A joint initiative by UNESCO and the Government of India
UNESCO and the Government of India in a major new partnership
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Government of India are embarking on a major new partnership to create the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development. Through research and capacity-building, the Institute aims to develop and promote new
Minister Kapil Sibal (India) and UNESCO's Director-General, Irina Bokova, at the signature of the agreement establishing the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, July 2012.
approaches to education, empowering learners to transform their lives and build a more peaceful and sustainable world. Based in New Delhi, this will be the first UNESCO specialized education Institute in India, and the first in the Asia-Pacific region. It is particularly fitting that the Institute is hosted by India, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and a country that has made a significant commitment to education over the past decades.
Photo provided courtesy of the Indian National Commission for UNESCO
© UNESCO/L. Rukingamubiri
© UNESCO/J. Mott
Transforming education for tomorrow’s world
The Mahatma Gandhi Institute has been created based on the fundamental conviction that education can help provide the answers to some of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, from poverty, conflict and deepening inequality to threats related to climate change and environmental degradation. Today’s challenges are global in nature and require global solutions. As the international community looks towards a new sustainable development agenda, it is increasingly recognized that education can play a decisive role in fostering a sense of shared responsibility and in bringing about fundamental changes in how we coexist with each other and our planet.