Tag: Culture and education

Fight slavery’s ‘legacy of racism’ through education: Guterres — Global Issues

He said the history of slavery is one of suffering and barbarity that shows humanity at its worst. 

“But it is also a history of awe-inspiring courage that shows human beings at their best – starting with enslaved people who rose up against impossible odds and extending to the abolitionists who spoke out against this atrocious crime,” he added.

An ‘evil enterprise’ 

For more than 400 years, over 13 million Africans were trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean in what the Secretary-General called the “evil enterprise of enslavement”. 

Men, women and children were “ripped from their families and homelands – their communities torn apart, their bodies commodified, their humanity denied.” 

A haunting legacy 

“The legacy of the transatlantic slave trade haunts us to this day.  We can draw a straight line from the centuries of colonial exploitation to the social and economic inequalities of today,” he said. 

“And we can recognize the racist tropes popularized to rationalize the inhumanity of the slave trade in the white supremacist hate that is resurgent”, he added. 

Mr. Guterres stressed that it was incumbent on everyone to fight slavery’s legacy of racism, using the “powerful weapon” of education – the theme of this year’s commemoration.  

Unite against racism 

Teaching the history of slavery can “help to guard against humanity’s most vicious impulses,” he said. 

“By studying the assumptions and beliefs that allowed the practice to flourish for centuries, we unmask the racism of our own time,” he added. “And by honouring the victims of slavery, we restore some measure of dignity to those who were so mercilessly stripped of it.” 

The Secretary-General called for people everywhere to “stand united against racism and together build a world in which everyone, everywhere can live lives of liberty, dignity, and human rights.” 

UN commemorative events

The UN has organized a series of events to commemorate the International Day. 

On Monday, the UN General Assembly will hold a meeting where Brazilian philosopher and journalist, Professor Djamila Ribeiro, will deliver the keynote address.  

Ms. Ribeiro has been using the power of education to fight discrimination against Afro-Brazilians, including through her bestselling book titled ‘Little Anti-Racist Manual’ and her Instagram account, which has attracted more than a million followers. 

American university student Taylor Cassidy, recognized as one of TikTok’s 2020 Top 10 Voices of Change, will deliver the youth address.  Ms. Taylor empowers her two million followers with uplifting videos on Black history. 

On Thursday, Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative – a non-profit working to end mass incarceration in the United States – will be the featured speaker and a participant in a panel discussion highlighting efforts by museums to include the voices of people of African descent and deal with the colonial past. 

Other panelists will include the General Director of the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands, Taco Dibbits, and the Head of its History Department, Valika Smeulders.

The 2023 commemoration kicked off in late February with the opening of an interactive exhibition titled Slavery: Ten True Stories of Dutch Colonial Slavery, brought to the UN by the museum, which is located in Amsterdam. 

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Young poets lend their talents to promote peace, marking the 75th anniversary of UN peacekeeping — Global Issues

Called “Peace begins with me” the poem pays tribute to the strength and resilience of communities affected by conflict as well as those who help them rebuild their lives and livelihoods. It is a reminder of our responsibility to promote peace in our communities, countries and across the world – a conviction that has driven more than two million men and women to serve in over 70 peacekeeping operations since 1948.  

“Peace means everything to me” says Pacifique Akilimali, who penned the poem with Nigerian peace activist and poet Maryam Abu Hassan. “The only thing I know since I was born is war… peace has been a dream for a long time now.”  

Pacifique, who works in the aviation team at the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), grew up in North Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a region affected by decades of violence between armed groups.  

“All the wars and conflicts have gotten us nowhere,” adds Maryam, a native of Nigeria’s northern state of Borno where relentless insurgency and violent extremism has plagued people for more than a decade.  

It was in this state nine years ago that close to 300 schoolgirls, also known as the Chibok girls, were kidnapped by the armed separatists, Boko Haram. Today, many of them are still missing.  

For Maryam, “peace is not just the absence of conflict but also the presence of justice, equality, and respect for human dignity. Everyone deserves to have and find peace.”

