European Congress on

Global Education to 2050

#GE2050

3-4 November 2022 | Dublin Castle, Ireland

The Congress, hosted by Ireland, co-chaired by Luxembourg and convened by GENE, will bring together national delegations from member states, civil society organisations, youth organisations, local and regional governments, researchers, global critical friends and international organisations for the adoption of the new Declaration on Global Education to 2050.

The new Declaration takes a long-term view to forge a common vision for Global Education in Europe by 2050.

 

  • The Maastricht declaration was signed over twenty years ago to bring different strands of Global Education together and enable policymakers to move Global Education from the margins towards the centre of policy and strategy. As the global context of challenges and opportunities shifts, the policy context has adapted to it. GENE, in cooperation with member states, has facilitated a new declaration which takes a long-term view to 2050. Over the last 18 months, we have forged a common vision and commitments that seek to ensure that all people in Europe - in solidarity with peoples globally - have access to quality Global Education.

  • Since June 2021, GENE has been carrying out consultations with stakeholders to create a new declaration on Global Education to 2050. Consultations processes began in 2021 with member states, representative European youth organisations, civil society organisations, academics, local and regional governments, combined with analysis from global critical friends.

    These fed into preparatory processes in March-April, June and September 2022; and a Drafting Committee of member states from across Europe, which took into account feedback from stakeholders and member states. The final draft Declaration is now with European Minsteries of Foreign Affairs and Education undergoing a silence procedure which will be completed by close of business on Tuesday, October 18th; in preparation for final ratification at the Congress in November.

  • We have been consulting with Ministries and Agencies, of Foreign Affairs and Education, from across Europe, with youth organisations, civil society organisations, local governments and international organisations, along with researchers in the field, as well as global critical friends from Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, to ensure a strong and visionary declaration.

  • The process of creating the new declaration has strived to unite actors using different concepts and strands of learning for global solidarity, social justice, peace, human rights and sustainability.

    Extensive consultation with key stakeholders in Global Education yielded rich input that is reflected in the new declaration, including

    • the importance of partnerships and cooperation between key actors at national, European and global levels;

    • curriculum reform and whole school approaches;

    • the role of educators;

    • the need for adequate funding levels and suitable funding mechanisms;

    • an appreciation for the leadership role played by civil society and young people in driving change;

    • and the continued desire to cooperate for policy coherence and integration of global learning in all education.

HIGH-LEVEL GUESTS, INCL. SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS

  • Mr. Colm Brophy

    Minister for Overseas Development Aid & Diaspora, Ireland

  • Mr. Franz Fayot

    Minister of the Economy & Minister for Development Cooperation & Humanitarian Affairs, Luxembourg

  • Ms. Jutta Urpilainen (virtual)

    European Commissioner for International Partnerships

  • Prof. Annette Scheunpflug

    GENE Chairperson, Professor of Education Science, University of Bamberg

  • Mr. Bjørn Berge

    Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

  • Mr. Ban Ki Moon (virtual)

    Former Secretary-General of the United Nations

  • Ms. Mamusu Patricia Massaquoi

    Deputy Minister of Education, Sierra Leone

  • Mr. Leonardo Garnier

    Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the Transforming Education Summit

  • Ms. Stefania Giannini (virtual)

    UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education

  • Mr. Clifton Grima

    Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation​, Malta

  • Ms. Zetta Makri

    Deputy Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Greece

  • Mr. Jan Mareš

    Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, The Czech Republic

  • Mr. Peter Butchkov

    Acting Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Bulgaria

  • Ms. Pilar Cancela Rodríguez

    Secretary of State for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Spain

  • Ms. Anamarija Viček

    State Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Serbia

  • Dr. Darjo Felda

    State Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Slovenia

  • Ms. Rasa Kairienė

    Director General of International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania

  • Mr. John Concannon

    Director General, Global Ireland, Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland

  • Mr. Kálmán Petőcz

    Director General, Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport, Slovakia

  • Dr. Minna Kelhä

    Director-General of the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)

  • Ms. Agnieszka Skuratowicz

    Head of Unit of Youth, Education and Culture – Directorate-General for International Partnerships - European Commission

  • Mr. Friedrich Stift

    Managing Director of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA)

  • Mr. Luca Maestripieri

    Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation

  • Mr. Michael Gaffey

    Director General, Development Cooperation and Africa Division (Irish Aid), DCAD

  • Dr. Marlène Siméon

    Director of PLATFORMA and Director at the Council of European Municipalities and Regions

  • Dr. Aravella Zachariou

    Chair of UNECE Steering Committee on Education for Sustainable Development

  • Dr. Libby Giles

    Education Director, Centres of Asia-Pacific Excellence (CAPEs), University of Waikato, New Zealand

  • Mr. David McNair

    Executive Director, ONE Campaign

  • Ms. Ida McDonnell

    Team Lead, OECD Development Co-operation Report & Data for Development

  • Ms. Lydia Ruprecht

    Global Citizenship Education Team Leader & Programme Specialist, UNESCO

  • Mr. Kieran McLoughlin

    Managing Partner at VentureWave Capital

  • Ms. Anja Fortuna

    Vice President, European Youth Forum

  • Mr. Frank Geary

    Director of the Irish Development Education Association (IDEA)

