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Q&A: Better Students, Better Citizens, Better World: Education Is the Key to Peace 16 June 2015 UNITED NATIONS, Jun 14 (IPS) - In a world where high levels of social and religious intolerance, conflicts, violent extremism and environmental degradation are threatening justice and peace, the United Nations is trying to find ways to maintain world order and promote sustainable development.This year, the drafting of the post-2015 U.N. agenda, which has set up the targets for the next 15 years of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), represents a turning point for achieving development worldwide.Finding a solution to 21st century challenges requires the creation of a fresh, universally-based, inclusive and transformative paradigm. The key to this paradigm is Global Citizenship Education (GCED).Great emphasis has been placed on the role of education since U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the "Global Education First Initiative", in 2012, which put GCED as one of its main principles.Following the 2015 resolution adopted by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on the necessity to conceptualise and implement policies concerning global citizenship education, and the adoption of the Incheon Declaration on the Future of Education adopted at the World Education Forum (May 19-22), hosted in Seoul, major steps forward have been made in relation to GCED.Advocates say the next step is to include GCED within the education targets in the SDGs that will be ratified in September in New York.A seminar to raise awareness and spread the concept of GCED will be held on Jun. 15, organised by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the U.N., along with the collaboration of the Permanent Missions of the United States, Nigeria, Qatar, France, the UNESCO, international organisations and NGOs.In an interview with IPS, the Permanent Deputy Representative of Korea, Choong-Hee Hahn, spoke about GCED and its relevance for building a more peaceful world.Q: What is Global Citizenship Education?A: Generally, education is defined in functional terms, such as access to schools and quality of education in preparation of a professional career. But the new framework of GCED should focus on orientation.There are three main aspects that GCED should promote. Firstly, the "sense of being", teaching students, since their early age, about what kind of citizens they should become. They should be sensitised about future challenges, such as climate change, intolerance and violent extremisms.Secondly, the "sense of responsibility and privilege of being a global citizen." GCED should include multicultural diversity and mutual respect, by understanding the real meaning of fundamental and human rights values, dignity and democracy.Thirdly, "compassion and empathy". The revolutionary aspect of GCED is its holistic approach to education, rather than advancing to next the level of education or job searching. This is the best approach to cope with our Century complexities.Another important concept of GCED is inclusiveness.Hatred and violence come from a sense of isolation, and a lack interconnectedness. Teaching inclusiveness, embracing different social, political and economic aspects. In this way, people will feel respected and will play an active role tin the society.Q: Why is Korea leading GCED?A: It is because of the rapid development Korea went through in the past decades. Thinking about the history of Korea, we experienced immense poverty. However, by investing in education, and through the promotion of democratic values we reached development.Today, Korea is very multicultural, multiethnic and multi-religious, based on the respect of human rights. Christians, Muslims Confucians and Buddhists live cohesively together. We are a positive example of education, tolerance and peace. As a role model, we would like to contribute and raise awareness on GCED without bias nor prefixed prejudices.Q: Why bringing GCED within the U.N. agenda post-2015 development agenda?A: This is the right time to think about how and why the U.N. is pursuing the new SDGs. The U.N. first priorities are now dignity of people and the planet, along with justice and prosperity. These are value oriented goals and objectives. The U.N. agenda is based on three main pillars: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights. I think all those issues are intertwined with education, and GCED is the solution to peace and security - by promoting tolerance and responsibility - sustainable development - through inclusiveness and equity - human rights - understanding the privilege of being a human being and democratic values.Q:What is GCED methodology?A: Global education should be based on the participation of multiple stakeholders. Not only teachers and students, but also worldwide social, economic, cultural experts, NGOs and youth groups.GCED should be built on a methodological paradigm, not based on textbooks, but on discussions and participation of all students in the class. New audio-visual methods, and participatory discourses, through fieldwork and exchange programmes. We need a new system that revitalises the classrooms and contributes