Closing Remarks by Chairman of the Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Cultural Foundation at the Conclusion of The World Forum for the Culture of Peace at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
June 15, 2019
Excellency, Dr. George Vella, President of the Republic of Malta,
Excellency Mr. Faustin-Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic,
His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal,
His Excellency Marzouq Al-Ghanim, Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly,
Distinguished Presidents,
Esteemed Ministers,
Honorable Ambassadors,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings.
In my book "Contemplations for Peace," published in both Arabic and English in 2017, I pointed to the essential seventh principle of just peace, which is the principle of education and learning. Since peace must become the culture of people in their daily behavior and thinking, we must ensure the presence and continuity of this culture. To achieve this, we must work on educating a conscious generation, nurturing it through lessons in the culture of peace from kindergarten to school, then to institutes and universities. As you are aware, I presented the project "Culture of Peace for the Security of Future Generations" to the United Nations General Assembly for two consecutive years in September 2017 and September 2018, which was subsequently adopted.
Then, the Foundation embarked on a new phase that I consider pivotal in our Foundation’s history and the history of the culture of peace. This phase involves the development of specialized curricula for teaching the culture of just peace. Today, I feel content, reassured, and happy that we have completed these curricula for the betterment of humanity. Our collective happiness will be fulfilled when we earnestly and sincerely engage in teaching these generations - who are entrusted to our care - the culture of just peace in a rational manner. For the just battle is not a battle of war, but a battle for the sake of just peace.
These curricula, consisting of seventeen principles, are presented before you on the screen. They are curricula that students utilize under the supervision and guidance of their teachers. We have divided them into two parts for the first and second levels of kindergarten, for children aged four to six, in a single volume. We have also divided them into two parts for the first and second grades of elementary education, for children aged six to eight. These curricula are designed to be easily comprehensible based on their understanding, awareness, and perception. Furthermore, we have developed four parts for the remaining levels of elementary education, three parts for middle school levels, and three parts for high school levels. As for university, we have dedicated four parts, incorporating both theoretical and practical components.
I would like to point out that these curricula are the result of the collective thinking of a universal mind that unites us all. This initiative is of Arab origin and was accomplished with the expertise of distinguished experts from around the world, under the supervision of an international committee. It may be useful to mention that the committee members and experts represent more than twenty countries from across the world, which means they come from diverse cultures and each of them is proficient in at least two languages, if not more.
These curricula have emerged as a culmination of the best that exists in educational programs, and they have been formulated utilizing the most effective educational and social communication methods. This enables every country in the world to implement them while adding elements that resonate with their respective cultures.
For your information, the formulation of these curricula was not done solely in the Arabic language. In line with the Foundation's global and universal approach, we deemed it appropriate to draft them in the language of global discourse, which is English, understood by the majority of the world's population. We will subsequently strive to translate them into the other five official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.
I would also like to emphasize that like any human endeavor, these curricula may require additions. I cannot help but express my gratitude to the international supervisory committee and all the experts who contributed to crafting these curricula. Furthermore, I must extend my thanks to the Foundation's team, who diligently oversaw all stages of this accomplishment in record time, respecting our commitment to the United Nations General Assembly's timeline.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The utmost gratitude is extended to you for your presence and participation in our achievement and joy. We kindly urge and implore you to kindly embark on teaching these curricula in your communities. Your feedback, which you will provide after my presentation, will be taken into consideration.
May peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you all.