Report: Asian ESD Networking Workshop

On 24-25 September, ESD-J hosted a strategic workshop titled 'For Asian ESD Networking: Building strategies and an action plan for ESD networking in the Asian region'. ESD activists from various parts of Asia participated in the workshop, including 32 from Japan and 9 from 6 other countries. The discussion focused on expectations on international ESD networking and planning of developing the network 'ESD-AP (ESD Asia-Pacific)'.

Workshop Outline
Date: 24-25 September 2005
Theme: ESD networking in the Asian region
Hosted by: ESD-J
Co-hosted by:
Rikkyo East Asia Environment Institute (REAEI)
Development Education Association and Resource Center (DEAR)
Participants:
-South Korea-
Kim Jung Wk, Seoul National University
Lee Sunkyung, Presidential Commission on Sustainable Development
-Taiwan-
Chou Ju, National Taiwan Normal University"
-China-
Li Jie, Friends of Nature
-Philippines-
Elizabeth Coacoyes Roxas, Philippine Council for Sustainable Development"
Jorge Valderrama Roxas, Environmental Broadcast Circle (EBC)
-Thailand-
Ampai Harakunarak, Thailand Environment Institute
-Bangladesh-
MD. Masudul Hoq Chowdhury, Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD)
M.A. Hakim, Eco-Village Network
-Japan-
32 participants including 26 ESD-J members and 6 other ESD activists/researchers

Outcomes
The participants agreed on the following matters during the workshop:
-To build a network 'ESD-AP' to promote ESD in the Asia-Pacific region
-To establish an ad-hoc working group (preparatory committee) among the workshop participants and start preparation for the ESD-AP launch
-To give ESD-J a temporary role as a secretariat of the ESD-AP preparation committee
-To set up an E-mailing list for discussion and information exchange to prepare for the ESD-AP launch (eg. development of the ESD-AP charter) and to consider pilot co-projects among some of the participating countries
-To organize another meeting a year later (a financial resource needs to be sought for)

Immediate Follow-Up
ESD-J is currently discussing its structure and policy to take a role as the ESD-AP secretariat. ESD-J International Networking Project Team will draft the plan to submit to the ESD-J Board for its finalization.