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City Montessori Schooland Human Rights Education
Jagdish Gandhi

T

he City Montessori School (CMS) started with only five students in 1959.
Located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh State in India, CMS also started a comprehensive and consistent program since its inception when the first five
students wrote “Jai Jagat” (hail the world) on their slates.
Today on its 50th year of glorious existence,
it continues to spread the light of education
with the same undiminished fervor. Whileretaining the highest academic standard andpursuing excellence in all its forms, CMS has
been constantly changing itself with respect todevelopments in the sphere of education. Since
its inception, students from all over Lucknow
and all over the world have come to CMS toseek challenges and prepare themselves in helping to make this world a much better place tolive in.

just and honourable relations between nations;(c) foster respect for international law and treaty
obligations in the dealings of organised peoples
with one another; and (d) encourage settlementof international disputes by arbitration.

This constitutional provision is based on
the ancient Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiv
Kutumbakam, which means that the entire
world is but one family and the humankind
its citizens. Each citizen of India, who owes
allegiance to the Constitution, is individually(and with other citizens) duty-bound to makean earnest endeavor to promote the ideals of
Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam. 
The great proponent of non-violence andFather of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, said
that “a day will come when the world will approach India in its quest for peace and India will
become the light of the world.”1 Article 51 andVasudhaiv Kutumbakam embody this quest forpeace in India, and have been proven as workable ideas during the international conferences
held by the CMS in the past eight years.
The program of CMS considers the present
situation of world’s 2.2 billion children who
constitute the common denominator for all thenations of the world. For parents, their child isthe most precious possession in the world. No
parents can ever bear the thought of any harm

Objectives and Elements of the CMS
Program
CMS is educating students and parents of
the world about the unique Article 51 of the
Indian Constitution regarding international
peace and security and preparing them to become law-abiding Total Quality Person (TQP)
for tomorrow’s New World.
Article 51 of the Indian Constitution (Part IV- Directive Principles of State Policy) provides:
51. Promotion of international peace andsecurity.	The State shall endeavour to- (a) promoteinternational peace and security; (b) maintain

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HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

coming to their child. Yet, the United Nations
data about the world’s children show many
staggering facts:(i) 29,000 children under the age of five dieeach day (twenty-one each minute) frommalnutrition and preventable diseases.
(ii) Each year, at least 250,000 young children lose their sight for lack of a small
amount of vitamin A in their diet.
(iii) In the past fifteen years, two million
children died in war, about six million were handicapped, twelve million
became homeless and one million losttheir parents and were separated fromthem. Over 300,000 children havebeen exploited as soldiers, bearers andmineworkers. Twenty-five million children have lived in closed refugee camps,
encircled by gun towers and barbed
wire. The number of children killed or
maimed by landmines every year stands
between 8,000 and 10,000.
(iv) Approximately 640 million children do
not have adequate shelter. Of them, sixty
million are homeless street children. The
youngest street children are only five or
six years old.
(v)	Nearly 100 million children of the primary school age are not taking part inany educational program.
(vi) 500 million children have no accessto sanitation, 400 million children do
not have access to safe water, 300 million children lack access to information,
270 million children do not have accessto health care services and 90 million
children have no food to eat.
(vii) 140 million children never even began
school.
(viii)	The security of the world’s two billion
children and generations yet-to-be-born
is threatened by ecological disaster, international terrorism and threat of a third
world war with nuclear weapons. These
are truly global threats and no one, inany corner of the world, is safe or securefrom these threats.
(ix)	The politicians of the world are busy
with national politics and not with
the needs and affairs of this age thatare international by nature. Who will
safeguard the future of the world’s twobillion children?

School is the Lighthouse of Society
CMS believes that the “school is a building
with four walls with tomorrow inside” and the“destiny of a man[/woman] is shaped in theclassroom.” CMS, therefore, upholds that “aschool must act as the Lighthouse of Society
to provide a meaningful education, spiritual
direction and leadership to students, parents
and society” - and that a modern school must
be concerned with the affairs of the age. Hence,its program is a CMS initiative on behalf of theworld’s children. CMS adheres to the following
basic principles:a. Education - a Powerful Instrument of Social
Transformation
CMS believes that at certain moments in history, education must also act as a powerful
instrument of profound social transformation. Such a moment has now arrived. CMS
believes that education is a continuous andcreative process. Its aim is to develop thecapacities latent in human nature and tocoordinate their expression for the enrichment and progress of society by equipping
children with spiritual, moral and material
knowledge.
b. Purpose of Today’s Education - Redemptionof Humankind from Its Godlessness
CMS believes that the main reason for
the weakening of the social fabric and the
spreading global unrest is the meaningless-

