Beirut, Lebanon - On 9 February 2023, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States (UNESCO Beirut Office) and King Salman Center Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) hosted an online closing ceremony to mark the successful completion of the "Education is Peace" project. The regional initiative aimed to develop educational resources for the use in the region and to develop the capacities of a variety of stakeholders, namely teacher trainers, teachers, educators, education practitioners and policy- and decision-makers. The resources will be key tools to advance towards the realization SDG4 and ensure quality education for all. Special focus has been placed on supporting Arab countries in crises through Education in Emergencies (EiE) responses, and through promoting peace, tolerance and social cohesion in the region.
The closing ceremony began with speeches delivered by Eng. Ahmad Baiz, Assistant Supervisor General of Operations & Programs, Ms. Hana Omar, Director of Community Support at KSRelief, and Ms. Costanza Farina, Director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States.
Eng. Ahmad Baiz highlighted that "thanks to its fruitful and meaningful partnership with UNESCO, the Center has developed and disseminated a series of educational resources that meet the needs of different target groups in terms of education and development, promote sustainable change in education, especially in emergency situations, and contribute to building a peaceful, resilient society capable of ensuring sustainable quality education for all."
Director Farina noted, "We recognize that there is still much work to be done in order to ensure the full realization of SDG4 and to ensure that all learners have access to quality education, especially those living in emergency and crisis settings. However, due to the strong and successful partnership with KSRelief, the "Education is Peace" project has set the foundation for incremental progress on SDG4 and has demonstrated the power of collaboration and aligned of intents in addressing regional and national challenges."
Following the speeches, the ceremony featured videos and testimonials showcasing the project's key achievements, including the development of learning materials on distance learning, multigrade classes and inclusive education, in addition to an Arabic glossary of education terminologies, an online learning platform "Kodrat", and the KSRelief Education in Emergencies strategy 2022 - 2027.
The "Education is Peace" closing ceremony was well-received by its 118 attendees and succeeded in showcasing the project's remarkable achievements and promoting the materials developed in the framework of the project for a wider impact. To ensure the sustainability of the initiative and its materials, UNESCO Beirut Office will continue promoting the resources developed within its regional activities to ensure an even more sustainable impact.
UNESCO Beirut Office and KSRelief are proud to have engaged together in this project and are committed to furthering the cause of education for peace.
