Resources
Explore a wide range of valuable resources on GCED to deepen your understanding and enhance your research, advocacy, teaching, and learning.
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Reimagining Education: Beyond the Rhetoric (The Blue Dot; No.13, 2021) Year of publication: 2021 Corporate author: Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) The events of the year 2020, driven predominantly by the COVID-19 pandemic, have forced governments, policymakers, educators and organisations to rethink the purpose, structure and modality of existing education systems. Even while the world is struggling with climate change, decreased empathy, violent extremism, xenophobia and an increase in mental health issues in children, with a recent report by WHO highlighting that 800,000 people between the ages of 15-29 are dying by suicide ever year, globally1 , the COVID-19 virus singlehandedly shut down access to face-to-face school education for roughly half of the world’s student population. These ongoing and unexpected challenges bring to light the urgent need for education systems to be more adaptable, responsive, and resilient to future shocks and disasters. We can work to transform education in many ways, such as by translating our understanding of how the brain learns from the research laboratory to the classroom and leveraging the power of technology to ensure that learning can reach every child who hungers to learn. It is time we reimagine education to ensure learning continues with minimal disruption but also empowers students as compassionate human beings, prepared for an unpredictable future, but also as global citizens seeking a peaceful and kinder world. The purpose of education needs to change from being instrumental (based on human capital) to one that is constitutive (human-flourishing), accessible to all and structured such that learning can happen anytime and anywhere and always. 
Rethinking Schooling for the 21st Century: The State of Education for Peace, Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship in Asia Year of publication: 2017 Corporate author: Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) Calls to gear up schools for the 21st century are ubiquitous today. Dominant international educational discourse hails the potential of 'the youth dividend' and digital technology for enhancing growth. Some Asian education systems are held up as models for an innovation-led utopian future. But across much of Asia, neither the reality of schooling nor the patterns of development with which it is associated give cause for blithe optimism.This study is informed by UNESCO’s commitment to realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through educational reform worldwide. Since its inception, UNESCO has championed a humanistic vision of education — a vision today encapsulated in SDG 4.7. These ideals need to be strongly restated and defended in an era when educational debate worldwide has come to be framed by a narrowly economistic and instrumentalist agenda.Deriving urgent significance from this broader context, the present report analyses how far the ideals of SDG 4.7 – of 'education for peace, sustainable development and global citizenship' - are embodied in policies and curricula across 22 Asian societies. At one level, it seeks to develop benchmarks against which future progress can be assessed. It also argues forcefully that conceptions of the fundamental purposes of schooling need to be reconfigured, if the ideals to which the global community has subscribed are actually to be realised. 
Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development: An Implementation Guide Year of publication: 2025 Corporate author: UNESCO There is no peace without education. With conflicts rising on so many fronts, there has never been a more urgent need for a transformed education geared towards building and sustaining peace.The Recommendation on Education for Peace and Human Rights, International Understanding, Cooperation, Fundamental Freedoms, Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development, adopted by all 194 Member States of UNESCO in 2023, articulates a humanistic and transformative vision of education that can help address contemporary and future affronts to peace. These challenges range from the resurgence of conflicts driven by systemic inequalities and injustices, the rise and spread of hate speech, racism and discrimination particularly online, to the adverse effects of digital technologies and the existential threat of climate change.UNESCO has developed this Guide as the first of several tools to assist Member States in unpacking and fully implementing the 2023 Recommendation. The Guide elaborates its contents, integrating the 2023 Recommendation’s transdisciplinary lens to connect key concepts and issues. It also provides concrete ideas and curated resources for action at different levels and types of education, while calling for a multi-stakeholder and whole-of-society approach that includes everyone and builds on existing positive efforts.The Guide is a timely addition to the pool of available collective resources to fully implement the 2023 Recommendation and foster an education that is transformative for a just and peaceful world. 