substantially to peace and security.GCED is not about replicating the paradigm of "Enlightenment and Western" values. On the contrary, by focusing on inclusiveness, it aspires to find a world denominator common to developed and developing countries.However, given that many children still have no access to education, GCED should mobilise funding and concrete means of implementations. GCED should also be participatory and content-sharing.To do so, it is important to develop Information and Communication Technology (ICT) through the use of internet, computers, and mobile phones, even in the remotest areas of the planet, along with the support of the private sector. For instance, in Korea, we are leading several educational projects with private companies such as Samsung .Q: What are the main challenges to GCED?A: Unfortunately there are still huge financial gaps and inequalities among countries.Recently, a proposal for a global fund for education was put forward, but it is not easy, as there are already many other funds, such as funds to finance development or the Green Climate Fund.There is the Global Partnership for Education, the existing global fund which helps developing countries to get access to education for all.However, we need more financial resources, improved capacity building, and more ICT equipment to deploy in developing countries.An additional challenge is the fact that education is not yet perceived as a top priority in many government agendas. This is the real problem. As long as there are not enough investments by local authorities in national education, Global Education will be impossible to achieve. Therefore, it is fundamental the collaboration of the private sector in developing an ethical Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).Edited by Kitty Stapp© Inter Press Service (2015) — All Rights Reserved 
Education for All 2000-2015: Only a third of countries reached global education goals 13 May 2015 Paris/New Delhi, - Just one third of countries have achieved all of the measurable Education for All (EFA) goals set in 2000. Only half of all countries have achieved the most watched goal of universal primary enrolment. An extra $22 billion a year is needed on top of already ambitious government contributions in order to ensure we achieve the new education targets now being set for the year 2030.These are the key findings of the 2015 EFA Global Monitoring Report (GMR) “Education for All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges”, produced by UNESCO which has tracked progress on these goals for the past 15 years.“The world has made tremendous progress towards Education for All,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. “Despite not meeting the 2015 deadline, millions more children are in school than would have been had the trends of the 1990s persisted. However, the agenda is far from finished. We need to see specific, well-funded strategies that prioritize the poorest – especially girls – improve the quality of learning and reduce the literacy gap so that education becomes meaningful and universal.”Released today, one month before the World Education Forum in Incheon (Republic of Korea), the Report reveals the following findings:Goal 1. Expand early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable children.Forty seven percent of countries reached the goal and another eight percent were close. Twenty percent were very far from the goal. Yet, in 2012, nearly two-thirds more children were enrolled in early childhood education than in 1999.Goal 2. Achieve universal primary education, particularly for girls, ethnic minorities and marginalized children.Fifty-two percent of countries achieved this goal; ten percent are close and the remaining thirty-eight percent are far or very far from achieving it. This leaves almost 100 million children not completing primary education in 2015. A lack of focus on the marginalized has left the poorest five times less likely to complete a full cycle of primary education than the richest and over a third of out of school children living in conflict affected zones.There have been important successes: Around 50 million more children are enrolled in school now than were in 1999. Education is still not free in many places, but cash transfer and school feeding programmes have had a positive impact on school enrolment for the poor.Goal 3. Ensure equal access to learning and life skills for youth and adults.Forty-six percent of countries reached universal lower secondary enrolment. Globally, numbers in lower secondary education increased by 27% and more than doubled in sub-Saharan Africa. Nonetheless, one third of adolescents in low income countries will not complete lower secondary school in 2015.Goal 4. Achieving a 50 per cent reduction in levels of adult illiteracy by 2015.Only 25% of countries reached this goal; 32% remain very far from it. While globally the percentage of illiterate adults fell from 18% in 2000 to 14% in 2015, this progress is almost entirely attributed to more educated young people reaching adulthood. Women continue to make up almost two-thirds of the illiterate adult population. Half of sub-Saharan African women do not have basic literacy skills.Goal 5. Achieve gender