Didier

12
May
2022
Lifelong learning for health: Enacting the Yeonsu declaration for learning cities – webinar series

Lifelong learning for health: Enacting the Yeonsu declaration for learning cities – webinar series

Towards a health learning pathway for all

The fifth UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities (ICLC 5) adopted the Yeonsu Declaration for Learning Cities, affirming a commitment to lifelong learning for health. With more than half of humanity living in urban areas, cities have a crucial role to play in promoting health education and strengthening resilience.

In order to guide and support cities in this process, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the UNESCO Chair Global Health and Education are working together to develop a roadmap for the enactment of the Yeonsu Declaration. This roadmap aims to guide cities in promoting lifelong learning for health (LLLH). All members of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, ICLC 5 participants and partners are invited to co-create the roadmap. A series of three webinars has been planned to discuss the different steps in developing and implementing policies to build a “health learning pathway for all”.

A series of webinars to co-create a roadmap

Three webinars will be organised between June and November 2022, each focusing on three key stages in the development of lifelong learning pathways. They will be jointly facilitated by UIL and the UNESCO Chair and will be offered in English, French and Spanish.

The discussions during the webinars will provide input for the roadmap to guide cities in the enactment of the Yeonsu Declaration. They will provide an opportunity for rich exchanges on the development of lifelong learning policies and initiatives.

Date and timeThematic focus
Webinar 1Wednesday, 1 June 2022
13:00 to 14:30 (CEST)
Zoom registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regis ter/WN_vKWMEMypReSeHt8HYgTuPw		LLLH: Conceptualizing, raising awareness and developing policies
Webinar 2Wednesday, 7 septembre 2022
13:00 to 14:30 (CEST)
Zoom registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regis ter/WN_5E-IXLz9QVS7bnGUocktDA		Spaces, institutions and actors: Towards a health learning pathway for all
Webinar 3Wednesday, 16 novembre 2022
13:00 to 14:30 (CET)
Zoom registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regis ter/WN_xo-pQ_jiRVuuYOTXOEL_cA		LLLH policy implementation and visibility

For more information on the webinar series

For more information on the first webinar

Posted by Didier in News
10
May
2022
22nd IAAH European Regional Conference – Youth Development Challenges in the post-COVID-19 era, 5-7 October 2022

22nd IAAH European Regional Conference – Youth Development Challenges in the post-COVID-19 era, 5-7 October 2022

The 22nd International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH) European Regional Conference “Youth Development Challenges in the post-COVID-19 era” will be held in Athens, Greece on October 5th-7th, 2022. It is locally organized by the Greek/Hellenic Society for Adolescent Medicine (GSAM) and mainly focuses on youth development during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Topics

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on youth physical and mental health, education, development and overall well-being may raise dilemmas in the management and the control of immediate or long-term consequences. Action through multidisciplinary approaches is required and knowledge of physical and psychosocial aspects, as well as possible aetiological factors, burden of co-morbidities, prevention and treatment options, as well as counselling and support strategies are prerequisites for every effort of controlling the situation and will constitute the main core of the scientific programme. Formal and non-formal education, youth-friendly services and safe digital spaces that help young people make healthier choices and develop healthy relationships, are also a topic of great interest in this conference.

An update on other important Adolescent Medicine topics, such as nutrition, vaccination, skin conditions, contraception, sports medicine, etc. will be presented.

Participants

Medical doctors of different specialties, other health professionals and specialists e.g., psychologists, social workers, educators, dieticians, physical fitness experts, etc. are welcome to participate and contribute to the works of the IAAH conference by exchanging experience and expertise, as well as difficulties encountered in different countries.

Format of the conference

Interactive workshops, symposia, round tables will take place and experts will present key topics in plenary sessions. Oral and poster presentations will highlight novel research ideas. Youth participation during the conference will enrich discussions and debates.

The deadline for the submission of abstracts is on June 10th, 2022.

For abstract submission and more information please see the conference website.

Posted by Didier in News
10
May
2022
Out soon: Global Handbook of Health Promotion Research – vol. 1

Out soon: Global Handbook of Health Promotion Research – vol. 1

We are pleased to announce the upcoming release of the first volume of the Global Handbook of Health Promotion Research. It is the result of a collaborative work, launched in May 2020 by the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education and the Canada Research Chair in Community Approaches and Health Inequalities, to structure the field of health promotion research.

