In 1942, a Rotary District in London invited education ministers - many exiled – to a conference.
This event inspired the creation of UNESCO—The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
It’s noble vision was education as a path to world peace. By 1945, 49 Rotarians served as conference delegates, advisers or consultants to help establish the United Nations Charter.
In 1947, Rotary International was officially named a consultative non-government agency to UNESCO, tasked with the dissemination of information.
UNESCO’s approach to world peace centred on Fundamental Education as the path forward.
This meant concentrating on the most pressing problems of underprivileged communities - to preserve their culture - while advancing them economically to thrive in a changing world.
Haiti would be its pilot project. But due to over ambition, lack of funding and a poor strategy, the project struggled.
Cuba then launched a 'mass literacy' program closely aligned with its socialist agenda and the shifting international climate, using it to promote progressive ideologies.
Around the same time, the UN launched an ‘Experimental World Literacy Program’. By this time, most nations knew how to improve literacy to drive socio-economic change. But political priorities had many saying ‘we don’t really want to.’
Today, we see that these early efforts have fuelled ideological conflict. Competing vision has brought new battles and destructive consequences.
One truth is clear. In 1942 'World Peace' meant different things to different nations. The same holds true today.
In keeping with resolution 24 of Rotary’s 1923 policy on community service there’s two critical questions to ask.
What is the job that needs doing?
Can an existing agency do it?
If so, strengthen it, don’t duplicate.
If not, start a project that will.
May all of us draw lessons from the past 80 years to understand the meaning and purpose of peace from different vantage points. And may that task be the first step in agreeing on responsible freedom and a world without war.
Cheryl Lacey
Thank you to Cheryl Lacey for providing this reflection on 18 September 2024.
