering Board Council establishes divisions as needed, to discuss about promotion policies of the program and report the results to the Council.
  
• C. Evaluation Committee
  The Evaluation Committee shall evaluate each organization and activity related to this project.
  
• D. Secretariat
  The Secretariat was set up at the Environment Preservation Department of the Environment Bureau of Okayama City to operate items listed above in (b),(c),(d), and (e) based on the decisions of the Council and the Steering Board Council. Also, the Secretariat conducts the conferences of the Council, the Steering Board Council, and the Evaluation Committee.

Organizations which are designated by the Promotion Committee to conduct workshops and information exchange in the Okayama region associated with the Okayama ESD Project. As a general rule, the whole organization working on ESD will be appointed as a designated organization, but in the case the organization itself is too big, an individual activity unit could be appointed as a designated organization within the organization.
In addition, the Promotion Committee will support activity expense of some Designated Organizations which are facing financial difficulties.

The Core Organizations are to support various ESD activities and the Designated Organizations through having core functions, such as nurturing instructors, coordinating interchange among different organizations, and dispatching information about regional ESD activities.

<<Reference>>
The Designated Organizations are as follows (as of FY 2008):

• A. The UNESCO Chair at Okayama University
  The UNESCO Chair at Okayama University was established as Okayama University’s all-campus organization in 2007. The purpose of the UNESCO Chair is to promote education research activity in the community, abroad, and at school for the development of human resources who can contribute to the building of sustainable society. It is not only engaged in practical education for the development of human resources who can contribute to building a sustainable society, but also the establishment of curriculums, and the transfer of technology and knowledge about the environmental management to the developing countries at both the local and international level.
  
• B. Environmental Education Community Support Society at Okayama University of Science
  As an approach to examining the possibility of ESD practice activities at the university, this Society was established cross-functionally to tackle challenges with local residents’ consciousness about the environment from the bottom up, while focusing on environmental education and local environmental study. Various people, including students, teachers, and community residents, share information and conduct activities around Sasagase River and Asahi River, such as water quality surveys, questionnaire surveys, the holding of symposiums in order to think about the environment from various perspectives. The Society also supports a student-based environmental volunteer club.
  
• C. Okayama City Hall
  Led by ESD-related bureaus (Environment Preservation Division, International Affairs Division, Parks and Green Spaces Division, Gender Equality Division, Digital Museum, etc.), the Okayama City Hall is conducting activities in line with the purpose of this project in each original division and taking the role as the core organization.
  
• D. Okayama City Board of Education
  Led by Guidance Division, Lifelong Learning Division, and Chuou Kominkna (Community Learning Centre), the Okayama City Board of Education is conducting activities in line with the purpose of this project in each original section and taking the role as the core organization within the fields of school education and lifelong education.

Including the Designated Organizations, the Intermediary Organizations have functions to support organizations working on various ESD activities in the community, and it is contributing to the promotion of the whole project.

<<Reference>>
The Intermediary Organizations are as follows (as of FY 2008):  

• A. Okayama Promotion Center for Climate Change Action
  Based on the Law Concerning the Promotion of the Measures to Cope with Global Warming, the Promotion Center is appointed as an organization for the enhancement of local global warming measures by providing information and support to the citizens.
  
• B. Okayama Environment Network Foundation
  This organization is composed of the members from local universities, citizens’ groups, and enterprises. Including researching, promoting and social proposal activities, the Foundation enhances mutual support and the interchange among environmental activity groups in Okayama prefecture, and conducts the network formation of the environmental NGOs, and the personnel training for the purpose of environmental conservation of nature and people’s lifestyles in Okayama and the environmental solutions.

The Research Organizations support the activities of organizations which are participating in the project, through conducting research to develop the project, evaluating ESD which each local organization is engaged in, and developing the instructors, while cooperating with the United Nations University.
This is led by the organizations, such as universities which have specialized knowledge and skill about ESD, while considering the purpose and the characteristic of each organization.
In addition, associated universities and researchers, who are agreed with the purpose of the project, established the communication organization voluntarily in order to supplement the function as the local research organization by enhancing information exchange and cooperation.

<<Reference>>
The Research Organizations are as follows (as of FY 2008):

• A. ESD Promotional Method Review Special Division at the Okayama City Environment Conservation Examination Committee
  This Division is composed of people with relevant knowledge and experience about ESD to discuss the ESD program according to the special characteristic of each region, foster leaders who will work on ESD, and give proposals for promoting ESD activities at local educational institutions effectively.
  
• B. ESD Research Group
  Since the participation of the local universities was weak in the beginning, experts and researchers of ESD voluntarily established this ESD Research Group in order to complement the function of university participation, mainly for the purpose of information exchange among local researchers.
  