parity and equalityGender parity will be achieved at the primary level in 69% of countries by 2015. At secondary level, only 48% of countries will reach the goal. Child marriage and early pregnancy continue to hinder girls’ progress in education as does the need for teacher training in gender sensitive approaches and curriculum reform.Goal 6. Improve the quality of education and ensure measurable learning outcomes for allThe numbers of pupils per teacher decreased in 121 of 146 countries between 1990 and 2012 at the primary level, but 4 million more teachers are still needed to get all children into school. Trained teachers remain in short supply in one third of countries; in several sub-Saharan African countries, less than 50 percent are trained. However, education quality has received increased attention since 2000; the number of countries carrying out national learning assessments has doubled. Funding and political willSince 2000 many governments significantly increased their spending on education: 38 countries increased their commitment to education by one percentage point or more of GNP. However funding remains a major obstacle at all levels.“Unless concerted action is taken and education receives the attention that it failed to get during the past 15 years, millions of children will continue to miss out and the transformative vision of the new Sustainable Development agenda will be jeopardized,” said GMR Director, Aaron Benavot. “Governments must find ways to mobilize new resources for education. International partners must ensure that aid is distributed to those most in need.”The GMR makes the following recommendations:Complete the EFA agenda: Governments should make at least one year of pre-primary education compulsory. Education must be free for all children: fees for tuition, textbooks, school uniforms and transport must be abolished. Policy makers should identify and prioritize skills to be acquired by the end of each stage of schooling. Literacy policies should link up with the needs of communities. Teacher training should be improved to include gender-focused strategies. Teaching styles should better reflect student needs and the diversity of classroom contexts.Equity: Governments, donors and civil society must develop programmes and target funding to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged so no child is left behind. Governments should close critical data gaps in order to be able to direct resources to those most in need.Post-2015: Future education targets for education must be specific, relevant and realistic. At current rates, only half of all children in low-income countries are expected to complete lower secondary education by 2030. In many countries even the core goal of achieving universal primary education will remain out of reach without concerted efforts.Close the finance gap: The international community, in partnership with countries, must find the means to bridge the US$22 billion annual finance gap for quality pre-primary and basic education for all by 2030. Clear education finance targets must be established within the Sustainable Development Goals where none currently exist.****For interviews, photos, b-roll, infographics, videos, including a video message by the United Nations Secretary General, or for more information, please see contacts on the right column.To download the full Report, summary and other materialPassword: Report_EFA2015Notes to Editors:Developed by an independent team and published by UNESCO, the Education for All Global Monitoring Report is an authoritative reference that aims to inform, influence and sustain genuine commitment towards Education for All. 
How can we make schools happier places? You tell us! 10 April 2015 A happy learner is more likely to be a thriving one – better able to solve problems and apply critical thinking skills, more self-confident and likelier to form and foster positive relationships with others.Happy learners require "happy schools", those that ensure the holistic development and well-being of students. But what factors determine whether schools are positive places that assist learners in developing their full potential?That's what we want to find out from you via our "Happy Schools Survey". The survey is open to everyone, particularly students, education professionals as well as other members of the general public and comprises nine questions. Through these, we hope to learn from your experience – what makes schools fun and enjoyable places for learners, what factors detract from this, as well as what can be done to ensure that all students feel more included.The survey is part of UNESCO Bangkok's wider "Happy Schools" project. It is our hope that we will not only brighten the learning environments of our young people, but also help to shift educational priorities in the region to better respond to the more holistic needs of learners in the 21st century and beyond.The survey should take no more than five minutes to complete and your feedback will in turn serve as a crucial input for UNESCO Bangkok as we draft a clear and concise framework for what a happy school is. Take the survey: English: www.surveymonkey.com/s/happyschoolsChinese: www.surveymonkey.com/s/happyschools_chineseThai: www.surveymonkey.com/s/happyschools_ThaiJapanese: www.surveymonkey.com/s/happyschools_JapaneseKorean: www.surveymonkey.com/s/happyschools_koreanRussian: www.surveymonkey.com/s/happyschools_RussianFor more information, please contact:Aliénor Salmon, Research Assistant, Education Policy and Reform Unit (EPR), a.salmon@unesco.orgAntony Tam, Research Assistant, Education Policy and Reform Unit (EPR), kh.tam@unesco.org 
