Education for International Understanding: an Idea Gaining Ground
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 406 299 SO 027 285 AUTHOR Nkake, Lucie-Mami Noor TITLE Education for International Understanding: An Idea Gaining Ground. INSTITUTION International Bureau of Education, Geneva (Switzerland). PUB DATE 96 NOTE 49p.; Photographs may not reproduce well. AVAILABLE FROM International Bureau of Education, P.O. Box 199, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland. PUB TYPE Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.) (120) Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adoption (Ideas); *Citizenship Education; Civics; Civil Liberties; Comparative Education; Cultural Exchange; Democratic Values; *Educational Philosophy; Educational Principles; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; Foundations of Education; Freedom; Futures (of Society); Global Approach; *Global Education; International Cooperation; International Education; *International Educational Exchange; International Organizations; Moral Values; *Peace; World Affairs; World History ABSTRACT This brochure is a partial follow-mn t' flih session of the International Conferer. ^e on 1..uucation (ICE), "Appraisal and Penspcctives of Education for International Understanding," held in 1994 in Geneva, Switzerland. While borrowing extensively from conference material (such as the speeches by heads of delegations, replies by member states to an International Bureau of Education (IBE) pre-conference survey, national reports, and round-table summaries), this brochure also includes personal ideas, experience, and opinions on important matters in today's countries: human rights, peace, and democracy. Despite the complexity of the challenges facing a rapidly changing world, the range of actions described in this work reflect a common will and offer further suggestions for a "new philosophy of education," that would incorporate some positive moral values common to all countries. With the dawning of the 21st century, bringing people closer together through what they have in common, through the incomparable wealth of their diversity, could be one of the keys to the creation of "a lifelong school, open to the world, in the service of mankind" (Jacques Muhlethaler, founder of the World Association for the School as an Instrument of Peace). Specific sections of the brochure include: "Why this brochure?"; "Foreword: A Common Will"; "Towards the New Millennium--An Idea Gaining Ground"; "For a New Philosophy of Education"; "A World That Is Many and One: The Other's Viewpoint"; "Development and a Culture of Peace"; "From Rhetoric to Practice for an Applied Peace"; and "Conquering New Areas for Education for Peace." Contains sources and several notes.(CB) AN IDEA GAINING GROUND PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY -\ev KioicereAAc'e. 1161- A 1 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES all INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 101116-MMEMI .1.1114 b 44. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION at Office of Educational Research and Improvement ran. ED ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) j This document has been reproduced as eceived from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. INTERNATIONAL BUREAU OF EDUCATION Contents Why this brochure? p. 3 Foreword: a common will p. 4 Vat Towards the new millenniuman idea gaining ground p. 5 For a new philosophy of education p. 10 A world that is many and one: the other's viewpoint p. 17 Development and a culture of peace p. 24 From rhetoric to practice for an applied peace p. 29 Conquering new areas for education for peace p. 45 The author expresses her gratitude to the UNICEF Office in Geneva for allowing free access to its photo library in order to illustrate this brochure. Published in 1996 by the International Bureau of Education, P.O. Box 199, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland Printed in France by SADAG, Bellegarde UNESCO:IBE, 1996 A lifetime to learn 3 3 Why this brochure? This brochure is part of the follow-up While the brochure does not attempt to the forty-fourth session of to give a systematic, detailed presenta- theInternationalConferenceon tion of UNESCO's programme in the Education (ICE), which was held in area of international understanding, it 1994inGenevaonthetheme: does recall the most significant events `Appraisal and perspectives of educa- which have occurred along the way tion for international understanding'. it has been more than seventy years While borrowing extensively from sincetheInternationalBureauof conferencematerial,suchasthe Education was first set up in 1925 speeches by headsofdelegations, towards peace and democracy. A replies by Member States to a pre- furthersourceofinspirationhas Conference survey by the International also been the philosophy of educa- Bureau of Education (IBE), national tionofferedinthe reportof reports, round-table summaries, etc., theInternationalCommissionon the style of the brochure is fairly direct, Education for the Twenty-first not restricted by the rules generally Century, which was published at the imposed on official documents for beginning of this year (see Delors in major conferences, thanks to which the references). the author has been able to convey a The author herselfisLucie- wealth and diversity of ideas, expe- Mami Noor Nkake, our colleague rience and opinions on matters of such from the World Association for the importance for the countries of the School as an Instrument of Peace. world today as human rights, peace While expressing its gratitude for her and democracy. Apart from neatly contribution, the International Bureau summing up the items on the agenda, of Education wishes to remind readers most of the chapters in this document that she is responsible for the choice contain boxes giving an 'action spec- and presentation of the facts contained trum'or'viewpoints'basedon in this publication and for the opinions innovatory, original experiments, and expressed therein, which are not neces- a selection of extracts taken from the sarily those of UNESCO:IBE and do speeches of ministers present at the not commit the Organization. The ICE. The brochure is intended for designations employed and the presen- a broad range of readers, especially tation of the material do not imply the teachers and students. expression of any opinion whatsoever It also retraces the development on the part of UNESCO:IBE regarding of UNESCO's programme and that of the legal status of any country, terri- itspredecessor,theInternational tory, city or area or of its authorities, Bureau of Education, which has been or concerning the delimitation of its part of the organization since 1969. frontiers or boundaries. 4 4 Foreword: a commonwill Theforty-fourthsessionofthe achievements of education for inter- InternationalConferenceonEdu- national understanding and identified cation(ICE),organizedbythe the remaining obstacles inits way. International Bureauof Education They noted the urgent need to include (IBE), was held in Geneva from 3 to 8 the subject in school curricula and in October 1994. It was attended by teacher-training courses. nearly 800 participants from the world Despite the complexity of the of education, including 102 ministers. challenges facing a rapidly changing The majordebatesonthe world, the range of actions described general themeof theConference, in this work reflects a common will `Appraisal and perspectives of educa- and offers further suggestions for a tion for international understanding', `new philosophy of education', which wereintroducedsuccessively by wouldincorporatesomepositive Federico Mayor, Director-General of moral values common to all countries. UNESCO, JamesGrant,Director- At this dawning of the twenty-first GeneraloftheUnitedNations century, which is so often mentioned, Childrens' Fund (UNICEF), Jacques bringingpeople closer together Delors, Chairman of the International through what they have in common, Commission on Education for the through the incomparable wealth of Twenty-first Century, and thefive their diversity, could be one of the chairpersonsoftheConference's keys to the creation of 'A lifelong preparatory meetings. school, open to the world, in the Theministersofeducation, service of mankind' (Jacques together with the educators and non- Mahlethaler,1 founder of the World governmentalorganizationstaking Associationfor the School as an part in the Conference, reviewed the Instrument of Peace). Left: James Grant (1922-95); right: Jacques Mithlethaler (1918-94) PHOTO: UNICEF/91 0005/Joe Rubino PHOTO: Max Vaterlaus, Geneve 5 Towards thenewmillennium anidea gaining ground From 1925 to 1974, the founders Considering that the development of educa- of peace through education tion is an essential factor in the establishment of peace and in the moral and material pro- gress of humanity, that the collection of data In 1925, at a time when the bitter on research and application in the field of edu- memories of the First World War and cationandtheassuranceofextensive the destruction it caused still haunted interchange of information and data by which people's minds, the prospect of another each country may be stimulated to benefit conflict was already looming on the from the experiences of others is important to horizon. More than ever, the need was this development.' felt to establish an institution in the ser- vice of education for closer contact and Ten years later, the scourge of war harmony between peoples, the precon- once again devastated the world, brin-