Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke in his home country, Ghana, last week, where he addressed the Executive Heads of the Association of Commonwealth Universities as keynote speaker at a Conference. In his speech, Educating for Inclusive and Peaceful Societies, Annan emphasised his belief that ‘education is the premise of progress in every society’ and that it is ‘the basis for sustainable economic growth and a fundamental building block for healthy, democratic societies.’
He called for universities to go beyond ‘transferring skills or conferring qualifications’, and begin to ‘play a powerful role in tackling the contemporary challenges to global peace and security…’ by developing ‘strong and durable bonds between universities and the societies of which they are an integral part’.
Kofi Annan also raised the concern of what he called ‘the deficit of democratic governance’. Globally, the legitimacy of elections are coming under question, he said, which is added to by poor governance and a lack of democratic leadership. These ‘deficiencies’ are causing frustration, and governments around the world will need to address these frustrations to avoid ‘riots, rebellions and even revolutions’.
Annan then linked the importance of education within the democratic framework, calling for Higher Education to be accessible to all corners of society. Education, he said, ‘allows citizens to engage in these activities in a more informed manner’ and better equips us with the ‘tools and knowledge to fight’ against power abuse and corruption.
Universities have a role to instil values that strengthen social cohesion in its graduates, Annan continued, so that ‘future generations will have the tools to navigate a rapidly changing world in pursuit not simply of personal enrichment but of public service that benefits communities and countries’.
He closed by saying that ‘healthy, democratic and sustainable societies are built on three pillars; peace and security, sustainable development and respect for human rights and the rule of law’ and that HEIs are ‘vital support structures of these pillars of progress, empowering individuals while serving as powerful common denominators that strengthen the ties that bind societies together.’