Second Day Session at CUMIPAZ 2015

Education for peace is the common goal that brought together rectors, deans, professors and academic authorities in America and Europe in the former Congress of the Republic of Chile, for the development of the Educational Session of the Peace Integration Summit, CUMIPAZ 2015.

CUMIPAZ opened this session with the aim of promoting the concept of higher education as a fundamental tool for raising ethics, values and universal principles in professionals of America and the world, with the aim of contributing with the integral peace of the human being and sustainable development.

The magistrate lectures of Dr. Miriam Estrada, Professor of International Criminal Law at the University for Peace of the United Nations Organization and Dr. William Soto, Global Ambassador of the GEAP, opened the Session and laid the basis for the development of the workshops.

Proposal for a Chair for Peace

"Education from the heart for human development" was the topic presented by Dr. Soto, through which she spoke about the necessity of a transformation of Higher Education systems that can meet the conditions of mankind and ensure integral development of the human being.

"The 21st century demands a change in the goals of Higher Education, beyond productivity and competitiveness and academic excellence. Education must, above all, promote human development to the fullest and a harmonious integration with nature and with one another," he said.

Given this approach, Dr. Soto, based on the educational principle of the integral formation of the human being: heart (soul), spirit and body, emphasized the need to promote an education that recognizes and forms each person on the base of this integral nature, noting that by obtaining harmony between the spirit with the heart and body, the human being reaches a full state and manifests certain potentials, such as peace.

"It is necessary to include a chair for peace in universities, recognizing the integral nature of human beings; because we have forgotten that the individual is not only a physical body: it is also composed of spirit and heart, or soul. An Integral Education in needed, not only to form qualified professionals, but human beings that through their professions can form a culture of peace,” he said.

Higher Education in a world in flames

Dr. Miriam Estrada, agrees on the need for change in the Education System to combat evil and problems of the current century. With the topic "Higher Education in a world in flames," she pointed out that for more than 70 years the United Nations has been dedicated to the analysis of the problems of humanity to face them, and said:

"We are drowning in papers which, unfortunately, no one reads; we know of them because we see them on a daily basis. It is time, then, to confront them; and the only way to confront them is by ethically preventing them. And that ethical prevention has the education of the peoples of the world as its fundamental pillar, essentially the education of young people."

In this sense, she presented reflections and proposals of the University for Peace of the United Nations, which aimed at the transformation of Higher Education to promote a culture of peace.

"That the university becomes the upholder of the essential values of the spirit, which attempts to bring that sense of solidarity and commitment unto intelligence; so it can be open, inclusive, dynamic and diversified; that it becomes the engine of integral development; that it promotes active citizen participation (...) The University, finally, must be the seedbed and the guardian of tolerance. Understanding tolerance as respect, acceptance, appreciation of the rich diversity of cultures in our world; our forms of expression (...) which can contribute towards replacing the culture of war in which we live in, for a culture of peace that we need."

This Educational Session of CUMIPAZ 2015 was established for the integration of different academic authorities, agencies and institutes of Higher Education with the purpose of gathering proposals and analysis for the collective development of the Chair for Peace.