Education to Navigate Global Power Dynamics and Conflict through the Lens of Caring

Abstract

Education emerges as crucial to manage ongoing global challenges as it is vital to help minimize the risk of conflict, inequities and inequalities, or even violent disasters. Developing a new educational model in which a new culture of caring about people, the planet, and our common and shared future can contribute to peace-building and the development of more sustainable societies. This paper offers critical insights into the interconnectivity between global crises, geoeconomic and geopolitical elements, and the need for a new educational paradigm, which has the potential to boost national systems by promoting the development of global citizens defined and identified by their high levels of resilience, empathy, and a culture of caring. We argue for the importance of relationships based on trust and the feeling of relying on, where individuals can feel safe, secure, and valued. In this regard, education represents the core element in creating more inclusive, equitable, resilient, and just societies where individuals have sufficient skills to navigate conflicts and power imbalances by manifesting an open and proactive attitude to co-create inclusive and cooperative sustainable solutions.