Education For A World Society – OpEd
By René Wadlow
The United Nations is preparing a “Transforming Education Summit” to be held in New York 17,18,19 September 2022 during the General Assembly. This is an opportunity for those involved in peacebuilding efforts to provide information and suggestions, especially as a major theme of the Summit is “Learning and Skills for Life, Work, and Sustainable Development.” As the preparatory text for the Summit states “Transforming education means empowering learners with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to be resilient, adaptable and prepared for the uncertain future while contributing to human and planetary well-being and sustainable development.”
Yet there is a wide-spread awareness that the current education systems are not preparing people to meet the challenges which face the current world society: armed conflicts, human rights violations, persistent poverty, mass migrations and the consequences of climate change. There is a feeling that society is crumbling, collapsing and is no longer creative. However, there is also a vision that education shall be directed to the full development of each person and to strengthening respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Education should promote understanding, respect, and friendship among peoples. Education should promote the advancement of a culture of peace, liberty, equality and non-violence.
Education for a world society is based on creative thinking that enables all people to contribute actively to our complex and interdependent world society. Thus, there is a need to help the United Nations System and Member States in their efforts to provide inclusive and quality education at all levels and to promote lifelong learning opportunities. We need to develop intercultural exchanges to prepare students and educators to think as Citizens of the World.
We need to build on the views expressed at the Transforming Education Summit to prepare government-sponsored and private education institutions to meet world society challenges and to highlight current weaknesses such as inadequate educational opportunities for girls and women. The Summit provides a vital opportunity for action.
*René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is a Sanskrit phrase which means “the world is one family”.
What the UN is now thinking India the land of Teachers (Gurus) thought centuries back. India has been the land of Teachers (Gurus) for centuries from Lord Krishna who taught Arjun and whose teachings are in Bhagavad Gita, the basic principles of life. Since His teachings apply equally to all, He is called jagadguru, the world teacher. Gurus the like to name a few Chanakya,Buddha,Guru Nanak Dev ji,Guru Govind Singh ji,Vivekananda and many sages and rishis.What the UN is now thinking Guru Nanak ji and others have thought and said ages back: For Guru Nanak Dev Ji and others education was the manifestation of perfection already in a man. He was of the opinion that the inherent perfection of man will spontaneously manifest itself when external and internal obstacles were removed with the help of a capable teacher. As a teacher of the masses, the first thing he did was to make the people aware of the existing external obstacles in the form of unfair distribution of resources, inequalities in social, economic and political set up and in educational opportunities. At the same time he worked towards the removal of internal obstacles by ridding his pupils’ minds of the cobwebs of of ignorance that stand in the way of a man achieving his highest potential.
Hi, Patial RC:
You gave Big Names: Krishna–who’s that? Siva–then, comes who’s Siva? Dancer–then, comes who’s that dancer or why is Siva dancing?
These are some of the fundamental Qs, ancients couldn’t or didn’t answer.
And, none of the others (you have mentioned above couldn’t, either)–however, Buddha is exceptional over the all others you have mentioned, because Buddha taught us ‘we have no right to kill other life and eat…’
So, let us get back to Siva–
It is one of the Four Powers of The Creator (Mahesvar): It is being displayed thru Sun-god (Father to christians)–that power spreads thru radiation-waves (or dancing waves…of Siva).
Then, I am sure, you have heard of Vishnu, Brahma, & Narada.
This is a simple Story–but hard to understand: so, genius-Arya came up with Rama (for Vishnu) & Krishna (for Siva), etc.–with a view to simply the “vast science-Knowledge or Veda” to enable a villager, like me, to comprehend.
Despite of that we, the village folks missed it (that includes all those Names you cite) plus pharisee-jew: then, the foxy-jew went on to form Religions (with false cave-writings)–so, we are lost.
Then, came a few geniuses like Kepler, Newton, Wien, Chadwick, Fermi, etc. (just to name a few)–suddenly, Hiter came with Swastika (to stop the false cave-writings of Jew).
To counter all that new-science, Einstein, a jew, appears–so, we are back to Sq. One.
Of course, Hindos (in India) gone with the wind >6K Yrs. ago when the Jew began to form various Religions and sent army-soldiers with swords, guns, etc… Now, China & Wuhan-virus is working to destroy us, all…
So, where do we go from here?
The British East India Company rule led to the fall of the traditional education system in India. For their convenience of administration they felt the need for educating the Indians in English. Lord Macaulay arrived in India on June 10, 1834, as a law member of the Governor General’s Executive Council and was appointed President of the Committee of Public Instruction. Macaulay advocated the government to spend money only on western education, not oriental education. He also advocated educating only a few Indians, who would then educate the rest of the population. He wished to create a pool of Indians capable of serving British interests and remaining loyal to them. This group would be “Indian by blood and colour, but English by tastes, opinions, morals, and intellect.” Traditional values should not be forgotten while addressing “Education For A World Society.”
The focus on education is critical, and more so, the increasing understanding that knowledge and technical skills are important yet not sufficient for the major challenges we face as humanity. An international group of scholars has been focusing instead on the mindset, identifying not only the aspects of the mindset that got us into trouble, but also what aspects have to be developed for shaping a better world. These professors from 220 universities in 57 countries are researching the sustainability mindset, developing new pedagogical approaches to bring it into the classroom, and assessing it through instruments and tools like the Sustainability Mindset Indicator. They are part of the Working Group on the Sustainability Mindset, a network of PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education), the academic arm of the UN Global Compact. They are collectively reaching over 30 000 students a year. Not a lot, but a start with powerful ripple effects, when we start focusing on the mindset!