Act Now for a Peaceful World by Acting Now to Ensure Education for All

Commemorating International Day of Peace with Education Cannot Wait

21 September 2025, New York – Education is the foundation for a more peaceful, more united world. Through the transformational power of education – especially for the 234 million girls and boys living on the frontlines of conflict, forced displacement and other protracted crises – we can build a world based on human rights, human dignity and the vast potential of the human spirit.

No child dreams of war. No child wishes to be forced from home. No child asks for catastrophe. No child wants to see their future destroyed.

Children dream of peace. They dream of equality. They dream of a better world.

As we commemorate this year’s International Day of Peace – urging people everywhere to Act Now for a Peaceful World – we must hold on to the optimistic, effortless humanity of children.

To cultivate young talents and protect children everywhere, we must invest in their education. These investments start with early childhood education and continue all the way to secondary school, university and lifelong learning.

On a very human level, education for all fosters tolerance, empathy and critical thinking, building a culture of collaboration and social cohesion across the globe.

Education has also been proven to decrease violence by creating new economic opportunities and promoting greater stability.  According to the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies:

• “Research comparing education equality data and violent conflict data from nearly 100 countries over 50 years found robust evidence that the likelihood of violent conflict doubles for countries with high levels of intergroup inequality in education, after controlling for known conflict risk factors, such as wealth, political regime, geography, etc. The research also suggests that greater education equality between male and female students decreases the likelihood of violent conflict by as much as 37%.”

Military spending worldwide has hit a record of US$2.7 trillion worldwide, according to the United Nations. At the same time, the cost of school drop-out and lack of education is more than triple that amount, at around US$10 trillion a year, according to UNESCO.

Imagine a world where we spend as much on books as we do on bombs. Imagine a world where every child – no matter who or where they are – is able to go to school in safe and quality learning environments and reach their full potential. Imagine a world without war, a world without hate, a world without intolerance.

That world is possible starting with education for all.

End text.