Sub-regional Workshop on the Introduction of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Kit

SUKHOTAI, Thailand
13-20 February 2000

Report

Held in the World heritage Site of Sukhothai, Thailand, the workshop brought together more than 20 experts in education and heritage from 7 countries of the region. The purpose of the workshop was the introduction of the World Heritage Education Resource Kit, its assessment, evaluation and applicability to each country and the drawing up of action plans as to prepare the implementation of the Kit.

The UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific and a selected team of expert trainers introduced the contents of the World Heritage Education Resource Kit as well as some of the kit's many activities designed to be applied in the classroom as well as through extra-curricular on-site activities to enhance young people's knowledge of World Heritage, local heritage and conservation. Daily sessions were also devoted to on-site visits during which the experts acted as students or teachers to assess the applicability of Kit activities.

The participants represented different fields of competence (curriculum, heritage conservation) in their own countries and this was very valuable for the future project in a way that it helps the World Heritage Education Special Project to become more than just a school project and be of importance to many actors.

Objectives of the Workshop

• Bring national heritage and education experts together who did not know each other prior to the workshop in order to forge possible working alliances for further implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Resource Kit in the respective countries of the region
• Introduce the UNESCO World Heritage Education Resource Kit to the countries in the Southeast Asia region, in particular to teachers and concerned educators of the ASP network, education curriculum planners, World Heritage and national heritage managers and other national stakeholders
• Evaluate the World Heritage Education Resource Kit as to its applicability to individual Southeast Asian country requirements
• Develop and formulate country action plans for World Heritage Education based on or inspired by the Kit and the activities of the workshop for implementation on both formal and non-formal levels.

Organizers

The UNESCO Office of the Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific
The Thai National Commission for UNESCO
The Swedish National Commission for UNESCO
SEAMEO-SPAFA
The Thailand ASP Network
The Sukhothai Historical Park managemen
The Si Satchanalai Historical Park Management
Udom Darunee Secondary School
Kamphaengphet Pittayakom School
Chalermkwansatree School
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)
The World Heritage Fund

Participants, observers and others

29 participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam;23 observers from Philippines and Thailand
5 trainers
31 members of the Secretariat

Countries represented

Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam