UNESCO S ROLE IN PROMOTING EDUCATION AS A TOOL TO PREVENT VIOLENT EXTREMISM SUMMARY

Transcription

1 Executive Bard Tw hundredth sessin 200 EX/9 PARIS, 8 August 2016 Original: English Item 9 f the prvisinal agenda UNESCO S ROLE IN PROMOTING EDUCATION AS A TOOL TO PREVENT VIOLENT EXTREMISM SUMMARY The Directr-General reprts n the prgress made n the implementatin f 197 EX/Decisin 46 n UNESCO s rle in prmting educatin as a tl t prevent vilent extremism. This reprt presents the activities that have been implemented as well as thse that are underway t take frward the Decisin. Actin expected f the Executive Bard: Prpsed decisin in paragraph 15.

2 200 EX/9 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The present dcument reprts n the prgress made in the implementatin f 197 EX/Decisin 46 n UNESCO s rle in prmting educatin as a tl t prevent vilent extremism. It presents the activities that have been implemented as well as thse that are underway t take frward the Decisin. 2. UNESCO is implementing this decisin thrugh intersectral cperatin with all prgramme sectrs cntributing. Furthermre, as requested, a Fcal Pint n educatin t prevent vilent extremism (PVE) was appinted within the Educatin Sectr. The Fcal Pint is cnvening an Inter-sectral Team, cmpsed f representatives f all prgramme sectrs, which meets n a mnthly basis t facilitate crdinatin and cllabratins arund jint activities and plans, including jint prject prpsals submitted fr extrabudgetary funding. The Inter-Sectral Team develped a jint webpage 1 centralizing all infrmatin pertaining t UNESCO s wrk n the PVE. II. DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDANCE MATERIALS AND FRAMEWORKS 3. A Teacher s Guide n the Preventin f Vilent Extremism 2 was develped t prvide guidance and practical tips t teachers n hw t manage classrm discussins n radicalisatin and PVE. Anther guide is being develped t assist educatin plicy-makers in designing, planning and implementing actins that can be taken at all levels f educatin systems (i.e. at the plicy, pedaggy and practice levels). The existing UNESCO Glbal Citizenship Educatin Clearinghuse 3 hsted by Asia Pacific Centre f Educatin fr Internatinal Understanding (APCEIU), a UNESCO Categry II Centre, was expanded t include resurces n PVE. 4. Wrk is in prgress t tackle the imprtance f scial media in PVE. The Cmmunicatin and Infrmatin Sectr launched glbal research studies t examine the rle f scial media in prcesses f radicalizatin with due respect fr freedm f expressin, internatinal infrmatin ethics and human rights framewrks. The Sectr is als develping plicy guidelines n digital citizenship in rder t identify, advcate and prmte values, which can guide respnsible nline behaviur. 5. T help curb the spread f intlerance and vilent extremism and prmte hlistic and humanistic visins f learning, which cnvey values that fster just and inclusive scieties, the UNESCO Internatinal Bureau f Educatin launched an initiative t identify values that are universal and that, if apprpriately integrated int curricula, culd prmte peace, dialgue and mutual understanding. The UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute f Educatin fr Peace and Sustainable Develpment (MGIEP) is develping the Libre Curricula a set f multimdal nline mdules n the PVE that are prmting critical thinking and enquiry-based learning frm the perspective f glbal citizenship. III. ADVOCACY AND CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONCERNED STAKEHOLDERS 6. The Educatin Sectr, including MGIEP will rganize a majr internatinal cnference n the PVE thrugh educatin (New Delhi, India, September 2016). Targeting educatin plicy-makers, the cnference will gather ver 200 participants frm all ver the wrld and raise awareness abut the magnitude f the threat f vilent extremism and the cre rle that educatin can play in preventing the phenmenn. The participants will cnstitute a glbal netwrk fr future disseminatin f UNESCO s wrk and infrmatin n PVE

