Education to Navigate Global Power Dynamics and Conflict through the Lens of Caring

Abstract

Education emerges as crucial to manage ongoing global challenges as it is vital to help minimize the risk of conflict, inequities and inequalities, or even violent disasters. Developing a new educational model in which a new culture of caring about people, the planet, and our common and shared future can contribute to peace-building and the development of more sustainable societies. This paper offers critical insights into the interconnectivity between global crises, geoeconomic and geopolitical elements, and the need for a new educational paradigm, which has the potential to boost national systems by promoting the development of global citizens defined and identified by their high levels of resilience, empathy, and a culture of caring. We argue for the importance of relationships based on trust and the feeling of relying on, where individuals can feel safe, secure, and valued. In this regard, education represents the core element in creating more inclusive, equitable, resilient, and just societies where individuals have sufficient skills to navigate conflicts and power imbalances by manifesting an open and proactive attitude to co-create inclusive and cooperative sustainable solutions.

INTRODUCTION

In a world of increasing geoeconomic and geopolitical tensions fueled by rising polarization levels, our global leaders and society are starkly detached from the needs of the less privileged as the gap between the Global North and the Global South keeps widening (Balfour, Bomassi, and Martinelli 2022). Our global political economy is defined by an eroded social paradigm that requires profound and careful reconsideration of the importance of the growing need for individual and social structures that recognize the inequalities associated with the imbalances of wealth and power and the significance of fostering more diverse and inclusive societies. International economic and political agendas are focused on global superpowers’ interests that seek to secure the control of scarce resources with the ambition of ensuring that the privileged classes keep their dominant positions. The global competition for our planet’s resources has intensified and is reflected in rising prices and growing levels of scarcity that are putting substantial pressure on the need to incentivize investments in technological progress and innovation that help alleviate supply risks (European Environment Agency 2015). A fierce competition around energy security and the ongoing debate regarding the dramatic effects of climate change are defined by the lack of progress toward a global agenda committed to advancing the climate transition, and that clearly defines the fractures surrounding countries’ rhetoric for illusionary propositions on what it has become a delusional race for sustainability (Hickson 2013; UNESCO 2022; IPCC 2023; S&P Global 2023; Steffen et al. 2015).

The world economies and political systems are facing significant instability that requires a response from the educational sector, which is unprepared to confront our contemporary society’s needs and those of future generations. We do not have appropriate mechanisms to help us navigate the problems associated with our anachronistic economic models based on our understanding of short-term focused political agendas that do not consider the pressing need to address the sustainability challenge. We are ill-equipped to face the different stages associated with uncertain and evolving socio-economic and environmental contexts that keep deteriorating. We need to be able to manage the different stages of change and their impact as we make our individual and collective contributions for a better future. In this context, we will highlight the importance of "care" and peace education in developing a culture of more caring and resilient individuals. We argue on the need to think about our educational legacy to promote socio-economic well-being and sustainability with the primary objective of addressing inequalities and disparities that we hope will lead to more just societies (Zajda 2005; OECD 2022; UNESCO 2019; UNDG 2017; WHO 2018; IAU and UNODC 2021). In this paper, we engage in a critical and reflective analysis of the importance of education to understand global economic and political dynamics and the required capabilities, competencies, and skills to help us navigate ongoing and emerging challenges.

A CHANGING GLOBAL ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ORDER

The global economic and political order has been destabilized due to several sequential shocks, as illustrated in Figure 1 below. The second millennium started with significant economic and political shocks that created great uncertainty. The Asian Financial Crisis in 1997/98 brought to an end the second millennium, giving a pass to the age of debt that was followed by a couple of decades of significant disruption and economic and political instability. We entered the third millennium by the hand of the 2000s dot.com bubble burst, the violence of the September 11 terrorist attacks that awakened the war on terror in Afghanistan, reigniting conflict in the Gulf countries that resulted in Gulf War II. Between 2003 and 2007, the global economy experienced a period of relative stability that reached its halt by the 2007 US subprime market crisis that triggered the 2008 Global Economic and Financial Crisis (GEFC) as we confronted the age of debt (Tran 2023; EL-Erian 2023; IMF 2023).