Global Education: The Intercultural Dimension (online course) 16 March 2015 CourseThis global education online learning course is designed for education practitioners, social workers, civil society, youth activists, as well as policy and decision makers, local authorities and intercultural cities. . Please be aware that the course announced on this website regards an online learning course and does not involve any travelling. However, in order to participate, you need to have regular access to the Internet. The course has been designed to complement the Global Education Guidelines, a pedagogical tool for educators and policy makers to understand and implement Global Education, and share with a wider audience concepts and approaches promoted by the North-South Centre’s Global Education programme.This second online learning course, under the title "Global Education - The Intercultural Dimension", provides an overview on why intercultural education is relevant and needed, what it means in theory and practice and how it can be improved in relation to the context of a globalised world, the local needs, its contents and methodology.ContentThis course explores the ways of addressing the issues in theory and practice, reflecting on the ideal state considering the evidence from the reality, and developing new ways of understanding and promoting human rights education in the contexts of the participants.The specific contents include:Introduction to the intercultural dimension of global educationReflecting on the needs for intercultural global educationReviewed concepts approaches to intercultural global educationUnderstanding of existing intercultural education in practiceDilemmas and challenges in policy development towards intercultural educationDevelopment of strategies for intercultural political educationRights-based approaches to social and political actionSpecific aims of the courseTo offer a platform to reflect on the role of intercultural education and the challenges posed by the local context in a globalised worldTo reflect on the concepts and approaches related to global education and its intercultural dimensionTo develop a better understanding of intercultural education, intercultural learning and intercultural competencesTo review and strengthen the existing policy approaches to ensuring quality standards and recognition of intercultural educationTo strengthen the intercultural dialogue as part of political educationTo connect local and international practitioners and other relevant actors in the fieldTo strengthen the network of global, human rights and intercultural education practitionersFor whom?The course in general is targeted at people working in or with intercultural learning and education, either as part of international organisations, national educational institutions or those working for national and local civil society organisations, policy makers, local authorities and intercultural cities. The course also welcomes students with a special interest in the topic.Course requirements:Please note that all participants should:be in command of the English language; be able to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week (every week) on course work; have basic ICT skills and a minimum of internet access. By whom?The course has been developed in partnership between the North South Centre (NSC) and The Network University. North-South Centre's mandate is to provide a framework for North-South co-operation to increase public awareness of global interdependence issues and promote policies of solidarity in conformity with the aims and principles of the Council of Europe: respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law.The Network University (TNU) facilitates innovative learning and capacity building for a global network of professionals, students, non-profit organizations, agencies and networks, specializing in creating e-tools for education and networking in the field of development.CostsThe North South Centre will provide scholarships of 400 euro, corresponding to the course value. The scholarships will be granted to selected applications on the basis of quality of the application.Please be aware that an application should consist of the online form and the word document.For more information please go to the application page. DateThe next course will be offered from 10 November to 7 December, 2014 and registration for this course is now open. For more information please go to the application page.Next Course date: 23 March- 17 April 2015Application process open: 16 FebruaryDeadline for application: 15 MarchCourse date: 17 August - 11 September 2015Application process open: 6 JulyDeadline for application: 9 August If you would like more information do not hesitate to contact one of the course tutors at hre (at) netuni.nl. 
