The document discusses the impact of COVID-19 on local communities, highlighting significant social and economic disruptions, particularly for vulnerable groups who faced increased isolation and worsening conditions. It outlines the response of RCEs (Regional Centres of Expertise) through online adaptation, training programs, and advocacy for policy support, while emphasizing the challenges of digitalization and the need for capacity building. The document questions the future direction post-pandemic, considering whether recovery should return to pre-COVID norms or embrace a paradigm shift towards sustainable development education.

1. RCE
Presentations -
Summary
FUMIKO NOGUCHI
RESEARCH FELLOW
ESD PROGRAMME, UNU-IAS

2. COVID-19
Impact to the
Local
Community in
the Region
•Social and economic impact: No market, disruption in supply chain and
import/export due to boarder closure and travel restrictions. Helath care
system.
•Education and learning opportunities: Schools, universities, public space
closure and no social gatherings - less/no face-to-face, hands-on and practice
based training and learning opportunities through formal, non-formal and
informal educationl channels.
•Shift to oline: Lack of capacity and infrastructure to support online education
and working mode. More networking and learning opportunities to those who
can access internet. Otherwise those without it get more isolated.
• Widening gaps: The vulnerables are left behind (migrants, indigenous
peoples, youths and women, small industries, small–scale farmers, people in
informal sector are getting the hardest hit socially, economically and
educationally, - isolation, violence, learning, economic medical access gaps,
mental and health issues, unemployment and jobless… The existing problems
got worsened.
• Policy support: Lack of evidence-based information and policy guidance.
Reduced or cancelled the fund or subsidies. Government started the new fund
for COVID-19.
• Environmental impact: Less pollution due to less traffic.
• More time to spend with family and local community.

3. COVID-19
Impact to RCEs
in the Region
• RCE centre, meeting spaces and activity site
closures.
•Cancellation and/or postponment of activities
(events, workshops, trainings, meetings, field-
based, hands-on and practice-based
activities)
• Struggling in learning and developing new
learning and teaching approaches technically
(degitally) and pedagogically.
•Losing the economic opportunities – less
revenue and cancellation of fund and
governmental subsidies.

4. RCEs Response
to the Pandemic
• Conducted survey and needs analysis
• Shift to online – training, workshops, meetings, conference,
networking and information sharing (developing online home-based
activity, online tools, training programme for hygine, sustainable
agriclture and rural community outreach).
• Connecting stakeholders and developing partnerships: Amongst
community members and diverse stakeholders. Training and sending
youth and jobless workers to rural communities.
• Fund support: Established new funding scheme for the local
stakeholders. Developed training programmes in which the
participants can get the governmental micro-credential while they are
working on a particular community projects.
• Outreach to the vulnerable groups: Working for rural farmers,
youths, women, migrants, indigenous peoples) by creating jobs (mask
making), food distribution, and continuing educaiton and training
program.
• Responding natural disasters while responding the COVID-19.
•Getting support and learning from other RCEs.
• Policy advocacies - Participating in government process for COVID-
19 and working with government for the governmental initiatives

5. Necessary
supporting
mechanism
• Need clear governmental guideline and priority for
local community activities under the pandemic.
• Financial support from local and national
government and global agencies.
• UN agencies should link to RCEs
• SDGs is at early stage at national level so that it is
difficult to get involved in the proce.
• Need a network to share information and
community practices, at national and regional levels.
• Enhancing multistakeholder approach which is
effective.
• Capacity building and emotional/spritual support
• Policy advocacies from real actions.
• Research to support RCE activities

6. Discussion
will
continue…
• Digitalisation and role of ESD. Online shift has brought:
Benefits
◦ More opportunities to discuss and learn from the others (RCEs and stakeholders
overseas)
◦ Effective to reach out to diverse stakeholders
◦ Practice: More localisation and decentralisation, rather than expert in the urban areas
and/or international expert
◦ Information: More globalisation? – more oportunities for webinars
Challenges
◦ There are peoples, knowledges and learning approaches that cannot be ‘onlined’ –
those who are not familiar with digial divices and do not have infrastructure
(generation, gender, economic and educational gaps,
local/traditional/indigneous/practical knowledges, hands-on and experiential
learnings).
• Youth empowerment during the pandemic. (not tokeninsm but proactive participation)
• DRR during the pandemic
• Need more capacity building opportunities for new normal, in particular the vulnerable
groups. Emotional and spritual support.
• Build back better? Do we want V-shaped recovery to where we were before COVID-19?
Or is this an opportunity for the paradigm shift? Then what is the role of ESD and
leadership for SD? – in terms of education, economy, social system, value system.
• Making linkage of all SDGs to ESD and the pandemic.
• Developing research to support community-based ESD.