Rondine and its international youth continue to promote the campaign and its message through a series of opinion articles reflecting on peace education and the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda: “Leaders for Peace Voices.”
This is the fourth chapter in the series, featuring the contribution of Georges Theodore Dougnon, a visionary peacebuilder and education advocate from Mali. In his article, Georges demonstrates how education can drive change, even in regions deeply affected by conflict.
In a world where armed conflicts, climate crises and social inequalities intertwine to exacerbate tensions, education is emerging as a powerful tool for building peaceful and resilient societies. This conviction is embodied in global initiatives such as Rondine’s Leaders for Peace campaign, but also in local actions such as those carried out by the Educ4Peace project in Mali [1]. These efforts demonstrate how education, integrated into a local and inclusive approach, can become a lever for sustainable transformation.
In Bandiagara, in central Mali, armed conflict has led to the closure of hundreds of schools, leaving thousands of children without access to education. Deprived of this space for protection and training, these children become easy prey for armed groups and terrorist networks. These school closures are not mere interruptions: they deprive an entire generation of the tools to resist violence and build a stable future.
Education is much more than a fundamental right; it is a shield against radicalization and a key factor in breaking the cycle of violence. Failure to reintegrate these children into safe, educational environments condemns entire communities to instability and marginalization.
For communities like the Dogon (living in the Bandiagara region), education is not confined to the classroom; it is intimately linked to their natural environment. Trees, land, water and even the wind are sources of knowledge, transmitting values of respect, resilience and interconnectedness.
However, contemporary challenges such as climate change are undermining these educational traditions. Land degradation, drought and forced migration threaten not only the ecological balance, but also traditional learning systems.
Educ4Peace is working to integrate this ancestral knowledge into modern programs, in order to preserve this cultural wealth while meeting today’s educational needs. This approach, which values local solutions while working within global frameworks, is essential to ensuring inclusive and relevant education.
One of the fundamental pillars of peace education is to directly involve young people in discussions and decisions concerning their future. Through the forums organized by Educ4Peace, young people were able to share their perspectives on promoting peace and security in their communities.
These exchanges revealed innovative solutions: sustainable agriculture, community awareness-raising and educational projects for girls. These initiatives, led by young people deeply rooted in their local realities, offer appropriate and viable responses to the challenges they face.
By highlighting their voices and ideas, Educ4Peace ensures that these reflections do not go unheeded: they are presented to political decision-makers to influence national and international policies.
Rondine’s Leaders for Peace campaign follows the same logic, training young leaders from conflict zones in peaceful resolution techniques. Through dialogues with global leaders, these young people bring a unique and valuable perspective to the table, enriched by their personal experiences.
The program enables them to become ambassadors for peace, capable of transforming their communities through collaborative and innovative approaches. These initiatives demonstrate that education, and peace education specifically, can transcend borders and unite individuals around a common cause: building a more just and peaceful world.
On this International Day of Education, it is imperative to recognize the central role of education in building peace and global development. Whether it’s reopening schools in Bandiagara, preserving traditional Dogon knowledge, or training young leaders through international campaigns at the UN level, every initiative contributes to building more resilient and inclusive societies.
Education is not just one answer among many; it is the answer. Because to build peace, we must first prepare for it: one child, one school, one project, one community at a time.
[1] Educ4Peace in Mali is a peacebuilding project focused on promoting peace, human rights, environmental awareness, and global citizenship. By adapting the Rondine Method to Mali’s socio-economic and conflict realities, the project responds to the country’s crisis. Key activities include sponsoring and supporting displaced students, peace leadership and entrepreneurship training, environmental and human rights education, and participation in national and international peacebuilding advocacy campaigns. More info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycBDZjrQr7g
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Georges Theodore Dougnon
Georges Theodore Dougnon is from central Mali and holds a Master’s degree in Global Governance, Intercultural Relations, and Peace Process Management from the University of Siena, Italy. A Rondine alumnus (2018–2020), he has actively supported the Leaders for Peace campaign since its launch at the United Nations. He is a teacher and the founder of the “Educ4Peace” initiative. As a human rights and social change activist, Georges dedicates his free time to various community engagement projects aimed at fostering social change. Inspired by the legacies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, he firmly believes that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere… Whatever affects one of us directly, affects all of us indirectly.” Currently, Georges serves as the Capacity Building Program Assistant at Cultural Survival.