An ambition: to structure the field of health promotion research

Health promotion, defined as a strategy (a set of coordinated intersectoral actions) aimed at contributing to social change to improve the health of all and reduce health inequalities, has been adopted in many countries. However, the field of health promotion research remains insufficiently structured and lacks the solid foundations of a defined and recognised set of paradigms, approaches and methods. Therefore the UNESCO Chair and the Canada Research Chair launched the project to publish a Global Handbook of Health Promotion Research with the aim to contribute to structuring the field of health promotion research and mobilising the researchers involved.

A global collaborative initiative

The handbook will map, organize and structure the field of health promotion research. The handbook includes original contributions from 173 researchers from 72 countries, and aims to explore the key theoretical, methodological, empirical and policy challenges, and pressing social issues facing health promotion research.

The Handbook consists of three distinct volumes:

  1. Mapping health promotion research
  2. Framing health promotion research (a systematic description of the epistemological and ethical framework of health promotion research)
  3. Doing health promotion research (a compilation of health promotion research paradigms, approaches and methods). 

Because it is impossible to claim an exhaustive description of research practices in one book and because the field is constantly evolving, we wanted to create a space to continue to publish and share articles to enrich this material and keep this initiative alive. Therefore a new section has been created within the journal Global Health Promotion with the aim of gathering original texts that are new to the paradigms or methods used in health promotion research.

Read the call for papers

Read the editorial

Workshops at the IUHPE World Conference

We will present this initiative and discuss its findings at two events during the IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion:

17 May from 00.15 to 00.45: Lunch with the authors, Didier Jourdan and Louise Potvin: A global participatory process to structuring the field of health promotion research: Global Handbook of Health Promotion Research

18 May from 16:00 to 17:15: Workshop facilitated by Didier Jourdan and Louise Potvin: Contributing to the global participatory process to structuring the field of health promotion research

Access the conference programme

For more information

  • Potvin L, Jourdan D. (2022). A new section for Global Health Promotion journal: doing research in health promotion. Global Health Promotion. 29(1), 3-4. https://doi.org/10.1177/17579759221079722
  • Potvin, L., & Jourdan, D. (2021). Health promotion research has come of age! Structuring the field based on the practices of health promotion researchers. Global Health Promotion, 28(4), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/17579759211044077
Posted by Didier in News
14
Apr
2022
EuroHealthNet Annual Seminar: Growing strong in times of crisis

EuroHealthNet Annual Seminar: Growing strong in times of crisis

Investing in wellbeing and health equity for young and old

Our societies are currently at a crossroads. Demographic change, growing inequalities, the climate crisis, COVID-19, and the impacts of the war in Ukraine are all having a negative impact on the health and well-being of our societies. These challenges are straining public resources and the social fabric of our communities. How can we overcome these issues and grow stronger in times of crisis?  

We must prioritise health equity and wellbeing among children, youth, families and older people to ensure they have the essential conditions and resources to thrive, setting them up for lifelong health and wellbeing. Alternative economic and care models, such as the Economy of Wellbeing – as well as socially-conscious public and private investments offer the potential to grow stronger and more sustainably out of the current crises.

This in-person seminar will gather experts and policy makers to explore the necessary conditions in which all members of society, including young and older people, feel like capable and valued members of their immediate and wider communities. New and innovative approaches and investments will be presented, in the context of current European policy developments, and with a critical focus on their impacts on health equity. Discussions will be centred around the following themes:

  • Securing conditions for health equity and wellbeing in childhood and adolescence in times of uncertainty    
  • Prioritising public investments for healthy and active ageing in the wake of multiple crises
  • Exploring how we can turn our current uncertainties into opportunities for strength, through concepts like the Economy of Wellbeing

Date: 31 May 2022

Time: 13:30-17:30 CET

Venue: In person meeting at the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium

More information

Posted by Didier in News
14
Apr
2022
Intersectoral working during the COVID-19 pandemic in schools

Intersectoral working during the COVID-19 pandemic in schools

Preliminary results of the global survey on safe reopening of schools

The second survey on the safe reopening of schools was active from February to October 2021. The aim of this survey was to gather the experiences and opinions of education and health professionals about the processes in place in their countries and territories to reopen schools safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to keep them open. With the collaboration of our Consortium partners, the survey has been disseminated all around the world in seven languages (Arabic, English, French, German, Mandarin, Portuguese and Spanish), which resulted in contributions from 72 countries.

