The United Nations Secretary-General called for global ceasefire to give education a chance.
In a message marking the International Day of Peace Ban Ki-Moon said ‘this year we are highlighting Education for Peace. Education is vital for fostering global citizenship and building peaceful societies.’
He said every girl and every boy deserves to receive a quality education and learn the values that will help them to see themselves as part of a global community.
The Secretary-General called on Governments and development partners to exert more efforts because 57 million children are still denied education and millions more need better schooling.
‘Educating the poorest and most marginalized children will require bold political leadership and increased financial commitment. Yet aid for education has dropped for the first time in a decade. We must reverse this decline, forge new partnerships, and bring much greater attention to the quality of education’, said the UN Chief.
He appealed that ‘on this International Day of Peace, let us pledge to teach our children the values of tolerance and mutual respect. Let us invest in the schools and teachers that will build a fair and inclusive world that embraces diversity. Let us fight for peace and defend it with all our might.’