UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development: Winners of 2019
The UNESCO-Japan Prize showcases outstanding, innovative programmes in the field of Education for Sustainable Development, or ESD. Since the prize began in 2015, three organizations or individuals from around the world have been chosen and rewarded each year.
The three laureates for the 2019 prize are the Camphill Community Trust from Botswana; the Sustainable Amazon Foundation from Brazil; and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in Germany.
The Camphill Community Trust is awarded for its ‘Integrated Learning for Living and Work Programme’ which empowers youth who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. A 4-year outcome-based training allows learners to follow individual education plans according to ability, interest and personal goals. The integrated experience of environment, society and economy helps participants not only learn practical skills, such as crafts and permaculture, but also develop confidence in making informed choices and decisions.
The Sustainable Amazon Foundation wins the Prize for its project 'Relevant education for the sustainable development in remote Amazon communities'. Its goal is 'to make forests worth more standing than cut.' Focusing on grassroots empowerment, it provides capacity-building for 581 communities who survive on income generated from the forest. The Foundation offers vocational training and activities focused on environmental education, traditional knowledge and sustainable management of natural resources, benefiting more than 39,000 people.
Hamburg was selected for its programme 'Hamburg is learning sustainability – and fights climate change through ESD'. This large-scale initiative comprises a diverse range of projects, materials and green events covering the entire city and aiming to integrate sustainability across all sectors. Sixty climate-friendly schools save many tons of CO2 through climate protection measures, kindergartens develop their own climate projects, and universities can join a climate excellence cluster. An annual education week encourages young people to become climate ambassadors.
Each of the three laureates is rewarded with 50,000 US dollars. Funded by the Government of Japan, the Prize supports the UNESCO Global Action Programme on ESD. The Programme and the Prize aim to encourage and scale up ESD actions worldwide and contribute to a more sustainable future.
More information: en.unesco.org/prize-esd/2019 #ESDprize
