Federation of World Peace and Love

Transforming Education with Love and Conscience

 

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze
President of Federation of World Peace and Love
Vice-President of Association of World Citizens
Zhang-men-ren of Tai Ji Men
Jan. 24, 2022

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “We must do far more to advance Sustainable Development Goal 4, to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay emphasized, “Education is the cornerstone of the Sustainable Development Goals. If we fail on education, the entire structure of development will fall down.” The United Nations designated January 24 as the “International Day of Education,” highlighting education as an essential building block for a healthy and vibrant society and for the promotion of world peace and sustainable development.      

The theme of this year’s International Day of Education is “Changing Course, Transforming Education,” which aims to realize everyone’s fundamental right to education and build a future that is safer, more inclusive, and more peaceful through important transformations. As stated in UNESCO’s recent global report on the Futures of Education, transforming the future requires an urgent rebalancing of the harmonious relationships among people, between humans and nature, and a greater focus on human rights, equality, inclusion, and democratic participation in our lives and technology.

Education is one of the most powerful tools for lifting people out of poverty, integrating them into society, and transforming their future. The recent changes in the world and the COVID-19 pandemic have had a significant impact on education in all countries. Human beings must break away from their old way of thinking and readjust their vision and hearts in order to unite and cooperate as we seek to secure the continued existence of all humanity. It is critical to ensure the right to education, equal opportunities, and universal access to education. UNESCO urges governments to meet their legal and political duties to provide quality education for all, and to more effectively implement and monitor education policies and strategies. Education is the tool to cope with the ever-changing world and the key to successfully achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. World leaders have the responsibility to establish an educational system that is in balance with our ecosystem to promote humanity’s sustainable development.

From birth, we have been learning, adjusting, and gaining revelations on our life journey. The environment and the various aspects of life are the lessons we need to face in the course of our growth. Individuals' thoughts of conscience and moral development are also important factors that affect the improvement or deterioration of the greater environment. War, social hatred, violations of religious freedom and human rights, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the imbalance in people’s hearts are sources of disruption to sustainability, resulting in the victimization of all citizens of the world. Human rights violations by authorities have been prevalent, upsetting people's lives, stifling society's progress, and even jeopardizing humanity's survival. All these problems may seem difficult to overcome, but the solution resides in all of us--it is our conscience. Leaders in all fields around the world must follow their conscience, implement action plans with wisdom, respect human rights, implement the rule of law, realize true freedom and democracy, and create a peaceful and happy future.

The core value of education lies in inspiring people’s conscience and self-awareness, thereby shaping individuals and the landscape of future society. The most important education for everyone from birth to death is conscience education. The world faces multiple crises; important values, such as morality, conscience, trust, and helping others, are on the decline. We are in an era of rapid changes, and people’s minds and behaviors are changing along with it. The distinction, recognition, and choice between illusion and reality, truth and falsehood, as well as good and bad have become common challenges for mankind. Conscience is a constant reminder for people to restore their true hearts, do the right thing, and make wise decisions. Everyone is an important educator of conscience. Everyone should respect, tolerate, understand, forgive, appreciate, learn from, and care for one another. Each kind thought and each good deed can have a critical influence on global citizens’ well-being.

High-quality education is the foundation on which a society functions, and a true high-quality education is one based on love and conscience. In the ever-changing material world, getting to know one’s true self and following one’s innate conscience are critical in altering humanity’s future. Awakening of conscience is the soul of education. Conscience guides us toward the right path of life like a compass. Thoughts and acts of conscience shape people’s personalities, which collectively become a society’s value system and form a country’s culture.

Today’s education shapes tomorrow’s world. Conscience education is the cornerstone for helping mankind achieve true freedom. Educators should emphasize the importance of conscience during the course of education. Implementing conscience education is the most crucial and practical approach to quality education. Only a conscience-based education philosophy can find a way out for the chaotic world and restore the opportunity for the sustainable development of the Earth and humanity.

Since 2014, I have been working with our global members to promote the movement of “An Era of Conscience,” which has created a whirlwind of conscience around the world. Starting in 2018, we worked with many permanent missions to the UN on a resolution “Promoting the Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience,” which the UN General Assembly adopted on July 25, 2019, designating April 5th as the” International Day of Conscience.”

We sincerely appreciate educators’ hard work. We also wish the promotion of “An Era of Conscience Movement” and the “International Day of Conscience” will continue spreading conscience-based social education through the Internet as only conscience-driven education can usher in a bright future for humanity.

Let us sow the seeds of conscience in education, saving the world with conscience education.

May the lighthouse of conscience show the way, inspiring all and ushering in hope.

Thank you all!

 

*Presented at the ICDAY’s virtual event in support of UN International Day of Education