3 200 EX/9 page 2 7. The Educatin Sectr and APCEIU are develping a series f capacity building prgrammes fcusing n Glbal Citizenship Educatin and PVE. The first wrkshp in the series was delivered in June 2016, in Seul, Republic f Krea. 8. Specific actins are als being undertaken at natinal level. In cllabratin with the Ministry f Educatin f Mrcc, UNESCO Rabat rganised in March 2016 a natinal cnsultatin meeting n schls and their rle in PVE, fllwed by a wrkshp fr the United Natins agencies and natinal stakehlders t define the pririties and areas f interventin that UN Agencies culd cnsider t prevent and cunter vilent extremism amng yuth. In June 2016, the Educatin Sectr signed an agreement with the Natinal Cmmissin f Mrcc fr UNESCO t prvide technical supprt fr the develpment f a natinal strategy n the PVE thrugh educatin. IV. PROMOTING YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND PARTICIPATION AS A MEANS TO PVE 9. The Scial and Human Sciences, the Cmmunicatin and Infrmatin and the Educatin Sectrs are implementing the Netwrk f Mediterranean Yuth Prject (NET-MED), funded by the Eurpean Unin, which fcuses n ten cuntries alng the eastern and western basins f the Mediterranean Sea. Its main bjective is t cntribute t the creatin f an enabling envirnment fr yung wmen and men t meaningfully engage as active citizens. It seeks t strengthen yuth netwrks, imprve their media and ICT skills, facilitate their access t plicy makers and enhance yung peple s ecnmic inclusin, thus significantly cntributing t peacebuilding in the regin. 10. MGIEP rganized in February 2016 a twn-hall discussin Talking Acrss Generatins n Educatin (TAGe) n the theme Preventing Vilent Extremism thrugh Educatin. Over 450 yung peple participated in the event, which included a dialgue with educatin decisin-makers, plicy-makers, academics, and teachers. The event prduced a Yuth Statement with recmmendatins fr psitive changes t educatin systems. 11. The Cmmunicatin and Infrmatin Sectr addressed the issue f yuth radicalizatin and the PVE n the Internet during the UNESCO High-Level Frum rganized with the Wrld Summit n the Infrmatin Sciety (WSIS) Frum (Geneva, May 2016). The Frum aimed t accelerate effrts t achieve SDG Gal 16 thrugh the creatin f cnditins fr peaceful and inclusive Knwledge Scieties. Since July 2015, the Sectr is implementing the Suth Sudan Yuth PeaceApp prject within the framewrk f the YuthMbile Initiative in rder t empwer yung wmen and men t create games and applicatins that prvide cnstructive, prblem-slving respnses t challenges facing their cmmunities. The Sectr is als rganizing, with the Gvernment f Quebec, an internatinal cnference Internet and the Radicalizatin f Yuth: Preventing, Acting & Living Tgether (Quebec City, Canada, 31 Octber-1 Nvember 2016). 12. Within the framewrk f the Wrld Heritage Educatin Prgramme, the Culture Sectr rganized the Wrld Heritage Yuth Frum (June-July 2016) in Istanbul, Turkey, t raise awareness amng yuth abut the imprtance f the prtectin f heritage and the need t respnd t the cntinuing threats facing wrld heritage. The Sectr als rganized the Wrld Heritage Vlunteers Actin Camps in 27 cuntries, invlving 500 yung men and wmen, which sught t strengthen a shared sense f belnging with regard t cultural heritage and develp the respect fr cultural diversity. 13. UNESCO field ffices have been active in supprting yuth as active and engaged champins f PVE. UNESCO Dakar is prmting sustainable peace thrugh sci-ecnmic inclusin f yung peple in the Sahel regin, in particular thrugh the develpment f life-skills and the use f Open Educatinal Resurces. UNESCO Asia and Pacific Reginal Bureau fr Educatin is develping a prject titled Yuth Leading Change fr Peace in Asia and Pacific, t build the capacity f yung peple as agents f peace, t prmte mutual understanding and identify pathways fr addressing inequality, pverty and vilence including vilent extremism and radicalizatin. UNESCO Nairbi rganized a training sessin n yuth, peace and security, at the

