Source: PIB, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development
& The Hindu
The World Youth conference was organized in commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi and aimed at providing youth with creative, effective methods of engaging and realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It seeks inspiration from Gandhi’s championing of non-violence.
Key Highlights
- The first World Youth Conference on Kindness was organized by UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
- The theme of the conference was ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Gandhi for the Contemporary World: Celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
- The conference aimed to impart critical competencies (i.e. empathy, compassion, mindfulness, and critical inquiry) in global youth to inspire, empower and enable them to transform themselves and build long-lasting peace in their communities.
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development
- Based in New Delhi, the Institute was formally announced in November 2012 by the President of India and the Director-General of UNESCO.
- The UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) is UNESCO’s category 1 Research Institute that focuses on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.7 towards education for building peaceful and sustainable societies across the world.
- In line with its vision of ‘Transforming Education for Humanity’, the institute’s programmes and products are designed to mainstream Social and Emotional Learning in education systems, innovate digital pedagogies and to put youth as global citizens at the centre of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development.
- It is the first UNESCO specialized education institute in India and the first Category 1 institute in the Asia-Pacific region.
- The role of the Institute will be to support member governments, provide advocacy, commission research and enhance capacity building.
- The Institute will also act as a clearinghouse for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Peace Education. One of its key functions will also be to establish networks and partnerships on ESD and Peace Education.
- To that effect, the Institute will develop a global database and an interactive portal for ESD and Peace Education, engaging with youth in particular.
