Thailand hosts regional seminar on conflict and disaster risk reduction in education

21 October 2015

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A week-long regional seminar on Conflict and Disaster Risk Reduction (C/DRR) formally opened this week in Bangkok with the participation of 55 delegates from eight countries in East Asia and the Pacific. Participants include representatives from the Ministries of Education (MoE) of Thailand, Indonesia, Lao Peoples’ Democratic Republic, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, and Philippines as well as the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of Save the Children, Plan International and World Vision.

Entitled “Regional Seminar on Integrating Conflict and Disaster Risk Reduction (C/DRR) into Education Sector Plans, Curricula and Budgets,” the participants were warmly welcomed by officials from the seminar organizers: Dr. Isiye Ndombi, Deputy Regional Director, UNICEF – East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO); Dr. Gwang-jo Kim, Regional Director, UNESCO – Asia Pacific Regional Bureau for Education; Dr. Gatot Hari Priowirianto, Director, Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Secretariat (SEAMES); and Dr. Margaret Sinclair, Technical Advisor, Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC). Dr. Kim also gave his welcome message on behalf of IIEP.

The week-long regional seminar aims to:

  • Analyse the risks to conflict and disaster in the education sector;
  • Design and enhance policies, programmes, and curriculum for the reduction of conflict and disaster risks;
  • Identify relevant indicators to monitor progress;
  • Discuss the costing and financing of these programmes as an integral part of the education sector’s budget.  

eLearning course bolsters regional seminar

This Regional C/DRR Seminar is a follow up to the Regional Conference on Education and Resilience and its recommendations, held at SEAMEO-INNOTECH in the Philippines last November 2014. The seminar also coincides with the start of the IIEP eLearning course of the same topic, which will run until December 18, 2015 and involve the same MoE planners, budget officers and curriculum experts attending the Bangkok seminar.

The Regional Seminar and online course on Integrating C/DRR into Education Sector Plans, budget and curricula are mainly facilitated by UNESCO-IIEP and Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC), with support from UNICE-EAPRO, SEAMES and SEAMEO-INNOTECH.