At the request of Malawi where a National Bioethics Committee has just been created, this 3-day training aims to clarify the role and mission of this newly established committee helping its members to develop clear working methods and rules of procedure, as well as initiatives for public information and for networking.<br /><br/>A first activity to be implemented in the framework of the UNESCO’s “Assisting Bioethics Committees” (ABC) capacity building project in Malawi, this 1st training session will allow the seventeen members of the newly-created National Bioethics Committee to exchange views among themselves and with other experts, as well as learn about practices of other National Bioethics Committees, some of which are operational for a much longer time.<br /><br />While the National Bioethics Committee will develop its own work methods according to its mandate, sharing experiences will allow the newly-created to learn from predecessors in preparing its work. <br /><br />A part of UNESCO’s bioethics capacity building initiative, and with a view to enhancing the usefulness of the ABC project, in which framework this training takes place, aims at supporting countries that wish to develop their National Bioethics Committees (NBC). The ABC project accompanies the new committee over a course of 3 years providing one training per year and a variety of resources.<br /><br />This cycle of trainings is led by UNESCO staff and other international experts from among UNESCO’s partners. The participants actively tailor the trainings to their needs so as to strengthen their newly-established institution.<br /><br />The content of the trainings rely on a series of guides that UNESCO has produced, and also on the UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum, which is designed around the internationally-agreed human rights standards e.g. as laid out in “Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.” The training acknowledges and invites exchange on local variation in the practice of ethics in support of universal principles.<br /><br />Special consideration is given to promoting gender equality in terms of the content of materials used for training and the development of the agendas and plans of the National Bioethics Committees. <br /><br />For the trainings, as well as for the Capacity Building initiative as a whole, UNESCO gives special consideration to addressing first African states, in line with demand. <br /><br />The trainings for newly-created Committees have been conducted, and evaluated as successful, since 2008 in Côte d’Ivoire, El Salvador, Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya, Togo, and Chad. <br /><br />The first beneficiary country that has completed the 3 training cycle is Kenya (November 2011). Similar trainings have or will also be held during 2012 for the 2nd time in Gabon (23-27 July), in Guinea (19-22 November), in Ghana (12-16 November) and for the 1st time in Chad (1-3 August).

In the framework of a 3 years training cycle developed to guide Ghana in its efforts of capacity building, this 5-day intensive training will focus on applications of the bioethics principles included in the “Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights” (2005), to ensure the responsiveness of the National Bioethics recently established in Ghana.<br /><br/>Part of UNESCO's “Assisting Bioethics Committees” (ABC) project, this 2nd training will allow about seventeen members of the Bioethics Committee of Ghana, not only to get a comprehensive understanding of the internationally-agreed norms on Bioethics and Human Rights, but also to conduct situational analysis, to identify ethical dilemmas at the global level and in their country, and more specifically to learn the deliberative methodology used to deal with them.<br /><br />In order to raise awareness about current bioethical dilemmas in Ghana, this training will include a public session with the participation of national and international experts.<br /><br />The “Assisting Bioethics Committees” (ABC) project, in the framework of which this session takes place, offers to countries participating to address their needs, tailoring the trainings to the needs of each country and each newly-established institution.<br /><br />Implemented as one part of UNESCO’s bioethics capacity building initiative, derived from the “Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights”, this project guides the countries in the development of their National Bioethics Committees (NBC) over a course of 3 years providing them with one training per year and a variety of resources. <br /><br />Led by both UNESCO staff and international experts from among UNESCO’s partners, the content of the trainings rely on a series of guides that UNESCO has produced specifically for this aim, and also on the UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum, which is primarily designed around the internationally-agreed ethics standards but also around internationally-agreed human rights standards, while it acknowledges and invites local variation.<br /><br />Special consideration is given to promoting gender equality in terms of the content of materials used for training and the development of the agendas and plans of the National Bioethics Committees. <br /><br />For the trainings, as well as for the Capacity Building initiative as a whole, UNESCO gives special consideration to addressing first African states, in line with demand. <br /><br />The trainings for newly-created Committees have been conducted, and evaluated as successful, since 2008 in Côte d’Ivoire, El Salvador, Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya and Togo. <br /><br />The first beneficiary country that has completed the 3 training cycle is Kenya (November 2011). <br /><br />Côte d’Ivoire should be the next by the end of 2012, period during which similar trainings have or will also be held for the 2nd time in Gabon (23-27 July) and in Guinea (11-15 September), and for the 1st time in Chad (1-3 August) and in Malawi (22-24 November).

