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In this issue

Message from the Director 1

Announcements 2

Web news of the week 3

Events of the week 4

Missions 5

Meetings 5,6

From the office 7,8

Message from the Director

This week I went on mission to Dakar, Senegal for the Association for the Development of Education in Africa: ADEA (ADEA) Triennale from 14 to 17 March 2017. The event brought together envoys of heads of states for the committee of heads of state on education, a significant number of African government ministers of education and training, representatives of development cooperation agencies supporting education in Africa and practitioners and researchers, and representatives from civil society. The theme for this year was “Revitalizing education towards the 2030 Global Agenda and Africa’s Agenda 2063” and provided a good opportunity for the various stakeholders to share experiences and to collectively design strategies, modalities, conditions and factors for the operationalization and implementation of the Education Framework for Action under the global and continental frameworks. Through the debates it was agreed that there is the need to rethink and reconstruct education to respond to the contemporary challenges in responding issues of the planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships for the transformation Africa needs. The UNESCO delegation made up of representatives of the regional bureaux, UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), and UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) were led by the Assistant-Director General (ADG) of Africa. In Eastern Africa, we also have confirmation that more than 16 million people are facing hunger, as a result of acute drought Somalia, southern and south eastern Ethiopia, and northern and coastal Kenya. Moreover, Madagascar also suffers from severe and chronic drought, with an additional burden as Cyclone Enawo wreaked havoc across Madagascar. More than 850,000 people are severely food insecure. An urgent request will be sent shortly by the Secretary General of the National Commission. UNESCO’s engagement in combatting climate change is thus urgent with challenges linked to scientific, environmental, societal and development issues in diverse ecosystems, ranging from mountain regions to tropical forests, drylands, urban environments and marine, coastal and island areas. The upcoming Higher Education Conference for Eastern Africa: Emerging Issues Emerging Issues in the Science, Climate Change, Peace and Security and Information and Communication Technologies in Djibouti from 2 to 4 May 2017 will contribute towards the organization’s response to these challenges. Progress on the organization of the conference is ongoing and the office is in the process of establishing three scientific committees in order to frame the issues through an extensive review and analyses of both academic literature and relevant policy documents on challenges identified. Have a productive week ahead, Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta

Weekly Newsletter

UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa

Issue 18: 13th to 17th March 2017

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Announcements

20 March is Equinox Day

The March equinox marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator – from south to north. This year it will happen on 20 March 2017. UNESCO Member States Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda will observe this season.

21 March is World Poetry Day

UNESCO will celebrate World Poetry Day on 21 March 2017. In celebrating this event UNESCO recognizes the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.

"By paying tribute to the men and women whose only instrument is free speech, who imagine and act, UNESCO recognizes in poetry its value as a symbol of the human spirit’s creativity. By giving form and words to that which has none – such as the unfathomable beauty that surrounds us, the immense suffering and misery of the world – poetry contributes to the expansion of our common humanity, helping to increase its strength, solidarity and self-awareness." - Irina Bokova

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22 March is World Water Day

UNESCO will celebrate World Water Day on 22 March 2017. The theme for this year is waste water. Globally, the vast majority of all wastewater from our homes, cities, industries and agriculture flows back to nature without being treated or reused – polluting the environment, and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials. Instead of wasting wastewater, we need to reduce and reuse it. You can find the factsheet here For all information and resources related to the event and initiatives, click here This initiative is a cooperation between UN water, UN environment, UN Habitat, UN University, WHO, FAO, UNESCO, ILO, UNDP, Clean Water here, Art for the World and GSDH. Official website: World Water Day

Web news of the week

UNESCO Trains Journalists from Community Radio Stations on Using Internet for Reporting on Issues of Public Concern in Rwanda

UNESCO workshop raises awareness of the role of culture in peacebuilding and sustainable development in South Sudan

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Events of the week Djibouti 18 to 21 March 2017 Piloting of the ICT in Education course at the University of Djibouti Kenya 21 March 2017 ESD policy launch at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development in Nairobi Madagascar 23 March 2017 Official ceremony release of the first promotion of the young people trained by the Fivoarana centre at Moramanga Rwanda 23 to 24 March 2017 Capacity building workshop for conducting a Media and Information Literacy Assessment for Rwanda in Kigali Tanzania 15 March 2017 Heritage Archives Project (TAHAP) Stakeholders Meeting in Dar es Salaam

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Missions Mika Odido 23-24 March 2017 Oslo, Norway

Launch and naming of the new Norwegian Oceanographic Research Vessel, the RV Dr Fridjhof Nansen and a related Ocean Science Conference

Jane Kamau 19- 23 March 2017 Harare, Zimbabwe Training on school-related gender based violence. Participation with two Ministry of Education personnel. Jaco Du Toit 18-22 March 2017 Djibouti, Djibouti Villa Piloting of the ICT in Education course at the University of Djibouti Meetings Handover Ceremony of the UNESCO – CFIT Project in Uganda 3 Mar 2017

Uganda has been implementing the ‘UNESCO-China Funds-in-Trust (CFIT) Projects, which aims at equipping Teacher Educators and Teachers with the competencies of using ICT as a pedagogical tool and creating more opportunities for professional development in both pre-service and in-service training. The aim of the project is to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The project was being implemented in Kyambogo University, Shimoni Core Primary Teacher

College, and Nakawa Vocational Training Institute from 2014. On 3rd March 2017, a

