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Repositioning ethics, justice, and peace through higher education for human development
The conference was put together in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the CUEA’s Centre for Social Justice and Ethics (CSJE) under the theme: “Promotion of Ethics, Justice and Peace for Integral Human Development through Higher Education”.
The event built on a ‘Call for Abstracts’ that invited contributions from a wide spectrum of society, including civil society, government, academia and the religious community, on the role of higher education in building a more just, peaceful and ethical world. Their submissions focused on advancing growth in various aspects of human needed for enhancing integral human development.
Integral human development refers to development that embraces the whole person (i.e. economic, political, social, cultural, spiritual, emotional etc.) and all people (without discrimination based on color, political affiliation, gender, economic status, religion, etc.) - in a constantly changing and challenging world.
The meeting gathered experts from NGOs engaged in the promotion of ethics, justice and peace in East Africa and beyond. They included the Deputy Executive Officer of Globe Ethics Mrs. Lucy Howe Lopez, the Director of Harmony Institute Mr. Mustafa Genc, the Founder CEO of Esperance for Women and Children in Prisons of Africa (ECPA) Mme. Kayitesi Hayre.
The Guest-of-Honour, Rev. Maurice Muhatia Makumba, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kisumu, opened the conference alongside panel of distinguished speakers. He called upon all to adopt ethical actions, guided by the love of the other and a deep desire for peace, especially in a world facing a diversity of challenges stemming from innovation, environmental change, international tensions and increasing economic difficulties and vulnerabilities. These obstacles bring with them temptations to diverge from the ethical path by indulging in harmful actions oriented towards individual benefits rather than the common good.
Our education systems are not geared to address today’s interconnected challenges from global warming and loss of biodiversity to the accelerated digital revolution, deepening inequalities and democratic backsliding, conflict and crisis. That’s why UNESCO has set out a new social contract for education designed to reimagine and shape more peaceful, just, and sustainable societies, where institutions of higher learning have a critical role to play. In this year of the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of human Rights, it is particularly important to recall and celebrate these fundamental human rights and their contribution to the integral human development this conference is calling for.
The conference successfully provided a platform for multidisciplinary, pluralistic, and multicultural reflections in addressing a wide range of topics surrounding ethics and social justice for peace. It reminded participants about fundamental human rights and the need to respect and promote the dignity of all. This was done through revisiting the role of higher education in a variety of areas, including:
- enhancing the dignity of African women;
- reaffirming the importance of decision-making in addressing environmental change;
- discussing the emergence of media and information technologies and their impact on peacebuilding;
- considering how the shaping of mentalities and mindsets may build resilience and adaptation to climate change;
- focusing on the importance of applying ethics to doctoral research;
- reflecting on emerging trends in digital innovation and artificial intelligence.
The conference challenged higher education institutions to reflect on and provide knowledge and solutions to address societal issues. They were also invited to uphold the highest ethical standards in guiding both researchers and academic leaders towards the "integral human development". The discussions repositioned science, scientific research and academic freedom at the forefront for addressing the interconnected challenges faced by local societies and the world at large. Greater investments in the social sciences and humanities are needed to transform education in order to shape our societies for the better. Higher institutions have a key role to play in supporting evidence-based policy making, which is a key tenet for the achievement of SDGs, especially SDGs 4 and 16.
The gathering celebrated 20 years of work by the Centre for Social Justice and Ethics of the Catholic University for Eastern Africa in advancing ethics, justice and peace through education. They echoed the vital role of academic research and knowledge sharing in promoting resilient and sustainable societies, and renewed their commitment to buildling a higher education system that is dedicated fully to “integral human development.”