Thinking, Sharing and Acting for a Peaceful and Sustainable World - presented at WISE 2014 4 March 2015 Innovation in thinking, sharing and acting for a peaceful and sustainable world is the message UNESCO shared at this years' World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) conference in Doha, Qatar, 4th-7th November 2014. UNESCO organized several panels and debates at the summit which is one of the largest education events in the world.At the Education Above All plenary session on "Education Post-2015: The Unfinished Agenda" Hans d' Orville, UNESCO's Assistant Director General for Strategic Planning debated the subject with Thomas Gass, UN Assistant Secretary-General for DESA and Inter-agency Affairs.Mr d'Orville pointed out the need to adopt a strong stand-alone goal for education, with a set of effective targets which would also integrate the dimensions of the unfinished business from the current Millennium Development Goals. He reiterated the need for evidence based planning and statistics to inform targeted interventions for reaching out-of-school children and prioritized quality for marginalized learners, which UNESCO is uniquely placed to do with the work of UNESCO's Institute of Statistics (UIS). Mr d'Orville also suggested that a strong education goal/indicator should be introduced into the political debate on a par with the unemployment and inflation figures, allowing for a true assessment of a country's well-being.During a workshop on Global Citizenship Education (GCED) - 'Thinking, Sharing and Acting for a Peaceful and Sustainable World', UNESCO presented this emerging area of education that emphasizes the promotion of knowledge, values, and skills that are needed for ensuring that learners contribute to building more just, peaceful and sustainable world. The workshop, led by Chris Castle, Chief of Section of Health and Global Citizenship Education, UNESCO, gave the participants the opportunity to learn more about GCED and exchange experiences on the challenges and successes of GCED programs."In the world we live in today, GCED plays a critical role in creating long-term peace and stability, and we know that education is the right vehicle to transfer this knowledge and create change in societies. WISE 2014 has provided a platform for concrete discussions on highlighting the necessity of GCED and at the same time placed importance on the need for it to be at the heart of education agendas around the world," Chris Castle, Chief of Section of Health and Global Citizenship Education said.Oscar Sanchez, Secretary of Education, City of Bogota, Colombia, explained how GCED is implemented in his country and that it has had a positive impact on their society. This initiative is youth-centred and includes half a million students enrolled in the public education system already.Lynn Davies, Emeritus Professor of International Education, University of Birmingham, UK, outlined the relevance of GCED connected with the rise of extremism, the spread of social media and gender. She raised the question on how GCED can operate in a climate of conflict and oppression, and argued that GCED in all countries ideally needs to include an understanding of the causes of conflict or ethnic and religious tension. Further, Davies pointed out that young people need skills to critically analyse the social media messages they receive, including religious messages. "At the same time, they need to be able to explore opportunities for positive use of social media for change within and across borders - including e-learning under oppressive regimes," she added. Dina Kiwan, Associate Professor at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, also speaking at the workshop, told how GCED is responding to a concrete need for a new approach to education.Leading educators from around the world highlighted the pivotal role of innovation and creativity in the global education agenda at WISE 2014, which opened under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation. Her Highness Sheikha Moza presented the WISE 2014 Prize for Education to Ann Lesley Cotton, founder of the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) to enhance girls' education in Africa. 
