Bikas C. Sanyal, Senior Advisor, International
Institute for Educational Planning, Paris, in his paper “Need For Value-Based
Education In The Twenty-First Century” takes good review.
Since the establishment of UNESCO, a number of
standard-setting instruments have been developed to delineate basic principles
of education for peace and human rights. Among them are the following:
1 The recommendation concerning Education for
International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace, and Education Relating to
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom. (Paris, 1974)
2 World Plan of Action on Education for Human
Rights and Democracy. (Montreal, 1993)
3 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action of
the World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, 1993)
4 Declaration and Integrated Framework of Action
in Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy. (Paris, 1995)
5 Plan of Action for the United Nations Decade
for Human Rights Education 1995-2004.
These action plans are executed under the
guidance of the UNESCO Advisory Committee on Education for Peace, Human Rights,
Democracy, International Understanding and Tolerance.
The educational institutions of the Member
States of UNESCO have now the necessary courseware to introduce value-based
educational programmes – incorporating both spiritual and secular values to
build a culture of peace.
In the words of the Director General of UNESCO
"I proclaim forcefully, … we must hence forth be ready to pay the price of
peace as we have paid with millions of human lives the price of war; that the
diversity of cultures, the very basis of our identities and sense of belonging
should unite us around ideals proclaimed by our constitution and never again
divide us; that religions founded on love should not lead us to confrontation
and hatred; and that ideologies, through freedom of expression and
participation, should serve democracy and not coercion."[1]
[1]Federico Mayor: Address at the opening of the
"International Consultation of Governmental Experts on the Human Right to
Peace", delivered on 5 March 1998, UNESCO, Paris.