Growing up in Goma, North Kivu 

“Growing up in North Kivu in the DRC was not easy at all,” says Pacifique.  

In 1994, the year he was born, the genocide in Rwanda plunged DRC into one of the deadliest conflicts in the history of Africa. According to the International Rescue Committee, from 1998 to 2007, an estimated 5.4 million people died due to the conflict in the DRC.  

“In 1997, I was a refugee with my whole family. My dad and I were captured by a group of rebels, and my dad was about to be shot because some military thought he was in a different ethnic group,” says Pacifique, adding that his father narrowly escaped death when one of the rebel chiefs recognized him and let them go.  

“I remember when the UN Mission came to my country and my dad told me that these people are coming to bring us peace.” 

In 1999, the UN Security Council established the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) to monitor the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement between the DRC and neighbouring Angola, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe.  

More than a decade later, the Council created MONUSCO as an extension of MONUC, widening the new mission’s scope of work to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian access, and help former combatants disarm and reintegrate into society, as armed conflict persisted particularly in the east.  

Speaking of the fortitude of communities in North Kivu who have seen so much violence and suffering, Pacifique says “Goma town is still living. If you come to this town, you will wonder how these people can be happy, sing, dance, love, and hope in such conditions of living. All of us here hope for peace, and we pray for it.” 

Finding ways to thrive in Borno state 

Maryam feels equally inspired by the strength of the people in Borno state which has been an epicentre of violent extremism and terrorism in Nigeria and across the Sahel region over more than a decade.  

Armed conflict, incited by groups like the Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, has led to the displacement of an estimated 2 million people today, many of them women and children, who are still unable to return home because of unpredictable attacks against civilians.   

“Borno is widely reported to be an area affected by conflict, violence and insurgency,” says Maryam. “What is also true is that there is so much more to us than this singular narrative.”  

“Borno is a culturally rich and diverse state, with a vibrant history and traditions that have been passed down through generations. Despite all we have been through, we have found ways to thrive.” 

75 years of peacekeeping 

Over the last 75 years, UN Peacekeeping, a critical global instrument for maintaining peace, security, and stability, has evolved to adapt to the changing political landscape and nature of conflicts.

What started out as a mission to observe a truce in Palestine in 1948 is now a complex operation of military, police and civilians working together to support communities and countries transitioning from war to peace.  

Borno state and eastern DRC are two of the many places that have seen chronic violence that has morphed into complicated conflicts led by multiple armed groups, with mostly civilians bearing the brunt of the devastation and destruction.  

Today, nearly 90 per cent of war-time casualties across the world are civilians, says the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).   

Working alongside local communities, peacekeepers today strive to protect civilians, disarm combatants, support political and electoral processes, strengthen human rights and the rule of law, and promote sustainable peace and development. 

They are called ‘Blue Helmets’ but they wear many different hats, including as engineers, administrators, legal experts, economists and electoral observers, to help people recover and rebuild their lives, institutions and societies.

Observed under the theme “Peace begins with me” the 75th anniversary celebrates the world’s peacemakers – from peacekeepers, local community leaders to activists – who are the everyday champions of peace.

Maryam and Pacifique’s full poem will be released closer to the International Day of UN Peacekeepers marked on 29 May 2023. 

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UN observes first International Day against Islamophobia — Global Issues

The observation follows the unanimous adoption of an Assembly resolution last year that proclaimed 15 March as the International Day, calling for global dialogue that promotes tolerance, peace and respect for human rights and religious diversity. 

As the UN Secretary-General stated, the nearly two billion Muslims worldwide – who come from all corners of the planet – “reflect humanity in all its magnificent diversity”. Yet, they often face bigotry and prejudice simply because of their faith. 

Furthermore, Muslim women can also suffer “triple discrimination” because of their gender, ethnicity, and faith. 

Islamophobia ‘epidemic’ 

The high-level event was co-convened by Pakistan, whose Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, underlined that Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and pluralism.