KAICIID Launches First Interreligious Dialogue Fellowship 4 March 2015 The KAICIID International Fellows Programme will begin its first year with a cohort of educators from a variety of religious and secular institutions. The KAICIID Fellows are drawn from all over the world, coming from Austria, India, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Myanmar Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Venezuela, among many others. These educators are actively teaching at institutions that train future Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, and Jewish religious leaders. Anas Alabbadi, Facilitator of the KAICIID Fellows Programme said: "The ability to engage with those of other religious and cultural backgrounds in a dialogical manner is a key skill for religious leaders of any faith. Whether in communities dealing with conflict, or in communities where globalization is bringing more and more people in contact with people from other religions, religious leaders are key voices for the power of dialogical interaction. KAICIID's Fellows Programme supports religious educators in embedding dialogue in their institutions and communities. We are very pleased to be able to begin this programme with such a diverse cohort, both in terms of geographical and religious backgrounds, knowledge and experience."The KAICIID International Fellows Programme is a one-year learning and training programme that will empower institutions that train future religious leaders by offering tailor-made training and mentoring to engaged teachers. The training will these teachers promote and manage dialogue encounters by providing practical methods, case studies, realistic training and access to networks and knowledge. The teachers will during the course of the Fellowship begin to incorporate interreligious dialogue into their institutions curricula and prepare their students to become facilitators and leaders in interreligious dialogue. In addition to interreligious dialogue training, the fellows will also learn how to train their students in conflict transformation so as to be active peacemakers in their respective communities. The KAICIID Fellows 2015-2016 will meet in Vienna, Austria from 13-20 February for the first of three sessions. Over the course of a year, the Fellows will work together to embed interreligious dialogue in their training institutions through training, sharing knowledge, and implementing concrete projects in their communities, with KAICIID support. The topics of this first, week long session include teaching interreligious dialogue, social media for interreligious dialogue practitioners, diversity and acceptance. More information about the Fellows is available here. - See more at: http://www.kaiciid.org/news-events/news/kaiciid-launches-first-interreligious-dialogue-fellowship#sthash.sSF6IZVy.dpuf 
2015 GCP Brochure Now Avaliable 25 February 2015 Salzburg Global will host seven Global Citizenship Program sessions.In 2015, Salzburg Global will host five student sessions and two faculty sessions through the Global Citizenship Program (GCP). The initiative's core mission continues to be facilitating institutional change in education-by developing students' abilities to think and act globally and by transforming campuses into "sites for global citizenship."The themes for student sessions in 2015 include "Ethics and Engagement," "Pathways to Global Citizenship: Roots and Routes" and "Global Citizenship and Universal Human Rights," "Global Citizenship: At Home and Abroad," as well as a special session for New York State-based Molloy College, while the two faculty sessions will focus on "Education for Global Citizenship: What, Why and How."http://www.salzburgglobal.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Documents/General_SGS_Documents/SalzburgGlobal_GCP_Brochure_2015__012715_.pdf 
UNESCO Clearinghouse on Global Citizenship Education hosted by APCEIU 25 February 2015 The new UNESCO Clearinghouse on Global Citizenship Education (GCED), hosted by APCEIU - the Asia Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) - was launched today during the Second UNESCO Forum on Global Citizenship Education (Paris, 28-30 January 2015). The official presentation of the Clearinghouse was made in the presence of H.E. Mr Sang-jin LEE, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Korea to UNESCO, by Ms Soo-hyang Choi, Director of the Division for Teaching, Learning and Content at UNESCO, and Mr Utak Chung, Director of APCEIU. The UNESCO Clearinghouse on GCED responds to the demands from UNESCO's Member States for good quality and evidence-based information and resources on GCED under one umbrella. It is expected to facilitate information sharing and enhance knowledge and understanding of GCED. Policy-makers, planners, curriculum developers, researchers, practitioners, educators, parents and learners as well as the general public can access resources on GCED from all over the world, of various nature and in any language available. The Clearinghouse includes written documents and audio-visual material including policy, pedagogy, academic papers, teaching and learning material and other relevant resources on GCED. The search function will be available in English, French and Korean, with the possibility to enable search in other languages in the future. The Clearinghouse is constantly being enriched with additional resources. Following a testing period, APCEIU aims to have the Clearinghouse fully accessible by mid- to late February 2015 at: www.gcedclearinghouse.org. For more on the Asia Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), a UNESCO Category II Centre based in Seoul, Korea . 