Figure 1. World economic and political uncertainty. Source: Refinitiv Datastream (2023).

The first decade of the third millennium led to a period of unstable transition dominated by the Eurozone Crisis, a political transition in China and the US internal struggles with the election of Donald Trump as the country’s 45th President under the promise of "Make America Great Again" that contributed to the escalation of trade frictions between the world’s leading economies as nationalism infected international relations and policymaking. The United Kingdom’s Brexit referendum confirmed the consolidation of populist trends in the world’s most developed economies as the political and economic struggles were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic that evolved into the 2020 Global Health Crisis. The world was immersed in its recovery process as 2022 witnessed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, painfully showing that countries’ political and economic agendas dictate and decide the world’s direction as the need to secure access to oil resources for the more prosperous economies took the central stage. All combined events have significantly altered global structures that undoubtedly have become obsolete and require urgent restructuring (Balfour, Bomassi, and Martinelli 2022; Farrell and Newman 2020; Aiyar et al. 2023).

In parallel, we are witnessing rising levels of risk brought by cybersecurity threats, as cyberattacks play a critical role in growing geopolitical risks due to their significance for organizations and national security. High energy costs and food price insecurity add further distress as financial stability emerges as another serious concern. At the global level, we are facing a significant rise in debt vulnerability, as bond yields have surged as a result of emerging economies’ reality to confront the higher costs associated with high levels of borrowing, combined with weaker economic growth and the appreciation of the US Dollar - as the world’s dominant currency - is pushing the world’s economy into a distressed position. The sovereign debt market has hit record highs, as illustrated in Figure 2 below, revealing a significant rise in the potential of a sovereign debt crisis at the global level, affected by declining credit quality that is contributing to rising geoeconomic and geopolitical tensions amidst worries of potential global fragmentation and the emergence of a multipolar world (Tran 2023; EL-Erian 2023; IMF 2023; European Commission 2022).

Figure 2. Sovereign crisis. Source: Refinitiv Datastream (2023).

The global economy is in a fragile position as the winds of change suggest a significant shift of global power dynamics that are associated with rising levels of conflict as the US, Europe, and China are experiencing a significant economic slowdown amidst the need to pursue economic interests that are leading to a more challenging geopolitical landscape (S&P Global 2023; IMF 2023). The global economic and political prospects have weakened due to the intensification of some of the world’s most developed economies’ dramatic shift toward radicalization trends and increasing support toward populist parties that stress the adverse effects of migratory trends accentuated by a growing refugee crisis. The value of multicultural and diverse societies is condemned and vilified as we seek to secure material gains associated with access, ownership and preservation of wealth and power for the few who enjoy privileged positions. Within the outlined context, we reflect on the importance and significance of multicultural and diverse societies and the appreciation of interconnectedness to help us understand how we can function as more balanced societies. In a world driven by the needs of the market, we need learning mechanisms that help us approach and manage problem-solving processes. We require educational systems that help us to confront situations associated with growing levels of risk and the importance of sharing limited resources that enable our societies to function and thrive. Our planet has reached a breakpoint position due to human economic and business activities that require a change of socio-economic and environmental models to enable the protection of our planet’s resources and ecosystems (United Nations 2021; Steffen et al. 2015).

GEOECONOMIC AND GEOPOLITICAL ASPECTS OF EDUCATION

Globalization’s past and current trends shape and impact the world’s ability to navigate power dynamics within the geoeconomic and geopolitical landscape. High levels of competition challenge our ability to secure and share limited resources as we navigate the consequences of the Anthropocene. Our societies’ individualistic working modes and models are a significant barrier to finding a balance where we co-exist and thrive. We have forgotten the need and relevance for caring during situations of stress and conflict and the importance of sharing and respecting diverse and multiple viewpoints. The global economic and political landscape requires a reconceptualization of the role played by education. In particular, the significance of education as a peace-building tool and its critical value in managing conflict, navigating sustainability challenges and building societies that nurture and cherish equity, diversity and inclusion (WEF 2023; Duraiappah et al. 2022; UNICEF 2010). Creating an open, inclusive, and equitable learning environment, providing access and participation for individuals from different backgrounds, along with promoting knowledge, caring attitudes, and intercultural skills can help create values that nurture resilience, integration and tolerance for children, youths, and adults in the face of conflict and violence. Learning environments and systems that cherish multiculturalism and caring will help to prevent the negative consequences of high levels of violence and destruction derived from exclusion, marginalization and discrimination (Austin et al., 2019; Cardozo and Mieke 2019). Building a culture of integration supported by trust in which the role of the educator and its different dimensions is reconsidered can make a significant difference in people’s reactions and responses to situations of injustice and exclusion (Kromydas 2017, OECD 2020; OECD 2017; OECD 2021; Baraldi and Corsi 2017). The new relationship should be based on care, trust, tolerance toward cultural differences, and the feeling of relying on, in which individuals feel safe and secure can be a key component in building caring relationships, starting with the early stages of education up to adult life (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking 2000). Peaceful, resilient and stable societies cannot be created if we do not understand to which extent caring systems can contribute to minimize hostility or visible conflict. Education for Peace development needs to consider the importance of individual and social well-being conceptualized as a dynamic social process in which justice, equity and respect for basic human rights are maximized, while violence (emotional, physical, psychological and structural) is minimized (UNESCO-IICBA 2017, 7).

The global economy faces substantial challenges as it seeks to address socio-economic and environmental dynamics that have led to unsustainable systems that lack a connection to a caring, sharing, and inclusive societies. Furthermore, contemporary trends are exacerbated by the imbalances created by an unregulated market economy and globalization process that has impacted every country and sector (UNESCO 2022). In line with Farrell and Newman (2020), unregulated globalization is dangerous. As such, policy-makers, political and economic leaders should take a proactive approach to prevent problems and imbalances rather than letting them happen and find solutions afterwards.

In a society where the production and dissemination of knowledge are subordinated to power dynamics between the politics of countries and the global economy, we argue for the significance of education as the primary tool in managing this knowledge. Education has the potential to transform the world and redesign the future under the global geopolitical dynamics and positions of countries. In the context of the knowledge society and knowledge-based economy, education can enable the development of more balanced societies beyond geopolitical discourses, considering that education can be the most important political strategy and governmental project for reducing the degree of inequities, injustice and poverty. The educational system can emerge as the moderator between the geography of international relationships and international political economy by helping to design new geopolitics orientated to nurture global sustainable development and more just societies (Dalby and Toal 1998; Agnew 2003; Agnew and Corbridge 1995; Marginson 2018).

In a world that is not limited to national borders anymore, education is one of the forces that can go beyond any global political space, aiming for a global vision of future citizens. In an open world, only with symbolic boundaries, we need an educational paradigm that would guide and support nations to act and respond in a resilient manner in front of global challenges, demonstrating a caring attitude regarding the people and the planet, a global equilibrium, equity, inclusiveness and balance of power (Kuus 2016; Marginson 2022; Moisio 2018; Woodley 2015).

PEACE EDUCATION

Peace education can support the development of a common and shared response toward the development of more sustainable socio-economic and political systems where individuals care about the well-being of others and the planet. We cannot understate the importance of a caring mindset in the context of present and future challenges. We need to reflect and rethink the philosophy of our dominant individualistic culture and its generated side effects. Our societies’ continuous focus on materializing individual gains and short-terminism for generating profits and efficiencies, regardless of the planetary costs and its boundaries, has led us to a point where life on our planet is at risk (IPCC, 2023). The neglect of scientific reports regarding climate change, rising global and domestic inequities, conflicts, wars, pandemics, and growing natural disasters increases the chances for more pessimistic scenarios to emerge. We have reached an inflexion point where a paradigm shift is not only needed but is stringent (Kuhn 1970). While the transition requires significant levels of change, the educational system can play a critical role in enabling the process. Through the articulation of a framework of education for peace, supported by tolerance and by developing an in-depth understanding of individuals and societies’ contributions toward human rights, conflict resolution and mediation, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, social justice and equity, global citizenship, diversity and critical thinking it would be possible to articulate the pillars of education for peace-building. Our global society requires a new direction in which the compass for change can be our acknowledgement of the value of multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion and how they can help transform our existing economic and political models and systems (Harris 2004; Navarro-Castro and Nario-Galace 2008).

