Partner universities' contributions

The event coordinator, Dr. Dhanasree Jayaram, Assistant Professor at DGIR, welcomed the gathering. The Vice Chancellor (MAHE), Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M D Venkatesh stressed the core values of societal commitment, MAHE’s dedication to SDGs, and the community-enabled ecosystem created by the founder, Dr. T. M. A Pai, in his inaugural address. Ms. Sarita Jadav, National Programme Officer, UNESCO New Delhi Office, set the stage for the dialogue with her special address that covered the relevance of this dialogue aligned with UNESCO’s values and MAHE’s commitment to upholding the UNESCO Peace Chair’s principles. She highlighted that India was one among six countries to organise a regional dialogue and MAHE hosted it.

The dialogue featured a distinguished panel of experts: Prof. K.P. Vijayalakshmi, Head, DGIR; Prof. Vardesh Hiregange, Director, GCPAS; Prof. Neeta Inamdar, Head, MCES; Prof. Nikhil Govind, Head, MCH; and Prof. Padma Rani, Director, MIC.

Prof. Nalapat stoked inquiry on a range of issues including the threat of ‘us versus them’ narratives, the goal of peace, the power of education, the paradox of the Mahatma, and the impacts of technology and media.

Prof. Govind emphasised the importance of tolerance for others’ perspectives and the need to have a consensus despite disagreements. Prof. Vijayalakshmi opined that striving for peace and justice has been constant, whilst highlighting the importance of the UN in strengthening the voice for peace.

Prof. Inamdar highlighted the reality of heterogeneity; the importance of formal education; and the need for inculcating moral literacy. Prof. Hiregange discussed the paradox of Mahatma Gandhi, emphasising his ideals of empathy, diversity, and equity while acknowledging the gap between the real and ideal worlds. Prof. Padma Rani spoke about the negative narratives that often spread on social media, but also reflected upon the potential of social media to create awareness and promote empathy.

The dialogue concluded with questions from students of diverse nationalities (Syria, Afghanistan, India, etc.) about the international community’s role in building peace in conflict-torn societies, impacts of conflicts and wars on women and children, and the ways in which institutional processes can be more inclusive, which the panellists addressed. Ms. B. Poornima, Ph.D. scholar at DGIR, delivered the vote of thanks.

The dialogue on “Rediscovering Humanity in the Present World” was a thought-provoking and timely discussion of the challenges and opportunities of promoting humanity in the 21st century.

• The world is a mosaic of cultures, languages, and experiences, yet beneath this diversity lies a profound truth: we are all bound by a tapestry of shared values. Regardless of our backgrounds, beliefs, or circumstances, fundamental elements connect us as human beings,
• Creating free available digital platforms for educational purposes,
• Strengthening communities that would spread common values,
• UNESCO sharing its influence through education that would help people get a wider picture of the current situations in the world,
• Raising awareness on cultural heritage preservation,
• Raising awareness about secondary education and being careful about the information available through social media,
• Bringing humanity closer to nature, transforming cities into walkable cities run by communities which can participate in the building and preservation of parks with ecosystems native to the land, installing more benches, investing in public transport,
• Working on expanding “the right to roam” where people would be able to tread on government-owned or private land as long as they cause no damage or harm,
• Investing in organizations built around communities that focus on art, heritage and culture,
• Education and exposure to different cultures and communities because hatred is born from ignorance and a lack of knowledge,
• Strengthening our local communities helps us build a stronger global community,
• A powerful reminder that we are all part of a global community each contributing to the beautiful mosaic that is the human experience,
• Only in peace we can grow and improve.

Ms. Yachat Nuhu, representative of UNESCO and officer in charge of communication and information sector from Abuja Office stated that the essence of the conference was to bring together UNESCO member states to deliberate on issues and identify new strategies and areas of collaboration with them.

Ms. Nuhu added that UNESCO decided not to have the conference at the headquarters level alone because they wanted it to have a global impact, so seven countries were chosen, Nigeria, India, China, the United States, Morocco, Mexico, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. She expressed hope that the time of discussion on the theme “commons” would bring about shared platforms for collaborations in the interest of positively changing the world we live in today.

