GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FORUM

UNESCO held the first ever global citizenship education (GCE) forum in Bangkok, Thailand from 2 to 4 December 2013. The forum, conducted in support of the UN Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative (GFI), sought to bring more clarity on various aspects of global citizenship, like policy, research and practice. It highlighted innovations, trends and varying perspectives of different stakeholders through plenary sessions and panel discussions. In the end, action plans and priorities were set to support the greater implementation of GCE at the country level.

SEAMEO INNOTECH’s Senior Research Specialist Dr. Ethel Agnes Valenzuela and Senior Research Associate Ms. Elaissa Marina Mendoza were among those invited to take part in the two and a half-days forum.

UNESCO plans to hold the global citizenship forum on a regular basis on varied locations to serve as “a global platform of exchange and cooperation among stakeholders, where cutting-edge information, knowledge and practices on global citizenship education are shared and debated, and partnerships for action are developed and sustained.”

The forum on global citizenship education was jointly organized by the UNESCO offices in Paris and Bangkok, the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Development, and the Asia-Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding.