New Delhi (India), 30 April 2024 - "I pledge to promote peace, justice and fairness in my school and beyond."
In the bustling corridors of the Sarla Birla Gyan Jyoti school in northeast India’s Guwahati city (Assam), over 1200 students stand shoulder to shoulder in the morning assembly, their voices echoing a pledge for peace, justice, and inclusivity.
Among them is Anubhab Siddhanta, age 13. "I have always wanted to make a difference in society, but didn’t know where to start," she says.
But with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) RiseUp4Peace initiative, Anubhab now has a chance to learn about – and advocate for – peace, justice, and inclusivity with education.
Spearheaded by UNODC in collaboration with educator partners across India and beyond, RiseUp4Peace focuses on giving young people and educators the tools they need to create a culture of peace, the rule of law and integrity—core elements of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG16).
"Engaging with UNODC has made me realize that small acts too can have a big impact,” says Anubhab.
With the support of dedicated educators, the initiative has evolved into a coalition of empowered 'Partners4Peace,' a network of networks dedicated to fostering a more just and inclusive society.
This month, RiseUp4Peace organized five interactive capacity-building dialogues, bringing together over 1,095 educators and young people to demystify SDG 16.
At the core of the initiative is an emphasis on building skills and knowledge among educators and fostering cross-learning opportunities. Over 150 educators participated in the 5th monthly RiseUp4Peace capacity-boosting dialogue in April, where UNODC presented the Youth Empowerment Accelerator (YEA) framework to promote the inclusion of youth voices in decision making. Educators from around the world shared practical ways to strengthen SDG 16 education, highlighting the importance of a “collaborative spirit.”
Mentorship and tools were also provided to 316 educators, 5,100 young people and 12 educational institutions directly on SDG 16-related themes and youth mainstreaming on the rule of law. This resulted in the co-creation of a range of school-led initiatives that engaged over 14,000 young people — including a students’ ‘Run4Peace’ campaign driven by the Little Kingdom School (Madhya Pradesh); virtual student assemblies on SDG16 conducted at the Funlish language school; interactive dialogues held at the Schiller Institute (Uttar Pradesh) and other institutions; pledge drives; and posters and artwork activities, among others.
“With RiseUp4Peace, I am able to spread awareness about the impact we as students can make to build a just and peaceful world. This project has also helped me to develop my leadership and communication skills,” says Lekisha Jain, age 14.
"Working for this cause has enabled me to harness digital tools for meaningful social impact. It's a journey that not only amplifies my voice but also deepens my understanding of the challenges surrounding SDG16," adds 15-year-old Srishti Sen, a student of the Funlish online education platform.
Khyati Baruah, a spirited 15-year-old, says she has already seen a positive change.
“Being a part of the RiseUp4Peace project has enhanced my leadership skills to a new level,” she relates. “As a student leader in my school, I have been collaborating with students from different classes and feel a new spark of excitement in the students for SDG 16.”
With RiseUp4Peace paving the way, young people are not just dreaming of a better tomorrow—they're actively working towards it, one pledge and one action at a time.
Join the RiseUp4Peace initiative: t.ly/lh9T7
This activity contributes to SDG 4, SDG 16 and SDG 17: https://sdg-tracker.org/