The Co-host of the event Professor Oluyemisi Bamgbose SAN, Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Innovation and Strategic Planning (RISP) University of Ibadan gave a welcome address highlighting the importance of intercultural collaborations and the role of partnerships among institutions that seek to encourage
cultural aesthetics. Welcoming participants to the meeting, she expressed how the event signifies a togetherness on the protection and promotion of our shared heritage and values. She further said that “differing geopolitical issues, climate change, wars, coups, cultural orientations, and digital influences are a few causes for concern. These multiple fractures, divisions, and transformations that characterize our world justify the need for us to rethink by bringing stakeholders together to build a world in common,”

The Alajota dance troupe entertained participants for about 10 minutes followed by a student’s Yoruba eulogy presentation.

The link up with UNESCO HQ for Keynote was seamless. Participants listened to Professor Dipesh Chakrabarty who opened by stating that humans fight one other, especially with regards to shared natural resources, which cannot be divided.

Prof Dipesh used his homeland as a point of reference citing examples of the various struggles with space and land that have gone on in the Himalayas and the fight for boundaries that has decimated the ecological space and use of the Himalayas, especially in relation to climate change.

His idea of “Commons” he iterated is not something that can be touched or felt or possessed in the idea that humans see touch and possess, but rather in the intangibles that contribute to the sustainability of life on the planet. He further said that the lack of humanity to take these things seriously would contribute to an earth that in about 100 years' time would become unlivable for human beings and animals alike. He then urged that by virtue of this conference we begin to turn our minds to the intangibles although he acknowledged the fact that things have deteriorated badly, he was of the opinion that having this awareness early would contribute to slowing things down in such a way and manner that life could still be sustained on earth for future generations.

Following Professor Dipesh Chakrabarty’s keynote, the local address was given by Professor Senayon Olaoluwa of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan. His citation was read by Dr Sharon Omotoso to introduce him to the Audience.

Professor Olaoluwa titled his presentation ‘Commons, Compromises, and Correctives’. He launched into a rousing discussion of the “commons” departing first from Dipesh’s views of how things are, to how things were. He invited participants to cast their minds back to how things used to be before the challenges of climate change, conflicts, and wars pervaded our spaces.

By using his theory of “Ordinarification” - a mode or tool by humans to reduce things that are and should be of import as if they were nothing, he expressed how humanity has been hindered from identifying “Commons” and ultimately led to the selfish, self-seeking lifestyle of humans’ pursuit today.

He emphasised what human evolution and activities have done to the environment over time and opined that “the future of our commons must begin with a realisation of the original sense of our commonality, a review of our compromises, and the imperative of correctives to the compromises for the assurance of a just future.”
 

Outcome

The lecture was well received by participants who responded with comments, questions and contributions. The high point of the lecture for students was their request for practical steps to entrench the sense of ‘commons’ in their immediate communities.

Participants were charged with the need to be intentional about the change they envision in their communities before making global considerations of such. Examples were cited of a Youth Corp who transcended ethnic and language barriers to provide water for a community in Northern Nigeria. This feat has taken her around the world working to improve peoples’ lives.

Participants were also encouraged to pledge allegiance to nature and humanity in all their endeavors. They affirmed a satisfaction of their curiosity on the subject of ‘commons’ and were grateful that UNESCO thought to have the event as a duplex session, which has afforded their participation.

Attendance

Attendance was drawn from various stakeholders including students, Faculty, press, local communities, campus-based associations, non-governmental organisations and the general public. Specifically, staff and students from neighboring universities in Ibadan including Dominion University, Dominican University, Kola-Daisi, University, and Lead City University were invited.

A total of 205 participants registered on the attendance sheet, although over 270 people were reported to have attended the event.

Closing

In the Final Address, UNESCO representative Ms. Yachat Nuhu thanked the organizing committee for the success of the program. She expressed the need for further collaboration between the two organizations in the interest of humanity and the environment and called for further insight and research on such matters.

On the morning of November 8, Ms Yachat, accompanied by Dr. Sharon Omotoso paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Vice Chancellor (RISP). The DVC RISP expressed gratitude that the University of Ibadan was deemed worthy to host the Duplex session in Nigeria. She expressed willingness to take collaborations with
UNESCO to a higher level, in the spirit of her office tasked with the strategic partnerships’ portfolio.

In her remarks, Ms Yachat expressed satisfaction at the manner of organization and attention given to the event despite the university’s euphoria of the 75th Anniversary and Convocation Ceremony. She promised to convey the goodwill of the university to UNESCO and to ensure that the report of the meeting is widely disseminated across relevant UN units.