ConAct – Coordination Center for German-Israeli Youth Exchange’s Post

Dear Network, My continent, Africa is commemorating the international Day of the African Child (DAC) today, under the theme: “Education for all children in Africa: the time is now.” When I look back in my childhood and teenage hood, I cannot help but smile. I had a peaceful primary education. The natural path for all students of the St. Joseph Anglophone Primary School Mvog-Ada after primary 7 was to enroll in one of the best boarding schools in the North-West (NW) and South-West (SW) Regions of Cameroon. I failed the interview into the Our Lady of Lourdes College so I attended a day school in Bamenda town for 1 year. In the following year, I enrolled in another prestigious school, St. Bede’s College Ashing-Kom (still in the NW Region of Cameroon). I spent the remaining six years of college in that school and believe me, we never lack narratives of those days during our monthly 2005 alumni gatherings. Today, the situation in these two Regions is far too different and heartbreaking. We witness: An increase in school dropouts; School lockdowns; Physical violence on and killing of children willing to go to school; Child labor; An increase in sexual exploitation in host towns; and An increase in childbirth by girls aged between 12-16 years old. Other hindrances affecting children’s education are: The teacher-student ratio; Alignment of training of teachers with current stakes; Alignment of educational content to current stakes; Lack of adequate infrastructures; High violence amongst students, including corporal punishment and drugs; Poverty and unemployment of parents; Lack of facilities to cater for pregnant girls during academic years, amongst others. Added to the above, we have the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though this pandemic influenced negatively the performance of students, it paved the way to other learning methods notably e-learning. This mode of learning is known in Africa but not yet anchored in our daily practice. It calls on all African governments, especially those still lagging behind, to rethink the educational system by aligning its content to current stakes. More than ever before, education stands out as a powerful instrument to change societal attitudes. Each human being is definitely unique but we need each other to survive in the planet that is a common good. Contrary to human beings, nature is foreseeable. Therefore, if we take good care of the planet, it will give us back accordingly. So far, the older generations have set ambitious goals to help minimize the effects of climate change. Together with the current generation, we are apprehending these changes to limit its impact. The time has come for us to equip the baby generations to become practitioners of environmental protection and vectors of change for more résilience. The winning formula for Africa today is cultural values, reading and digital literacy. Happy International Day of the African Child!!!! #DAC2024 #qualityeducation

A short history about the founding of the Association of Middle East Children and Youth Studies (AMECYS) can be found here: https://lnkd.in/dZBv3my8

Hello LinkedIn Learning, LinkedIn Skill Pages.! I think I need to post this after a year today. 🧑🤝🧑During a group discussion with a colleague (a lady) in one of the EiE workshop back in August 2023 exactly a year today, he asked, Samuel can you explain how education (most especially girls education)👩❤️👨👯 foster peace and inclusivity👭🧑🦽, I took about 2-3minutes before I respond to this unexpected #Jamb #question (as we do say in Nigeria when asked a difficult question that require thinking). Read the 👇 am open to positive criticism, feedbacks or suggestions. Here's my view... Education has long been recognized as a powerful tool for peacebuilding and societal transformation. In conflict-affected regions most especially Africa and Nigeria, education provides a pathway to stability, empowerment, and resilience. This is particularly true when we prioritize the education of girls and foster an inclusive learning environment. Investing in girl education yields immense benefits for communities and nations. Most times, educated girls are more likely to become advocates for peace and agents of change. They contribute to economic growth, improved health outcomes in their families, and more cohesive societies. In areas of conflict, educated women play critical roles in peace negotiations, reconciliation processes, and community rebuilding efforts. I think for education to be a truly transformative force, it must be inclusive. This means ensuring that all children, regardless of gender, ability, or socioeconomic status, have access to quality education. Inclusiveness fosters a sense of belonging and equity, which are essential for sustainable peace. Schools should be safe havens where diversity is celebrated, and every child is given the opportunity to thrive. To leverage education as a tool for peace restoration, we (international bodies, government, institutions,partners) must ensure 👉 the quality implementation policies and programs that support girl education, eliminate gender biases, and address barriers such as early marriage, child labour, and gender-based violence. 👉Ensure that educational opportunities are accessible to all, particularly in marginalized communities, and that the quality of education is high. On this, the government has a leading role to play to ensure rural and remote communities are reached. 👉 Provide adequate training and resources for teachers to create inclusive and supportive learning environments including adequate and efficient welfare for teachers. 👉Involve communities in the education process to build trust, ownership, and a collective commitment to peacebuilding. I look forward to your comments, feedback and observations regarding this. UN Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage Institute for the Future of Education Rise To Inspire Africa Initiative #Amabeaconofhope #Samuel #Adesida

