On behalf of Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to this international scientific conference. Drylands are often considered fragile ecosystems, yet they have a remarkable resilience to stress. They are home to unique and well-adapted plant and animal species that we need to conserve. Some of the world’s greatest cultures and belief systems have originated in drylands. On the other hand, desertification and land degradation in drylands often result in poverty and cause environmental refugees to abandon their homes. These problems can only be addressed in a holistic manner, based on sound scientific research and findings. Solutions to the problems of dryland degradation need to be communicated as widely as possible through education at all levels. These are many reasons why UNESCO – within its mandate of science, education, culture and communication – took the intiative to organize this conference. And we are glad that so many partners have responded to our call. UNESCO considers this conference as its main contribution to the observance of the International Year of Deserts and Desertification in 2006. We have deliberately chosen the title ‘The Future of Drylands’ as we feel it is time to redefine our priorities for science, education and governance in the drylands based on 50 years of scientific research in arid and semi-arid zones. In fact UNESCO has one of the longest traditions, within the UN system, of addressing dryland problems from an interdisciplinary, scientific point of view. In 1955, the ‘International Arid Land Meetings’ were held in Socorro, New Mexico (USA). They were organized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), sponsored by UNESCO and supported by the Rockefeller Foundation. One important output of the International Arid Land Meetings was a book entitled The Future of Drylands, edited by Gilbert F. White and published in

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Education reformist and philosopher John Dewey has stated that the ultimate aim of writing “School’s of Tomorrow”  is not an attempt to develop a complete theory of education nor yet review any systems or discuss the views of prominent educators.This is not a text book of education nor yet an exposition of a new method of school teaching, aims to show the weary teacher or the discontented parent how education should be carried on. The aim of this book is to show what actually happens  when schools start out to put into practice each in its own way, the effects of applications arise from new educational ideas and the direction and meaning that education seems to be taking at present time. The most important point that should be taken into consideration in the book “School’s of Tomorrow” which was written by John Dewey a century ago in 1915,  is that  Are  the schools at present educational system in 2016 able to provide educational application and practices mentioned in the book? In the book it is asserted that education is the result of natural growth and it gives much importance and consistent with basic educational principles such as  personal liberties and individuality. In addition; the role of education in social development and supplying local needs are the two important current topics discussed in educational system makes the book ultimately notable. Anoter important issue emphasized in the book is  guiding to  constitute democracy tradition in education. The book is useful source for the  educators, parents and pupils.

Schools of Tomorrow

Rural Revitalization in China: Land-Use Optimization through the Practice of Place-making

Since 1990, Uzundere district has attracted the attention of national and international organizations due to its rich ecological values, where different projects have been launched in various field...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13467581.2020.1758108

Evaluation of vernacular architecture of Uzundere District (architectural typology and physical form of building) in relation to ecological sustainable development

The western Sicily earthquake of 1968

While the major cities in Denmark experience population growth, the villages in surrounding rural areas face abandonment and decay. European Union and state funds are used for the demolition of abandoned houses and the rapid eradication of cultural values under the guise of state-authorized clean-up projects. This paper outlines an attempt to establish a counter-practice of radical preservation based on a series of transformations of abandoned buildings in various rural villages. The main focus is on one particular transformation, “The controlled ruin at the church,” as it explored the responses of the local community throughout the entire period since the start of the project in March 2014. The aim of this transformation was to reveal and preserve material and immaterial values endangered by the forthcoming demolition such as aspects of cultural heritage, local narratives, and building density. The presence of “The controlled ruin at the church” in the rural village catalyzed an exchange of memor...

Encountering Rural Transformation: A Catalyst for Exchanging Narratives of Place?

Concepts of Transformation

/pdf/1-1-dis-section-learning-through-full-scale-dissection-and-1s81j4m74r.pdf

Mo Michelsen Stochholm Krag

Papers

Encountering Rural Transformation: A Catalyst for Exchanging Narratives of Place?

Concepts of Transformation

1:1 (Dis)section ‐ Learning through Full‐Scale Dissection and Transformations of Abandoned Buildings