India: UNODC and The Lawrence School Sanawar empower young minds at the International Round Square Conference to promote SDGs, peace and the rule of law

Sanawar, Himachal Pradesh/09 June 2023: Schools are important and critical partners to promote SDGs, peace and the rule of law among young minds. As educational institutions, schools have the power to shape the values, attitudes, and behaviors of students, providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary to become active global citizens. By integrating concepts such as human rights, justice, and equality into teaching methodologies, schools empower students to become agents of positive change with a sense of responsibility, empathy, and respect for others—essential 21st century life skills.

In this context, UNODC provided knowledge support to the International Round Square Conference organised by India’s The Lawrence School Sanawar (Himachal Pradesh), one of India’s oldest schools. The Round Square is an internationally diverse network of 245 schools across 50 countries.

With participation of over 244 young people and educators from 27 educational institutions of India and UAE, the conference featured peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and experiential learning on various social themes, including SDGs and lawfulness.

In highly interactive discussions, UNODC’s Communications Officer Mr. Samarth Pathak shared good practices, tools and ideas with students and educators to strengthen crime prevention, peace and the rule of law with education.

Over four days, talented young minds from across India and UAE engaged in experiential learning and open deliberations on internationalism, governance, sustainability and peace—culminating in a united statement to “act as global citizens for peaceful coexistence.”

The young delegates also heard enriching insights on social and environmental themes from eminent experts and changemakers: in an inspiring message, UNODC South Asia’s Regional Representative Marco Teixeira urged them to act as “Ambassadors of Integrity and Peace”, using their voices and actions to address global challenges.

Headmaster of The Lawrence School Sanawar, Mr. Himmat Singh Dhillon, hailed the conference as “an exceptional journey of learning, collaboration, and inspiration,” and welcomed the collaboration with UNODC.

Previously, as part of the ‘Lockdown Learners’ series, UNODC and the Lawrence School Sanawar collaborated during the pandemic on activity-based student-focused engagements on SDGs, peace and the rule of law. 

This activity contributed to SDG 4, SDG 16 and SDG 17: https://sdg-tracker.org/