Dear IYGUmembers and IYGU friends,dearall,
I herewith invite you to the closing ceremony of the 2016 International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on November 21, 2017, at the Aula of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (see tentative program attached).
Unfortunately, fewer staff members in the IYGU team since late 2016, the compilation of the IYGU Final Report, and the organization of the ‘technical’ details of the closing ceremony meant that I was unable to send out this invitation sooner. So, I know that this comes at rather short notice; hence, I would be all the more grateful if you could accept the invitation andjoin us in wrapping up this successful and events-packed international year in a half-day ceremony that showcases the year’s highlights.
At this event, we will also outline possible scenarios for a fruitful continuation of all the important achievements and would love for you to join us in discussing them. As suggested by the executive directors Heide Hackmann, Mathieu Denis, and Luiz Oosterbeek I submitted the proposal for the “2020s Science Decade of Global Understanding” (SDGU) at the end of September to ICSU, ISSC and CIPSH. This proposal was intended to become part of the agenda of the joint meeting of the General Assemblies of ICSU and ISSC (October 25-26 in Taipei) where the decision of the merger of the two councils was taken on October 26 to form the new International Science Council. Of course, all this development is well in line with the IYGU program.
Given our very limited budget IYGU will not be able to cover your travel costs. However, under special circumstances I’ll see what I can do to at least contribute towards the accommodation costs. Also, please get in touch if you need help with finding your way through train, bus, and flight options within Germany when organizing your travels to and from Jena.
I’m proud to announce that Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Klaus Töpfer, former UNEP Executive Director, and Prof. Dr. Carlos Torres, UNESCO Chair in Global Learning and Global Citizenship Education at UCLA, accepted the invitation and will give keynote speeches.
In addition, high ranked representatives of UNESCO, the three international science councils, and one of our strongest supporters since the IYGU’s inception, Christoph Matschie, former state minister for science and education of Thuringia and now member of the German Bundestag, will also attend the closing ceremony.
It would be great if you could make it despite the short notice.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Benno