RCE Okayama

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RCE Okayama
International Conference on Regional Centres of
Expertise on Education for Sustainable
Development 13 April, 2006
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Geography
Population 670,000 (Dec. 2005) Area 660
square kilometers
Sendai
Tongyeong
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Geography
Developing as the center of Okayama Prefecture
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Geography
70 of the entire land natural or agricultural
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Geography
Having functions of business, education, culture,
medical service, administration
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Regional Challenges
1.Expanding population of aged citizen
One out of five will be an aged citizen in
Okayama City by 2010
2.Increasing the urban problems

• Abandonment of the midtown area caused by the
  phenomenon of suburban sprawl

• The destruction of fields, farmlands and natural
  environment

• Urban pollution of the air and water

• Severe traffic congestion

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Regional Challenges
2. Destruction of farmland and natural environment
farmland
developed area
1970
2000
The amount of farmland are decreasing due to the
migration from the midtown (an example of the
suburbs, Okayama City)
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Kyoyama District ESD Environmental Project(KEEP)
Background of RCE
A lot of groups and organizations involved in
environmental education and intercultural
understanding programs
2003 Okayama NGO Summit for International
Contribution
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Environmental Conservation Programs and
Environmental Education

Background of RCE
Cleanup of lake
Environmental management programs
Environmental study in Satoyama
Environmental education activities on freshwater
quality and fauna
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The Environmental Partnership Program (conducted
by Okayama City)
Background of RCE
NPOs
Adopt-a-Program Category
Citizens
Associations
Eco-Volunteer Activities
242 org, 15,675 individuals
The Environmental Partnership Project
Global Citizenship Category
262 organizations, 16,676 individuals
Children
20 org, 1,001 individuals
Environmental Activity Evaluation Program Category
Companies
830 organizations, 30,257 individuals

Green Company Activities
37 org, 3,435 individuals
"Step-up" Category
568organizations, 13,581 individuals
531 org, 10,146 individuals
(May 2005)
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Background of RCE
Activities for Intercultural Understanding
Asian Dishes at Global Citizens Festa
Fund-raising for the affected people by Tsunami
disaster
Report on HIV/AIDS in Africa
Booths for international cooperation activities
by NGOs
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Okayama ESD Project Goals
A. To deepen the understanding and knowledge of
all people in the Okayama region in regard to SD.
B. To expand the circle of people who address the
challenge to realize a sustainable society
throughout the region.
C. To develop an organization that plays the core
function for local ESD promotion out of the
existing organizations.
D. To develop sustainable ESD activities
throughout the region by enhancing the ability to
implement ESD that meets with characteristics of
each relevant organization
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Short Term Objectives
To hold an ESD-related event at least once a year
at every elementary school community in the
target areas
To achieve at least a 5 per cent participation
rate from the population as a whole in activities
related to establishing a sustainable society in
the target areas
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Long term Objectives
A. Establish a system which systematically
maintains and provides the necessary information
to promote effective ESD in the region.
B. Based on the results of this project, an
education program on ESD which will have
applications from primary education to advanced
education and the general public, will be
developed.
C. Incorporate ESD viewpoints into the routine
educational activities of all public primary and
junior high schools, community centers, and of at
least one university in the region.
D. Two or more organizations will incorporate
ESD promotion as one of their tasks and play
the core function for the regional ESD promotion.
E. Based on the cooperation between universities
and the local community, Okayama citizens
environmental university is set up for the
citizens to learn ecology for a sustainable
society, where regional leaders for the creation
of a sustainable society are trained, and those
achievements are shared worldwide.
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Target Areas of Okayama ESD Project
Okayama City and neighboring cities, towns and
villages
Coverage of the Okayama ESD Project
For the immediate future, the Okayama ESD Project
will center around environmental education and
education for intercultural understanding,
building on the existing activities.
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Okayama ESD Project Schematic Diagram
Okayama ESD Promotion Commission
Commission council
Provide information and educational materials
Steering Board
ESD Research Group
Reporting
Evaluation Committee
Present results
Support
Formal Education
Media
Municipal Programs and Policies
Public Education Facilities
NGO/Civil Activities
Business Places
Designated Organizations and Activities
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Organization involved
Participating Institutions and Organizations in
the Okayama ESD Project (as of Mar.2006)
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Activities of the Okayama ESD Promotion
Commission in 2005
ESD Round-table Discussion
First Steps ESD Study Sessions
The Public Symposium on ESD,
The Leadership Workshop on ESD
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Activities of the Okayama ESD Promotion
Commission in 2005
ESD lecture series at community centers, to learn
how to save our earth and childrens future.
Okayama ESD Workshop
Workshop for community center workers
Visit to an energy-saving factory
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Activities of the Designated Organizations
Children learning Japanese customs of other days
from senior people at the ESD Festival in Kyoyama
District
Conserving endangered salamanders in the biology
club in a high school
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Activities of the Designated Organizations
Workshop for educators who learn the significance
for infants to have opportunities to live in
natural environment
High school students club activity learning how
co-existence among human beings, wildlife and the
nature is realized
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Activities of the Designated Organizations
Informal education to foster leaders with
environmental awareness within the business
organization
School for Natural Energy, to learn the
significance to use natural energy
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Challenges of Okayama ESD Project
1. To re-train leaders of the designated
organizations, in order that they can practice
educational activities with ESD philosophy.
2. To collaborate with formal education to
promote ESD in the region.
3. To incorporate ESD into the formal education
curriculum.
4. To foster a core institution which have an
central role to promote Okayama ESD Project in
the future.
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Thank you