Parliament of Worlds Religion 1999 Capetown SA

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

Page 32

A CALL TO OUR GUIDING INSTITUTIONS
DECEMBER
9
9
The Call to I EDUCATION
Every human being without distinction of age, sex, race, skin color, physical or mental ability. language, religion, political view. or national or social origin possesses an inalienable and untouchable dignity, and everyone, the individual as well as the state, is therefore obliged to honor this dignity and protect it.
A
... Young people must learn at home and in school that violence may not be a means of settling differences with others. Only thus can a culture of non-violence be created.
We envision a world in which ... learning, as a singularly enlivening human pursuit,
is available to all; ... intergenerational learning is cherished; ... ethical, moral, and spiritual questions are an
integral part of academic and civil discourse; the world's ethnic groups, cultures, and religious and spiritual communities are taught lifelong about each other in such a way that each becomes appreciative of the other; .every human being has the opportunity to grow in personal and intellectual responsibility and
committed service to the entire community of life; ... understanding and reverence for the vital yet fragile
Earth provides the groundwork and incentive for sustainable living
... Young people must learn at home and in school that property, limited though it may be, carries with it an obligation, and that its uses should at the same time serve the common good. Only thus can a just economic order be built up.
B
Among the noblest functions of education is the discovery of imaginative, enduring ways to translate and then to question humanity's knowledge, traditions, travails, and insights. Through this process of discovery and reflection, education equips the members of each successive generation to lead honorable, grateful, and engaged lives, which enrich their respective communities.
... Young people must learn at home and in school to think, speak, and act truthfully. They have a right to information and education to be able to make the decisions that will form their lives. Without an ethical formation they will hardly be able to distinguish the important from the unimportant. In the daily flood of information, ethical standards will help them discern when opinions are portrayed as facts, interests veiled, tendencies exaggerated. and facts twisted.
Towards a Global Ethic:
An Initial Declaration 1993 Parliament of the World's
Religions. Chicago
The principles of a global ethic make it clear that education should be a basic and universal human right. Girls and boys around the world should have full access to learning. Educators must seek out and adapt astute methods and well-researched materials to advance literacy in their regions, thus laying foundations for the equity and well-being of all societies. Young learners should be protected from child labor and other kinds of exploitation harmful to their development. Moreover, life-long learning should be a cultural opportunity and a personal challenge for people of all ages.
1999 PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS
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Jain Education Intemational 2010_03