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RCE Americas Regional Advisor Update
- 1. Regional Advisor for RCEs in the Americas Dr. Roger Petry 10 th RCE of the Americas Virtual Meeting Hosted by RCE Salisbury October 4-6, 2021
- 2. Land Acknowledgement & Thanks • The University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic are situated on the territories of the nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda, and the homeland of the Métis/Michif Nation. They are located on Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 lands. Photo: University of Regina
- 3. Largest Consultation in History • 3 years to design the goals and targets • more than 7 million people voted in 84 national surveys. • governments, businesses, communities, universities, NGOs and youth from all over the world participated • in 2015, 193 countries signed and committed to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
- 4. The Power of an RCE Assets Capabilities
- 5. The Power of an RCE: Healing Divisions and Moving Forward Together
Editor's Notes
- Good afternoon. My name is Roger Petry and I am the UN University’s Regional Advisor for RCEs in the Americas. This is my second year in this position and I am so pleased to see the great progress each of our RCEs in making in the Americas, despite such difficult times. You all need to be congratulated for your perseverence but also your hopefulness and accomplishments.
- Last year I began with giving thanks as I think that is an important way to start any gathering, especially one as important as this. As such, I would like to acknowledge the Indigenous lands from where I am speaking here in RCE Saskatchewan (Canada). The University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic, 3 of our HE partners, are situated on the territories of the nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda, and the homeland of the Métis/Michif Nation. These institutions are on Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 lands. "Together we pay our respect to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and all of the Americas and reaffirm our relationship with one another.“ I want to especially thank Brett Lee Shelton for his wonderful overview of the Indigenous Peace Making Initiative. As RCEs we too play a role in building this long term peace and healing. I also want to thank our two newest RCEs: RCE Peel and RCE Greater Phoenix for the great contributions they are already making. Well done! Our technological hosts for a 2nd year: RCE Salisbury & its Co-Directors, Dr. Brittany Foutz and Dr. Brian Polkinghorn, deserve a special thanks, especially for all of the work that went into making this meeting accessible in a range of languages—one of the key principles of our new governance model. Dr. Philip Vaughter and the Global RCE Service Centre & Ministry of Environment, Japan also need to be thanked; Phillip did such an excellent job of highlighting what is coming forward for RCEs that I only want to encourage all of you to keep entering your projects into the global database, consider applying for the global RCE award, and make a great showing at the global conference. Dr. Chuck Hopkins, who was Regional Advisor for RCEs in the Americas 2005 to 2019 and continues in a global advisorial role apologized for not being able to join us today but I am sure he is thinking about us. Lastly, I would like to thank all those who have now helped breath life into our RCE Americas Network committees and taskforces. We have come a long way in one year.
- In my remaining few minutes I want to say a few words about the special role RCEs now play, in part, due to the mobilization power of the SDGs We are on a path and we cannot forget the key milestone that took place in the development of the Global Goals: It took 3 years to design the goals and targets With more than 7 million people voting in 84 national surveys. It was multisectoral: governments, businesses, communities, universities, NGOs and youth from all over the world participated in 2015, 193 countries signed and committed to achieve the SDGs by 2030. Is it any wonder these goals continue to have such relevance, perhaps even more relevance, in times of a pandemic. They are an ethical framework that emerged not from any one group or even the UN but from communities around the world.
- As RCEs we are confronting communities that are increasingly divided and where there is a lack of hope that things can be better. In circumstances like this there can be a tendency to withdraw and hold on tightly to what one currently has, using it in the old ways it has always been used. Sustainable development, however, creates the visible hope in our communities by building abundance for all over the long term. How is that abundance produced: in part it is by looking at the assets already in our communities (whether, physical resources, nature, or ourselves as people) and strategically thinking about what new things we can do with these, especially when we come together to share what is neglected or underused.This is also an inward journey where we learn to appreciate ourselves, our communities, and ecosystems in new ways. In understanding what new roles we ourselves, natural and built systems can play, we expand the range of capabilities for common action We also build our capacities to live better and more harmoniously with our fellow human beings, other species, and the systems of our planet New opportunities and resources are found in crossing the many artificial boundaries we have constructed as societies while also being respectful of important values and traditions in our communities You have likely heard the expression of a “whole institution approach” to achieving sustainable development that cuts across barriers and shares responsibilities in organizations. I would like to have all RCEs reflect on their structural role in taking a “whole regional approach” and all that entails. It is our regional collaboration and interregional collaboration in the Americas that will produce amazing things. We need to give visible examples of collaborative work across different forms of education and ways of knowing, different organizations, occupations, communities, and peoples
- I want to close by mentioning a theme that has come up repeatedly at this conference, namely that of healing. Healing divisions is crucial at one level to ensure the levels of inclusivity and participation that liberates our capabilities and creative educational strategies that make use of these for sustainable development. Healing is also, however, about a deep sense of belonging and feeling whole, something that is grasped not in some distant future moment but that is captured when we are intentionally present in all of our ESD work as RCEs. Sustainable development should not be a burden but, if done well, a joyful activity that constantly contributes to our well-being in the moment. As RCEs we know this because we are a family of RCEs in the Americas and we bring spontaneous joy just by being together. Be sure to enjoy and be present in every moment of this conference and all it has to offer. Thank you.