Didier

Local and cross-border cooperation for creating a healthy environment

JOGG is honoured to invite you to it’s official side event as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities.

The fight against obesity and the importance of a healthy lifestyle is a priority on every political agenda: both in the EU, Member States and at regional and local level. How can we share best practices and accelerate cross-border collaboration between region and cities all dealing with the same complex challenge: all striving to realize a healthy environment? The power of regional and local collaboration, as well as the establishment of a locally integrated prevention approach (health in all policies), both play a significant role in creating a healthy environment in which the healthy choice is the easiest choice in every aspect.

JOGG will kickstart this event by sharing their experience in establishing the conditions for a successful community-based approach. During the roundtable session, we will engage in discussions with various stakeholders what tools and strategies are needed for regions and cities facing similar complex challenges, how an integral community-based approach can serve as a blueprint for other EU regions/cities and what is needed to intensify cross-border cooperation in accelerating the lifestyle transition.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Time: 15:00 – 16:30 (Followed by a networking reception until 17:30, with registration starting at 14:30)
Location: Brussels, Thon Hotel EU

This event is hosted by JOGG (healthy youth, healthy future) director Marjon Bachra and Member of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) / Alderman of ‘s-Hertogenbosch Ufuk Kahya.

Please register here

About JOGG

JOGG is a Dutch organization dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle and preventing obesity in children and young people. Their approach involves coordinated collaboration among local governments, schools, businesses, healthcare professionals, and community organizations to gather commitment of every important local stakeholder involved that can influence the environment. JOGG aims to create an environment where healthy choices are easier for young people by focusing on raising awareness, creating healthy surroundings, fostering partnerships, and measuring effectiveness while sharing knowledge.

On Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 October, the Global Forum for Adolescents (GFA) will take place online. During the GFA, the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education will present a session about how schools can promote well-being for young people, together with the International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH), UNESCO (France HQ), UNICEF (USA HQ) and WHO (Switzerland HQ).

Education and well-being are mutually reinforcing, underlined by the UN multi-agency 2023 ‘Ready to Learn and Thrive’ report. Students need to be in good health and feel well to be ready to learn, and those who enjoy quality education have better health outcomes. Schools have the potential to offer a comprehensive approach to improve physical, mental and social well-being, benefiting adolescents both short- and long-term. This is only possible if all stakeholders – including teachers and other school staff, students, families, local health professionals and decision-makers – work together, ensuring access to education and information to young people in all their diversity, so no-one is left behind. By examining two vital aspects of school life – the school environment and the processes of learning – we will offer practical advice and reflections emphasizing a coherent, intersectoral and inclusive approach to promoting well-being in schools. The session will include panel discussions and country-based case studies.

Join us Wednesday 11 October at 12:00-12:50 CET.

To register for the GFA.

For resources related to this session.

The team of the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education is delighted to invite you to be part of two events to celebrate the launch of its 2nd mandate.

Official launch 2nd mandate UNESCO Chair

On 19 October 2023, 14.00 – 17.00 CEST, the 2nd mandate of the UNESCO Chair will be officially launched – in hybrid mode -, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris and online. In 2022, the Chair’s application for renewal was approved by UNESCO and WHO. The commitment of the Chair remains the same for this second mandate: knowledge production and sharing, in order to support institutions and professionals committed to promoting health for all and reducing inequalities.

Register here to attend the official launch online or in person at UNESCO headquarters.

Creating the conditions for health for all: from practices to a framework for action

On 20 October 2023, 9.30 – 16.30 CEST, a UNESCO Chair event for the French speaking community will take place – in hybrid mode -, at MGEN headquarters in Paris and online. D The main theme of this day is to support social change to develop environments and practices that promote lifelong learning and health for all. During this event, a number of initiatives that were developed during the first mandate, will be presented and lessons and experiences will be shared.

Register here to attend the French-speaking event online or in person at MGEN headquarters.

We are pleased to welcome you to these two events.

We will share the programme for these events in the next few weeks.

On 10 October 2023, Education and Solidarity Network (ESN), Education International (EI) and UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education will present the results of the 2^nd edition of the International Barometer of the Health and Well-being of Education Personnel, carried out in collaboration with the Foundation for Public Health.  

For this second edition, the participants come from 11 territories spread over 4 continents: Argentina, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, Spain, France, Japan, Morocco, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Quebec. In all, more than 26,000 teachers and education personnel were questioned. 

Covering topics ranging from working conditions and work-life balance to the physical and mental health of education staff and the impact of digital technology on them, the barometer sheds new light on issues of well-being and health at work in education.  
 
The results will be presented during a webinar on 10 October 2023 (14:00 to 15:30 CEST). 

Interpretation will be available in French, English and Spanish.

Through a dialogue between various stakeholders in education and health and the participants, the webinar will provide a space for exchange and reflection on the main findings of the survey, as well as on promoting the well-being of education staff at national and international level.  

Registration links:

English
French
Spanish

Save the date! A formal invitation with more details on the event program and speakers will be sent out shortly. Feel free to pass on the information!

UNESCO will celebrate International Literacy Day (ILD) on 8 September 2023 under the theme ‘Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies’.

