An event in collaboration with the Nairobi Work Programme (NWP)  
 

Background  

Indigenous Peoples have long held profound respect for Nature, recognizing the interconnections of all things. Indigenous knowledge systems, cultivated over generations through careful observation and interaction with the land and water, offer invaluable insights into environmental stewardship and transformational climate action. 

As 2023 stands as the hottest year on record, with extreme weather events devastating communities worldwide, incorporating the values, worldviews, and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples into education systems becomes imperative for transformational climate action and ensuring the long-term resilience of all.

Despite the richness of the Indigenous knowledge system, there is ample room for mainstream education systems to incorporate the knowledge systems of Indigenous Peoples further. For generations, Indigenous knowledge has been transmitted through oral traditions, storytelling, community engagement, mentorship, and cultural rituals. However, climate change and marginalization threaten these knowledge systems, jeopardizing their ethical and equitable incorporation into formal and informal education systems at all levels. 

This roundtable dialogue, as part of the work under the Local Communities and Indigenous People Platform (LCIPP), UNFCCC, seeks to facilitate the exchange of experiences and expertise in developing Indigenous curricula and materials related to climate change in formal and informal education systems. The dialogue will also focus on the ethical and equitable use of such materials.

Objectives 

The objectives of this roundtable dialogue include: 

• Highlight Indigenous Curricula and Education Materials 

• Showcase curricula and education materials developed by Indigenous Peoples for holistically addressing climate change 

• Promote Equitable Engagement 

• Foster a shared understanding of the ethical and equitable use of Indigenous curricula and materials in formal and informal education systems 

• Foster Meaningful Collaborations

• Facilitate interactive dialogue between Indigenous educators, climate policymakers, academic institutions, UN agencies, and other relevant entities to strengthen co-creating and transmitting curricula education materials to enrich and transform climate actions  
   

Collaboration with Nairobi Work Programme (NWP)  

The NWP, the UNFCCC knowledge-to-action hub on adaptation and resilience, focuses on enhancing the implementation of adaptation action by closing gaps in knowledge on adaptation and resilience identified by Parties, in particular developing country Parties, including the LDCs and SIDS.2 The NWP collaborates with a network of over 450 partners through various initiatives such as the UN Climate Change and Universities Partnership Programme (UN-UPP). The UN-UPP provides an opportunity for graduate students to collaborate with the UNFCCC secretariat and partners on producing tangible outputs that aim to address knowledge barriers in countries and regions.3 The dialogue could offer an opportunity to explore areas of collaboration between the NWP and the FWG of the LCIPP that could help achieve the objectives of Activity 3 of the LCIPP workplan.