Many themes are covered by the survey: the implementation of infection control measures in schools, the impact of infection control measures (on students and staff), the guidance and training received, the enablers and barriers to reopening schools and intersectoral working in schools. As a first step, we are glad to share the preliminary results on intersectoral collaboration and training on the UNESCO Chair website.

Posted by Didier in News
04
Apr
2022
UN Transforming Education Summit September 2022

UN Transforming Education Summit September 2022

On the International Day of Education, the UN Secretary-General’s office announced the Transforming Education Summit and encouraged everyone to unite in making education a common good and a top political priority.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented educational crisis, interrupting the schooling of 1.6 billion students at the height of the crisis. Even today, the schooling of nearly 31 million students remains disrupted by school closures. As António Guterres, Unites Nations Secretary-General, points out, the proportion of children in developing countries who leave school unable to read could rise from 53% to 70% if we do not act.

Beyond the issues of access and inequality, education faces major challenges: technical innovation, dramatic changes in the world of work, the reality of the climate emergency and a general loss of trust between people and institutions. There is a need to place education at the heart of efforts to transform the economy and society towards sustainable development. This also means launching a reflection on how education systems can evolve to accompany and support this transformation of societies by 2030. 

This is the objective of the Education Transformation Summit to be held in New York in September 2022 during the 77th Assembly of the United Nations. Recognising that education is a foundation for peace, tolerance, human rights and sustainable development, this Summit aims to mobilise and converge actions, ambitions, solidarity and solutions to transform education by 2030. A pre-Summit conference will take place in Paris in June 2022. A focused, intensive and inclusive preparatory process has been launched by UNESCO, with the aim of taking into account the priorities of Member States and ensuring the meaningful engagement of young people and all education stakeholders.

The UNESCO Chair is a partner in this event and is involved in its preparation, particularly in the area of “inclusive, equitable, healthy and safe schools”.

Posted by Didier in News
28
Mar
2022
Symposium Comprehensive sexuality education: A global learning and sharing symposium on health, well-being, values and equity I 1-3 June 2022

Symposium Comprehensive sexuality education: A global learning and sharing symposium on health, well-being, values and equity I 1-3 June 2022

The Global Partnership Forum on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), gathered by UNESCO and UNFPA, aims to consolidate knowledge management and share strategic information, good practice and research to inform stronger programming on CSE. The forum brings together an active and visible community of CSE advocates and stakeholders, advancing policy and social dialogue on CSE.

In order to take this agenda forward, UNESCO and UNFPA, on behalf of the Global Partnership Forum on CSE, will organise a three-day international virtual symposium from 1-3 June 2022.

The symposium will bring together young people, education professionals, academic experts, donors, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) practitioners and advocates, government representatives, religious and traditional leaders, artists and activists, along with other stakeholders, to present the latest evidence, promote dialogue and provide guidance for advancing effective, evidence-based approaches on education for health, wellbeing and positive values on sexuality.

The symposium will cover three overarching themes:

  • Day 1: Social, cultural and political environment of CSE,
  • Day 2: People’s participation and involvement in CSE,
  • Day 3: Processes and methods of teaching CSE

The symposium will be held in English, with simultaneous translation into French and Spanish.

More information on the symposium

Call for abstracts – deadline 6 April 2022

Up to 65 speakers from different regions of the world will be invited to participate, of which approximately 16 will be selected through a call for papers. Young people, i.e. those aged 25 or younger, will be particularly encouraged to participate and will be invited to present their work.

Contributions are expected on research as well as non-research activities, i.e. innovative programmes, conceptual frameworks and advocacy findings related to comprehensive sexuality education. Successful abstracts will be invited to make oral presentations at the symposium, and may be presented in any of the three languages of the symposium, namely English, French or Spanish. Oral presentations will be 10 minutes long, as part of a panel on a similar theme, with additional time for discussion.

