Education: Global Citizenship For Human Flourishing

In 2015, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)1 – a universal call to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity – were adopted by 193 member states of the United Nations. Of the 17 SDGs, SDG 4, target 7, is focused not just on providing education, that is ‘Quality, Inclusive and Equitable Education’ – but also seeks to build peaceful and sustainable societies.

To achieve SDG 4.7, education needs not just to be redesigned but its very purpose needs to be reconsidered. Why should education be revisited? The world is going through a demographic overhaul. Emigration and immigration patterns are creating societal compositions that are unprecedentedly heterogenous – composed of diverse races, classes and cultures. At the same time, a steady deterioration in the Global Peace Index since 2008 (GPI, 2017), a steady increase in internal conflicts 2016, continued decline in empathy (Konrath et al, 2010) and increased mental stress and depression in children (WHO report, 2017) have highlighted the failures and inadequacies of the current education system………….………………….……………………..