The 2nd World Humanities Forum (WHF), organized by UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Korea and Busan Metropolitan City, in cooperation with the Korean National Commission for UNESCO and the Korean National Research Foundation, will facilitate collective reflection by human scientists, thinkers, artists and visionaries on key challenges and questions facing the world in the 21st century.<br /><br/>The 1st WHF (Busan, Republic of Korea, November 2011), at which the Director-General gave the closing address, adopted the Busan Declaration which reaffirms the important role of the humanities in addressing current and emerging challenges that humanity faces. <br /><br />In this spirit, the 2nd WHF will invite humanities institutions from across the world to a round table session to discuss how to strengthen the capacities of research systems, the media and societies in addressing these challenges and how to promote international cooperation in this regard.<br /><br />Furthermore, the 2nd WHF will reflect on the role of the humanities in understanding the nature of suffering human beings are experiencing today and in finding appropriate modes of healing, under the overarching theme of “Humanities and Healing”. Its three main sessions will focus on 1) Sufferings and Conflict; 2) Nature and Civilization, Science and Technology; and 3) Perspectives, Approaches, and Practices of the Humanities. For details, please refer to the attached concept note.<br /><br />The 2nd WHF will:<br /><br />- reflect on what “suffering” and “healing” might mean, when the human condition is considered in its social setting;<br />- seek to understand the suffering of individuals, groups, communities, and civilizations today from a humanities perspective;<br />- consider the role of the humanities in healing human pains and wounds in order to share experience of how that role can be performed and promoted.

Within the framework of the second phase of the Project “Sustainable Management of Marginal Drylands (SUMAMAD-2)”, UNESCO and the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, are organizing the project’s tenth international workshop which will be held in La Paz (Bolivia), from 12 – 14 November 2012. This workshop is the fourth meeting of the SUMAMAD Project team leaders within the second phase of the SUMAMAD project (2009-2013). <br/>The SUMAMAD Project itself is implemented by UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme in direct collaboration with the United Nations University - Institute for Water, Environment & Health (UNU-INWEH), thanks to funding provided by the Flemish Government of Belgium.<br /><br />The workshop participants are invited from the project partner research institutions as follows:<br /> Bolivia: Universidad Mayor de San Andrés<br /> Burkina Faso: Institut de Recherche en Science de la Santé (IRSS)<br /> Centre Nationale pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CNRST)<br />China: National Committee for UNESCO-MAB Programme at the Chinese<br /> Academy of Sciences <br />Egypt: University of Alexandria and Omayed Biosphere Reserve;<br />India: Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI)<br /> Iran: Research Society for Sustainable Rehabilitation of Drylands (REaSSURED)<br /> Jordan: The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN)<br />Pakistan: Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (National<br /> Committee for UNESCO-IHP Programme) and National Committee of <br /> UNESCO-MAB Programme<br />Tunisia: Institut des Régions Arides (IRA), Medénine<br /><br />The tenth international SUMAMAD workshop brings together all designated national project coordinators from the above-mentioned project partner research institutions and the members of the project core management group. The workshop’s objectives will be to: <br /><br />• Review the implementation of the SUMAMAD Project and its national field project activities since the 9th international SUMAMAD workshop held in Bobo Dioulasso in December 2011;<br />• Discuss technical issues for the implementation of the SUMAMAD Project in 2012 and future project activities.<br />• Further reflect on and finalize the structure of the final publication of the SUMAMAD Phase 2 project phase as well as the policy brief for decision-makers as a result of SUMAMAD-2 activities.<br /><br />Moreover, the national project coordinators are invited to provide an overview of the main results of their SUMAMAD project activities since the beginning of the second phase of the project in 2009.

