1. Theme

Environmental Education for a Sustainable Society: Principles and Practice of Environmental Education for School Children

2. Purpose of this seminar

The establishment of sustainable societies, which cannot be achieved without various long-term educational efforts, is a pressing subject common to human beings.

The purpose of this seminar is to bring together different activities on supporting school education by specialists in the field of environmental education, especially the training of teachers which is of pressing importance. Further goals are to urge information exchange among participants, to grasp the present situation, and, in view of DESD, to clarify the objectives of the Asian area to be achieved within the next ten years.

3. Sponsorship

Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, Miyagi University of Education

4. Joint auspices

Kesennuma-City, Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO

5. Dates

11 - 14 February, 2004

11 February	Open session: Keynote lecture and reports on environmental education in foreign countries
12 February	Study of the inspection of educational activities of a school with the support of Miyagi University of Education: Participating in an open study group of Kesennuma municipal Omose elementary school
13 February	Conference of specialists (about 60 participants, at a hotel in Kesennuma city)
14 February	Conference of specialists (about 60 participants, at a hotel in Kesennuma city)

6. Venue

Kesennuma-City (Kesennuma-city central public hall, Omose elementary school and Kesennuma Hotel Kanyo)

7. Expected Participants

A total of 16 persons are planning to attend; one each from China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Afghanistan, Mongolian, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and UNESCO.

In addition, about 15 Japanese related to this seminar and some 20 Japanese and non-Japanese general participants would be expected to join.

8. Organization

Chief officer

Kaoru Yokosuka (President of Miyagi University of Education)

UNESCO APEID Seminar Committee

Chairman

Kazuyuki Mikami (Director of Environmental Education Center,Miyagi University of Education)

Committee Members

Kosei Izawa, Masaharu Yasue, Yoshihiro Ugawa, Chiemi Saito, Takashi Muramatsu, Takao Watanabe, Takaaki Koganezawa, Toshio Kawamura, Yoshihiko Hirabuki, Kiyoshi Saijo, Masaaki Oka, Makio Taira, Yoshiharu Ito, Naoya Komatsu, Koji Mizota, Yoshinori Sato (Environmental Education Center), Hidenori Sugawara (Manager of the General Affairs Division), Toshihiko Ota (Manager of the Finance Division), Jinichi Matsumoto (Manager of the Academic Affairs Division)

Outside committee

Eiichiro Harako (Professor of Tokyo Gakugei University)

Observer

Takamori Hongo (Member of International Exchange Committee,Miyagi University of Education)

Executive Office of Committee

Noriko Memezawa, Keiko Fukui, Kumiko Suganami

Cooperating professors at Miyagi University of Education

Masako Sato (The headmistress of Kindergarten affiliated to Miyagi University of Education)

Morihiro Aoki (The principal of School for Mentally Retarded Children affiliated to Miyagi University of Education)

Cooperating committee members outside of Miyagi University of Education

Katsunori Suzuki (The United Nation University/ Institute of Advanced Studies )

Masahisa Sato (IGES)

9. Special Cooperating institutes

UNU, Kesennuma UNESCO, IGES, FMF

Kessennuma Omose elementary school

10. Supporting institutes

Miyagi-prefecture, Sendai-city, Miyagi-prefecture Board of Education,

Sendai-city Board of Education, newspaper companies, Broadcasting companies (under arrangement)

11. Expenses

Concerning the invited guests from abroad, the sponsor is to cover return airfares and expenses for the stay during the seminar. The total amount of expenses is decided by the sponsor.

Concerning the invited Japanese guests, the sponsor is to cover transportation fees and part of the expenses during the seminar.

The coverage of part of the expenses related to the open conference by Kessennuma city is under consideration.