Recommandation sur l’éducation pour la paix, les droits de l’homme et le développement durable: un guide de mise en oeuvre Year of publication: 2025 Corporate author: UNESCO Il n’y a pas de paix sans éducation. Face à la multiplication des conflits sur de nombreux fronts, jamais la nécessité d’une éducation transformée, orientée vers la construction et le maintien de la paix, n’a été aussi pressante. La Recommandation sur l’éducation pour la paix et les droits de l’homme, la compréhension internationale, la coopération, les libertés fondamentales, la citoyenneté mondiale et le développement durable, adoptée en 2023 par l’ensemble des 194 États membres de l’UNESCO, exprime une vision humaniste et transformatrice de l’éducation, capable de répondre aux défis actuels et futurs à la paix. Ces défis vont de la résurgence de conflits alimentés par les inégalités et injustices systémiques, à la montée et la diffusion des discours de haine, du racisme et de la discrimination – notamment en ligne – en passant par les effets négatifs des technologies numériques et la menace existentielle que constitue le changement climatique. L’UNESCO a élaboré le présent Guide comme le premier d’une série d’outils destinés à aider les États membres à comprendre et à mettre pleinement en œuvre la Recommandation de 2023. Le Guide développe son contenu, en intégrant la perspective transdisciplinaire de la Recommandation afin de relier concepts et enjeux clés. Il propose également des pistes concrètes et des ressources sélectionnées pour 2 milliards de personnes – un quart de l’humanité – vivent dans des zones touchées par des conflits l’action à différents niveaux et dans divers types d’éducation, tout en appelant à une approche multi-acteurs et à l’échelle de la société, qui inclut toutes et tous et s’appuie sur les efforts positifs déjà entrepris. Le Guide constitue une ressource collective opportune pour mettre pleinement en œuvre la Recommandation de 2023 et promouvoir une éducation véritablement transformatrice au service d’un monde plus juste et pacifique. Recomendación sobre la educación para la paz, los derechos humanos y el desarrollo sostenible: guía de implementación Year of publication: 2026 Corporate author: UNESCO Sin educación no hay paz. Una educación transformadora, orientada a la construcción y el mantenimiento de la paz es más urgente que nunca, dado el aumento de los conflictos en diversos frentes.La Recomendación sobre la Educación para la Paz y los Derechos Humanos, la Comprensión Internacional, la Cooperación, las Libertades Fundamentales, la Ciudadanía Mundial y el Desarrollo Sostenible, que fue adoptada por los 194 Estados Miembros de la UNESCO en 2023, articula la visión humanista y transformadora de la educación que ayuda a abordar los actuales y futuros agravios a la paz. Estos desafíos abarcan desde el resurgimiento de conflictos impulsados por desigualdades e injusticias sistémicas, el auge y la propagación del discurso de odio, el racismo y la discriminación—especialmente en línea—, hasta los efectos adversos de las tecnologías digitales y la amenaza existencial del cambio climático.La UNESCO ha elaborado esta Guía como la primera de varias herramientas que ayudarán a los Estados miembro a comprender e implementar plenamente la Recomendación de 2023. Su contenido ha sido desarrollado integrando la perspectiva transdisciplinaria para conectar conceptos y cuestiones clave de la Recomendación de 2023. Además, proporciona ideas concretas y recursos seleccionados para la acción en distintos niveles y tipos de educación. Asimismo, promueve un enfoque multisectorial que parte de las iniciativas positivas ya en marcha y busca la inclusión de todas las personas.Esta Guía es una incorporación oportuna al conjunto de recursos colectivos disponibles para implementar plenamente la Recomendación de 2023 y promover así una educación transformadora para un mundo justo y pacífico. 
Addressing Violent Pasts through Education: A Policy Guide Year of publication: 2025 Corporate author: UNESCO Teaching about violent pasts and their legacies is a powerful way to foster sustainable peace.Education can build a nuanced understanding of complex histories, raise awareness of the roots and legacies of violence, nationally and internationally, and sensitize learners for their own agency as actors of change for reconciliation and conflict prevention.Educating about violent pasts is a challenging yet critical endeavour for policy-makers globally. It entails tailored approaches and an important support for educators to address traumatic pasts sensitively and to navigate related emotions and narratives successfully.Building on UNESCO’s programme on Global Citizenship Education, this guide offers education policy-makers a set of strategies, principles, and education practices to effectively integrate education about violent pasts into local education systems. It suggests a comprehensive approach that spans formal and informal education and aligns with the 2023 Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development, opening new perspectives on history education, dialogue, and conflict transformation. 
