UNESCO New Zealand

Human rights education in schools, climate change projects in colleges and an information technology festival on the remote East Cape are some of the innovative projects supported this year by the NZ National Commission for UNESCO’s Contestable Activity Fund or UCAF.

“Promoting peace and social justice in New Zealand and the Pacific through education, the sciences, culture and the free exchange of ideas is our organisation’s focus,” says chairman, Bryan Gould.

“We received a high standard of applications this year and were delighted to support a diverse range of projects.”

Successful projects funded were:

• Human Rights in Education Project with ASP Schools (Human Rights In Education Trust): $5000
• Wellington Youth Climate Forum for secondary students ($4375)
• Te Rangitawaea ICT festival for East Cape residents (Ngati Porou Runanga): $5000
• Kowiana annual conference for young, Korean Kiwis (Kowiana Association): $3000

“These inventive projects reflect UNESCO’s growing intersectoral focus by engaging with at least two of UNESCO’s key mandated areas - Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Culture and Communications and Information,” says Mr Gould.