I attended an excellent, deeply knowledgable and powerful webinar this week, with Palestinian and international academics, hosted by: Sociologists in Solidarity with Palestinians. Over the past 200 devastating days, more than 34,000 Palestinian men, women, children and babies have been killed. - more than 77,000 Palestinians have been injured, many with life changing injuries, including multiple amputations and disabilities. - more than 41,000 Palestinians are missing across Gaza. - more than 7,000 Palestinians are under the rubble of collapsed homes, neighbhoods, hospitals, schools, public buildings, refugee camps, there is no way to safely rescue them. - almost 15,000 children have been killed in Israel’s military onslaught on Gaza, in seven months. - almost 10,000 Palestinan women have been killed in the past seven months. The key message? Collective work is required to ‘de-exceptionalise’ Palestine and incorporate Palestine across all areas of decolonisation, justice, gender, disability, health and human rights, the climate crisis and deficit of global democracy. **** Decolonial pedagogies and Palestine in the sociological classroom. As the ongoing Israeli genocidal violence in the Gaza Strip has highlighted, Palestine and Palestinians remain an ‘exception’ in Western societies. This is the case not only in government and mainstream media discourses, but also across our academic institutions. The lack of appropriate response by universities in the West has negatively impacted our pedagogical commitments to our students as well as our academic integrity as our academic communities have faced now for months a situation in which an entire population has been dehumanized and subjected to mass killing and mass destruction. While Palestinian and other critical voices actively naming the Israeli genocide against Palestinians are repressed, silenced, ignored and dismissed, we turn to the expertise of colleagues working on decolonial pedagogy and knowledge about Palestine. We discuss: -how can we ‘de-exceptionalise’ Palestine and incorporate Palestine in different areas of the sociological curriculum (e.g. disability; environment; democracy; health)? -how can we create constructive spaces where students can learn histories and structures of power and violence in Palestine-Israel without fear? -how can Palestine help us understand better what decolonial pedagogies are or should be? -and vice versa how can decolonial pedagogies help us produce knowledge and classroom activities about Palestine that are disposed toward justice and emancipatory projects? Demand that your universities divest from companies supplying the Israeli military complex. Amplify the voices and scholarship of Palestinians in Gaza, not least given the targeted destruction of universities in Gaza and the intimidation and censorship of Palestinian academics and students in Israel, the West Bank and the diaspora, including here in Britain. #Gaza #Palestine

#UNRWA has failed the people of Gaza and generations of its clients. UNRWA failed its mission and it’s time for it to shut down. The report “UNRWA Education: Reform or Regression?” by UN Watch and IMPACT-se critically examines the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) educational system, presenting evidence of systemic violations of neutrality and UN principles. It highlights concerns about incitement to hatred, terrorism, and antisemitism, emphasizing the need for urgent reforms and accountability. Key Findings 1. Incitement by Teachers: • Numerous cases of UNRWA staff promoting antisemitism and glorifying terrorism via social media. • Examples include praising known terrorists, sharing extremist content, and endorsing violence against Israelis. 2. Problematic Teaching Materials: • UNRWA-produced and Palestinian Authority (PA) curricula glorify terrorism, promote antisemitism, and deny Israel’s existence. • These materials often contradict UN principles of peace and tolerance. 3. Accountability Issues: • UNRWA’s “zero-tolerance policy” for hate speech is undermined by evidence of widespread violations. • Investigations into misconduct are opaque, and corrective actions are limited. 4. Neutrality Violations: • Evidence suggests UNRWA hires staff who propagate hate and allows flawed educational materials in classrooms. 5. Misrepresentation: • UNRWA denies or minimizes allegations, often blaming external factors, despite direct links to its employees and policies. Recommendations 1. Immediate Staff Termination: • Enforce strict zero-tolerance policies to remove employees engaged in hate speech or incitement. 2. Independent Investigations: • Conduct impartial reviews of UNRWA’s content and practices. 3. Curriculum Reform: • Remove or revise PA textbooks and UNRWA materials that violate UNESCO standards of peace and tolerance. 4. Transparency: • Publish internal reviews, training records, and supplementary materials for public accountability. 5. Conditional Funding: • Link donor funding to progress in implementing reforms and ensuring neutrality in educational practices. Conclusion The report highlights systemic failures within UNRWA’s educational system, which foster hatred, undermine peace efforts, and harm Palestinian youth. It calls for comprehensive, transparent reforms to align UNRWA with its humanitarian mandate and international values. #Israel #Gaza