Although Islamophobia is not new, he said it is “a sad reality of our times” that is only increasing and spreading. 

“Since the tragedy of 9/11, animosity and institutional suspicion of Muslims and Islam across the world have only escalated to epidemic proportions. A narrative has been developed and peddled which associates Muslim communities and their religion with violence and danger,” said Mr. Zardari, who is also Chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers. 

“This Islamophobic narrative is not just confined to extremist, marginal propaganda, but regrettably has found acceptance by sections of mainstream media, academia, policymakers and state machinery,” he added. 

Everyone has a role 

The President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, noted that Islamophobia is rooted in xenophobia, or the fear of strangers, which is reflected in discriminatory practices, travel bans, hate speech, bullying and targeting of other people. 

He urged countries to uphold freedom of religion or belief, which is guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 

“All of us carry a responsibility to challenge Islamophobia or any similar phenomenon, to call out injustice and condemn discrimination based on religion or belief – or the lack of them,” he added. 

Mr. Kőrösi said education is key to learning why these phobias exist, and it can be “transformative” in changing how people understand each another. 

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the UN General Assembly High-Level Event to commemorate the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

Hatred on the rise 

The growing hate that Muslims face is not an isolated development, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told attendees. 

“It is an inexorable part of the resurgence of ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazi white supremacist ideologies, and violence targeting vulnerable populations including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities and others,” he said. 

“Discrimination diminishes us all. And it is incumbent on all of us to stand up against it. We must never be bystanders to bigotry.” 

Stressing that “we must strengthen our defenses”, Mr. Guterres highlighted UN measures such as a Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites.  He also called for ramping up political, cultural, and economic investments in social cohesion. 

Curb online bigotry 

“And we must confront bigotry wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head. This includes working to tackle the hate that spreads like wildfire across the internet,” he added. 

To this end, the UN is working with governments, regulators, technology companies and the media “to set up guardrails, and enforce them.” 

Compassion and solidarity 

Other policies already launched include a Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, and the Our Common Agenda report, which outlines a framework for a more inclusive and secure “digital future” for all people. 

The Secretary-General also expressed gratitude to religious leaders across the world who have united to promote dialogue and interfaith harmony. 

He described the 2019 declaration on ‘Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together’ – co-authored by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El Tayeb – as “a model for compassion and human solidarity.” 

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Musicians promote ‘empathy, fraternity, solidarity’ between Israelis and Palestinians — Global Issues

The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, appointed by the UN Secretary-General in 2016 as a United Nations Global Advocate for Cultural Understanding, recently played their first concert at UN headquarters in New York, at a special event organized to demonstrate that when people listen to each other, both musically and in other ways, great results can be achieved.

UN News/Abdelmonem Makki

The West-Eastern Divan Ensemble performs at UN headquarters in February 2023

The West-Eastern Divan Ensemble, led by the orchestra’s concertmaster Michael Barenboim, draws upon players of Arab and Israeli heritage.

Founded in 1999, the orchestra’s origins lie in the conversations between its creators, Edward W. Said and Daniel Barenboim. Over the course of their friendship, the Palestinian author-scholar and Israeli conductor-pianist discussed ideas on music, culture and humanity.

In their exchanges, they realized the urgent need for an alternative way to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The opportunity to do so came when Barenboim and Said initiated a workshop for young musicians using their experience as a model.

“We have musicians that come from countries that are in conflict with each other in one way or another. We show that by cooperating in a project such as this one, it’s possible to bring together people from states which are in conflict so that they’re able to work together towards a common goal,” said Michael Barenboim.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

“I think that’s showing an alternative model and alternative way of thinking for the Middle East region. Which is not based on arms, bombs, war, blood and conflict, but based on understanding, dialogue and listening to each other. When you play music, you play, but you also have to listen to others,” he added.

Mariam Said, widow of Edward W. Said, is a vice president of the US-based Barenboim-Said Foundation.

