GENE Global Education Youth Award is intended to value initiatives that enable young people to reflect critically on the world and their place in it; to open their eyes, hearts and minds to the reality of the world at local and global level; and empowers them to understand, imagine, hope and act to bring about a work of social and climate justice, peace, solidarity, equity and equality, planetary sustainability and international understanding. Through the Award, GENE also facilitates learning from quality Global Education youth initiatives to improve policy on Global Education and youth across Europe. The deadline for applications is 9 September 2024. Applicants will be asked to describe their initiative by submitting a short text (max 1000 words) and a short video (2-3 min). They will be encouraged to tell their story. Why this is a youth-led Global Education activity? How does your youth-led initiative contribute to transformative learning? In what ways does this learning happen? What aspects do you consider innovative? Apply here.

GENE Roundtable 50 took place on 18-19 April in Madrid. For two days, we gathered in person with over 100 policymakers from Ministries and Agencies of Foreign Affairs and Education from across Europe. Together, we shared reports on national situations, identified cross-cutting issues, and engaged in policy networking to advance Global Education. During the high-level opening interventions on Day 1, our esteemed speakers shared the following insights. Ms. Erica Gerretsen (European Commission INTPA) highlighted the crucial shift needed in education narratives and financing, emphasising education's pivotal role in the green transition, international partnerships, and shaping the world we want to live in. Ms. Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO, discussed the complementarity and significance of the new UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development and the European Declaration on Global Education to 2050, as guiding lights in turbulent times. And Mr. Carsten Staur, Chair of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC), stressed that we need Global Education to help build trust. To learn more about past GENE Roundtables, read here.

Congratulations to our Belgian colleagues, especially Minister Caroline Gennez and our GENE colleague Mara Coppens, on the launch of the new Belgian Strategic Note on Global Education! The launch took place on 22 April and was co-hosted by Belgium and GENE under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the EU. The event highlighted the importance of global citizenship education within international cooperation. Belgian Minister of Development Cooperation Caroline Gennez opened the event and presented the strategic note. A variety of testimonials illustrated the impact of global citizenship education. Belgian and European players commented on the importance of this note at their level. Experts in international relations, economics, inclusion and global citizenship discussed the limits of current paradigms, and the alternatives that are possible and necessary for a fair and sustainable world. Read more.

At the invitation of the Asia-Pacific network on global citizenship education, we had the opportunity to discuss the purpose, process, and content of the Dublin Declaration. We considered the pivotal role of policymakers and other stakeholders in this process and explored how insights from our work with policymakers towards the agreement of the Declaration could benefit advocates and national policymakers in global citizenship education in the Asia-Pacific region. GENE Executive Director, Liam Wegimont, commented: The Dublin Declaration has been an impetus and inspiration for advancing Global Education in European countries. Inspired by our process, our Global Critical Friends from the Asia-Pacific region are considering the initiation of a similar, but different, process to develop a regional initiative. Our contexts are different, but we share similar aspirations regarding Global Education. With the agreement of the 2023 UNESCO Recommendation, there is a great opportunity for alignment between regional initiatives to enhance Global Education. Read more.

At the UNESCO World Conference on Culture and Arts Education, GENE's Executive Director, Liam Wegimont, chaired an inter-ministerial panel focusing on equitable access to culture and arts in education. The panel brought together Ministers of Education, Arts, and Culture from various countries and regional intergovernmental organisations to explore the vital role of arts and culture in shaping inclusive education systems. The discussions emphasised the transformative power of arts, culture, creativity, and imagination in contributing to global justice, peace, human rights, and sustainability, aligning with the UNESCO 2023 Recommendation and the European Declaration on Global Education to 2050. This underscores the essential role of Global Education in enabling critical reflection, imagination, and contributions to social and climate justice, peace, solidarity, and international understanding. Watch the panel here.

On 14 and 15 February 2024, we had the privilege of engaging in detailed conversation with Skolverket, the Swedish agency for education and Sida, the Swedish development cooperation agency in Stockholm regarding Swedish policy and strategy in Global Education and Learning for Sustainability. At the seminar in Stockholm, we explored the Swedish, European and international contexts for Global Education and looked at further possibilities for partnership and joint learning. On the second day, we were joined by professors Karen Pashby (Manchester Metropolitan University) and Louise Sund (Mälardalen University), who shared insights from their research in the field, reminding us of the benefits of linking policy and research conversations in Global Education.

On 12-13 March, GENE facilitated the inter-ministerial dialogue "Global Education Policy in Central Europe" – a regional event, hosted by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One year after the Dublin Declaration, this event offered a unique opportunity to revisit national commitments to Global Education and to create an environment conducive to sharing insights, navigating challenges, and exploring opportunities in Central Europe. This inter-ministerial dialogue served as a catalyst for partnership development and strengthening, shaping the trajectory of education policy in the region. We are looking forward to this collective pursuit of enhancing Global Education policies in Central Europe.

We had the privilege of attending the European Declaration on Global Education to 2050 conference in Bilbao, where Ms. Ditta Trindade, GENE's Head of Support and Innovation, delivered an insightful presentation on the process, contents, and implementation of the Declaration. She also identified exciting opportunities for cooperation at the regional and local levels. The conference featured a thought-provoking one-day Seminar on the Implementation of the Dublin Declaration in the Basque country, emphasising the urgent need for a transformative shift in education. It's time to embrace the intricacies of our interconnected world and equip our learners with the skills they need to thrive.

Delighted to share the launch of two groundbreaking books on global education and sustainable development that took place on 30 November. The books were presented by Prof. Douglas Bourn, Professor of Development Education at University College London (UCL) and Director of the Development Education Research Centre (DERC). The hybrid launch featured a brief introduction to each book, and a series of short presentations from the authors of key chapters from both collections. Read more.