City Montessori School and Human Rights Education  53

ness of education that has filled the mindof the human being with godlessness, ignorance, confusion and conflict. Therefore,
CMS believes that the purpose of today’s
education should be the redemption ofhumankind from (i) its godlessness, (ii) its
ignorance, (iii) its confusion, and (iv) its
conflict. CMS also believes that human beings have three realities, namely, (i) material(ii) human and (iii) divine. Only a balanced
development of all the three realities of life
can make an individual a total quality person
and a useful member of society.
c. Let Us Make Every Child Good and Smart
CMS believes that every child is potentiallythe light of the world but at the same time
the cause of its darkness. Therefore, meaningful education must be of primary importance. CMS believes that now the time
has arrived when it must try to make every
child both good and smart, a gift of God
to humankind, the pride of the human race,and the light of the world.
d. True Education Releases Capacities
CMS also upholds that true education
releases capacities, develops analytical abilities, confidence in oneself, will-power andgoal-setting competencies and instills thevision that enables one to become a selfmotivated agent of social change, serving
the best interests of the community.
e. Education - The Greatest Service to God
CMS believes that an attempt to educate
children is the greatest service that can possibly be rendered by people to Almighty God,building their character, and inculcating thelove of God in their tender hearts. CMS
teaches its students - ‘do not engross yourself only in your personal concerns, but let

your thoughts be fixed upon that which will
rehabilitate the fortunes of humankind andsanctify the hearts and souls of people.’

Building Blocks of CMS Lighthouse
The four building blocks of CMS Lighthouse are(i)	Universal values - values like honesty,
sincerity, truthfulness, kindness, compassion and other spiritual values that arecommon to all the religions.
(ii) Global understanding - developing aninternational perspective and a global
vision so that one becomes a globally
aware citizen of the world.
(iii)	Service to the world – this implies notbusying oneself in one’s own concerns
only. Instead, “Let your thoughts be
fixed upon that which will rehabilitate
the fortunes of humankind and sanctify
the hearts and souls of people.”(iv) Excellence in all things – this implies
making the pursuit of quality and excellence a habit. It also implies that one
must cultivate purity of heart, fine manners and humility.
CMS sees three realities of human beings- Material, Human and Divine – that can be
expressed in educational terms as in the following:(i) Material Education - this is concerned withthe development of the body and its sustenance, material comfort and ease. This iscommon to both human beings and animals.
(ii) Human Education – this relates to civilization and progress (governance, charitablework, trade, arts and handicrafts, sciencesand great inventions, etc.), which are essentially human activities as distinguishedfrom animal activities.
(iii) Divine Education – this is about achieving

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divine perfection; for in this state, a person
becomes the focus of Divine blessings. Thisis the goal of humanity.
Human rights education is an integral partof Human Education. This entails sensitizing
students to the needs of ensuring basic humanrights for everyone. CMS education is education for life as CMS believes that at a certain
moment in human history, education must also
act as a powerful instrument for profound socialtransformation. The purpose of today’s education must be the redemption of humankind
from Godlessness, Confusion and Conflict.
Human rights education is not undertaken
separately; in fact it is integrated in every CMS
activity.

Implanting Ideas of Respect for Law andPeace
For over four decades now, CMS has beenrelentlessly working towards implanting ideasof respect for law, self-discipline and world
peace in young impressionable minds. CMS
is also working towards building bridges ofunity and constructing barricades of peace inthe minds of its students, their parents and thegeneral public. The theme of “peace, communal
harmony, tolerance towards all religions, world
unity” pervades all aspects of school activities.
CMS is probably the only school in the world
to have a full-fledged World Unity and Peace
Education Department (WUPED).
World Unity Education is concerned mainlywith promoting the concepts of world unity andpeace building. There is a special emphasis on
the learning process at all levels. World Unity
Education deals with “positive unity.” Theconcept concerns itself with problems of environment, natural resources, universal humanrights, economic deprivation and social justicethat can best be tackled by a unified approach.
World Unity Education basically means being

