2025 Online Workshop on

Empowering Education for an Inclusive, Resilient, and Peaceful Future

24-25 April 2025

Background

In today’s interconnected world, achieving sustainable development requires fostering peace, justice, and strong institutions. However, persistent conflicts, social injustices, weak governance, and human rights violations continue to threaten global stability. Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) underscores the urgency of building just, peaceful, and inclusive societies by promoting accountable institutions, protecting human rights, and ensuring equal access to justice.

Education is a fundamental driver of SDG 16. It serves as a catalyst for transforming mindsets, fostering civic responsibility, and equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to address both local and global challenges. Recognizing this, UNESCO’s Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights, International Understanding, Cooperation, Fundamental Freedoms, Global Citizenship, and Sustainable Development provides a comprehensive framework for integrating accessible and quality education into policies, curricula, and learning environments. According to the Recommendation, education is defined as an inalienable right. It is “a lifelong and society-wide process, through which everyone learns and develops to their full potential, the whole of their personality, sense of dignity, talents and mental and physical abilities, within and for the benefit of local, national, regional and global communities and ecosystems.”

Beyond individual growth, education shapes the trajectory of future societies. When education is both inclusive and of high quality, it cultivates empathy, tolerance, resilience, and peaceful coexistence. It reduces the possibility of conflict and contributes to problem-solving by nurturing critical thinking, encouraging open dialogue, and expanding economic opportunities.[1] Notably, education is most crucial in times of crisis, providing individuals with the tools to navigate instability and build more resilient communities.

Yet, despite its transformative power, education remains one of the most underfunded sectors.[2] Recent global challenges – such as the COVID-19 pandemic, growing political instability, and economic pressures – have significantly limited investments in education. This lack of funding exacerbates disparities, particularly in underrepresented communities, conflict or disaster-prone regions, and digital learning environments. Unequal access to quality education does not merely represent a lost opportunity; it can also deepen social divisions, increase tensions, and contribute to unrest. As the urgency to build resilient and inclusive societies grows, so does the need to strengthen investment in education as a foundation for sustainable peace.

Recognizing this imperative, UNITAR CIFAL Jeju is organizing a capacity-building workshop to explore practical ways to implement inclusive, high-quality education at the local level. The workshop seeks to bridge the gap between policy and practice by equipping educators, civil society leaders, policymakers, and youth advocates with holistic, multidisciplinary approaches to education. Through an expert lecture alongside deep dive sessions, and interactive group exercises, participants will explore how education intersects with inclusivity, decent work, climate change, digital competency, and conflict management. Deep-dive sessions will examine educational initiatives across these five areas with real-world case studies, focusing on how they are integrated into curricula and community programs to drive meaningful change.

This workshop is designed to empower participants as active agents of change, equipping them with the tools to foster just, inclusive, and resilient societies through education. Participants will have the opportunity to apply their learning by developing a context-specific curriculum or initiative tailored to their communities' needs.