  • Ms. Mary Hanafin

    Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Ireland

  • Mr. Rilli Lappalainen

    President of CONCORD Europe

  • Mr. Liam Wegimont

    Executive Director of GENE

  • Prof. Joe O'Hara

    Professor of Education at Dublin City University (DCU) and President of the European Educational Research Association (EERA)

  • Prof. Naouel Abdellatif Mami

    Vice-rector of External Relations at University Mohamed Lamine Debaghine - Setif 2, Algeria

  • Dr. Oscar Jara Holliday

    Educator and Sociologist; Managing Director of the Alforja Centre for Studies and Publications, Costa Rica

  • Prof. Namrata Sharma

    Adjunct Professor, State University of New York College at Oswego

  • Prof. Arjen Wals

    Professor of Transformative Learning for Socio-Ecological Sustainability at Wageningen University, The Netherlands

  • Mr. Kingsley Aikins

    CEO of The Networking Institute

  • Mr. Rareș Voicu

    OBESSU Board member, Coordinator of Global Education and Youth group on the European Declaration on Global Education to 2050

  • Mr. Aaryan Salman

    President of the Global Citizenship Foundation

  • Mr. Roel van Raaij

    Senior Policy Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, The Netherlands

  • Ms. Ilenia Ventroni

    Policy Officer, SOLIDAR & SOLIDAR Foundation

The Congress will take place in Dublin Castle (Ireland). Everything you need to know about the venue, accommodation and travel arrangements can be found in our logistic note.

CONGRESS VENUES

  • The Portrait Gallery | Dublin Castle

  • The Throne Room | Dublin Castle

  • The Printworks | Dublin Castle

TESTIMONIALS

  • “With the continuing threat of climate change, the ongoing war in Europe, and increasing divisions in the world between the rich and the poor, there is an urgent need for interested bodies to come together to call for policymakers at national and international levels to give greater consideration and support to global education and learning, and to make it an essential component of all learning.”

    — Prof. Douglas Bourn
    Director of the Development Education Research Centre (DERC) and Chair of the Academic Network for Global Education and Learning (ANGEL)

  • "The Maastricht Declaration was a huge milestone looking back at it now. And we hope that this new declaration will have the same effect. Hopefully, after 2050, we won't get asked to do another declaration, because it will be successfully implemented and global education would not be needed anymore. That's my wish!"

    — Ms. Patricija Virtič
    Project Manager, Head of Global Education, Head of Humanitarian response centre – HOC, SLOGA

  • “The new Declaration on Global Education to 2050 is a shining example of what we can do in our own regions. I would really like to see something similar developed in the Asia-Pacific region.”

    — Dr. Libby Giles
    Education Director, Centres of Asia-Pacific Excellence (CAPEs), University of Waikato, New Zealand

  • “Everyone is everyone’s relative. Global Education teaches the oneness of humanity and that all humanity has a responsibility toward the well-being of each other. It aims to bring into the mind of learners worldwide that what one does or does not do in one part of the world invariably affects someone else in another part of the universe – whether one knows it or not.”

    — Mr. Andrew Tabura
    Education Officer, Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda

  • "The main thing to outline in this journey is the inclusion of local and regional governments in the drafting process of the declaration. It was not the case twenty years ago. We started participating in the process by gathering knowledge and understanding of how local and regional governments are working on global education, including the different competencies they have in this area. In our discussions, it was also key to explain what the declaration is about. We are not working on a declaration just to give our input but also to be able to look forward and see how we can explain the future."

    — Ms. Lur Fernandez Salinas
    Project Officer - Development education & Awareness raising, PLATFORMA

  • "We represent a very diverse constituency of organisations and young people from all over Europe. So naturally our proposals, our asks, the things that we want to see in the declaration come from our direct experience within the youth movement. A lot of the input that is now in the Declaration also came as a proposal from the youth group. We would like to work with you as policymakers directly to be able to ensure that these objectives are indeed implemented and are not just a part of a declaration document."

    — Mr. Rareș Voicu
    Board Member at the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU)

  • "I am jealous of the children who are growing up in countries that believe in and implement Global Education because I wish it was in place when I was in school."

    — Ms. Virginie Gilbert
    Cooperation Officer, Environment/Climate Focal Point at the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

  • "Where do we want to be in 30 years from now? A world of greater social justice, a Europe where all people have access to Global Education and a Europe that promotes and values the perspective and knowledge of different cultures."

    — Mr. Feilim Mclaughlin
    Director, Global Programmes, Irish Aid at Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland

  • “Global justice, human rights and sustainability can be achieved - if we act in solidarity globally. The crucial key is education that opens people’s eyes to the causes of injustice - local and global - and encourages us to get involved to learn how to change things – that is Global Education!”

    — Prof. Annette Scheunpflug, GENE Chair

The Congress is hosted by

Co-chaired by

And convened by

The work of GENE is supported and made possible by the contributions of the following Ministries and Agencies:

This website was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union and the Ministries and Agencies that support GENE. Its contents are the sole responsibility of GENE and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.