JUSTICE & CHANGE - UNESCO KIMBERLY KEANE S00245117 Introduction The United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESCO) 1. UNESCO is a not-for-profit organisation at the heart of the United Nation, concerned with advancing three dimensions of sustainable development, including social, economic and political issues. 2. UNESCO functions as a global-scale platform for an open forum to connect respective governments, non-governmental organisations, communities & broader society. 3. Through an open forum, UNESCO’s mission is to advocate social innovation, encourage the solidarity of policies and actions, and further coordinate efforts to build community capacity. 4. UNESCO is also in charge of conference review and follow-ups. My personal values align with UNESCO’s mission as the discourse throughout 2020 has exemplified an unjust world in which I do not wish to engage in. With my combined interest of business, I believe implementing UNESCO’s values will not only foster innovation in business but will stimulate a global community characterized by peace. Business is a core function of society and working together with UNESCO promotes a just global community A Just Global Community • • • The Organisation UNESCO has led the Global Education Agenda 2030 and the Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action.. Through advocating, coordinating, collaborating and monitoring this Agenda, UNESCO and partners have been able to develop a framework for implementation of initiatives to address the inequalities in education, within a local, regional, national and global scope. 1. A key initiative includes the UNESCO World Heritage Education program, which on a local and regional scale, has facilitated community capacity building by training seminars for educators, and developing personal flourishment through youth forums. 2. In a global context, the World Heritage convention has successfully gained 190 countries signatures, building global solidarity and helping the realisation of a just global community. 3. From a national perspective, UNESCO’s Education Agenda details their efforts for promoting legislative, and guiding policy changes. Another significant achievement is the establishment of the International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities (ICAAR) which operates at a city level. ICAAR is concerned with policy making and raising awareness for issues regarding racism and discrimination. UNESCO's mission is to build community capacity through one of its key values & goals, quality education. In turn, their efforts toward quality education influences employee capacity, fosters innovation in education, and by the business supporting quality education it enhances the company reputation, customer loyalty & sustainability. Furthermore, the development of the global community will also impact policies and legislation regarding businesses. • • • The common good is achieved when interdependence and solidarity are realised and utilised when working together to improve the wellbeing of the whole society. It is a product of understanding that human dignity is innate and working in a way that upholds this notion. My understanding of a just global community is twofold; the meaning of justness and the meaning of community - at a global scale. Firstly, justness is the fair, equal and impartial treatment of others. A community is a group of people characterised by commonality, in this case our common humanity. Therefore, a just global community is the equal and fair treatment of common humanity. Once we have defined our humanity as our commonality, we are now able to achieve a just global community through exercising the common good. Quality education promotes personal flourishment through equipping individuals with the necessary knowledge to develop a personal mission. Through personal mission, individuals can become agents of transformation in service of the common good and global justice. By way of educating communities on world heritage, UNESCO aims to re-affirm ones’ self-identity while fostering intercultural understanding. Understanding is an integral factor in working toward the common good. ICAAR furthers these values by creating a sense of community through bringing together groups with shared values, who advocate for global solidarity and promote the innate respect for human dignity. By actively implementing these values as the foundation in all initiatives, UNESCO makes a significant contribution in the realisation of a just global community. Your Professional Contribution Businesses are a core aspect of a functioning society, and therefore have considerable influence on society. Influencing and demonstrating sustainable & ethical practices is paramount. In my prospective entrepreneurial profession, I will foster equality and culture through implementing anti-discrimination company policies. Further, 20% of the company's Corporate Social Responsibility budget would be dedicated toward helping global education, as recommended by UNESCO’s ‘Business backs education’. Another important contribution which also promotes a more just community, is raising awareness through public support of UNESCO’s key initiatives alongside information available within the workplace. References • • • • • • • • • • • https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/just https://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1 &article=1033&context=lsfp https://en.unesco.org/news/business-backs-education https://en.unesco.org/news/increasing-business-engagement-education-winwin-investment http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ED/GEFI/pdf/Busine ss_Engagement_Framework_Infographic.pdf https://socialconcerns.nd.edu/content/introduction-principles-catholic-socialthought http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/education-2030-incheonframework-for-action-implementation-of-sdg4-2016-en_2.pdf https://www.education-progress.org/en/articles/equity https://en.unesco.org/themes/fostering-rights-inclusion/iccar https://en.unesco.org/creativity/sites/creativity/files/247785en.pdf IMAGE - https://en.unesco.org/themes/fostering-rights-inclusion/iccar
