Earth Charter Conference
12-14 April 2024
Our world faces many interconnected challenges including climate disruption, biodiversity loss, increasing poverty, inequalities and conflicts between and within countries. Education must play a central role in preparing people to make the transformative change needed to create a world that works for all.
The activities of the Earth Charter International Education Center highlight the importance of incorporating sustainability values and principles into the processes of learning and decision-making. The Center forges new paths in education for sustainable development, global citizenship education, and makes efforts to connect these with concepts such as planetary well-being and ecological literacy. The Center’s work is implemented under the framework of the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter, which works to generate educational programmes and research activities specifically at the intersection of sustainability, ethics and education.
The UN organized a “Transforming Education Summit,” convened “in response to a global crisis in education – one of equity and inclusion, quality and relevance”. It emphasized that “many education systems are not providing students with the skills, knowledge, values needed to face the current challenges… the world needs to reimagine the education system.”
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4.7) aims for learners to acquire by 2030, the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including education for sustainable lifestyles, global citizenship, climate justice, gender equality, and so on.
UNESCO’s Futures of Education Initiative produced a report titled “Reimagining our futures together: a new social contract for education.” It highlights the importance of considering education as a holistic process, involving the “heart, hands and mind.” It promotes efforts to rethink content and pedagogy and to support teachers as agents of change.
The Conference
This three-day conference builds on four previous Earth Charter Conferences focused on education for sustainability and global citizenship, and for planetary well-being. The April Conference programme will start on Friday, 12 April at 9am and will go through Sunday, 14 April at 5:30pm.
This Conference, organized under the framework of the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter and the UNESCO UNITWIN Cooperation Programme on Education for Sustainable Development and Social Transformation, will take place at Rollins College, in Winter Park, Florida.
Speakers
Our speakers encompass a diverse range of expertise, from renowned environmental scholars to influential authors. With profound insights and a commitment to sustainability, they will guide us in envisioning a future where education plays a pivotal role in shaping ecological civilizations.
Objectives
The event will create a space to:
- Find synergies and enhance collaboration among innovative approaches to education for change.
- Share experiences and research in education from various settings that contribute to ecological civilization.
- Identify new ways to reorient education towards creating ecological civilizations.
- Provide learning opportunities for using the Earth Charter to enhance sustainability and global citizenship education.
Participants
The event is expected to bring together 150 educators, academics, young leaders, Earth Charter International partners, researchers in education, and businesspeople.
Registration Fees:
Registration Fee – Early Bird 1: USD$350 (Special price for payments before 15 October, 2023)
Registration Fee – Early Bird 2: USD $400 (Special price before 14 January, 2024)
Registration Fee: USD $450 (Regular price for payments after 15 January, 2024)
Terms and Conditions for Conference Registration
Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully before registering for the conference. By completing the registration process, you agree to comply with these terms and conditions.
1. Registration Confirmation: Your registration is considered confirmed only upon receipt of full payment and a confirmation email from the conference organizers.
2. Registration Fees: The applicable registration fees must be paid in full at the time of registration. Early Bird Rate: In order to qualify for any “early bird” rates or discounts, booking and payment must be received before the deadline date listed in the conference marketing material. The fees are non-refundable, unless otherwise stated in these terms and conditions.
3. Cancellation and Refunds: Requests for cancellations and refunds must be submitted in writing to the conference organizers. Our cancellation policy allows for a refund, minus a 20% administrative charge, for cancellations received up until 28th February 2024 after which we will offer no refund. No refunds will be made after this date. Substitutions for regular attendees may be made up to 72 hours prior to the first event date. If a registered delegate does not cancel and fails to attend the conference, this will be treated as a cancellation and no refund or credit will be issued.
4. Substitutions: If you are unable to attend the conference after registering, you may request a substitute attendee. The request for substitution must be submitted in writing to the conference organizers at least 72 hours prior to the conference start date.
5. Programme Changes: The conference organizers reserve the right to modify the conference programme, including the schedule, speakers, and sessions, without prior notice. While we strive to avoid such changes, circumstances may arise that will need alterations to the programme.
6. Photography and Recording: By attending the conference, you consent to being photographed, filmed, or recorded by the conference organizers. The organizers reserve the right to use any such media for promotional purposes.
7. Liability: The conference organizers shall not be held liable for any loss, injury, damage, or inconvenience arising from your participation in the conference, including but not limited to personal injury, theft, or property damage. You are responsible for your personal belongings at all times.
8. Force Majeure: Earth Charter International shall not be held responsible or liable for any delay or failure in performance of its obligations hereunder to the extent such delay or failure is caused by fire, flood, earthquakes, hurricanes, unseasonably extreme inclement weather, strikes, labor disputes, inability to secure sufficient labor, civil, governmental or military authority, government requisitions, restrictions or regulations on travel, facility availability, commodities or supplies, civil disturbance, transportation, acts of God, acts of terrorism or threats of terrorism, acts of war, accidents, epidemics, disasters, the unavailability of the Venue or any other cause beyond its reasonable control. In any such event, Earth Charter International may postpone, reschedule or cancel the event without liability on the part of Earth Charter International. In the event the conference cannot be held or is postponed pursuant to this section, Earth Charter International shall not be liable to attendee for any damages, costs, or losses incurred, such as transportation costs, accommodations costs, or financial losses.
9. Personal Information: By submitting registration details, delegates agree to allow Earth Charter International to contact them for future events and courses. Attendees who do not wish to receive such communications please contact the events team. Registered participants who do not wish to be included on this list must so advise Earth Charter International at the time of booking.
10. Visa Requirements / Invitation Letter: It is the Attendee’s sole responsibility to take care of visa requirements. If you require an entry visa, you must allow sufficient time for the visa application procedure. To receive an invitation letter for the Conference, *please send us a request for this letter with your full name, passport number and address to [email protected].*
11. Admittance: In its sole discretion and without refund, Earth Charter International reserves the right to refuse admittance to or expel from the conference anyone that it determines is behaving in a manner that could be disruptive to the conference or any other Attendee.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding these terms and conditions, please contact the conference organizers for clarification before registering.
Call for Abstracts – (Closed 30 September)
Thank you to everyone who participated in the call for abstracts, which was open between July and September 2023. We will soon announce the list of presenters.
Selected presentations will be about research or activities the following areas:
1. Environmental Education, Eco-Literacy or Eco-pedagogy
2. Climate Change Education
3. K-12 (school) Education
4. Ethics and Values Education
5. Education for Sustainable Development
6. Education for Responsible Consumption
7. Global Citizenship and Global Education
8. Peace Education
9. Holistic and Well-being Education
10. Spirituality Education
11. Indigenous Approaches to Education
12. Transformative Learning and Futures Education
Hotels
After you register you will receive more information about the hotels and other details.
If you have any questions please contact Joy Kramer, Conference Manager: [email protected]
Field Trips
Options for field trips after the conference will be offered as well as pre/post Conference workshops. Interested participants will cover their field trip costs.
Sponsors
Institutions and individuals are invited and encouraged to become supporters to this event as follows:
Ecological Champion US$30,000
Global Patron US$20,000
Defender of Peace US$10,000
Promoter of Justice US$5,000
The Advocate US$2,500
The Instructor US$1,250
Sponsors will have their logo featured on the website and in promotional materials for this event and in the report of the event. Sponsorship funds raised will be used to cover some of the cost of the event, including the travel expenses of speakers and Earth Charter young leaders. Please email us at [email protected] if you wish to explore sponsorship opportunities.
Sponsored by:
