Attendees of the Human Rights dialogue during the 21st Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). UN Headquarters, NY, 29 April 2022. UN Photo/Manuel Elías

원주민 문제에 관한 영구 포럼(UNPFII)의 21차 세션에서 인권대화 참석자들. 유엔 본부, 뉴욕,

2022년 4월 29일

We live in uncertain times. It’s not the first time this has been said and it won’t be the last.

Global peace continues to deteriorate, as confirmed by the Global Peace Index, and it is visible each and every day in the news. Social cohesion is also under stress, with 1 in 5 people having reported to have experienced discrimination in at least one of the areas covered under international human rights law.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated this situation, causing the first rise in extreme poverty since 1998, with an additional 93 million people worldwide entering extreme poverty in its first year alone, erasing years of steady gains. And such losses are proving to be persistent, with estimates showing that by the end of 2022, up to 95 million more people could be living in extreme poverty as compared to pre-pandemic projections. This is contrasted starkly, of course, with the increasing concentration of wealth and income at the top, with the world’s 10 richest men owning more than the poorest 3.1 billion people combined.

This disruption has unfolded as the climate crisis reaches new levels of urgency, with data showing that from 3.3 to 3.6 billion people are now living in contexts that are highly vulnerable to climate change, with sea levels rising faster than in any preceding century, and disasters and extreme weather events increasing in frequency and intensity. The very future of our planet has, in fact, become uncertain.

As these crises evolve on top of one another, it is no wonder that feelings of insecurity are on the rise and trust in governments, in the media, and in science is declining. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 6 in 7 people felt insecure and today levels of perceived insecurity are mounting rapidly. According to the Human Development Index, fewer than 30 per cent of people think that most people can be trusted, the lowest value on record.  This bodes badly for the cooperation needed to address common problems.

The uncertainty that the multi-crises are creating is not new. What is important, however, is how we find ways to navigate it while remaining united across our differences. To face the challenges of an uncertain world, we need to understand one another, support one another and work together hand in hand. For this, rebuilding trust must be a collective imperative. We must regrow lost connections and foster tolerance that will help us find joint solutions and create hope.

How can we do this?

At the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), we believe intercultural dialogue is at the core of the solution.

Intercultural dialogue occurs when different groups commit to engaging in meaningful and open communication that creates connections and breaks down barriers. An important tool for mutual understanding, peace and social cohesion, intercultural dialogue has been used throughout the world to combat discrimination and address division.

As just one example, Bosnia and Herzegovina has seen the benefits of intercultural dialogue following the decision by the community of Jajce to have ethnically mixed classrooms at Nikola Šop secondary school, though the country traditionally has separate classrooms for the three main ethnic groups.

When, in 2016, the regional assembly attempted to establish a separate school for Bosniak students, hoping to get rid of the ethnically mixed classrooms, students protested and successfully blocked the plan in 2018. In an interview, former student Ajla Vrebac said, “My motive to campaign against the new school was a desire for unity. Three constituent peoples live in our country, and it is wrong that we are being taught only about our differences. I believe that together we can achieve much more.”

Recognizing the potential of intercultural dialogue and the growing need for tools that support collaboration, UNESCO launched the Initiative for Enabling Intercultural Dialogue. In partnership with the Institute for Economics and Peace, the initiative has developed the UNESCO Framework for Enabling Intercultural Dialogue, which includes data covering over 160 countries in all regions. We now have the knowledge to not only improve our capacities for intercultural dialogue, but also the evidence showing the impact that it can have on issues related to peace and inclusion.  

The findings of UNESCO show that intercultural dialogue can and does make a difference. Countries where dialogue is thriving score 66 per cent higher in measures related to human rights protection, conflict prevention and non-fragility than countries where dialogue is stalling, and some 89 per cent of all current conflict is occurring in contexts with a low capacity to support intercultural dialogue.

Policies and actions that enable intercultural dialogue can have widespread impacts. The new Framework developed by UNESCO offers communities for the first time a guide on how to maximize impact. We must take advantage of this important new data to help foster tolerance and inclusion across the world.  

UNESCO also offers a multitude of methodologies and spaces for communities to gather, share and learn, whether through Story Circles, Art Lab for Human Rights and Dialogue, or master classes against racism and discrimination. Through the recent second edition of the UNESCO Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination in Mexico City, we brought together champions of action, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi, Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Xueli Abbing and Actor Tenoch Huerta, to reaffirm political commitments at the highest level.

We cannot allow the uncertainty of today to divide us. We Need to Talk to remain adaptive, open and tolerant.