RiseUp4Peace has been launched in India driven by UNODC, the Kamla Nehru Public School Phagwara (KNPS) and educator partners along with media partner Jagran Josh. The initiative will build a vibrant community of practice to strengthen education in peace, integrity, and the rule of law which are the key aspects of SDG 16
RiseUp4Peace Initiative: The impact of a world of conflicts, crises and inequalities, on young minds is serious. Considering this it is vital to integrate education about Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG-16) into the mainstream curriculum to tackle the vulnerabilities including exposure to drugs and crime, engaging in risky behaviours, experiencing violence, and managing mental health issues, among other challenges. Young people should also be enabled and empowered t understand their rights, make ethical decisions, challenge injustice and promote fairer communities.
In this regard a new educational initiative RiseUp4Peace has been launched in India driven by UNODC, the Kamla Nehru Public School Phagwara (KNPS) and educator partners along with media partner Jagran Josh. The initiative will build a vibrant community of practice to strengthen education in peace, integrity, and the rule of law which are the key aspects of SDG 16. This will be possible by building educator capacities, engaging young people, promoting cross-learning and co-creating educational interventions
Over 200 educators, policymakers and young people in India joined the virtual launch of the initiative calling it a ‘need of the hour’. CBSE and UNODC can work closely to develop capacity-building programs says Dr. Ram Shankar, Director (Training) Central Board of Secondary Education. NCERT is committed to supporting educators and efforts like RiseUp4Peace.”
UNODC’s South Asia Representative Marco Teixeira emphasized the alignment of RiseUp4Peace with India’s National Education Policy 2020 Empowering young learners with integrity, ethics, and lawfulness is crucial.
UNODC champions such efforts, engaging youth, training educators, and sharing global expertise, says Dr. Satya Bhushan, Asst. Professor (IRD) from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) while asserting the need for such interactive platforms where educators can share and receive knowledge.
Ms. Paramjeet Kaur Dhillon, KNPS Principal (Admin and Innovation), stated that in just a week, over 661 educator leaders and 11,570 students from 182 educational institutions across 35 countries have joined the RiseUp4Peace coalition.
RiseUp4Peace builds on UNODC’s expertise and initiatives in education and youth empowerment which are the Education for Justice and GRACE initiatives, through which peer-reviewed and pedagogical tools including handbooks of educators developed to prevent crime, violence, and corruption and promote a culture of lawfulness among young people at the primary, secondary, and tertiary educational levels.
UNODC Communications Officer for South Asia Mr. Samarth Pathak says that through education, we students can be provided with a better understanding of the consequences of crime and risky behaviours, and the importance of justice and the rule of law. RiseUp4Peace, will be a catalyst for the efforts of the power of peer-to-peer influence guided by educators.
