UNESCO dedicates International Education Day 2024 to combat hate speech

NEW DELHI: The International Education Day is celebrated on January 24 every year. This year, International Day of Education will mark its sixth year and will be celebrated under the theme "learning for lasting peace". This year's International Day of Education will highlight the role that education and teachers play in combating hate speech.

On December 3, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution declaring January 24 as International Day of Education. Following this, the first-ever International Education Day was celebrated on January 24, 2019.

Training on deconstruction of hate speech

On January 24, the UNESCO will organise a one-day online training for teachers from across the world on the deconstruction of hate speech, providing them with the skills they need to better detect, address, and prevent acts of hatred. This programme is part of UNESCO's effort to help its member countries and education professionals deal with hate speech via education.

According to the UNESCO, hate speech promotes prejudice and discrimination while also enabling and normalising violence. Its current global escalation, fueled by the use of social media and aggravated by recent crises in many places, has a major impact on the safety and security of communities worldwide.

“The accelerated spread of hate speech is a threat to all communities. Our best defence is education, which must be at the heart of any peace efforts. It is our collective duty to empower learners of all ages to deconstruct hate speech, and lay the foundations for inclusive, democratic and human-rights respecting societies. To succeed, we need to better train and support teachers who are on the front lines in overcoming this phenomenon,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO director general.

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Discussion on role of education in achieving sustainable global peace

On January 24, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the UNESCO will bring together ministers, education leaders and educators from throughout the world to discuss education's role in establishing long-term global peace.

International Education Day 2024: Aims

The UNESCO aims for the following on the International Education Day 2024

• Encourage member states and partners to prioritise education in their political agendas and fulfil their TES and Education 2030 commitments.
• Increase visibility of the role of education in sustaining peace, as outlined in SDG4 target 4.7 and other global education efforts.
• Advocate for increased domestic and international funding for education, through innovative and multi-stakeholder mechanisms and partnerships.
• Celebrate the role of youth and educators in peacemaking through education.