ILD2023 will be an opportunity to join efforts to accelerate progress towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) on education and lifelong learning and to reflect on the role of literacy in building more inclusive, peaceful, just, and sustainable societies. In doing so, it will embrace the reciprocal relations between literacy and other areas of development: Literacy is central to the creation of such societies, while progress in other areas of development contributes to generating interest and motivation of people to acquire, use, and further develop their literacy and numeracy skills.

Under this theme, ILD2023 will be celebrated at the global, regional, country, and local levels across the world. At the global level, a conference will be organized in person (invitation only) and online (in French, Spanish and English) on Friday, 8 September 2023, in Paris, France. This global celebration will include the award ceremony of the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes to announce this year’s outstanding prizewinning programmes.

More information about the conference.

Get ready for dynamic discussions about health and wellbeing at the 12^th IUHPE European Conference on Health Promotion held on June 17-18, 2024, immediately followed by the 7^th International Conference on Salutogenesis, June 19-20, 2024, in the flourishing city of Lodz, Poland. As a premier event for the global health promotion community, the organizers invite professionals (e.g., researchers, health promotion practitioners in community settings, civil servants working on health-promoting policies and programming) from around the world for in-person participation, fostering direct engagement, networking, and collaboration. 

The 12^th IUHPE European Conference on Health Promotion, with the theme “Health Promotion: Cultivating Change Through the Lifespan”, is part of IUHPE’s prestigious series of scientific events. These meetings evaluate the current state of knowledge and practice of health promotion, highlighting future challenges and shaping the agenda for progress in the field. The conference will play a significant role in disseminating health promotion research with an emphasis on facilitating health transformations at every stage of life. 

Subsequent to this event, Lodz will also host the 7^th International Conference on Salutogenesis . focusing on “Everyday life and crises as opportunities for salutogenic transformation”.  This event aims at advancing and disseminating the theory and research of Salutogenesis, offering a forum for discussion and sharing of pioneering approaches in salutogenic research, policy and practice. 

Join us in Lodz for these significant events as we collectively strive to advance the future of health promotion in Europe and beyond. 

Start planning your participation! 

Abstract submission is open from 29 July 2023 until 30 November 2023.

Early bird registration is open from until 18 March 2024.

Learn more about the programme, important dates, and the latest news by visiting our website: www.iuhpeconferences24.umed.pl 

For further questions, please contact the Administration Office: iuhpeconference@umed.lodz.pl   

A special initiative of the WHO Regional Director for Europe

The world currently has the largest generation of young people in history. Half of the people on our planet are aged 30 years or younger. In the WHO European Region, every third person is under 30.

Young people are unafraid to challenge the status quo and raise their voices. To build an inclusive and sustainable future for all, youth engagement in health decision-making is crucial at all levels.

Kickstarted in 2021, Youth4Health is the special initiative of the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P Kluge. It aims to amplify and embed youth voices and perspectives into all areas of the WHO Regional Office for Europe’s work.

Call to join the Youth4Health network

Youth4Health is calling for youth organizations, organizations working in the youth space, Member State youth delegates, youth activists and youth parliamentarians to apply to become part of the now formalised Youth4Health network. You can read more about the application process here!

We ask you to please share the Youth4Health network Terms of Reference and call to join the network with your networks!

We encourage you to:

1. read the checklist that includes information about membership eligibility, application criteria and supporting documents;
2. complete the online application form; and 
3. send supporting documents to euroyouth@who.int.

There is no deadline, with the application process rolling. We look forward to receiving your applications. And if there are any questions, contact euroyouth@who.int

How can countries around the world harness the power of education in the fight against online and offline hate speech? UNESCO and the United Nations’ Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect have jointly developed the first guide for policy-makers and teachers, exploring educational responses to this phenomenon and making practical recommendations to strengthen education systems.

Hate speech is spreading faster and further than ever before as a result of social media user growth and the rise of populism. Both online and offline, hate speech targets people and groups based on who they are. It has the potential to ignite and fuel violence, spawn violent extremist ideologies, including atrocity crimes and genocide. It discriminates and infringes on individual and collective human rights, and undermines social cohesion.

Education can play a central role in countering hateful narratives and the emergence of group-targeted violence. Educational responses to hate speech and all forms of hateful communication include:

• Training teachers and learners on the values and practices related to being respectful global and digital citizens;
• Adopting pedagogical and whole-school approaches to strengthening social and emotional learning;
• Revising and reviewing curricula and educational materials to make them culturally responsive and to include content that identifies hate speech and promotes the right to freedom of expression.

More information

More information on countering hate speech

Read the guide

Monash University and VicHealth have collaborated to create “Kids Building Future Healthy,” an educational edition of Minecraft aimed at children between the ages of 9 and 12.

This initiative encourages children to design communities in the game where people are connected, physically active, and have access to healthy food options. Through the Minecraft Education Edition, children will explore the Future Healthy World and gather information on various ways to address health issues within their communities. The ultimate goal is for children to design and construct their ideal Future Healthy World.

Deana Leahy, Associate Professor at Monash University, explains that the project uses citizen science as a way for kids to identify and understand the impact of the commercial and social determinants of health whilst also engaging them in the planning to take action (where they can) on the commercial and social determinants of health in their community. The aim is for kids to have an opportunity to collectively contribute to a better, healthier and fairer community and share their ideas with key decision makers in their school or community.

More information