November 13-19 – Global Education Week

Every year, Global Education Week (TEG) is celebrated around the world in the third week of November. This year’s edition is the 25th. and will run from November 13 to 19. The idea behind the initiative is to encourage the public, especially young people, to learn about the world and make them aware of global connections. Many Polish institutions and NGOs are involved in the course of the campaign.

What is Global Education Week?

Global Education Week is held thanks to the Council of Europe’s North-South Center and the Global Education Network as part of the EU’s iLEGEND III program. In Poland, the entity responsible for implementing the initiative is the Zagranica Group, a federation of 59 NGOs.

Global Education Week is an opportunity to conduct activities that support active citizenship. It includes educational meetings, festivals, competitions and webinars, whose role is to explain the causes and consequences of the phenomena that govern the modern world. Key issues addressed by the initiative include sustainable development, peace and security, and improving the quality of life. Every year, the organizers invite anyone who is willing to cooperate, especially schools and educational institutions.

Global Education Week 2023 – priorities

This year’s Global Education Week is being held under the theme, “Peace for the Planet. A Planet for Peace.” It reflects the position of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is actively highlighting the impact of climate change on global peace and security. Environmental crises are already causing conflicts, which in some regions take the form of armed conflict.

More broadly, TEG supports all activities aimed at achieving at least two of the five pillars of Agenda 2030, namely: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. On the main Global Education Week website, you can follow current events and reports on project implementation. At the same time, the initiative has prepared a series of guides for teachers and strategists on global education methodologies – this September. The Polish-language version of the guide “How to teach about climate” has been published. Previous publications include. Educational materials about sustainable food production or the migration process.

Education about water – an essential part of global education

The black scenario in which climate change leads to wars, conflict and exploitation is already a reality. Droughts, fires and floods have intensified in recent years, exacerbating social stratification and resulting in humanitarian crises. And experts warn of further escalation of water problems, predicting mass migrations due to flooding of coastal areas or depletion of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas.

Initiatives such as Global Education Week are an excellent opportunity to make the public aware of the relationship between consumption, carbon footprint, global warming and water supply. Problems such as eutrophication, rising ocean levels and reduced biodiversity in marine ecosystems are also woven into the chain of key relationships here. All these issues need to be talked about loudly and often.

Benefits of water education

People around the world should understand what a crucial and vulnerable resource water is. We are talking not only about drinking water that sustains our daily existence, but also about that used in agriculture and industry. Education about the water cycle in nature, the importance of water catchment areas, and water distribution and recycling is an important and fundamental step toward social responsibility.

People who are aware of hydrological problems will actively support measures to reduce water pollution, protect wetlands and preserve natural habitats. Their protests, petitions or electoral decisions can contribute to real change for the better.

The most important role of water education is to emphasize the scarce nature of water and the disastrous effects of drought. Knowledge in this area is a fundamental step to motivate people to consume responsibly, collect rainwater and refrain from activities that encourage pollution to enter the environment. At the same time, awareness of the worsening water crisis and its risks may prompt young people to train as experts and technologists on the subject.

“Water Matters” as an educational platform

Global Education Week is definitely an initiative worthy of support and involvement. The editors of “Water Matters” strive to carry out its objectives by informing, alerting, advising and raising awareness. Our team of experts makes every effort to present water issues in a comprehensive manner that facilitates an understanding of the global interconnections and challenges that await the world.