concerned about the affairs of the age.
WUPED is CMS’s special department that
imparts training in world unity and world peace
to its students. Although WUPED is involvedin virtually all CMS peace education events,
the biggest event organized by WUPED is theInternational Conference of Chief Justices ofthe World on Article 51 of the Indian Constitution, which is held in December every year
since 2001.
Here are some of the initiatives of
WUPED:• Gandhi Bridge of Understanding•	Sadbhavana Club• Gemini Projects•	Olympic Truce• Vote World Government• People to People International
Program• Peace Circles• International Day of Reflection on
Rwanda• Aao Dosti Karein (Come, let’s befriends)• International Days
• Clean Gomti campaign• Anti-Cracker Campaign•	Sunday Seminars• Provisional World Parliament• Environmental Education• Experiential Learning• Cross-Cultural Understanding• Publications
The concept of a global family and the universal brotherhood of humankind are celebrated
in all CMS events, which are organized withthe sole aim of helping children in developing
an international outlook and global perspective
in keeping with the educational philosophyof CMS. The yearly conferences of the chiefjustices of the world emphasize the idea that
our society must be founded on principles of
equality of law and justice for all. These con-

City Montessori School and Human Rights Education  55

ferences inspire children to be self-disciplined
and law abiding as per Article 51 of the IndianConstitution.
The ‘Aao Dosti Karein’ is an India-Pakistan Friendship Initiative that started in 1999
during the most unfortunate Kargil war witharmies locked in conflict on both sides at the
India-Pakistan border. It was in this climate ofextreme hostility to each other that CMS cameout like a beacon light standing for peacefulnegotiations between the two countries. Besides the ever-growing Indo-Pak Children’s
Penfriends Club, a large number of Pakistanidelegations have since visited CMS many times
and some of our children have gone to visit
schools and attend sports events in Pakistan
despite the hostile climate coupled with theenormous difficulties in getting visas.
The international exchange experiences leadto awareness and understanding of cultural,
racial and religious differences, conflict resolution and teamwork. The international exchange
programs started in 1972 when the first CMS
students went to Holland in an international
exchange program.
Another unique peace education exercise of
CMS comprises of simulated Children’s World
Parliament sessions on Article 51 of the Indian Constitution wherein students play-act as
leaders of various countries of the world. They
group together to form a World Governmentand discuss issues threatening the very survivalof life on our planet.
The Children’s World Parliament provides
a context to amplify the voice of students, develop their ability to make democratic decisions
and generate unique solutions that will affecttheir future. The Children’s World Parliamentis the first parliament of this type in the worldthat proposes a central philosophy of conflict
resolution and focused, creative, integrated
thinking methods.
The simulated Children’s World Parliamentsessions in CMS leads to the realization that
global problems like an increase of nuclear

stockpile, worldwide increase in terrorist activities, increasing danger of the breakdownof social, economic and political order and thelike cannot be tackled solely by one countryor, even a group of like-minded countries. This
brings to light the need for resurrecting global
jurisprudence and constituting an “Enforceable
International Law” binding on all countriesof the world. The need to foster respect forinternational law already exists in Article 51(c) of the Indian Constitution and CMS is its
strong advocate.
The CMS initiative of organizing the International Conference of Chief Justices of theWorld is one of the keys to creating a just andpeaceful world order for today’s generationand future generations. CMS propagates theimportance of the acceptance of the principles
of international law, nuclear non-proliferation,
disarmament and a safe and sustainable future
for all.

Mobilizing World Judiciary andInternational Public Opinion
CMS undertakes a number of steps, alongwith its students, in mobilizing international
public opinion toward a world of peace andjustice. The steps naturally developed after CMS
took the first step of appealing to the United
Nations to establish a ‘New World Order’ with
enforceable international laws.

The First Step - Writing to the United
Nations
In a letter dated 1 September 1999, CMS
wrote a letter addressed to the then secretarygeneral of United Nations (Kofi Annan) regarding the idea of forming a World Government
to safeguard the future of the world’s children.
CMS students collected nearly 100,000 such
letters with signatures that were sent to theUnited Nations office in New York. CMS also

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HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

called for the strengthening of the United Nations System.
Then Secretary-General Kofi Annan responded on 11 October 1999 and said that theUnited Nations could do nothing on its own.
Its strength was the strength of the memberstates. He also exhorted the CMS students toensure that all leaders of the world attended
the Millennium Summit scheduled for the year
2000 in New York. He also said in the letter:“It is up to you to make sure that they comehere firmly resolved to take decisions which
can lead to a better life for all of us, and forour children.”

