We cannot deny the fact that the world we live in is a Global Village. We are all connected.
"Before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you've depended on more than half of the works" said Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
And it is the truth. Wherever you are, whoever you are, we depend on each other! But is the world becoming better? Religious conflicts, refugee crisis, political instability, famine...the list goes on and on, are ever on the rise.
The world is complex with its contradictions; economic growth with rising inequality and vulnerability, greater interconnectedness but proliferation of intolerance and violence, unstable lifestyle and ecological crisis, progress and challenges of human rights. Challenges are becoming more complex and paradoxical.
Back at home, there is this similar microcosm of unemployment, youth issues, alcohol and tobacco, gender disparity, etc.
The answer lies in Education. And the changes in it. We should be 'rethinking education'.
The 'nationalistic development' discourse of education based on growth-first strategy has come into question. The focus of education shifts from desseminating existing knowledge to helping create new knowledge. There is increasing pressure to expand the role of education to address global problems.
We need a transformative education.
"Good education is more than an entry point into the job market. Education has the power to transform people and bring shared values to life. In the face of global pandemics, conflict, climate change, and economic turmoil, it is clear we sink or swim together," says the UN Secretary-General's Global Initiative on Education.
“Education gives us a profound understanding that we are tied together as citizens of the global community, and that our challenges are interconnected” states Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General.
So, whats the path? Fostering Global Citizenship is the way.
UN SG's Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) 2012 has three priorities.
"Before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you've depended on more than half of the works" said Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
And it is the truth. Wherever you are, whoever you are, we depend on each other! But is the world becoming better? Religious conflicts, refugee crisis, political instability, famine...the list goes on and on, are ever on the rise.
The world is complex with its contradictions; economic growth with rising inequality and vulnerability, greater interconnectedness but proliferation of intolerance and violence, unstable lifestyle and ecological crisis, progress and challenges of human rights. Challenges are becoming more complex and paradoxical.
Back at home, there is this similar microcosm of unemployment, youth issues, alcohol and tobacco, gender disparity, etc.
The answer lies in Education. And the changes in it. We should be 'rethinking education'.
The 'nationalistic development' discourse of education based on growth-first strategy has come into question. The focus of education shifts from desseminating existing knowledge to helping create new knowledge. There is increasing pressure to expand the role of education to address global problems.
We need a transformative education.
"Good education is more than an entry point into the job market. Education has the power to transform people and bring shared values to life. In the face of global pandemics, conflict, climate change, and economic turmoil, it is clear we sink or swim together," says the UN Secretary-General's Global Initiative on Education.
“Education gives us a profound understanding that we are tied together as citizens of the global community, and that our challenges are interconnected” states Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General.
So, whats the path? Fostering Global Citizenship is the way.
UN SG's Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) 2012 has three priorities.
1. Put every child in school
2. Improving the quality of learning
3. Foster global citizenship.
And Education 2030 launched during the Incheon Declaration is all about "...inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all."
And SDG Target 4.7 exclusively points out that "By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development".
So, what is Global Citizenship Education (GCED)? It is a transformative education framework.
Global citizens are individuals who think and act for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. Global Citizenship does not entail a legal status. Rather, it’s a sense of belonging to the common humanity; ethos and metaphor for solidarity and collective responsibility at the global level; and a framework for a collective action towards a better world and future.
Global Citizenship Education (GCED) is a transformative education that can develop knowledge, skills, values and attitudes learners need for securing a world which is more just, peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable.
GCED is an emerging perespective. “Important entry points for GCED are peace education, human rights education, education for international understanding, and education for sustainable development. They are like a river with many ributaries: in this river we can mix and learn from each other.” notes TOH Swee-Him, Professor, the United Nations University for Peace”
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| [Source: UNESCO (2016). Schools in Action: Global Citizens for Sustainable Development] |
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| [GCED Operational Definitions; Key learner attributes in three domains of learning] |
Someone asked me why focus on Global Citizenship and and not on our Bhutanese culture and traditions, because there is the need to uplift our own identity.
My answer 'Think Global. Act Local'.
Copyright: UNESCO