SHSviews 18 - October-December 2007
UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector Magazine
Dossier: The dialogue between researchers and policy makers: what is the role of UNESCO? / Interview with Juan Somavia: “Decent work is everybody's business” / Social Transformations: Young people at the heart of UNESCO’s General Conference
Download SHSviews [PDF, 1.3 MB]
This issue of SHSviews covers topical issues from October to December 2007:
Dossier - The dialogue between researchers and policy makers: what is the role of UNESCO? [PDF]
Today’s policy makers face the difficult task of tackling complex issues in a rapidly changing social environment. Whether it is meeting internationally agreed human development objectives, such as the Millennium Development Goals, or coping with the challenges of fast-paced social transformations, policy makers increasingly rely on the knowledge and expertise generated in academic research communities. Conversely, social scientists and researchers depend on feedback from policy makers to make sure that their work remains relevant to the real-world issues that affect their communities. Unfortunately, dialogue between these two worlds does not occur naturally, as demonstrated by the vast archive of ineffective policies designed in total disregard for existing social science knowledge. UNESCO, with its unique intellectual mandate, has taken up the task of bringing together researchers and policy makers in order to build the capacities of Member States to meet their core responsibility of ensuring the welfare of their citizens. The initiative is called the Management of Social Transformations, or MOST for short, and it is carried out by the Social and Human Sciences Sector.
Interview with Juan Somavia: “Decent work is everybody's business” [PDF]
As the 20th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is celebrated on October 17 2007, the Director General of the International Labour Organization stresses the challenge of making work decent for all. According to him, the international labour crisis is one of the greatest current security threats and should be everybody’s business.
Social Transformations: Young people at the heart of UNESCO’s General Conference [PDF]
In order to narrow the gap between young people and an international organization as complex as UNESCO, with its numerous partners and networks, constant efforts are necessary. The UNESCO Youth Forum, which is an integral part of the General Conference, and regional youth forums are a necessary part of this process.
Also in SHS Views N° 18 [PDF]:
- Editorial
- 3rd Ethics and Bioethics Day for West and Central Africa
- Bioethics: towards a more effective UN
- Teaching bioethics: a world programme to be tested in 2008
- Reinforcing research on gender
- Manilla leads a world women’s research network
- News from the Coalition of Cities against Racism
- An initiative to support the Horn of Africa
- Rugby World Cup: UNESCO in the scrum
- News on Anti-doping and Physical Education
- International migration: summer school in Moscow
- The rights of migrant workers in Europe and Africa
- Cultural diversity from a comparative social sciences perspective
- The heritage of migrants in museums around the world
- Addressing human trafficking in Benin and Togo
- Which environmental ethics?
- Who owes what to the very poor?
- Rationality or rationalities?
The world moves, UNESCO too, by Pierre Sané, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Social and Human SciencesEthics
Human Rights
Philosophy
Celebration of World Philosophy Day in Turkey
Social Transformations
A New Feature!: Readers’ Forum
"How Man spread over the Earth", by Olzhas Suleimenov, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Kazakhstan to UNESCO
Publications
Calendar from September to December 2007
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