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handover ceremony of the equipment provided by the project was held at Shimoni Core Primary Teacher College in Kira - Wakiso District ICT. ICT and Studio equipment and a learner management system (known as Teacher E-Learning System (TEELS)) were handed over by the UNESCO Eastern Region Director, Ms. Ann Therese Ndong Jatta to the Minister of Education and Sports who is also the First Lady, Hon. Janat Kataaha Museveni. The ceremony was also attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, H.E ZHENG Zhu Qiang, the Varkey Foundation Director of Programmes, Mr. Desmond Bermingham and the other dignitaries from the Ministry of Education, representatives from the other government sectors and other Local partners, Leaders of the 3 Teacher Training Institutions’, teacher trainers and pre-service student teachers. This intervention has contributed to the Ministry of Education and Sports’ expansion of the education system to provide equitable access and quality education for all through the use of ICT in teacher education. Expert Meeting – Revision of the ICT CFT VERSION 2, Paris, France, 14 to 15 March 2017 The UNESCO Office for Eastern Africa participated in the revision of the ICT Competency Framework for Teachers in Paris, France from 14 to 15 March 2017. The experts reviewed the implementation of the framework in different countries, including Djibouti, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania and Uganda from the Eastern African region. Research findings show that the UNESCO ICT CFT is positively influencing global ICT in Education initiatives, ranging from national policy, ICT in Education standards, curriculum development, teacher ICT proficiency testing, to shaping teacher professional development courses and training. As a result of the first expert meeting 12 recommendations in reviewing the document was made and the committee will continue working on the improvement of the document.

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From the Office

Kenya Media Sector Group, 15th March 2017 Nairobi- Kenya UNESCO convened the Kenya Media Sector Group this week, to deliberate on its structure, terms of reference, thematic areas and its membership. A smaller team was constituted comprising of UNESCO, Article 19 and the Media Council of Kenya and tasked with the review the framework drafted by UNESCO. The working group also agreed on a Joint training on media and elections, to be funded by UNESCO and spearheaded by the Association of Political Reporters in Kenya. Considering the importance of celebrating the World Press freedom Day, the working group mandated the Media Council of Kenya to organise a working committee, that would support them in mobilising the necessary resources for the media awards and to also contextualise the global theme proposed by UNESCO. The Kenya Media Sector working Group is convened by UNESCO and co-chaired by the Media Council of Kenya and the Kenya Union of Journalists. Kibera Team meeting, 15th March 2017 On Wednesday, the Kibera UNESCO team met to discuss the proposed project in Kibera “Leaving no one behind in Kibera informal settlements, harnessing the youth dividend”, addressing the overall goal, the project objectives, the challenges in Kibera and the proposed activities. Next meeting will be held on 24th March 2017. Much progress and enthusiasm are felt within the team. Findings on Internet rights and Freedoms in Eastern Africa call for more action 17th March 2017 UNESCO C1 sector participated in a regional event held at the Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya, where the findings of a research aimed at assessing internet freedom and the digital resilience of civil societies in Eastern Africa were released. The Research was carried out by Small Media, Collaboration of International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), Defend Defenders and Strathmore University’s Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology. The Research aimed at measuring the intent control in Eastern Africa, using the 12 principles of the African Declaration of Internet Rights and Freedoms which aim at promoting an enabling and empowering Internet environment that truly serves the needs of Africans.

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The 12 principles which mirrors UNESCOs belief in the importance of a rights based, open, accessible and multistakeholder participative (R.O.A.M.) approach, include: Openness, Internet Access and Affordability, Freedom of Expression, Right to Information, Freedom of Assembly and Association on the Internet, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity, Right to Development, Privacy, Security on the Internet, Marginalised Groups, Right to Due Process and Democratic Internet Governance Framework. The research which focused on Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan and Rwanda, reveals that their national policies and practices, are out of alignment with the core values of the African Declaration of Internet Rights and Freedoms and there is urgent need for civil society to mobilise itself in defence of internet freedom across East Africa. The researchers are keen to partner with UNESCO, in carrying out similar research for the rest of the countries under the Eastern and Horn of Africa Region. Launch of the KBC Mashinani Music Recording Studio in Mochakos county, initiative of the Ministry of Communication, Information and Technology of Kenya 17th March 2017

On Friday, 17th March the CI sector of UNESCO participated in the launch of the Musical Recording KBC Studio Mashinani, a pilot project of the Ministry of Communication, Information and Technology of Kenya. The project aims at setting up and equipping recording studios in different regions in the country that will provide the youth opportunity to record and distribute their creative talents to generate income and employment.

The recording studio will bridge the gap between skills demand and lack of jobs and thus empower young people to earn decent wages from digital platforms, providing the tools, training and mentorship needed to earn an income with dignity. Responding to Sustainable Development Goal 8, decent jobs and economic growth.

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Highlight, Event in 16-17 February 2017

Nairobi, Kenya: Africa is one of the region’s most vulnerable to climate change. As part of the Global Action Program (GAP) Priority Action Area 4 on Empowering and Mobilizing Youth, UNESCO partnered with WWF (World Wildlife Fund) in Kenya to provide training to youth leaders from 13 African countries, namely, Benin, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia for a 2-day training (February 16-17, 2017) to reinforce their

capacity as the young and committed leaders they wish to be in promoting the 17 Sustainable Goals (SDGs) in their respective countries and through cross-collaboration for additional support. The training provided clarity on the foundational concepts of sustainable development thinking, and guidelines on supportive tools and structures for action. The training workshop was an opportune moment to strengthen awareness in Youth leaders committed to sustainable development actions in their communities and through partnership with other stakeholders. The training covered a range of topics including the definition of sustainable development, systems thinking, how to transform a conflictual situation into an opportunity through empathy and respect for the other; the skills required to become a ‘leader’; the art of communication, networking and monitoring of action research and projects for sustainable development. This initial training will help identify the implementation of flagship projects on the ground.