Education is our way for peace

Education is a powerful tool that has the ability to shape the minds and attitudes of young people, and it plays a crucial role in building peace. In today’s world, where conflicts and violence are all too common, it is more important than ever to invest in education as a means of promoting understanding and reconciliation among young people.

With the beginnings of the twenty-first century, new aspirations for sustainable peace, dignity, and freedom emerge in different parts and societies of the world, including Syria. With so many questions about the pivotal role that education plays in achieving these aspirations and confronting the waves of violence, extremism, and cultural and religious intolerance that strike our societies, exposing entire generations to loss. And there are serious calls to rethink the role of education, and what follows from that discussion about the type of education that we need? And which citizen do we want to make? What skills do we want to enhance? What are the best educational approaches that we should follow? etc.…

In light of this reality, the education landscape is undergoing a major transformation on the international level. And we must keep pace with this transformation by opening the door to discussion about a renewed educational vision for human development that is fair and applicable and developing curricula for formal and non-formal education, with a development that can encourage respect for diversity, combat forms of discrimination, cultural domination, and establish Educational policies that contribute to improving teaching and learning outcomes. Likewise, through the implementation of programs and activities that enhance a sense of responsibility towards others and develop twenty-first-century skills, foremost of which are peace-building skills, dialogue, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and communication.

Education as a means of building peace

One of the primary ways that education promotes peace is by teaching young people to think critically and to challenge harmful beliefs and behaviors. When individuals are given the opportunity to explore different perspectives and to question the status quo, they are better equipped to challenge discrimination and violence and to work towards creating more inclusive and peaceful societies.

In addition to promoting critical thinking, education also helps young people to develop the skills and values necessary for peaceful conflict resolution. By teaching communication skills, negotiation, and problem-solving, education can help individuals to manage conflicts in a constructive and peaceful manner, rather than resorting to violence or aggression.

Furthermore, education plays a vital role in promoting understanding and respect for diversity. By exposing young people to different cultures, histories, and perspectives, education helps to break down stereotypes and prejudices, and to foster greater empathy and understanding between individuals and groups. This is particularly important in today’s world, where conflicts often arise due to misunderstandings and misunderstandings of cultural differences.

Another important aspect of education in building peace is the promotion of values such as respect, tolerance, and nonviolence. These values are essential for creating a peaceful and harmonious society, and are best learned through formal education as well as through role modeling and positive reinforcement. By teaching young people to value diversity and to respect the rights of others, we can create a more peaceful and just society.

Education is crucial in promoting human rights and justice. By teaching young people about their rights and responsibilities, and by promoting values such as equality and fairness, education can help to create more just and peaceful societies.

Syrian Youth Assembly — Education as a first step to building peace.

The Syrian Youth Assembly was established in 2016 as an organization run by youth, focusing on finding a role for Syrian youth in the Syrian peace process at the social and political levels. One of the most important strategic directions of the organization was to build common ground that could enhance dialogue and build A safe space for young people to participate in shaping their future in Syria, where the organization focused on working to mobilize Syrian youth and build trust with Syrian youth by providing education and development using digital solutions and online global platforms. This approach contributed to the connection since 2016 until today to more than 140,000 young men and women residing in Syria, and abroad, these programs have contributed to creating a safe space for its members to exchange learning, discussion, dialogue, and access to the marginalized group of young people such as girls who face social, cultural and security obstacles that prevent their involvement in non-formal education activities Which are physically in place, in addition to programs to increase the empowerment of leadership skills, a debate club, and trainings on advocacy and civic action.

This example is a successful experience of the role of civil society organizations in contributing to peace-building by providing educational opportunities that can bring together members of society for common goals, which are obtaining more education and development, and investing these spaces to spread the culture of dialogue and empower the role of Youth in the national peace process.

We must believe in the status of education as a major factor in sustainable peace, where all educational institutions and civil society organizations have a role to play in instilling the values of coexistence and building a good national character rather than just transferring information and knowledge; Education has never been as important as it is today, as it has a decisive role in advancing the knowledge and behaviors that we need in order to establish a sense of citizenship, individual responsibility towards achieving peace, and combating hatred and violence. Education can contribute to giving weight to the voices of moderation, solidarity, reason, and respect, as peace requires, more than ever before, dialogue between societies and greater participation between cultures. So, we need a new education for new times and conditions; More than ever before, we need an education that contributes to preparing our children and youth to live in a diverse society in which the other is respected, regardless of differences and distinctions.

In conclusion, education is a crucial factor in building peace for young people. It can provide young people with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to respect and understand others, to think critically and creatively, and to engage in civic participation and social action. By investing in education, we can create a more peaceful and inclusive society for all.

Today, we must focus our efforts on building a culture of peace and non-violence in our societies, drawing inspiration from our cultural heritage rich in diversity, and from the common human values inherited in Syria and rooted in our culture, and from the teachings of the two monotheistic religions, Islam and Christianity, also based on international laws and covenants.