
WEEC
Objective
Cooperating to strengthen the WEEC process in order to guarantee the effectiveness of the congresses and their results, the quality of debate, and broad participation, especially of youths and of researchers and professionals from economically disadvantaged countries, in a spirit of respect for gender, racial, social, religious, political and cultural differences.
Description
World Environmental Education Congress – WEEC – is an international congress addressing education for environment and sustainable development. The congress is an international meeting point for everyone working with education for environment and sustainable development or which have an interest in the field. WEEC is as such an opportunity to learn more about the latest in environmental and sustainability education, to discuss with people from all over the world, to share work and to learn from others. Expecting participants are from a wide range of countries.
“By leaves we live”, sir Patrick Geddes (1854-1932) wrote. Since the First WEEC, eight leaves constitute the logo of congresses and of the worldwide environmental education network.
Eight leaves can suggest also the wind-rose and the cardinal points: the environmental education is global and for all and it is the green compass leading the humankind towards the future.
The congresses
Congresses, held every two years, are the focal point in which all the actors of environmental education come together to present best practices, experiences, researches on methods and results of environmental education. Under the supervision of a scientific committee representative of all continents and through the efforts of a national committee of the host country, the congresses are a place for reciprocal knowledge, contact, exchange and discussion for individuals and for institutions, networks, alliances or coalitions.
The WEEC congresses are the most significant existing experience of connecting all actors at the international level in the field of environmental education. Since 2003 the Network has organized 9 world Congresses, which have seen the participation of thousands of people from over 100 different countries: university professors, government officials and international organizations, journalists, political representatives, businesses, NGOs,…
The network
The network is a permanent meeting point: professors, teachers, professionals, public officials, educators in general and / or their associations and their bodies remain in contact between a conference and the following one. They communicate their activities in all the global community of environmental education, have access to documents and first-hand information, have books, magazines, improve and develop their capacity to influence and develop in all citizens the awareness necessary to build better and more sustainable world.
The Network operates in accordance with the UN and its agencies in collaboration with educational, research, and cultural and scientific organizations at the international, regional, national and local levels as Unep, Unesco, Unece, Un-Csd Education Caucus, Regional Centers of Expertise.
Targets
The network involves: researchers, professionals, educators, students, decision-makers, NGO, media working or citizens with an interest in education for environment and sustainable development.
Pros
- facilitating the dissemination of information, documents, proposals and results of scientific research
- raise awareness of environmental education
- promote in all citizens the awareness necessary to build a more sustainable world
Cons
- complex work of management and organization congresses
- improve the network communication