UNESCO: ASPnet project for Japan solidarity and disaster risk reduction in education

UNESCO Office in Tashkent - The project was initiated by the UNESCO Bangkok Office and Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO in Japan (ACCU). The overall objective of the project was to strengthen the network of the ASPnet schools in the Asia-Pacific Region with the view of solidarity support to the educational institutions in the post-disaster countries. Main line of actions within project in Uzbekistan was focused on support of the exchange of solidarity messages from local ASPnet schools to the schools in Japan affected by the Great Tohoku Earthquake Disaster on 11 March 2011. While the primary objective is to provide solidarity to affected schools in Japan, the message drafting will also enhance Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) information and knowledge among participating ASPnet schools.

There were 20 ASPnet schools of Uzbekistan which took part in the above mentioned project and organized activities on DRR and sent messages to affected schools in Japan through their creativities such as messages, video, poems, photos, drawings and applications. National Commission of Uzbekistan for UNESCO coordinated the implementation of the project.

In the framework of the project the National Commission of Uzbekistan for UNESCO in cooperation with UNESCO Tashkent Office, Ministry of Public Education of Uzbekistan, Ministry of Emergency Situation of Uzbekistan (www.gimnaziya.zn.uz) organized the Seminar devoted to Japan Solidarity Project on 27 January 2012 at State Secondary School on Philology in Tashkent. Mr. Alisher Ikramov, Secretary-General of the National Commission of Uzbekistan for UNESCO and Mr. Tsuyoshi Kurihara, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Uzbekistan participated with welcoming speeches in the opening ceremony of the seminar. Pupils delivered presentations on negative impact of natural disaster took place in Japan in 11 March 2011. Presentation was followed by oral solidarity messages of the ASPnet schools of Uzbekistan to the people of Japan delivered in different languages: Uzbek, Japanese, English, French, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Hindi, and Persian. Training course on first emergency aid was presented in the form of interactive game. Seminar was concluded by distribution of books – Uzbek-Japanese-English Vocabularies – to the ASPnet schools of Uzbekistan and theatrical performance devoted to the solidarity and friendship of nations.

As mankind has experienced a lot of catastrophe, we should learn lesson to avoid them and to be better prepared based on this experience: strong, useful points should be taken into account and weak negative points should be avoided. People of all ages, starting from kindergarten must be educated in this direction. Communities should play an active role in this kind of activity and there must be close and friendly cooperation between schools, universities, offices, plants…and communities.

Contact: Ms. Dilnoza Kurbanova, unesco@natcom.albatros.uz