When the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, they said women shouldn’t go to university and ended education for girls at the sixth grade. A college and a nonprofit group are working together to provide English courses to female students. In this week's Latitudes, a look at a partnership between ASU Education for Humanity and Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan: “They are going through a dark time, and they are losing hope. We want to bring hope and light.” Also in the newsletter: • A college president rejects an academic boycott of Israel and the U.S. government will offer emergency relief to international students from Palestine at American colleges. More on higher ed and the Israel-Hamas war. • San Francisco’s downtown is hurting. Could a Chinese branch campus be the answer? The city’s mayor wants a Chinese university to open an outpost in the city. • During a state visit by Japan's prime minister, the U.S. and Japan agreed to increase research partnerships and educational exchanges, including restarting STEM scholarships to Japan as part of the Fulbright Program for the first time in 50 years. #internationaleducation #intled #afghanistan #afghanwomen #refugees #refugeestudents #israel #palestine #bds #studentvisa #branchcampus #japan #fulbright #highereducation #highered https://lnkd.in/gVGSz4XX

Earlier this year, precisely on the 24th of January, the world celebrated the International Day of Education with the theme, “Learning for Lasting Peace.” When I learned about the theme for this year, I was glad and encouraged about the global recognition of the symbiosis between education and peace. Recently, the topic of peace came up again when we marked the International Day of Living Together in Peace on the 16th of May. The day was set aside by United Nations to reiterate the importance of unity, kindness, tolerance and solidarity. Through these campaigns, I am left to imagine the tremendous impact on nations if the message of peace is paid more attention, particularly in early learning stages of individuals. Overtime, education has proven a powerful tool in addressing societal challenges. For some nations, education means teaching young minds to develop smart solutions to economic challenges. For other societies, education means breaking the cycle of poverty. Yet at other points, education could spur solutions to global crises like climate change. If education can achieve these, it stands to reason that education can also serve as a catalyst for peaceful societies. Better You Educational Foundation, a non-profit organisation which I founded, fosters peaceful interactions among children and young adults through educational programmes and campaigns, and we see meaningful results. My team and I develop interactive learning resources and training programmes to teach acceptance, gender equality, zero discrimination, self-control, and other positive concepts to children and young adults. Additionally, we combat incidences of bullying, female genital mutilation (FGM), gender-based violence (GBV) and other violent acts through sensitisation campaigns. It is my deep desire to see other organisations adopt this strategy for building peace. It is my deep desire to see schools infuse peace education in their curriculum. It is my deep desire to see workspaces adapt systems where workers are constantly trained on the importance of healthy work relations. If these values are instilled in us, we would automatically be cutting out cases of bullying, tribal wars, and other issues that lead to an anti-peaceful society. The constitution of the United Nations put it succinctly when it stated in its preamble that “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” Peaceful societies can be built by adopting sustainable and innovative responses to conflict, crime and deviance. Education for peace is one of such responses. It may not halt the conflicts that plague our world today, but it can prevent other wars from brooding tomorrow. Just as induividuals can be trained for war, they can also be trained for peace. My name is Oluwasewa Kayode Esq, and I am eager to connect with others who share my commitment to building a more peaceful world.