Mainstreaming Social and Emotional Learning in Education Systems: Policy Guide; Highlights Year of publication: 2024 Corporate author: UNESCO UNESCO’s policy guide unpacks social and emotional learning (SEL) as a broadening of the educational process, from a focus on cognitive aspects to a balance between cognitive, social and emotional, and behavioural dimensions of learning, putting forward initial action ideas to guide its systematic mainstreaming in education. It builds on and extends previous work undertaken by UNESCO on SEL from the perspective of Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), Building Strong Foundations for Health and Well-being Education, the Happy Schools Framework, and in multiple UNESCO Offices and Institutes. 
Young People: Protagonists of Democratic Transformation Year of publication: 2024 Corporate author: Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) The involvement of young people in democracy is essential for the development and sustainability of our societies. Recognizing the value of their contribution as agents of change, the Citizen Academy project in Panama launched the course "The Role of Youth in Democracy." This educational tool is offered free of charge through the platform www.academiaciudadana.org. The initiative, promoted by the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), is the result of a collaboration with the Electoral Tribunal, Fundamorgan and the Panamanian Debate Association (Aspade), and aims to promote a more just and equitable society through civic education for the new generations. Daniela Hidalgo, institutional coordinator of Aspade, explains how they seek to transform youth participation in the democratic life of the Central American country. Los jóvenes: Protagonistas de la transformación democrática Year of publication: 2024 Corporate author: Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI) La implicación de los jóvenes en la democracia es esencial para el desarrollo y la sostenibilidad de nuestras sociedades. Reconociendo el valor de su contribución como agentes de cambio, el proyecto Academia Ciudadana en Panamá lanzó el curso "El Rol de la Juventud en la Democracia". Este instrumento educativo se ofrece de manera gratuita a través de la plataforma www.academiaciudadana.org. La iniciativa, impulsada por la Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos (OEI), es resultado de una colaboración con el Tribunal Electoral, Fundamorgan y la Asociación Panameña de Debate (Aspade), tiene como objetivo fomentar una sociedad más justa y equitativa mediante la educación cívica de las nuevas generaciones. Daniela Hidalgo, es coordinadora institucional de Aspade, y nos explica cómo se busca transformar la participación juvenil en la vida democrática del país centroamericano. 
The New educational pact: education, competitiveness and citizenship in modern society Year of publication: 1997 Author: Juan Carlos Tedesco Corporate author: UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE) As things are, individuals are just not sure where exactly they stand. The identity of the progressive educational movement and thought is in a state of crisis, and the simple answers of the past are no longer sufficient to define an educational policy which responds to the objectives of democracy and equity in the distribution of knowledge.This book is therefore a response to a personal need, which may be shared by others, namely the need to reflect on the role of education in this new social scenario laden with uncertainty and to try and find an alternative, both to the social disintegration derived from neo-liberal tendencies and to the totalitarian unity advocated in fundamentalist, anti-modern theories. The following script therefore moves between the past and the future. The look back at the past does not claim to be a historical analysis. It does try, on the other hand, to provide a useful instrument for a better understanding of what is changing. The glimpse into the future is not intended either to forecast what will happen, but to indicate which way we should be trying to guide our actions. As a result, the book is eclectic in more than one sense. From a theoretical point of view, it combines different disciplinary approaches : history, sociology, pedagogy, psychology and philosophy. From a political point of view, it adopts positions, but also allows for doubts and queries. Excluding doubt is a way of encouraging the predominance of dichotomous views, which promise us either a glorious destiny or total disaster. In this sense, the book tries not to fall into the trap of having to choose between pessimism and optimism and, perhaps excessively, assumes a conscious voluntarism based on a trust in the learning ability of human beings.