Education for Urban Renewal toward Social & Ecological Justice: Peace Education in an Era of Globalization 25 February 2015 The International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE) is an applied peace education laboratory that provides a space for pedagogical experimentation; cooperative, deep inquiry into shared issues; and advancing theoretical, practical and pedagogical applications. For 32 years, the IIPE has brought together educators, academics, professional workers, and activists in the field of peace education from around the world to exchange knowledge and experiences, and to learn with and from each other in an intensive weeklong residential learning community. IIPE 2015 participants, many whom will be drawn from North America, will join with representatives from other world regions in an experience that embodies the practices and principles of critical, participatory peace pedagogy. The residential learning exchange helps to build global community and solidarity; illuminate diverse views; facilitate an exploration of educational applications; and assess possibilities for practical steps toward addressing the theme of “Education for Urban Revitalization toward Social & Ecological Justice: Peace Education in an Era of Globalization.” IIPE 2015 will be hosted by The University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio from July 26-August 2, 2015. This year’s Institute will also celebrate IIPE’s new institutional home at The University of Toledo. Education for Urban Revitalization toward Social & Ecological Justice: Peace Education in an Era of Globalization Peace education has an important role to play in addressing issues of urban decline and the interconnected dilemmas of poverty, violence, health, and environmental degradation in an era of unprecedented economic globalization. The IIPE provides a constructive process model and interactive space through which these issues will be explored and for the identification and development of strategies and methods to address them. Addressing the decline of urban environments and the associated and resulting forms of injustice and violence requires a holistic and comprehensive strategy. The causes of such decline range from the local to the global. The negative effects of globalized economies on local communities are well documented. In its relentless expansion, the global economy gobbles up finite natural resources at an unsustainable pace and threatens cultural and political diversity. Economic policies predominantly favor the interests of wealthy countries over those that are less developed (LDCs). The exploitation inherent in economic globalization pertains to not only LDCs but to segments of developed countries as well: the US cities of Detroit and Toledo are examples, wherein economic globalization has produced profound injustice. Both the economy and the injustice are global in the sense that they transcend national boundaries. Both economic prosperity and economic injustice, along with their concomitant forms of social injustice, are no longer distributed in national terms but are distributed in global-local terms—in terms of global winners and losers, regardless and independent of national location. A response to this global economic structure requires a reconceptualization of the scope of social and political distributive justice toward a global, transnational conception. It also requires the development of forms of political and civic education that cultivate the political efficacy of, and thereby empower, current and future citizens to politically engage in the pursuit of justice within and counter to this new economic reality. Peace education, as developed through the IIPE global network of educators, provides a framework and transformative pedagogical practices for consciousness-raising and social and political engagement. The University of Toledo is uniquely situated at the crossroads of the Midwestern United States where many large cities have been significantly impacted by economic depression. Detroit, one hour north of Toledo, has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation at 16.4% (June 2014, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) and in 2013 had one of the highest violent crime rates at 2,123 per 100,000 residents (2013, FBI Crime Statistics). IIPE 2015 offers a significant opportunity to impact the region through involvement of local educators and community organizers. Specific site visits will be coordinated to meet and learn from both regional community development and education programs that have been successful in lifting up local populations. While IIPE will delve into Toledo, Detroit and other “Rust Belt” issues and responses, participants are invited to bring examples, inquiries, and educational projects that will illuminate the global-local and cross-regional connections. Efforts will be made to assure that inquiries and outcomes are adaptable to multiple international contexts. The weeklong programming will include presentations, workshops, and programming drawn from participants’ proposals as well as local community contributions, and intra-IIPE dialogues. At the conclusion of the IIPE, all participants will have the opportunity to contribute to a special issue of In Factis Pax, an online journal of peace and social justice based at The University of Toledo. This issue will feature theoretical and practical applications of peace education for urban renewal toward social and ecological justice as gleaned from the 2015 IIPE. In Factis Pax is freely available to educators, peace builders, and community change agents from around the globe. The IIPE was founded in 1982 by Betty Reardon and colleagues at Teachers College, Columbia University. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, Betty Reardon is well recognized as a founder of the field of peace education. While the IIPE is an annual gathering, this is the first time that it has addressed the issue of urban renewal. This is also the first time the IIPE has been hosted in the domestic United States since 1995. Fees:Participation fees for IIPE 2015 are $550 USD. Participation fees cover all onsite expenses including meals, lodging (double occupancy dormitory with air conditioning), local transportation and airport shuttles (if required).More Information:- Apply- Information for Participants