“Edward believed that humanity is the only thing through which we can counteract the disintegration of our world. And this is the message that the orchestra is trying to send,” Mariam Said explained.

“Teaching music as a language opens minds, leading to the generation of new ideas in society. It also allows people to get to know each other,” she added.

Sindy Faisal Abdel Wahab from Egypt plays violin in the ensemble.

“I started playing with the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble in 2013, and it was the first time for me to meet musicians from other Arab countries and Israel. It was a surprise to me, and I was curious about how we would deal with each other, how we would play together and understand each other,” he said, adding that “I discovered that Israelis have a similar culture to us, but politics is what separates people. When we play together, we forget everything.”

UN Photo/Mark Garten

David Strongin, who is from Israel, also plays the violin; he believes that the mission of the orchestra is for musicians from different backgrounds to play music together.

“Through music, one can do everything. You don’t need words, and don’t need any text. You play together, you learn to listen to each other. And this is actually a great help also for life for us as human beings, because we learn how to listen to each other.”

“I think it’s not very easy to make music with strangers,” he added “because you have to you put so much soul into what you do. But this orchestra feels like one family and so it doesn’t really matter where we are from. We just we just love each other as human beings.”

Speaking ahead of the concert Maher Nasser, the Director of the Outreach Division in the UN Department of Global Communications said: “When you look a group of eight musicians playing together and they are all reading from the same sheet of paper, they introduce harmony, and they are all equal. Some of them play cello and some of them are playing violin but the sound that comes out appears to be coming from one instrument. Every one of them is equal, every note is equal.”

 

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In Niger, UN deputy chief highlights power of partnership to forge schools for the future — Global Issues

Amina Mohammed was visiting the École Pays-Bas, in a suburb of the capital Niamey, which less than two years ago, burned to the ground, after the straw it was made from caught fire, amid searing temperatures and a suspected electrical wiring fault. A total of 21 children died in the inferno – nine boys, and 12 girls – mostly pre-schoolers.

“The trees we see planted in the schoolyard honor the memory of these young children”, said the Deputy Secretary-General.

Rising from the ashes

The newly rebuilt school was repaired by the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, with 21 new classrooms provided. Five classrooms were also renovated in the nearby school, École Gamkalé.

“In response, we worked together, Government, the community, the UN and other partners to renovate the school block at École Pay-Bas, build additional classrooms here at the École Gamkalé, provide essential furniture and learning materials, and ensure psychosocial support for affected teachers, families and students“, said Ms. Mohammed.

The rebuilt school of Pays-Bas reopened for 1,800 students, easing congestion at the neighbouring site.

Innovative thinking

She said that thanks to the “One UN” approach, and galvanized by ambitious Government thinking in the wake of the disaster, innovative solutions were embraced in the form of a hotspot digital community centre, providing “a safe space for students and the community to gain relevant knowledge of digital skills.

“This includes office automation, computer graphics, social media management, cybersecurity, computer maintenance and 3D printing”, she added.

The centre was fitted out last year by the UN development agency UNDP, and Children’s Fund, UNICEF, in partnership with the National Agency for the Information Society (ANSI).

‘Inspiring vision’

Now, she said, “the Government aims to gradually install such innovative solutions in all schools of Niger, an inspiring vision that will require resources and unfailing partners’ support.”

She praised Nigerien authorities for taking “significant decisions that shows its commitment to improving children’s learning”, by committing 20 per cent of the overall national budget to education.

© UNECE/Daniel Getachew

Students at the Pays-Bas school in Niamey, Niger meet the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

“While straw classrooms are used to accommodate the 500,000 new students who begin primary school each year, they are neither a safe space, nor a conducive environment for developing the skills needed in today’s world”, Ms. Mohammed said.

There are around 36,000 straw classrooms remaining across the country, and the challenge of replacing them cannot be addressed by one partner alone, the deputy UN chief stressed.

Safer, smarter learning

“École Pays-Bas serves as a model for what can be achieved when key actors come together to support the Government in promoting creative and bold approaches to ensure all children have access to a safe learning environment which prepare them for the future.”

