The capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi has hosted the ‘Convening of Champions’ as part of the Ethics Education Fellowship Program which is co-hosted by the Muslim Council of Elders, the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, UNESCO, Arigatou International, KAICIID International Dialogue Centre and the Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace with participation from the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Education. The event is set to take place from 23 to 25 April 2024 and is composed of a two-day technical discussion, sharing and development of collaborative plans, followed by a one-day high-level segment.
The Ethics Education Fellowship Program was launched with the engagement of the Ministries of Education of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Nepal and Seychelles as a unique collaborative effort to promote Ethics Education to contribute to global citizenship and building. Through the Ethics Education Fellowship Program 324 teachers were trained in its first phase, successfully reaching 8,234 children across all six participating countries, contributing to the strengthening of social cohesion.
The meeting in Abu Dhabi is a milestone in the Ethics Education Fellowship collaboration and an opportunity to amplify its importance and the gains made so far. It will provide a platform to discuss the critical need to prioritize and invest in Ethics Education, share the results of the implementation in the six countries, lessons learned, and provide critical recommendations to different stakeholders. The meeting will be composed of two-day technical discussions and planning, followed by a High-Level segment. The High-Level meeting aims to reflect on the critical role Ethics Education plays in the current context and how it can address the needs of children to support their holistic well-being. The technical meetings will provide the opportunity for fellows, partners and other stakeholders to share experiences and results, discuss challenges and opportunities and explore the scalability and sustainability of their national Ethics Education programs as well as collaborations.
The Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders, H.E. Judge Abdelsalam and H.E. Dr. Khalid Al Ghaith, Secretary General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity remarked during the meeting’s opening their delighted at welcoming participants to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, a beacon of tolerance and acceptance which hosted the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity, a landmark agreement co-signed by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, and His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church. The pair expressed their hope that this gathering of elite educational and intellectual leaders as well as administrative leaders in the field of education from various countries will inspire all those involved in education and curriculum development worldwide to work towards instilling ethical and humanitarian values in children and building generations capable of enhancing peaceful coexistence, accepting others, and respecting cultural, religious, and social diversity.
Likewise, Scheherazade Feddal, Senior Education Program Specialist at UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, said, “Education is transformative which can nurture relations between people, in today’s world more than ever. The challenges we face today are far greater with the rise of hate and discrimination and education is a powerful instrument that brings hope and can transform the lives of people by providing hope and by being a catalyst for change. “
For her part, Maria Lucia Uribe, Executive Director, Arigatou International Geneva said, “The Ethics Education Fellowship program has witnessed the participation of 8000 children and inspired change in educational policy around the world. We are experiencing unprecedented times due to conflict and a lack of education and acceptance of others. The environment that children grow up in strongly affects the path they choose to take in later life. Ethics education isn’t about teaching children what is right or wrong but is rather about sowing seeds of change of positive relationships which can transform their communities.”
H.E. David Fernandez Puyana, Permanent Observer of the University for Peace to the United Nations Office, added, “This is a unique partnership that will foster global citizenship and partnerships as well as building more inclusive societies around the world. Today’s meeting is an opportunity to amplify this great platform to discuss the importance of ethics education on future generations.”
The Ethics Education Fellowship Program will include a number of panel forums and workshops focusing on; ‘Experiences and Lessons Learned from the Pilot Projects’, Strengthening Ethics Education at Country Level’, ‘Strengthening Ethics Education in Education Systems’, ‘Integrating Ethics Education to Education Systems’, ‘Finding synergies to support scalability and strengthening of Ethics Education’, ‘The way forward – Next Phase Country Presentations and Summary’, ‘Ethics Education Fellowship – A Contribution to Global Citizenship and Build Peaceful and Inclusive Societies – Insights from Implementation’, ‘Ethics Education - Catalyzing Transformative Learning for Social Cohesion and Learning to Live Together’, as well as ‘Country leadership and commitments’.