4 200 EX/9 page 3 tenth anniversary celebratin f the African Yuth Charter (Banjul +10) and UNESCO in Central America is engaged in initiatives t supprt vulnerable yuth and train fficials n preventing vilence. V. PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER AGENCIES 14. In rder t advance debates and actins n PVE, UNESCO develped critical partnerships with varius actrs, including: as an integral member f the United Natins Cunter-Terrrism Implementatin Task Frce (CTITF), UNESCO is c-chairing the CTITF s Wrking Grup n Cnditins Cnducive t the Spread f Terrrism, which has been tasked with the implementatin f the UNSG s Plan f Actin n PVE; UNESCO is als an active member f fur ther CTITF Wrking Grups, namely thse wrking n: Cuntering the Financing f Terrrism, Natinal and Reginal Cunter-Terrrism Strategies, Freign Terrrist Fighters (FTF), as well as the Wrking Grup n adpting a Gender Sensitive Apprach t Preventing and Cuntering Terrrism, created in June 2016; the Secretariat f the United Natins Secretary-General s Glbal Educatin First Initiative, with which UNESCO rganised a rundtable n PVE targeting the New Yrk and the United Natins-based freign missins and delegatins (June 2016); the Office f the United Natins Special Adviser fr the Preventin f Gencide and the Respnsibility t Prtect; the inter-agency Grup n Yuth and Peace building which is crdinating the implementatin f Security Cuncil Reslutin 2250 n Yuth, Peace and Security; the Eurpean Cmmissin, t whse Wrking Grup n Citizenship Educatin in fllw-up t the Paris Declaratin f Educatin Ministers UNESCO cntributes; the Cuncil f Eurpe Standing Cnference f Ministers f Educatin, where UNESCO addressed the PVE as part f the Ministers discussin f securing demcracy thrugh educatin (April 2016); the Geneva Cnference n Preventing Vilent Extremism The Way Frward in April 2016, where the Directr-General f UNESCO presented its Teacher s Guide n the Preventin f Vilent Extremism; and the jint Debate t Actin initiative f the Anna Lindh Fundatin and the British Cuncil, which UNESCO cntributes thrugh NET-MED Yuth, fcuses n research, capacity-building n media and advcacy, and jint cmmunicatin actins. Prpsed decisin 15. In the light f the abve, the Executive Bard may wish t take the fllwing decisin: The Executive Bard, 1. Having examined 200 EX/9, 2. Recalling 197 EX/Decisin 46 n UNESCO s rle in prmting educatin as a tl t prevent vilent extremism, 3. Taking nte f the United Natins General Assembly Reslutin 70/254 (February 2016), in which it welcmed the initiative by the Secretary-General and tk

5 200 EX/9 page 4 nte f his Plan f Actin t Prevent Vilent Extremism; and als takes nte f UNGA reslutin A/RES/70/291 (July 2016) which recmmended that Member States cnsider the implementatin f relevant recmmendatins f the Plan f Actin, as applicable t the natinal cntext, 4. Expresses its appreciatin t the Directr-General fr having launched and implemented activities t guide and build capacity f Member States t prevent vilent extremism thrugh educatin as well as thrugh supprting media, cultural diversity and yuth; 5. Welcmes the strng intersectral cperatin established t ensure a cmprehensive apprach as well as the develpment f clse partnerships with relevant actrs and stakehlders; 6. Urges Member States t supprt thrugh extrabudgetary resurces the UNESCO activities n the preventin f vilent extremism; 7. Encurages the Directr-General t further enhance UNESCO activities t prevent vilent extremism, in crdinatin with United Natins agencies and ther relevant stakehlders; 8. Requests the Directr-General t reprt at the 202nd sessin f the Executive Bard n UNESCO s cntributin t the preventin f vilent extremism in a reprt reflecting the cntributin f all the prgramme sectrs and taking int accunt intersectral cllabratin. Printed n recycled paper