The UN not only helped with classroom rebuilding at the two schools. Some 900 school benches were provided, tables for students, more than 50 desks for teachers, and 30 blackboards.

She added that a holistic approach that goes beyond just providing infrastructure and equipment, is essential, to reach education targets.

“It requires enhanced curricula, sufficient teachers with enhanced skills, school health and nutrition in schools including school meals”, she said at the site visit, attended by top government and UN officials in Niger, as well as international representatives.

Education for all

“It requires also to take integrated and efficient resilience and poverty reduction programmes to scale. It also requires ensuring that generation of students are not left out of education in fragile areas.”

Ms. Mohammed also took part in discussion with a group of students during the visit, to talk about their challenges, the opportunities that are open to them, and their hopes for the future.

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Internet for Trust Conference discusses guidelines for online platforms — Global Issues

More than 4,300 people participated in the Internet for Trust Conference, organized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which will launch the guidelines in September. 

The three-day event marked the latest phase in the global dialogue to develop regulatory solutions for social media to improve the reliability of information and promote human rights online. 

Fertile ground for falsehoods 

“The blurring of boundaries between true and false, the highly-organized denial of scientific facts, the amplification of disinformation and conspiracies – these did not originate on social networks. But, in the absence of regulation, they flourish there much better than the truth,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay warned in her opening speech. 

She urged countries to act together so that information remains a global common good, stating that “only by taking the full measure of this technological revolution can we ensure it does not sacrifice human rights, freedom of expression and democracy.” 

No facts, no truth 

Speakers such as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner, journalist Maria Ressa from the Philippines, addressed participants. 

“Lies spread faster than facts. For some reason, facts are really boring. Lies – especially when laced with fear, with anger, with hate, with tribalism – us against them. They spread. It’s like throwing a lit match into kindling,” said Ms. Ressa in her keynote speech.  

She cautioned against tolerating social media algorithms which reward lies, as future generations will inherit a world in which truth has been dangerously devalued.  

“Without facts, you can’t have truth, without truth, you can’t have trust, and we have no shared reality,” she said. 

Disinformation as ‘ammunition’ 

 In his message to the Conference, the Brazilian President, who is known as “Lula”, recalled the violent attacks last month against democratic institutions in his country.  

“What happened that day was the culmination of a campaign, initiated much earlier, and that used lies and disinformation as ammunition,” he said.

 “To a large extent, this campaign was nurtured, organized, and disseminated through digital platforms and messaging apps. This is the same method used to generate acts of violence elsewhere in the world. It must stop.”  

Top YouTube influencer Felipe Neto, who also is from Brazil, shared his experiences with extremist content pushed by algorithms, but stressed that the aim is not to shut down digital platforms. 

“It’s about accountability, stopping impunity, bringing them to the table, and saying ‘you need to be responsible for the mistakes you’ve made and that you’re going to make,” said Mr. Neto, who has more than 44 million online followers. 

Global response required 

Currently, at least 55 countries are working on regulatory initiatives, according to UNESCO.  However, Ms. Azoulay advocated for a coherent, global approach based on human rights, noting that if regulations are developed in isolation, they are doomed to fail. 

“Information disruption is by definition a global problem, so our reflections must take place at the global scale,” she said.  

The UNESCO chief closed the conference by urging all countries to join its efforts to transform the internet into a tool which is truly at the service of the public and that helps assure the right to freedom of expression, which includes the right to seek and receive information. 

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Celebrating the world’s rich ‘linguistic tapestry’, UN officials call for realizing multilingual education on Mother Language Day

Commemorating the world’s languages – all 6,700 of them – since 1999, the Day aims at celebrating ways of showcasing the world’s linguistic tapestry, committing to the preservation of the diversity of languages as a common heritage, and working for quality education – in mother tongues – for all, said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The theme this year – “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education” – aligns with recommendations made during the UN Transforming Education Summit in 2021. Convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the gathering drew attention to indigenous people’s education and languages.

