The Blue Dot Issue IV: Education & Extremism
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MGIEP/2016/PI/H/1 Education & Extremism: Waging Peace in the Classroom • A tale of two bands: Indian Ocean and Junoon bring India and Pakistan closer • The UN and terrorism: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon • The next big challenge: UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova • South Sudan: Education and displacement in the world’s newest nation MGIEP/2016/PI/H/1 DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE foreword by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the UN’s response to violent extremism, our contributors come from a host of different countries and backgrounds. What brings them together, however, is a call for changing current education systems. This is espoused even more clearly in a ISSUE 4 . 2016 piece by Prof. K.P. Mohanan, who uses inquiry- driven approaches to prompt youth to question blind faith in any form of ideology or indoctrination. PUBLISHED BY UNESCO MGIEP In this issue we also discuss UNESCO MGIEP’s activities in raising awareness of the strong link United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural between education and radicalization and violent Organization | Mahatama Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development extremism, including our flagship Talking Across Waging peace in the classroom: Generations (TAG) event which brought together 35 Ferozshah Road, ICSSR, Building, 1st Floor policymakers and young people in an open New Delhi 110001, INDIA Teaching respect and appreciation discussion in Delhi this February. The outcome was THE BLUE DOT features articles showcasing for diversity in a globalized world a statement calling for greater inclusiveness and UNESCO MGIEP’s activities and areas of interest. more space for young people to shape the policies The magazine’s overarching theme is the relationship s the world reels in the aftermath that ultimately affect them. between education, peace, sustainable development of the terror attacks in Paris Just like our events, The Blue Dot is a platform and global citizenship. THE BLUE DOT’s role is to and Brussels in 2015 and 2016, for individuals from different backgrounds engage with readers on these issues in a fun and respectively, there is growing and walks of life who might have divergent interactive manner. The magazine is designed to ideologies, beliefs, and values, all of which may address audiences across generations and walks of recognition that these attacks areA becoming a global threat—and one unlikely have prevented them from coming together to life, thereby taking the discourse on education for debate some of the most pressing issues of our peace, sustainable development and global citizenship to diminish in the coming years. With atrocities “Look Again at that dot. time—including the global concern surrounding beyond academia, civil society organizations and committed across the globe in Nairobi, London, governments, to the actual stakeholders. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. Mumbai, New York, Barcelona, and Beirut, the need the rise in violent extremism. When individuals for peace through dialogue and solidarity has never feel free to discuss, share ideas and question their THE BLUE DOT is published biannually. On it, everyone you love, been greater. beliefs, they can begin to think creatively and everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, critically about the world and their surrounding Subscription Placed at the heart of the UN’s new global environment. The challenge is to avoid lecturing The Blue Dot is available free of charge. every human being who ever was, development agenda, education has the power to or preaching to young people, but to provide youth To receive all future issues of the THE BLUE DOT, lived out their lives. connect young people across political, religious, with a safe space to discuss contentious issues in subscribe to [email protected] The aggregate of our joy and suffering, and cultural divides and to build a shared sense an open, inclusive and transparent manner. thousands of confident religions, of responsibility for the world in which we live. Managing Editor However, there is an increasing recognition that An open dialogue on violent extremism is a step Sigrid Lupieri, UNESCO MGIEP ideologies, and economic doctrines, standard pedagogies around the world are not towards providing young people with opportunities every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, working and, in some cases, are even exacerbating to ask questions and to reflect on their own beliefs, Publication Assistant In this fourth issue the problem by pushing students towards assumptions, and values, including animosities, Srivedant Kar, UNESCO MGIEP every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, of The Blue Dot, intolerance, extreme ideologies and even violence. prejudices, hatred and intolerance. At UNESCO MGIEP we believe that individuals who feel Design every mother and father, hopeful child, we have decided to In this fourth issue of The Blue Dot, we have decided to focus on education as a tool for both connected to others across political, religious or Firefly Communications inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, focus on education <[email protected]> preventing violent extremism and—sometimes— cultural divides also share a sense of responsibility every corrupt politician, every superstar, as a tool for both even propagating extremist ideologies. This for the world in which they live. We hope you enjoy Acknowledgements every supreme leader, every saint preventing violent issue reflects UNESCO MGIEP’s commitment to reading this issue of The Blue Dot and, as always, David McArdle and Alastair Watt, Alba Editing and sinner in the history of our species lived there- extremism and— advancing the fundamental role of education as we welcome your feedback. a means to changing mindsets and, ultimately, © UNESCO MGIEP on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” sometimes—even bringing about more peaceful societies. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this propagating From an interview with award-winning social magazine do not necessarily reflect the official policy CARL SAGAN extremist ideologies. entrepreneur Prof. Sugata Mitra on the role of ANANTHA KUMAR DURAIAPPAH or position of UNESCO MGIEP. PALE BLUE DOT: A VISION OF THE HUMAN FUTURE IN SPACE technology in revolutionizing education, to a Director, UNESCO MGIEP B ISSUE 4 . 2016 ISSUE 4 . 2016 1 MGIEP/2016/PI/H/1 FOREWORD The UN Secretary-General’s message to UNESCO MGIEP on preventing violent the capacity of teachers and educators to support this agenda. ...extremism flourishes when Beyond skills, we must also focus extremism human rights are violated... on values. We know that youth may be and people - especially young vulnerable to the lure of terrorists, who people - lack prospects and offer them a sense of belonging, perhaps a meaning in their lives. salary and even a supposed chance at glory. Ban Ki-moon Education steeped in universal values can help show the utter emptiness of such We must pay particular attention to promises, and help young people to discern addressing the drivers of violent extremism. the truth. There is no single pathway to violent The United Nations Security Council extremism. But we know that extremism recognized the value of young people as flourishes when human rights are violated, peacebuilders in its historic resolution 2250 political space is shrunk, aspirations of December 2015. This resolution opens for inclusion are ignored, and people — up new opportunities for the engagement especially young people — lack prospects of young people, much as Security Council and meaning in their lives. Resolution 1325 (2000) advanced the We also know the critical elements involvement of women in the maintenance for success: good governance, the rule of of international peace and security. Instead iolent extremism is a direct assault on the United law, political participation, decent jobs of viewing young people as part of the Nations Charter and a grave threat to international and quality education. We must promote problem, we must harness their immense peace and security. Terrorist groups have brazenly cultural literacy, and celebrate what makes potential to be part of the solutions. kidnapped young girls, systematically denied women’s us different while defending human rights In today’s world, young people have rights, destroyed cultural institutions, beheaded journalists, warped the for all. We must reject prejudice, and the superior communication skills, extensive Vpeaceful values of religions and brutally murdered thousands of innocents all-too-frequent impulse to see others as social media networks and, often, more around the world. These groups have become a magnet for foreign potential threats. influential voices than their elders. If we terrorist fighters. The UN Plan of Action calls not just are to prevent violent extremism, we have Addressing this challenge requires a unified response, and compels us for quality education, but for schooling to motivate and mobilize this generation of to act in a way that solves, rather than multiplies, the problem. Many years that emphasizes dialogue, teaches respect youth – the largest in history – to amplify of experience have proven that short-sighted policies, failed leadership, for diversity, fosters critical thinking, our messages of common humanity. When heavy-handed approaches, a focus only on security measures and a disregard promotes media and digital literacy, we give young people the education that all for human rights have often made things