United Nations International Day of Education
Grounded in Love, Guided by Conscience
Holistic Education for Enduring Peace
Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze
Zhang-men-ren of Tai Ji Men
President of the Federation of World Peace and Love
Vice President of the Association of World Citizens,
NGO in Consultative Status with ECOSOC and Associated with the UN DPI
January 24, 2026
Distinguished Guests, Esteemed Leaders in the Education Community, Ladies and Gentlemen, good day.
In 2018, the United Nations proclaimed January 24 as the International Day of Education, underscoring the vital role of education in advancing global peace and sustainable development. The spirit of this observance emphasizes that education is a fundamental human right, a public good, and a shared public responsibility. As United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has noted, education is essential for every individual to realize their full potential and serves as a cornerstone of social and economic development.
The theme of the 2026 International Day of Education is “The Power of Youth in Co-Creating Education.” Youth are inherently key drivers of innovation, social transformation, and sustainable development. However, many young people today continue to face persistent barriers—such as poverty and inequality, limited access to quality education, and a lack of decent employment opportunities—making it difficult for them to shape the futures they aspire to create. According to statistics, approximately 244 million children and adolescents worldwide remain out of school. Ongoing global instability and armed conflicts pose severe threats to the right to education of children, adolescents, and youth alike. War and conflict are destroying education systems, culture, and economies, obstructing human progress. Only through peace can humanity achieve a sustainable future, and education is fundamental to the cultivation of a culture of peace.
For many years, the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL) has actively advanced a culture of peace rooted in love and conscience. Through cultural exchange initiatives spanning 122 countries, it has fostered mutual understanding and peace among peoples.
Education grounded in love and guided by conscience advances cross-cultural exchange and global citizenship education, empowering children and youth to become active agents of peace. An excellent culture nurtures good education; good education underpins a healthy economy; and a healthy economy creates the conditions for peace. Governments around the world should incorporate education driven by love, peace, and conscience into their fundamental principles of education. Through educational policy reform, quality education can be nourished by conscience, culture can be respected and safeguarded, and all people can be inspired by education rooted in conscience—guiding societies toward harmony and equity. When education is centered on love and conscience, it cultivates future generations with a deep sense of responsibility, empathy, and global citizenship. Such education not only prevents violence and hatred, but also advances lasting peace and sustainable development.
As the wave of artificial intelligence sweeps across the globe and its rapid development accelerates, education must undergo transformation. Roman Yampolskiy, who has studied AI safety for more than two decades, has emphasized that educational goals must shift—from training for employment skills to cultivating uniquely human capacities, such as conscience, philosophical inquiry, creativity, and cultural formation. This perspective closely aligns with my own convictions. Schools must help students, through cooperation and conscience, create new social meaning and establish an AI-resilient scientific foundation. A single thought may incline toward good or toward harm; therefore, education must nurture moral judgment and critical thinking, ensuring a balance between technological advancement and the human spirit. By integrating courses on love and conscience into curricula from an early age, learners can develop the ability to discern truth from falsehood, right from wrong, and good from harm—establishing an inner compass of conscience to guide the responsible use of technology. In the age of AI, the mission of education is to learn for peace, conscience, and the sustainable future of humanity and the Earth. Only in this way can education safeguard humanity’s peaceful future. In this process, engaging the strength of youth—harnessing their technological fluency and abundant creativity—will further ensure that education truly meets their needs and the expectations of the future world.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 states: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” Achieving this goal by 2030 requires the shared responsibility of governments, education policymakers, educators, and parents worldwide. I advocate an integrated approach that combines lifelong learning for all ages, inclusive education without discrimination, and—most importantly—holistic education centered on love and conscience. Such education provides lifelong nourishment for the body, mind, and spirit; it is the foundation upon which individuals establish their sense of purpose and dignity, and an indispensable pillar for benefiting humanity, fostering social harmony, and achieving enduring peace and sustainable development.
Educational reform requires collective action, guided by the goal of the survival and well-being of all humanity. Conscience is the sole pathway to peace and sustainability. Only when education is grounded in love and guided by conscience can knowledge be transformed into wisdom, learning be translated into action, and every individual become a guardian of our shared world. When education carries conscience at its core, it not only illuminates individual futures, but also guides humanity beyond conflict, unites societies through mutual support and cooperation, and shapes a future of lasting peace and sustainable development.