More information on the call for abstracts

Deadline for submission: 6 April

Posted by Didier in News
22
Mar
2022
Call for participation: Collection of case studies on genuine participation of children and young people

Call for participation: Collection of case studies on genuine participation of children and young people

The UNESCO Chair has launched a call for participation to collect case studies of successful projects and initiatives on how to involve children and young people in improving their health and wellbeing. The collection and analysis of case studies is part of a global initiative on genuine participation of children and young people in health promotion. The case studies will help us to improve, test and implement models and approaches for children’s and young people’s genuine participation in the future. They will be included in a publication, edited by Professor Didier Jourdan, chair holder of the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, and colleagues. Everyone who is involved in or has experience with initiatives and projects that actively involve children and young people in promoting their health and well-being is invited to contribute.

For more information download the Call for participation or visit the dedicated webpage.

We would be grateful if you could share this call for participation with your relevant contacts and networks.

Posted by Didier in News
22
Mar
2022
UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education and JOGG: joining forces for a Lifestyle Transition

UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education and JOGG: joining forces for a Lifestyle Transition

Press release – The UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education and JOGG are combining forces to put a Lifestyle Transition on the agenda of national and international policymakers. A Lifestyle Transition for and together with today’s young people. A healthy future demands cross-domain cooperation focused on creating a healthy environment and a healthy lifestyle. Something which does not end at national borders.

Unhealthy environment

A healthy future begins with a healthy younger generation. Among children and young people who grow up in a healthy environment. But at the moment that environment is far from healthy. Everywhere children go they are constantly being bombarded with messages to eat both unhealthy food and too much of it, while they enjoy less and less physical exercise. On top of which the differences in health between those from poorer backgrounds and those who are better off, are only growing. The result has been a huge increase in diseases of affluence, including among children. Together with all the adverse effects that this has, both for the individual and for society.

Joined action for a Lifestyle Transition

“The present lifestyle crisis demands action. Action to narrow the health gap and improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people,” says JOGG director, Marjon Bachra. “We need to move towards a society where being able to have a healthy lifestyle is the norm. But we can only achieve that by taking a holistic approach. One which embraces all domains and sectors. Something on which both JOGG and the UNESCO Global Health & Education Chair agree. It is high time for a Lifestyle Transition.”

From today JOGG and the UNESCO Chair will support one another on the road to creating a healthier society, both nationally and internationally. The active involvement of children and young people themselves plays an important part in this. For example, the JOGG Youth Health Community is supporting the UNESCO Chair with an international project aimed at actively involving young people in creating a world which is healthy and pleasant to live in. Not just because participation is their fundamental right, but because it is also vital if the interventions to improve health are to be effective.

About JOGG – Healthy Youngsters with a Healthy Future

JOGG is a driver of the Lifestyle Transition in the Netherlands. The organisation has developed and facilitates a worknet which connects more than 200 Dutch municipalities and roughly a hundred other partners in society, fundamental and applied research and the business community. It is described as a ‘worknet’ because all the parties are working to achieve this. Based on the integrated JOGG approach, together they are working to create a healthier environment for the young, in policy and in practice. An environment in which it is easy to eat healthy food, get sufficient exercise and relax.

About the UNESCO Chair for Global Health & Education

The UNESCO Chair for Global Health & Education is a UNESCO Chair associated with the Clermont Auvergne University in France, with Professor Didier Jourdan as chairholder and Goof Buijs as manager. The UNESCO Chair works globally to strengthen health promotion and disease prevention, targeted mainly towards young people and aimed at lifelong learning. The emphasis is on creating the right conditions whereby children and young people can take more control of their own lives, as individuals, as members of their community and as world citizens.

Posted by Didier in News
15
Mar
2022
Save the date – Global Community Health Annual Workshop 2nd edition

Save the date – Global Community Health Annual Workshop 2nd edition

The second edition of the Global Community Health Annual Workshop will take place from 28 till 30 June 2022. The interactive workshop will take place online and is free of charge. Practitioners, students, policy makers and researchers from all over the world are welcome to join. More information about this second workshop will follow soon.

Would you like to stay informed about the workshop? Please send an email to info@unescochair-ghe.org.   

The second edition of the Global Community health Annual Workshop is organised by the UNESCO Chair on Global Health & Education, EHESP School of Public Health and the International Union for Health Promotion and Education IUHPE.

Posted by Didier in News