In August 2002 government leaders from 192 nations around the world met at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. At the summit the Japanese government and NGOs jointly proposed the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), which became included in the summit's draft resolution. Based on the proposal UNDESD was co-proposed by 46 nations led by Japan and adopted at the UN general assembly in December 2002. The Decade started in 2005.
To reduce global warming and overcome other environmental problems, we not only need to preserve the ecosystem but also reform our social/economical system by such means as poverty reduction and lifestyle changes. What ESD aims at is that each one of us understands and respects people around the world, its future generations and our ties to the environment, and that we put what we learn into action to create a sustainable future.
The ESD concept is especially important for the Asian region, in that its societies are rapidly changing under globalization. In the national environmental strategy for the 21st century that Japan released in June, 2007, a set of initiatives for fostering environmental leaders in Asia is one of eight strategic plans by which universities are expected to play leading roles in implementing ESD.
"Unless people around the world are happy, individuals cannot be happy," said Kenji Miyazawa, a poet and agriculturist from Iwate. Iwate Prefecture, where Kenji was born, has a cultural climate that appreciates the kind of world that ESD seeks to realize. Iwate University will host a symposium on the roles of, and collaboration among, universities in promoting ESD, with the participation of representatives from universities in South Korea and Thailand, as well as from Britain, which is advanced in the ESD approach.
| Hosted by | Iwate University / Iwate Prefectural University | |
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| Support from | Iwate Prefectural University, Iwate Medical University, Morioka College, Fuji University, Iwate International Association, Iwate Board of Education, Federation of UNESCO associations in Iwate, local media organizations | |
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| Dates | Thursday, August 30 _ Saturday, September 1, 2007 | |
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| Languages | Japanese, English (interpretation available) | |
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| Venues | Hotel Metropolitan Morioka New Wing (August 30, 31), Aiina (September 1) |