24 January 2025 marks the annual United Nations and UNESCO-proclaimed International Day of Education. The Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to ensure quality education and to promote lifelong education for all. Thus, as Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out, "Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality, and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and freedom."
Toward this goal, UNESCO has created a program of "Education for Global Citizenship" with an aim to advance a culture of peace, non-violence, freedom, justice and equality. Such education strives to end poverty, protect the planet, and foster fulfilling lives for all. Citizens of the World stress that local knowledge should be incorporated into educational strategies so as to create resilient communities.
Creative thinking helps to eliminate unworthy thought patterns and habits and leads to cooperation which is the heart of global citizenship. Thus, there is a need to strengthen the pillars of formal education, informal adult education and training, and to increase public information on education for global citizenship. Community-based organizations have a capacity to prioritize local needs and to start to take action to harness strategies and resources.
It is obvious that such broad strategies can not be limited to one day a year. However the International Day of Education can help us focus on creative actions to be undertaken and to assemble the forces needed for educational cooperation.
René Wadlow, Association of World Citizens
#The_UN_Goals #goodeducation #together #nvaction