Africa has highest linguistic diversity

The day also highlights shortcomings and challenges ahead. UNESCO’s recent report, Born To Learn, shows that at most one in five children are taught in their mother tongue in Africa, the continent with the highest linguistic diversity. At the same time, 40 per cent of the world’s students do not have access to education in the language they speak or understand best.

This severely undermines learning, cultural expression and the building of social relations, and significantly weakens the linguistic heritage of humanity, Ms. Azoulay said.

“It is therefore crucial that this language issue be taken into account in the necessary exercise of transforming education,” she said. Moving forward, better data collection is required for improved tailored action, she said.

Diversity’s ‘fragile value’

“Above all, however, it requires a more general awareness of the irreplaceable but fragile value of the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity,” she said. “Each of the more than 7,000 languages spoken by humanity carries within it a unique view of the world, of things and of beings, a way of thinking and feeling – so much so that each disappearance of a language constitutes an irretrievable loss.”.

Progress is being made. UNESCO is leading the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), an important opportunity for the world to mobilize in order to safeguard a major part of its cultural diversity. There is also a growing understanding of the importance of multilingual education, particularly in early schooling.

Keys to inclusion

Yet, States must be more inclusive in the treatment and use of minority and indigenous languages, said Fernand de Varennes, the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues.

“In celebrating the richness and beauty of the global linguistic tapestry, it is essential to move away from new forms of nationalist majoritarianism that assume that societies and States should have only one language to the exclusion of all others,” he said.

This is inconsistent with inclusive societies that respect the human rights of linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples, he said.

“Languages are essential tools to communicate and share knowledge, memory, and history, but they are also key to full and equal participation,” he said. “One of the most effective ways of empowering minorities and indigenous peoples is to guarantee the use of their language in education.”

Adopting an inclusive approach is the most effective way of guaranteeing equality and non-discrimination with respect to international law and will ensure that minority and indigenous children are provided with useful literacy and numeracy skills to learn other languages, he said.

Rather than reducing or even eliminating the use of minority and indigenous languages in education, he said States should invest in the development of teaching materials, training and promoting the mother tongue as a medium of instruction.

‘Untranslatable’

Meanwhile, around the world, the UN has been commemorating the day, in many, many languages. Bangladesh and partners will host a meeting at UN Headquarters, and UNESCO held an event in France.

To mark the day, Mexico, UNESCO and partners are highlighting their “Untranslatable” project, book and graphic exhibit. Shaped by 68 words from 33 indigenous languages, the exhibit will travel across the country, and the book, published in 2021, is now available free on the website of the National Institute of Indigenous Languages (Inali).

Zapotec poet Irma Pineda, a partner in the project, said the goal was to promote interest and respect for the cultural and linguistic richness of Mexico.

It was also “for people to know that we don’t speak only Spanish, but rather 364 linguistic variants of 68 languages, and that each word of this project reflects a whole worldview and a way of thinking of many indigenous people,” she said.

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World Radio Day celebrates a ‘unique instrument of peace’ — Global Issues

World Radio Day, observed annually on 13 February, celebrates the power of the medium.  The theme this year is ‘Radio and Peace’, highlighting its role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. 

“Since it was developed about a century ago, radio has proven to be an exceptional means of communication, debate and exchange – indeed, it is one of the most accessible and widespread types of media,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

In her message for the Day, she urged everyone “not only to celebrate radio’s potential, but also, and especially, to make greater use of radio as a unique instrument of peace.” 

Radio and UN Peacekeeping 

For Francesca Mold, Chief of Strategic Communications in the UN’s Department of Peace Operations (DPO), this year’s theme could not be more relevant. 

DPO recently kicked off a year-long campaign to commemorate the 75th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping. 

“Operating as part of UN peacekeeping missions, we operate radio networks which are vital to reaching large-scale and diverse communities, particularly in places where internet penetration is poor and the population is very mobile due to conflict and displacement,” said Ms. Mold. 

