Speech by Mr Koichiro Matsuura
Director General of UNESCO 
on the occasion of 
Presentation of UNESCO Prize for Peace Education 2002 to 
City Montessori School, Lucknow, India 
at Paris on 23 September 2002

I am very pleased to greet you all on the occasion of the award ceremony of the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education 2002.

Allow me first of all to extend a special welcome to Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Minister of Human Resource Development, Science and Technology of India and President of the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Joshi once again for the warm welcome and hospitality he showed to me during my first official visit to India in July 2001. I thank him also for his active interest in and support for UNESCO, which were clearly evident in his valuable contribution to last year's General Conference here in Paris. And I pay tribute to the outstanding work he is doing to ensure that India's Human Resource Development is consistent with spiritual values, sustainable and equitable patterns of consumption, and the development of 'home-grown' scientific and technological capacities. A man of vision and action, he has long advocated a holistic view of science, religion and human values. Dr Joshi, I am most gratified that you are with us here today for this ceremony. 

I also extend a warm welcome to the President of the International Jury of the Prize, Mr Pierre Kipre, Professor of History, former Minister of Education and former President of the National Commission of Cote d'Ivoire for UNESCO. And to one Jury Member who is here today, Mr Mohammad Arkoun, from Algeria, Emeritus Professor of Arab Language and Literature at the Sorbonne (Paris III) and presently Professor of the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London.I would like to thank them for their valuable work and, through them, my appreciation also goes out to the other three Members of the Jury, H.E. Mr Javier Perez de Cuellar from Peru, Ms Lucy Smith from Norway and Mr Arjun Appadurai from India who are unable to attend today's ceremony. 

The UNESCO Prize for Peace Education was established in 1981, thanks to a generous donation from the Nippon Foundation to which I express once again the deepest gratitude of the whole organisation.
The prize has been awarded annually in recognition of outstanding activities designed to mobilise the conscience of humanity and alert public opinion in the cause of peace, in the spirit of UNESCO's Constitution and the United Nations Charter. The Prize, which is being presented today for the twenty-second time, has become an essential part of UNESCO's action aimed at promoting peace-building by both individuals and institutions.

Ladies and gentlemen, the main objective of UNESCO- "to contribute to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture and communication"- remains as relevant and necessary as ever. Despite the many efforts made by peacemakers, war, terrorism, violence, crime, intolerance and strife continue to afflict humanity. A lasting peace, based on humanity's intellectual and moral solidarity, is still far from being reached.

Yet humankind cannot, should not and must not give up. Now more than ever efforts must be strengthened to make reason and dialogue prevail for the sake of peace. Lessons should be learnt from the past but, at the same time, we must apply the insights available from new knowledge and techniques to such perennial questions as: How can we secure a better understanding of ourselves and of those who are different from us? How can we bridge the gap between our differences? How can we best cultivate the universal values of tolerance, peace, human rights, non violence and democracy in the perspective of cultural diversity?

Education lies at the heart of any answers to these questions. As the primary agent of capacity-building and transformation, education can increase our capacity to confront and master change. Education not only informs people, it can change them too. Education creates a space for dialogue and exchange; encourages respect and tolerance; integrates the principles of human rights into everyday life; and strengthens positive actions. The following words, pronounced over 2600 years ago by Kuan-Tzu (Confucius), remain rich with meaning for our lives:
If you are thinking a year ahead- plant seeds
If you are thinking 10 years ahead- plant a tree,
If you are thinking 100 years ahead- educate the people.

It now gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the laureate of the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education-2002, the City Montessori School, in Lucknow, India.

The City Montessori School (CMS) was founded, with only five students, in 1959 by a dedicated couple- Jagdish and Bharti Gandhi- greatly influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and his spiritual successor, Vinobha Bhave. Today, CMS, which is based in Lucknow, the capital of India's most populous province, Uttar Pradesh, hosts over 26000 pupils, aged 3 to 18. Apart form its size, the School stands out for the quality of the education it has provided for over four decades. This education is based on four fundamental principles: universal values, excellence, global understanding and service to the community.

CMS believes that a school must act as a lighthouse for society, providing direction and guidance, and that each child is potentially the light of the world, as a future conscious and proactive member of society, an agent of change, a builder of peace and coexistence and an upholder of high moral values. The School aims to give its pupils the skills which will allow them to face the complex problems of today's world, by placing trust in each child, by developing their sense of responsibility, by teaching them moral values both theoretically and practically, and by opening their eyes to other cultures and religions.

The recognition given to the importance of the family is another key characteristic of CMS. The school tries to sensitize parents on their educational role and influence by getting them actively involved in the school's life.

Teachers benefit from continued training in the main principles of the school as well as in development, psychology and sociology, so that they have sound preparation to perform their role of mentors engaged in a personal relationship with each child placed under their supervision. In line with the Montessori comprehensive educational method, based on the observation of children's needs in a variety of cultures all around the world, special emphasis is put on educational research. For this purpose, the CMS Innovation Wing employs 25 people who research and identify the best existing educational theories and practices as well as the most successful techniques and instruments.
CMS is also well known for its extensive Peace Education programme, implemented through the use of educational tools, peace-based activities and international events designed to promote tolerance, peace and harmony. The motto coined by Vinobha Bhave- "Jai Jagat" (Glory to the World)- has become CMS's slogan and greeting call among students and teachers.

At a time when, in India as well as in the rest of the world, religious, sectarian and nationalistic hatreds are threatening to pull apart whole communities and are destabilizing many regions, CMS is to be congratulated for promoting the values of peace, religious harmony, tolerance and coexistence among children- the next generation of decision makers-and, through them, among their parents and communities.

In recognition of its efforts to promote the universal values of education for peace and tolerance at a time when these values are increasingly being challenged, I now have the great pleasure of presenting the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education 2002 to the City Montessori School, Lucknow, which is represented here by its two founders, Mr Jagdish Gandhi and Mrs Bharti Gandhi. The Prize is represented by the statuette, The Olive Tree, executed by the Spanish sculptor Apel.les Fenosa, together with a cheque for the sum of US$30,000. I congratulate the City Montessori School and wholeheartedly encourage it in the pursuit of its mission.

It gives me great pleasure to now give the floor to Dr Joshi. Immediately after Dr Joshi has spoken, I invite Mr Jagdish Gandhi and Mrs Bharti Gandhi, founders and respectively Manager and Director of the City Montessori School, to address you.

UNESCO Prize for Peace Education 2002 Certificate
Glimpses of the Ceremony