On September 21, countries and people around the world observed this year’s International Day of Peace and the theme of “Education for Peace.”The United Nations marked this day with a call for further investment in education to teach the world’s children the values of tolerance and diversity as a first step towards addressing underlying causes of violent conflict around the world.
According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “it is not enough to teach children how to read, write and count. Education has to cultivate mutual respect for others and the world in which we live, and help people forge more just, inclusive and peaceful societies.”
Estimates predict that 57 million children throughout the world live without any access to education, while millions of others receive a substandard level of education. In recent years, conflicts like those seen in Syria, Mali, and the Central African Republic have increasingly contributed to this statistic. Currently, approximately 28.5 million children live in countries where persistent violence prevents them from attending school.
Although the need for educational aid continues to rise, funding has begun to drop. To address this growing problem, the UN Secretary-General developed the 5-year plan for Global Education First in 2012. This strategy, in combination with the Education Cannot Wait advocacy group, seeks to ensure that education becomes a primary objective within international development, with special attention paid to areas experiencing humanitarian crises.
Education provided to children living in extreme conditions of poverty and deprivation will not only help provide opportunities and support development, but it will also teach children the value of non-violence. These lessons have the potential to prevent future conflict and violence. As stated in UNESCO’s Constitution, “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.”
Creative Commons Love: Turkairo on Flickr.com
Written by Amanda Lubit