UN Peacekeeping was established in 1948 and since then, 71 missions have been deployed to post-conflict countries around the world.  As these operations have to explain their mandates to local populations, communication is essential.   

‘Best tool’ for communicating 

Radio officially became part of peacekeeping in 1989 under the UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia, a political mission established to ensure the holding of free and fair elections there. 

UNTAG created content on issues such as voter registration, which was given to local broadcasters for dissemination. The first significant peacekeeping radio station arrived a few years later, with the UN’s Mission in Cambodia. 

“Perhaps the best tool in our toolbox has been UN Peacekeeping radio stations,” said Douglas Coffman from the Peace and Security Section of the UN’s Department of Global Communications (DGC), which is also home to UN News. 

Speaking to the people 

Mr. Coffman served in the Balkans in the late 1990s, in the wake of the series of wars that erupted following the breakup of Yugoslavia.  

“Radio is important because the UN can speak to the local population without going through the filter of biased media,” he said.  “These are media that have been part of the problem in the conflict. They don’t necessarily want to help us get our messages out. So, having the ability to speak directly and in real time to the communities we’re working for, is essential.” 

Radio has played a pivotal role in the world’s youngest nation, South Sudan, which has suffered periods of brutal fighting and displacement since gaining independence in 2011.   

A partner for peace 

Radio Miraya at the UN Mission in the country, UNMISS, provides a platform for both establishing and consolidating peace.  In fact, it is “the partner for peace for the Government and the people of South Sudan,” according to Ben Malor, UNMISS Chief of Communications and Public Information. 

Some of the station’s programmes include a weekday Breakfast Show, consisting of news reports and interviews with Government ministers, civil society representatives and other key figures.   

Another show called ‘Roundtable’, which airs on Saturdays, brings together ministers, senior officials and influencers for a political discussion on sometimes thorny issues, such as inter-communal violence and cattle raiding. 

Other programmes target young people, and there is also a dedicated phone line for women who want to call into the station – a way to give voice to women in a society where they need to be heard.

Reinforcing national unity 

“Our purpose, whatever radio is doing, whether we are online and we are on air, and people are calling in, is to reinforce the togetherness of the people across political divides, across religious divides, across ethnic divides, across gender divides, then across age divides,” said Mr. Malor. 

Radio is still the primary medium for conveying information to South Sudan’s 11 million people, and Radio Miraya is in a constant state of readjustment and self-evaluation to better support UNMISS in delivering on its mandate. 

Recently, the Government asked for the UN’s support for the electoral process that will culminate with a vote in December 2024. 

“Radio Miraya is going to be playing its part as best as possible, as much as we get the cooperation of the Government of South Sudan, so that we will do everything to support the leadership for the success of this process,” said Mr. Malor. “So, there is constant examination, constant restructuring, constant improvement.” 

Adaptability and reach 

Radio’s accessibility and widespread reach have made it a critical tool for UNESCO, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was necessary to reach students who were out of school. 

The UN agency established a system to teach children over the airwaves, benefiting scores of learners in many countries, including in sub-Saharan Africa where less than a quarter of people have internet access. 

“Radio is thus very often the medium of last resort.  We are seeing this again in Afghanistan, where girls and women have been suddenly and unfairly denied their right to learn, study and teach,” said Ms. Azoulay. 

UNESCO has strongly condemned the bans and has launched a programme with the European Union to support media outlets in Afghanistan. The objective is to help circulate educational material, and information on health and safety, to reach at least six million people directly.   

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More investment in school health, nutrition, will realize childhood potential — Global Issues

It is estimated that some 584 million children have limited or no access to basic drinking water services at school.   

Nearly half live in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the study by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP). 

A supportive environment 

Furthermore, even though practically all countries in the world provide school meals, roughly 73 million of the most vulnerable children still do not benefit from these programmes.  

“Students learn best in safe and healthy schools,” said Audrey Azoulay, the UNESCO Director-General. 