#ProfHabib_Publications #ProfHabib_International_Dynamics_Review_417 Voices of a Generation: US Student Activism Reignites Hopes for Justice in Gaza -- A profound shift is reverberating through the hallowed grounds of America's universities, where the flames of student activism have been reignited with academic courage and an impassioned humanitarian call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. What sparked as a solitary demonstration at Columbia University on April 17th has rapidly engulfed campuses nationwide, metamorphosing into a formidable grassroots movement that draws striking parallels to the pivotal anti-war protests that defined the Vietnam era. In a remarkable display of unity that transcends ethnic and religious boundaries, students from myriad backgrounds have coalesced, taking an unequivocal and resounding stance against the relentless bloodshed in Gaza, the United States' intransigent support for Israeli military actions, and their universities' financial entanglement with the Israeli state through institutional investments. This intifada, fueled by a generation disenchanted with the interminable cycles of conflict, militarism, and the steady erosion of civil liberties, represents an overdue demand for moral accountability from leaders who have turned a willfully blind eye to human suffering on a staggering scale. In professional collaboration with the esteemed Indian Strategic Studies Forum(ISSF), I share my approach to praising the “American Students Intifada,” which calls, with an urgency that cannot be ignored, for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a long-overdue reevaluation of America's “special relationship” with Israel—a relationship that has long shaped the US foreign policy trajectory through an obdurate allegiance to a solitary brutal occupying power in the region. Undeterred by mass arrests, violence against peaceful protesters, and baseless accusations of anti-Semitism leveled by those threatened by this tectonic shift, these courageous students have emerged as beacons of hope for a humanitarian path forward. Their voices resoundingly echo a growing sentiment among young Americans: that unquestioning fealty to a foreign power can no longer be permitted to supersede the fundamental human rights of the besieged Palestinian population. Through profound academic courage and unwavering humanitarian resolve, they have ignited a path toward understanding, empathy, and, if allowed to forge ahead unimpeded, the just and lasting peace in the region that has been so catastrophically elusive. "Thank you American Generation Z" From Beirut, Prof. Habib Al Badawi https://lnkd.in/d4SPPxTM

Imagine a girl being trafficked from the only place she knows to an unknown location😓. Imagine what this young girl is feeling - panic, fear, sadness, uncertainty😟. This is a recurring issue not only in Nigeria but worldwide. The alarming increase of girls and women being trafficked is disturbing and worrisome. In my recent article on Right for Education, I wrote about the causes of female trafficking and how we can prevent it while protecting our young girls and women. (The link to the article is at the end of this post). What is the way forward? What can be done to stop this menace? According to a report I studied by Plan International UK, “upholding the right to education was viewed as a key intervention that can enable children to protect themselves, improve their life opportunities, and gain information on the risks of trafficking and the avoidance of exploitation.” 📌Education is one way to protect the future of young girls and women but it is sad to know that many of them have either never gone to school or dropped out of school early to get married. Many girls have fallen victim to illegal job recruitment and migration because they are ignorant and unlearned. Will I blame them? No! It is when they're informed about their fundamental human rights, they will learn to identify potential traffickers and confidently say no when in a vulnerable situation. But, when they have never been to the four walls of a school, they don’t have anything to look forward to nor know what to expect. As we celebrate International Day of Education today, know that "one in every five of the world’s out-of-school children is in Nigeria, so disheartening!😓 In northern Nigeria, the net attendance rate is as low as 53%” according to Plan International UK. We cannot leave education to the government alone, there’s a dire need to partner with NGOs and foundations that are fostering and promoting education such as Beyond the Classroom Foundation (BTCF). My second school outreach was with BTCF where we visited a government school in Abuja to support the education of indigent students, it was a good experience I must add. I can go on and on…the bottom line is, 'if you ever TASTED education, you will want every child to have a TASTE too.'📌 Your dreams are valid, don’t stop dreaming. HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION.💃💃 PS: I took this picture during my school outreach with BTCF, thank you Raquel Kasham Daniel for the opportunity. Here is the link to the full article, https://lnkd.in/d6ASZcSB.  #internationaldayofeducation #femaletrafficking #volunteering #SEOwriting #LinkedInwriting #Annspen