Executive Summary
The underlying premise of WISE is that education is paramount in enabling mankind to navigate the risks, challenges and opportunities of our rapidly changing world. The ability to transform knowledge into sophisticated understanding and imaginative action is the core discipline that enables us to anticipate evolution in all fields, from geopolitics to ecology, energy needs to distribution of wealth, climate change to demographics and health. By anticipating change and its possible consequences, we are better able to implement responsible and sustainable stewardship of our societies and the world. We need to conceive, incubate and rescale new educational paradigms, and we need to share best practices internationally. We need to rethink the very nature of learning, knowledge building, critical thinking and creativity, and this approach needs to be embedded in career paths characterised by flexibility and adaptability. We must build new coalitions of multiple stakeholders, extending far beyond the traditional boundaries of education. The raison d’être of WISE is to bring together people from diverse backgrounds to seek innovative change in global education which will invest humanity with the capacity to confront the critical challenges of our times.
Executive Summary
I. Introductory Remarks
Nima Abu-Wardeh, Moderator
Conservative estimates say that 75 million children are out of school, and more than half are girls, and if every child in low income countries could read, 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty. Furthermore, children born to literate mothers are twice as likely to live beyond the age of five and it is estimated that over the next decade seven million cases of HIV could be prevented by educating children. That is why we are here today. WISE is not just an annual event, but has become an international community.
II. Keynote Speech
H.E. Lakhdar Brahimi, former Under-Secretary General, United Nations
I have been dealing mainly with peace and security issues for the past 20 or more years. However, education is always a key part of any peace process. Indeed, it is so important that former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan referred to it as peace-building by another name. Some say that conflict has at its root acute poverty and ignorance. Maybe not all conflicts have these causes, but poverty and ignorance create favourable conditions for it. That is why the eradication of poverty and hunger and the provision of universal primary education for all children worldwide are the first two of the Millennium Development Goals. The Human Development Report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) confirms that the Arab region is very seriously disadvantaged in every area of education. I will mention two manifestations of this. Gaza is a huge open-air prison: everyone says that this is unacceptable and unlawful, but very little is done to put an end to the situation. However, it is largely thanks to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that Palestinian children are among the best educated in the Arab world. It has to use metal containers as school buildings because Israel will not allow cement or other building materials in, even to the UN, and because UNRWA is short of cash. There are 40,000 other children in Palestine who are not able to attend school because UNRWA does not have the facilities. Secondly, statistics tell us that universal primary education will be achieved in most Arab countries by 2015. However, literacy alone is not education. What is learned at home and in the street is part of education and culture. One of the most important values is tolerance, the willingness to accept difference, and here we must admit that, not only are we well below acceptable standards, but we have regressed. Thirty years ago, an attack of the kind that took place in Iraq recently, targeting worshippers in a Christian church, would have been unthinkable. The catastrophic invasion of Iraq in 2003 has much to do with the regression, and it is in the interest of everyone to find answers to basic questions: why it was invaded, what price the people of Iraq paid for it, what price we will all pay for it, and who will be made accountable. Arab societies are also responsible for this state of affairs, but do we need to accept this as unalterable? India, South Korea, Singapore and China have changed drastically over the past few decades. They are not only producing material wealth, but also knowledge, which is the ultimate indicator of development. These achievements were made by third-world countries that started at a much lower level, and they were made possible by education and good governance. Qatar aimed high and succeeded, and there is no reason why we cannot do the same.
III. Representative Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives
All things are made possible by the pursuit and embrace of knowledge. The challenge of the 21st century is to ensure that technologies advance our most cherished values. Innovation begins in the classroom, and the US has invested billions of dollars to adopt reforms and ensure better outcomes. We know that when we empower our youth, a brighter future is possible.
IV. Themes for WISE 2010
The profound changes we are seeing present a series of pressing challenges to education. The needs of this new era have led to the launch of the multi-sector initiative of WISE. However, Qatar Foundation has been pursuing its charitable objectives in the Arab world and internationally for 15 years. We have always believed in drawing from experience, so it is natural to gather expertise from around the world and focus it on building the future of education. Our aspiration is to bring together multiple stakeholders and to connect theory and practice, because this collaboration is critical in facing complex issues. WISE’s action-oriented approach involves producing solutions that can be adopted and adapted. A yearly Summit will not suffice for these objectives; it was always our intention for WISE to become a year-round platform for innovation initiatives. I am pleased to say that, even in our first year, we have already taken steps that have made a difference. Success is based on partnerships, and this is a unique strength of WISE. Our five original partners have now been joined by UNESCO. The media also play an important role in drawing people into the debate and making our case in the constant competition for resources. The Summit is organised around the themes of Improving Education Systems and Exploring Innovative Trends. Every human being has a right to education. The obligation of society is to provide that and ensure it meets our needs. Millions of teachers around the world are doing a great job, despite often being poorly paid. We must raise their status in society, because they are the architects of our shared future. The second theme looks at the potential of emerging technologies and branches of science to provide radical solutions and offer new possibilities. Therefore, among the Breakout Sessions are Appraising the Impact of ICT, Lessons from Cognitive Science and Games for Serious Learning. Sustainability is critical, so we have devoted a special Plenary Session to Funding Education. We have also introduced other new features at WISE this year. We are honoured to have brought together 1,200 leading thinkers and innovators from around the world. Your combined experience and talent will spark innovative solutions in education. WISE is your platform, so please use it.