May 25, 2016
Exploring Education for Global Citizenship
Opinion editorial on education for global citizenship published in a South Korean daily
On May 25, 2016, the English-language online edition of The Hankyoreh, Korea's fourth largest newspaper, carried an opinion editorial, "Education for Global Citizenship," by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda. The essay examines the role of education, and specifically education for global citizenship, in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The article coincided with the 66th United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Conference, held in the South Korean city of Gyeongju from May 30 through June, which interrogated the theme "Education for Global Citizenship: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Together." The Hangul version was carried on May 24 in the Hankyoreh daily newspaper, having a circulation of 600,000.
The SGI president has long been an advocate of education for global citizenship, which is core to the Soka Education system he has developed. In June 1996, he delivered an address on the topic at Columbia University Teachers College, New York. The concept has been given prominence with its inclusion among the targets of the SDGs, in relation to Goal 4: Quality education for everyone.
The problems confronting humanity and the planet are complex and interrelated. The SDGs effectively outline these challenges and offer a vision of a healthier and more humane global society where no one is left behind. The achievement of this vision will become possible, writes Mr. Ikeda, "as empowerment through education enables more and more individuals to tap into their limitless potential, propelling ongoing efforts to transform communities and societies." Education for global citizenship, which encourages "a visceral appreciation for the interdependence of all life" is especially significant and can form "an indispensable foundation" for the achievement of the goals. It is young people, he says, who will play the leading role in transforming the era.
Read the full article here: Education for Global Citizenship.
[Adapted from an article in the May 29, 2016, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan]