Speaking on behalf of the partners, she urged the international community to support countries in investing in health, nutrition and social protection at school “because children deserve an environment where they can reach their full potential.” 

Feeding young minds 

School meals alone increase enrolment and attendance rates by nine per cent and eight per cent, respectively, the report revealed. 

In places where anaemia and worm infections are prevalent, de-worming and micronutrient supplementation can keep children in school for an additional 2.5 years.

Additionally, students are 50 per cent less likely to skip school when the learning environment is free from violence, and absenteeism is reduced in low-income countries when promoting handwashing, particularly for girls during menstruation, when water, sanitation and hygiene is improved. 

Return on investment 

The report also addresses other issues such as the promotion of eyecare, mental health and well-being of children, and prevention of school violence. 

Measures like these represent a significant return on investment for countries, in addition to improving the lives of children and adolescents, with benefits extending to homes and whole communities. 

For example, every $1 invested in school feeding programmes generates $9 in returns, according to the report, while school programmes that address mental health can potentially deliver a return of nearly $22. 

A lesson from Malawi 

UNESCO spoke to Wezzie Kacheche, who teaches life skills education, also known as comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), at a secondary school in northern Malawi. 

Students there increasingly dropout of school due to early and unintended pregnancy, early marriage, and drug and substance abuse. 

Ms. Kaleche provides her students with appropriate information about health and sexuality, helping them to “demystify adolescence” at a time where young people get most of their information online or from their peers. 

“One of the girls in my class was on the verge of dropping out of school due to her risky sexual activity and drinking habits,” she recalled. “Upon watching a video about sexually transmitted infections during my class, she came to me to seek more information privately.” 

Unequal and insufficient 

Currently, 90 per cent of countries globally invest in school and nutrition programmes, and more than 100 nations organise school vaccination drives, said UNESCO, pointing to some of the good news in the report.  

One in two primary school children receives school meals and nearly every country includes education for health and well-being in its curriculum. 

Unfortunately, investments are unequal from region to region, and are often insufficient compared to the needs. The report advocates for stronger commitment from governments and support from the international community.  

Globally, investment stands at only $2 billion annually whereas some $210 billion is needed in low- and lower middle-income countries alone. 

Key interventions are needed, the partners said, including provision of school meals, vaccinations, de-worming, psychosocial support, and safe and inclusive learning environments that promote health and well-being. 

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Build ‘alliance of peace’ on International Day of Human Fraternity — Global Issues

The International Day of Human Fraternity celebrates the values that “are the glue that hold our human family together” – compassion, religious understanding, and mutual respect, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.

Prevent hatred, defuse extremism

“These values underwrite peace, yet all over the world, they are being eroded by deepening divides, widening inequalities and growing despair and by surging hate speech, sectarianism and strife,” he continued.

Examples of religious extremism and intolerance exist in all societies and among all faiths, he said, adding that it is “the duty of religious leaders everywhere to prevent instrumentalization of hatred and defuse extremism amidst their followers.”

Model for interfaith harmony

The Secretary-General pointed to a model for interfaith harmony and human solidarity: the declaration “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”, co-authored by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El Tayeb, in 2019.

“Let us all take inspiration and renew our commitment to stand together as one human family,” he said. “Together, let us build an alliance of peace, rich in diversity, equal in dignity and rights, united in solidarity.”

Concern about religious hatred

In 2021, UN General Assembly resolution adopted a resolution designating 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity. Co-sponsored by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, the resolution expressed deep concern at acts advocating religious hatred, especially at a time when the world confronted the COVID-19 pandemic and its related crises.

In adopting the resolution, Member States also recognized the valuable contribution of people of all religions or beliefs to humanity and the contribution that dialogue among all religious groups can make towards an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind.

World Interfaith Harmony Week

To commemorate World Interfaith Harmony Week, observed annually during the first week of February, the UN Mission of Sierra Leone and partners hosted a conference at UN Headquarters. Participants explored the theme of harmony in a world of crisis.

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