The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed Jan 24 as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.
Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind.
According to the UNESCO, 250 million children and youth are out of school, and 763 million adults are illiterate.
The world is seeing a surge of violent conflicts paralleled by an alarming rise of discrimination, racism and hate speech. The impact of this violence transcends any boundary based on geography, gender, race, religion, politics.
An active commitment to peace is more urgent today than ever: Education is central to this endeavor, as underlined by the UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development.
Learning for peace must be transformative, and help empower learners with the necessary knowledge, values, attitudes and skills and behaviours to become agents of peace in their communities.