The Second Step - Writing to the Heads ofStates/Governments
Disappointed by the United Nations Secretary General’s response, the school reached out
to the Millenium Summit of world leaders. On
10 November 1999, CMS wrote to all heads ofstates/governments requesting them to participate in the 2000 United Nations Millennium
Summit in New York. Among the agenda for
the Summit was a call for the ‘Promotion of
Development and Peace and Establishment ofa New International Political and Economic
World Order.’ In reply to the letters written to
all the one hundred eighty-eight Heads of Statesand Heads of Governments - on behalf of theworld’s children - requesting them to support
the call for a ‘New International Economic andPolitical Order’ at the Summit, CMS received
only a few acknowledgement letters and threeletters of support and encouragement.

The Third Step - Reading the Children’s
Peace Appeal
On 5 May 2000, CMS wrote a letter to thenUnited Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan requesting him to read out the Children’s
Peace Appeal at the Millennium Summit tobe held on 6 September 2000. Mr. Gillian
Martin Sorensen, Assistant Secretary-Generalfor External Relations replied to this letter onbehalf of Secretary-General Kofi Annan that
he would be unable to do so. He added that“statements at the Millennium Summit will belimited to United Nations member-states withvery few exceptions approved by the General
Assembly itself.”
Absolutely convinced that the world’s children could not be assured of a future of peaceand justice under the current structures ofglobal governance, especially with the arbitration power weakened by the power of the vetoin the United Nations’ Security Council, the
CMS appeal was unique in this regard. The
CMS appeal called for a democratically elected
and legally constituted World Parliament. This
world body should have representatives from all
countries and should enact international lawsthat are equally enforceable in all countries of
the world. Under the guidance of the CMS
founders, the CMS students were the first to
make such an appeal with 100,000 signatures
to the United Nations Secretary General.
The students appealed to the United Nations to discuss the establishment of a new political, economic and social order of the world,so that a more powerful governance structure
can be formed such as a world government withsome aspects of national sovereignties vested
in it, so that generations of children may live
without fears of nuclear threats, impending
wars, ecological destruction and international
terrorism. The CMS students identified theseinternational issues as problems that could
not be solved by national governments alone.
Led by this author, the children promoted theidea that there should be one “Enforceable
International Law” that must be binding on all
countries, and one World Parliament.

City Montessori School and Human Rights Education  57

The Fourth Step - Reaching Out to theWorld Judiciary
Disappointed by the United Nations andthe world’s political leadership, this author(founder-manager of CMS) saw a ray of hopein the world judiciary when he became awareof the historic 1993 decision by the Supreme
Court of Philippines, in the Oposa versus
Factoran case,2 wherein the then Chief JusticeHilario J. Davide, Jr. upheld the right of minors
and also those yet unborn to inherit a balanced
and healthy ecology. The judgment also heldthat it is the inter-generational responsibility of
every generation to pass on a safe and healthy
ecology to succeeding generations.
This author then decided to organize aroundtable conference on Article 51 of the
Indian Constitution in Lucknow on 14 January 2001. This conference was inaugurated by
Justice Syed Saghir Ahmed, a former judge of
the Supreme Court of India and was attended
by several members of the judiciary in India.
Also heartened by the encouraging response
from Justice R.S. Pathak, a former Chief Justice of India, and member of the International
Court of Justice, a national seminar on Article
51 of the Indian Constitution was held on 25
February 2001 in Lucknow. This seminar was
inaugurated by Justice Pathak and presided
over by Justice Rangnath Misra, a former Chief
Justice of India and a member of the Permanent
Court of Arbitration (The Hague).
The success of this national seminar culminated in CMS hosting the International Conference on Article 51 of the Indian Constitution.
The first conference was held in 2001 andcontinued annually for the next eight years.
These conferences were attended by delegates of several countries including Heads of
Judiciary, former Chief justices, Deputy Chief
Justices, Judges representing judicial heads,
Members of Permanent Court of Arbitration,
Attorneys General, Ministers, Members of
Parliament, and eminent representatives of

