Keynote Speaker at the WCCI 19th World Conference in Education

Mirian Vilela
Executive Director
Earth Charter International

Professor Mirian Vilela is the Executive Director of the Earth Charter International Secretariat and the Center for Education for Sustainable Development at UPEACE, Mirian has been working with the Earth Charter Initiative since early 1996. She coordinates the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter and served as a member of the UNESCO Expert Reference Group for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). Over the years she has lead and facilitated numerous international workshops, courses and seminars on values and principles for sustainability. Prior to her work with the Earth Charter, Mirian worked for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) for two years in preparation of the 1992 UN Earth Summit and a year at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). She actively participated in the 2002 World Summit of Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, and the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development/Rio+20. Mirian holds a B.Sc. in International Trade and a Master´s Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she was an Edward Mason Fellow. She is originally from Brazil.

President’s Session: Alice Miel Lecture

Toh Swee-Hin
President, World Council for Curriculum & Instruction (WCCI)
Laureate, UNESCO Prize for Peace Education (2000)

Dr. Toh Swee-Hin (S.H.Toh) is President of the World Council for Curriculum & instruction (WCCI), Professor Emeritus in Education of the University of Alberta (Canada) and a Visiting Fellow, Center for Peace Education, Miriam College (Philippines). Formerly a Distinguished Professor in Peace Education and International Peace Studies at the U.N. mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica, he was also the founding Director of the Multi-Faith Center, Griffith University, Australia, promoting inter-faith dialogue towards a Culture of Peace. Born in Malaysia and a citizen of Canada and Australia, he has been a high school teacher, teacher educator, researcher and social studies textbook author in the interrelated fields of education for a culture of peace, nonviolence, conflict transformation, human rights, social justice, development, international and intercultural understanding, interfaith dialogue, environmental sustainability and global citizenship . He has contributed to several international networks and organizations including UNESCO, World Council for Curriculum & Instruction, International Peace Research Association (IPRA), Parliament of the World’s Religions, Religions for Peace, and the UNESCO-Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU). Since 2013, he has been a consultant for GCED (Global Citizenship Education) policy and programmes under the auspices of UNESCO-Bangkok and APCEIU. For his scholarly, professional and civil society contributions, Dr. Toh has received numerous awards and honours, including the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education (2000).