Education for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights: Global Challenges and New Perspectives

Across the world, democratic institutions are facing increasing pressure from armed conflicts, political polarization, authoritarian tendencies, disinformation, social inequalities, and rapid technological transformations. In this context, education has become a strategic instrument not only for transmitting knowledge, but also for fostering democratic values, promoting peaceful coexistence, and strengthening respect for human rights.
This Open Panel invites scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds to explore how education can contribute to building more peaceful, inclusive, and democratic societies. It welcomes theoretical, empirical, comparative, and interdisciplinary research addressing the relationships between education, democracy, peace, citizenship, and human rights in different political, social, and cultural contexts.
Particular attention will be given to innovative educational approaches that promote democratic participation, critical thinking, intercultural dialogue, non-violent conflict resolution, civic engagement, and human rights awareness. The panel also seeks to examine the challenges posed by digital technologies, artificial intelligence, misinformation, migration, climate change, and other contemporary global developments that increasingly shape educational systems and democratic life.
Rather than focusing on a single educational model or institutional setting, the panel encourages critical reflections on how education shapes democratic cultures, strengthens the protection of human rights, and contributes to the development of peaceful societies. It welcomes contributions examining formal and non-formal education, public policies, civic participation, digital learning environments, educational governance, and comparative experiences that offer innovative responses to contemporary global challenges.
By bringing together diverse perspectives from political science, education, law, sociology, international relations, public policy, and related fields, this panel aims to advance interdisciplinary dialogue on the role of education in strengthening democratic governance, promoting peaceful societies, and protecting human dignity. In doing so, it seeks to contribute to contemporary debates on the future of democracy and the realization of human rights in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.