The world urgently needs to rebuild the foundations that can underpin lasting peace, and yet too often, one of the most crucial of these, education, is often relegated to an afterthought. To highlight this oversight, this year’s International Day of Education celebrated in January is dedicated to peace, recognizing that education is an essential pillar of peace and security.
The past decade has been marked by lethal conflicts, crises, and wars. 2022 was the deadliest year since 1994 when genocide and wars wreaked havoc in Rwanda and the defunct Yugoslavia, killing more than 238,000 people. 2023 ended on a grim note with devastating wars in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine that are still grinding on today. Across the globe, wars keep taking countless lives, displacing millions of civilians from their homes and leaving many more in dire need of lifesaving aid.
Much ink has been spilled on the disastrous impacts of conflict on education, but most of the research on the reciprocal relationship between peace and education has been sparse and outdated.
About the author
Laura Frigenti@GPECEO
Laura Frigenti is the chief executive officer of the Global Partnership for Education. Laura has 30 years of experience in global development gained through her service in multilateral organizations, government, nonprofit, and the private sector. She worked at the World Bank for 20 years, holding several technical and managerial positions in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