In the framework of a 3 years training cycle developed to guide Guinea in its efforts of capacity building, this 5-day intensive training will focus on applications of the bioethics principles included in the “Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights” (2005), to ensure the responsiveness of the new National Bioethics established in Guinea, in 2009.<br /><br/>Part of UNESCO's “Assisting Bioethics Committees” (ABC) project, this 2nd training will allow the twenty-five members of the Guinean Bioethics Committee, not only to get a comprehensive understanding of the internationally-agreed norms on Bioethics and Human Rights, but also to conduct situational analysis, to identify ethical dilemmas at the global level and in their country, and more specifically to learn the deliberative methodology used to deal with them.<br /><br />In order to raise awareness about current bioethical dilemmas in Guinea, this training will include a public session with the participation of national and international experts.<br /><br />The “Assisting Bioethics Committees” (ABC) project, in the framework of which this session takes place, offers to countries participating to address their needs, tailoring the trainings to the needs of each country and each newly-established institution.<br /><br />Implemented as one part of UNESCO’s bioethics capacity building initiative, derived from the “Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights”, this project guides the countries in the development of their National Bioethics Committees (NBC) over a course of 3 years providing them with one training per year and a variety of resources. <br /><br />Led by both UNESCO staff and international experts from among UNESCO’s partners, the content of the trainings rely on a series of guides that UNESCO has produced specifically for this aim, and also on the UNESCO Bioethics Core Curriculum, which is primarily designed around the internationally-agreed ethics standards but also around internationally-agreed human rights standards, while it acknowledges and invites local variation.<br /><br />Special consideration is given to promoting gender equality in terms of the content of materials used for training and the development of the agendas and plans of the National Bioethics Committees. <br /><br />For the trainings, as well as for the Capacity Building initiative as a whole, UNESCO gives special consideration to addressing first African states, in line with demand. <br /><br />The trainings for newly-created Committees have been conducted, and evaluated as successful, since 2008 in Côte d’Ivoire, El Salvador, Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya and Togo. <br /><br />The first beneficiary country that has completed the 3 training cycle is Kenya (November 2011). <br /><br />Côte d’Ivoire should be the next to complete the cycle by the end of 2012. In this period, similar trainings have or will also be held for the 2nd time in Gabon (23-27 July) and in Ghana (12-16 November), and for the 1st time, in Chad (1-3 August) and in Malawi (22-24 November).

Organized by the Bioethics Programme at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, with the facilitation of UNESCO Office in Windhoek and in partnership with the University of Namibia, this Ethics Teacher Training Course offers a unique opportunity for participants from all over the world, but especially from Namibia and other countries in the region, to engage in one-week long training designed to enhance their teaching capacities in ethics. <br /><br/>The Ethics Teacher Training Course (ETTC) is designed to reinforce the capacity of experts and educators to teach ethics at various academic faculties and institutions, in order to expend and improve the quality ethics education around the world. <br /><br />After graduating from the course, the participants will have acquired: <br />• Special skills and methodological approaches of teaching ethics; <br />• Various means and resources for teaching ethics;<br />• Feedback and evaluation from the trainers on the demonstrations of the acquired teaching skills.<br /><br />The Ethics Teacher Training Course will be delivered by a team of experts with extensive international experience in ethics education, as well as the local experts involved in teaching ethics at University of Namibia.<br /><br />Participants should have a Master’s degree (in areas such as law, medicine, philosophy, ethics, or social sciences), preferably hold a University faculty appointment to teach courses, and have good command of English language. <br /><br />Persons who want to register should submit a registration form to Mr Irakli Khodeli at Bioethics Section of UNESCO (i.khodeli@unesco.org), as early as possible, and before the September 30 deadline. This form is also available on the dedicated UNESCO web site. Applicants should also include a letter of intent (600 words) explaining why they wish to participate in the course and how they expect to benefit from it. <br /><br />While the participation in the course is free, the participants are expected to cover their room and board expenses in the duration of the training. A limited number of needs-based assistance may be available to cover the accommodation of some participants.<br /><br />For more information: Please contact Mr Irakli Khodeli at Bioethics Section of UNESCO (i.khodeli@unesco.org); or visit the website http://www.unesco.org/bioethics <br /><br />Deadline for registration: 30 September 2012