Agenda Congress
The Agenda Congress is Germany's main nationwide conference on Education for Sustainable Development. The first Agenda Congress took place from 11. to 12. July 2016 in Berlin. It discussed the key parameters for the National Plan of Action.
Background
Every year the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) invites all the members of the National Platform, the Expert Forums and the Partner Networks as well as a wide range of ESD stakeholders to participate in an Agenda Congress. The aim is to exchange ideas, enhance networking and strengthen the establishment of ESD in Germany. Opening the meeting to a wider group of stakeholders in ESD boosts visibility and ensures a broader impact.
The Agenda Congress also presents awards to outstanding networks, institutions and local authorities which have accomplished a structural implementation of ESD selected by a jury of members of the National Platform, the BMBF and two Advisers.
Agenda Congress 2016
At Germany's first national ESD Agenda Congress which took place from 11. to 12. July 2016 in Berlin, more than 500 stakeholders, including education experts, representatives from politics, the private sector and civil society, shared experiences, innovative practice and ideas to drive forward ESD activities. Participants pointed out that action creates new structures. Everyone can contribute to finding solutions to global sustainability challenges.
As part of the opening ceremony, Germany's Federal Minister of Education Prof. Dr. Johanna Wanka and the President of the German Commission for UNESCO Prof. Dr. Verena Metze-Mangold honoured 65 local communities, education institutions and civil society organisations as well as networks from all over Germany for their high quality work on ESD. The 65 initiatives illustrate how sustainability can be mainstreamed into the structures of the German education system.
Furthermore, the chair and vice-chair of each of the six German Expert Forums of the Global Action Programme on ESD (GAP) received honours for their outstanding work as "Change Agents".
In 18 different workshops, dedicated to topics such as early childhood education and ESD action among youth, ESD strategies for local communities and long-term partnerships in education, ESD as a driver for the integration for refugees, sustainability in vocational education and training and higher education, participants developed objectives for the national plan of action for the GAP.
The annual congress is an essential part of the implementation of the Global Action Programme on ESD in Germany.