non-governmental organizations from aroundthe world.
Every year, nearly eight thousand students
actively participate in the International Conference of Chief Justices of the World. They listen
to the legal luminaries of the world for threedays. For the 9th international conference in2008, the Chief Justice of Malta, Honorable
Mr. Justice Vincent A. De Gaetano arrived
early in the city of Lucknow before the conference actually began on 12 December 2008 andinteracted with nearly eight thousand students
from Classes IX to XII at World Unity Convention Centre auditorium at CMS Kanpur Road
Campus.
Moreover, nearly one thousand students
actively participated in the Peace March on 13
and 14 December 2008 that was led by the
Honorable Chief Justices of different countries. The special attraction of the conference
was the Children’s World Parliament of about
two hundred students discussing global issues
and children’s appeal to the world judiciary on
behalf of the world’s children for safeguarding their rights and specially their ‘Right to a
Safe Future.’ About one hundred forty juniorand senior students from CMS presented an
appeal to the chief justices on 13, 14 and 15
December 2008. The CMS students thus geta chance to actively express their thoughts at
a very young age before the Honorable Chief
Justices of the World that, besides making thembold and confident in their lives, also develops
a global mindset.
The conferences elicited appreciation fromthe participants. They expressed admiration for
the efforts of the students of CMS on taking
steps on global issues.
Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Courtof the Philippines, Justice Hilario G Davide,
Jr. said:
I am awed and humbled at such a bold concern
and vision shared principally by mere schoolchildren. I was contemplating with tears on the

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plight of the world when I got hold of a CMS
Prospectus. I looked at the cover where a childheld aloft the world in his small hands. I thenrealized that the future is painted not only inthe murky shadows of despair and dejection,
but also in the bold and solid strokes of hopeand optimism. My eyes focused on the words‘One day I will change the world’ and ‘Everychild is potentially the light of the world’. Hopesurged in my heart. It is for this reason and forthe sake of my grandchildren that I understandthe concern of the children of CMS.

Madam Justice Graciela Dixon, Former
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Panama
and President of International Association of
Women Judges and Patron of the International
Conference of Chief Justices of the World havealso praised the CMS initiative. Commenting
on the appeal presented at the International
Conference of Chief Justices of the World by
CMS students on behalf of the world’s children
to safeguard their future, she said:
I asked myself – how could judges affect things?
How could these children believe that simple
human beings… who only have a simple responsibility… could have an impact? I was not
the only one to have such doubts. But despite
our doubts, we were there (at the conference).
And we exchanged ideas, and it was said that we
could change the realities.

tolerance, cooperation, social responsibility,
respect for cultural diversities, in addition to a
firm commitment to democracy and resolving
conflicts non-violently. Hence the need forthe development of a personality with innerresources of love, hope and courage. This iswhat CMS considers meaningful human rights
education.
The students of CMS learn about humanrights through various activities. The annual
International Conference of Chief Justices on
Article 51 provides one important venue forlearning and practicing human rights.
The CMS organized the International
Conference of Chief Justices of the Worldat Lucknow for the last eight years to createawareness of the provisions of Article 51 of the
Indian Constitution all over the world, and thus
generate immense global public opinion in favorof a new World Order. The recognition of thevalue of this effort is seen in the overwhelming
support for the conference expressed throughthe speeches and messages that Heads of Governments, Heads of States, Chief Justices andJudges of the Supreme and High Courts ofmany countries of the world, governors, ministers, attorneys-general, members of parliamentand state legislative assemblies, senior lawyersof the Supreme Court and law ministers given
during the conference or sent to the CMS.
CMS continues in its task of promoting
peace and human rights in the world.

Some reflections on the activities

Endnotes

CMS education is a comprehensive program
on child development that makes the child not
only a ‘consumer of peace’ but also a ‘makerof peace’, a leader, not just a follower. It isbased on the belief that education for peace
seeks to nurture ethical development, withvalues, attitudes and skills required for living inharmony within oneself and with others including nature. It embodies the joy of living andencompasses respect for human rights, justice,“Talk with Egyptian Delegates,” 4 April 1947,
Mahatma Gandhi—The Last Phase, Vol. II, page 98,
and in The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (ebook) volume 94, (Berlin: GandhiServe Foundation),
pages 231-232. Text available at www.gandhiserve.
org/cwmg/cwmg.html
2
Juan Antonio, Anna Rosario and Jose Alfonso,
all surnamed Oposa, minors, and represented by theirparents ANTONIO And RIZALINA OPOSA, etalia, Petitioners versus The Honorable Fulgencio S.
Factoran, Jr., in his capacity as the Secretary of the1

City Montessori School and Human Rights Education  59
Department of Environment and Natural Resources,
and The Honorable Eriberto U. Rosario, Presiding
Judge of the RTC, Makati, Branch 66, Respondents.
GR No. 101083, July 30, 1993, available in Supreme

Court Reports Annotated, Volume 224 (Manila:
Rex Bookstore). The full text of this court decision
is also available in http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1993/jul1993/gr_101083_1993.html