Kyoto University-Pale Bleu Dot Foundation Joint Programme

Education for Culture of Peace, Mutual Understanding andSustainability through the Revision of 1974 Recommendation
19 March 2024
Kyoto University
Miki Sugimura
PBD Director
UNESCO Chairholder on Education for Human Dignity, Peace and Sustainability
Faculty of Human Sciences, Sophia University

Outline

1．Features of the 1974 Recommendation
2. The Revision of the 1974 Recommendation
3. Future’s Perspective: Possibility of implementation ofthe revised 1974 Recommendation

Education for culture of peace andinternational understanding and cooperation✓Constitution of UNESCO(1945)
That since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that thedefences of peace must be constructed✓Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(1948)|✓The 1974 Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding,
Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms (1974)➥revision process has been ongoingbased on Resolutions of the 41st session of the General Conference in2021

Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

Features of 1974 Recommendation•The first international document that brings together and articulates
education’s role in contributing to peace, international understanding, humanrights, and fundamental freedoms.
• It suggests a line of action without imposing legal obligations.
• Education in the spirit of the 1974 Recommendation aims to build peacefuland just societies, eradicate poverty, promote gender equality, enhance
health and well-being, combat climate change, and promote understanding
between nations and peoples.
• By intertwining these themes, the Recommendation provides a holistic
approach to education and aligns efforts across sectors and fields ofexpertise to address common challenges and drive positive change.

Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

Reasons of Revision of the 1974 Recommendation• While the Recommendation has been a progressive and driving force by
establishing international principles and standards for governing education,and explaining how it should contribute to justice, freedom, and sustainable
development, much has changed in the last 50 years that requires thedocument to be updated.

• The “struggle against colonialism and neo-colonialism in all their forms andmanifestations, and against all forms and varieties of racialism, fascism, andapartheid as well as other ideologies which breed national and racial hatred,
and which are contrary to the purposes of this Recommendation” (Article 6)
is relevant today though in different ways.
• Responding to new and persistent challenges and threats to human rights
and international understanding requires new approaches to education. The
legal landscape has transformed, too: the international community now has amore robust set of agreements and frameworks to promote peace and nonviolence, which were absent in 1974. New research and data have alsoenriched the development of effective policies and monitoring of their impact.
Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

Human Security（Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan)

Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBDInternatonal SeminarProcess of Revision of the 1974 Recommendation•For all these reasons, UNESCO’s Member States decided to revise the1974 Recommendation to take into account shifts in the global andeducational landscape, in particular the requirements of the 2030
Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Education, with aview to firmly embed the role of education in fostering Lifelong learning• The revision will also take into account the recent results of the Futures ofEducation Report: Reimagining our futures together: a new social contractfor education that highlighted the need for a more relevant and forwardlooking vision for teaching, learning and innovating.

• Iinspired by the results of the Transforming Education Summit

Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

Concepts and Norms to be sharedin SDGs Goal 4: Education and Target 4.7• Ensure inclusive and equitable quality educationand promote life-long learning opportunity for all.
Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire knowledge andskills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among
others, through education for sustainable development andsustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of aculture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship andappreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution tosustainable development

Education 2030 Framework of Action• Incheon Declaration and Framework of Action (2015) points outthat “We commit with a sense of urgency to a single, renewededucation agenda that is holistic, ambitious and aspirational leaving
no one behind”.

Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal SeminarRoles of Education

ーUNESCO （2021）International Commission on the Futures of Education
Progress Update
Rethinking Education towards 2050---The place of education in wider society:strengthening a common public education---The organization and governance of education:building inclusive educational ecosystems---The content and methods of teaching and learning:
fostering knowledge co-construction and pedagogical communing---New times for teachers---Key roles for higher education---The urgency of global solidarity and international cooperation
1)to play in strengthening the knowledge and educational common.
2)the role of universities in teacher education3)decisive significance of universities in producing research and enabling thecirculation of knowledge, which both supports educational policymaking
and strengthens the school and pedagogical innovation.

Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

”A Crisis in education affects us all”
ーFrom Vision Statement of the SG on Transforming Education Summit 2022
“Education is a fundamental human right”.
“Throughout history, it has been a source of personal dignity andempowerment and a driving force for the advancement of social,economic, political, and cultural development”.
“Yet today, beset by inequalities and struggling to adjust to theneeds of the 21th century, education is in crisis”.
“Education is the great enabler, but today, in may cases, it is also
the great divider.”Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

Transforming Education

ーFrom Vision Statement of the SG on Transforming Education Summit 2022

To support learners in the four key areas
Learn to learn, Learn to live together, Learn to do, Learn to beTransforming education system1) Ensuring a learning environment that supports the developmentof all learners
2) Enabling teachers to transform themselves and become agentsof change
3) Harnessing the digital revolution for the benefit of public education
4) Investing more, more equitably, and more efficiently in education

Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

Highlights of the Revised Recommendation
•••
•
•
•
•

New understanding of peace
Climate change and environmental sustainability
Gender Equality
Global Citizenship Education
Education for Sustainable Development
Media and information literacy skills
Non-formal and Informal education• The international community is equipped today with a solid array of
normative instruments and technological tools to foster peace and nonviolence, which didn’t exist in 1974. We also have data and a rich body ofresearch in education to develop sound policies and monitor their impact.

Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

Elements for Transforming Education throughComparative Education and International Education

Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

Possibilities of Non-traditional learning
1. Providing learning opportunities to students with limited
learning opportunities
2. Creation of new educational opportunities
3. Challenges created by collaborative learning by diverse learners
with different cultural backgrounds to acquire multifacetedunderstanding and compound-eye thinking ability（ex１）“Learning with Southeast Asia:
Creating Together Resilient andSustainable Future Society” incooperation with 5 universities
from 4 countries for 180 students（ex２）Jesuit World Wide Learning
Program delivery to developing
countries including refugee camps
Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

Flexible and Diversified Qualitative Learning in
Education for Sustainable Development

International Cooperation/
Sharing/Networking

Local Context

Inter/ trans disciplinary learning

Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal Seminar

Functions of Education in the Era ofGlobalisation and Internationalisation
Miki Sugimura@Kyoto
University-PBD
Internatonal Seminar①Education for national integration andnation-building
Ⅰ. national integration --national education
Ⅱ. Diversification—multicultural education②Education for human resource
development through internationalization
Collaboration and Cooperation③Education for nurturing global citizens
through cross-border / multicultural education

International Dialogue

Education for International Understanding, Cooperation and Peace
Human Dignity and Peace of Culture
Human Security
International Cooperation

People’s mobility
Equality and Equity in Diversity
Inclusive Society and Inclusion
Co-existence

Transnational/Cross-border Education
Cross-border development and international solidarity
Education for Sustainable Development
Global Citizenship Education
Miki Sugimura@Kyoto University-PBD Internatonal SeminarRoles of Comparative and International Education for
Creating Inclusive and Equitable Education for Cultureof Peace and Sustainable Futures
1. Analyze the characteristics and differences between
education systems in various countries and regions
2. Clarify changes in regional, national and internationalframeworks and education

3. Interpret multi-faceted and relative concepts and norms
considering different political, historical, social and culturalcontexts

4. Rethink and reconstruct shared educational concepts andnorms across local, national and international frameworks

Sophia Bringing the World Together