• C. Okayama University ESD Research Forum
  This Forum was established to promote ESD in Okayama University as a venue for dialogue among researchers and to deliver lectures about ESD. We hope this movement will extend to the organizations of all local universities in the future.

In order to advance the project, [1] ESD promotion organizations listed above, [2] institutions which agreed with the purpose of the project and work on their own initiative, and [3] supporting institutions established the “Okayama ESD Network.”
This Network is not aiming for institutionalization of new organizations, but for the construction of the collaborative relationship among groups related to the ESD Project. In order to construct and deliver information to the organization participating in the network, we will establish the related-information delivery system.

In order to improve the ability to conduct ESD according to each organization’s characteristics, each organization and community in the middle school district will work on the following things:

We will improve abilities of instructors of various organizations working on ESD in the region by organizing workshops about the latest knowledge of the SD and advanced ESD examples, and providing opportunities to exchange information and opinions among them.

Based on the achievements and the problems of organizations participating in this project and the advanced example of other regions, we will prepare the various ESD learning programs and teaching materials systematically, and build a structure for providing them appropriately according to the characteristics and the purposes of learning of individuals, and the roles of organizations.

Whilst supporting promotion of effective ESD in each organization, in order to improve  the knowledge about the SD of the whole region, we will work on the following things:

We will organize various information related to local environment, society, economy, and culture comprehensively and systematically based on their mutual relationship in order to support activities of making a proactive sustainable society by citizens and corporate enterprises, and effective activities of the ESD promotion organizations.

There are many social educational and school educational facilities in the region, and they play a central role in local educational activity. We will enhance the reinforcement of the ESD function of those facilities by cooperating with them.
About the ESD-related facilities and the systems to be established newly in the future in the community, we will reinforce the cooperation with the organization concerned so that hub functions of ESD promotion will be added to them.

It is important to improve the knowledge of SD throughout the whole region through the promotion of ESD by each related organization, in order to promote immediate SD activities voluntarily toward the building of a sustainable society from a local level.
Therefore, each organization participating in this project practices SD activities as well as supports ESD practitioners for the further enhancement of SD activities.

We will disseminate ESD to the entire region and rally the active participation of the youth by distributing brochures at ESD-related events, displaying panel advertisements, and introducing activities of the Designated Organizations while associated organizations cooperate and conduct ESD activities in the community.

We will contribute to the promotion of broad-based ESD by encouraging the participation of Okayama RCE members in the broad-based ESD conferences and events, promoting interchange and the information exchange through face-to-face visitation, and by reporting the results of action in each region to the UNU. We will also share information we gained through these activities with local people for the further promotion of effective ESD in the community.

Basically each organization is supposed to utilize existing resources, but we also shall strive to acquire new funds, mainly from outside, as needed.
On the other hand, the local government must cover the activity expenses of the Commission.

This project sets the business period every two years and four years have passed since the project started. Based on our achievements and challenges, we shall promote the project in stages following the policies below in order to enhance ESD of the entire region effectively for the next six years.

Based on the achievements and challenges we faced during the first and second business terms, we shall work on the items as follows:
a. Promote voluntary participation of local associated organizations and enhance cooperation between inner and outer regions of the organizations.
b. Accelerate understanding and awareness of SD instructors.
c. Develop and implement projects and educational programs according to the special characteristics of each region of Okayama in order to educate the citizens.
d. Support financially weak organizations.
e. Expand the circle of the Core Organizations and the Intermediary Organizations.
f. Promote the diffusion of knowledge of SD throughout the entire region.
g. Contribute to the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10) in cooperation with other RCEs in the Asian region.

Based on the achievements and challenges we faced during the third business term, including the items listed below, we shall also work on the things as follows:
a. Implement and examine projects and educational programs which were adopted to the special characteristics of each region.
b. Develop a framework in which ESD will be promoted voluntary and continuously even after 2015.

This project will be completed after summarizing the achievements and challenges of the whole project, developing a framework in which each organization can keep conducting ESD voluntarily and continuously in the Okayama region from now on, and establishing a new organization: Okayama ESD Network Commission (tentative name) if needed in cooperation with the core organizations to enhance ESD in the entire region.

Okayama ESD Promotion Commission and the City of Okayama shall gather activity reports and self-evaluations from each project participant organization. Based on those results, ESD Evaluation Committee, ESD Promotional Method Review Special Division at the Okayama City Environment Conservation Examination Committee, and participating universities will evaluate the implementation status of the whole project to announce the result publicly and share it with related organizations.
In addition, local surveys on ESD participation, awareness of SD, and activity participation of building a sustainable society will be conducted as needed.

We will review the project properly when necessary in order to adjust for the results and problems of each organization.

The Okayama ESD Promotion Commission shall revise the Fundamental Plan as needs arise.

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