UN calls for investment in peace education

United Nations officials today said marking the International Day of Peace with calls for greater investment in quality education and to reverse trends which show aid for schools and teachers dipping for the first time in a decade. "On this International Day of Peace, let us pledge to teach our children the value of tolerance and mutual respect," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Day. "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," Ban noted highlighting this year's theme, 'Education for Peace.' He recalled the words on Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl targeted by the Taliban for campaigning for the right to education, during her visit to the UN Headquarters in New York in June, "One teacher, one book, one pen, can change the world." Ban called for "bold political leadership and increased financial commitment" to reverse a decline in aid for education, and urged new partnerships to reach the poorest and most marginalized children. To accelerate progress towards universal education, Ban launched last year his Global Education First Initiative, whose Secretariat is hosted by the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). There are currently 57 million children that do not have access to education, and millions more that need better schooling that go beyond the basis of reading and writing. Education must encompass the teaching of human rights, living together and respect for others, said Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General. "Every child in the world should know their rights, and learn their own history and that of other peoples, so as to be able to understand the equal dignity of cultures and draw lessons from the crimes and violence of the past," Ms. Bokova said in her message for the Day. The International Day of Peace was first established by the General Assembly in 1981 as an opportunity for people around the world to promote the resolution of conflict and to observe a cessation of hostilities. (QNA) Eleven specialists, including two women, took care of patients on cases ranging from fever and back pain, to pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and dentistry.