For a sustainable transformation, we need top-down and bottom-up initiatives that are executed simultaneously. To drive change, we must start with a process that takes action in the local context and contributes to building a working framework that creates synergies that can be articulated and extrapolated at the global level.

According to Opotow et al. (2005), addressing the gap between moral exclusion and inclusion is fundamental, as it can play a strategic role in designing and developing an educational framework that supports and nurtures peace education. Moral inclusion is supported by the willingness to (a) extend fairness to others, (b) allocate resources to them, and (c) make sacrifices that foster others’ well-being (Opotow et al., 2005, 306). These fundamental principles are not easy to identify in real-life contexts. However, the educational system could consider developing learning environments and curriculums where the basic principles of education for peace and caring can be implemented.

According to the Navarro-Castro and Nario-Galace (2019, 25),

Peace education, or an education that promotes a culture of peace, is essentially transformative. It cultivates the knowledge base, skills, attitudes and values that seek to transform people’s mindsets, attitudes and behaviors that, in the first place, have either created or exacerbated violent conflicts. It seeks this transformation by building awareness and understanding, developing concern and challenging personal and social action that will enable people to live, relate and create conditions and systems that actualize nonviolence, justice, environmental care and other peace values.

The collaborative partnership between public and private entities and educational representatives is critical to support a sustainable transition from existing practices toward a social and economic paradigm that embraces the decolonization of education for a better common future and shared resources at the global level (Reardon and Snauwaert 2015; Noddings 1995; Harris 2004; Navarro-Castro and Nario-Galace 2010; United Nations 2020).

CONCLUSION AND CRITICAL REFLECTION

Our economic models and financial systems are nurturing a growing divide between the world’s most prosperous economies and those in development, with the outcome that many are left behind. Unfortunately, we face challenging times defined by growing inequalities, increasing conflicts, and the inability to find a balance that helps us develop a better world together. In this paper, we have explored the role of education as a critical factor in managing conflict situations and as a contributor to peace-building. On the one hand, we need to create resilient and adaptative coping mechanisms to help individuals navigate fast change, uncertainty and ambiguity. Education has been the response in the face of social demands for decades, and as such, we cannot ignore the sense and significance of education for the development of our future generations. In the context of incredible technological evolution, we underestimate the human dimension and the importance of caring for each other. We need to unlearn what we know if we aim to overcome global challenges like growing inequalities, women’s poverty, inequity, exclusion, the rising cost of living, and high levels of unemployment driven by the demands of the ongoing digital transformation. We need to educate global citizens who can reimagine and co-create sustainable solutions to contextual problems while navigating conflict and power imbalances; as such, we must look back to how we can create those mindsets. As we reconsider global trends, we must discuss the importance of engaging with new economic and educational paradigms that challenge existing practices and help us drive change, impact and create a better and brighter future for all. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the role of education in building peace processes, a culture of care integrated as part of our understanding of economic well-being within sustainability principles that will help us to create more just societies.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflict of interest associated with this research study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lia Pop

Dr Lia Pop is Assistant professor at Technical University of Cluj Napoca, Department with Psychopedagogical Profile, Nord Center Baia Mare. Specialisation – Psychology and Inclusive Education. With an academic and professional background in Economics, Psychology, and Pedagogy, her Ph.D. studies were made in the Educational Sciences field, with a focus on Equitable and Inclusive Education. After more than 13 years of working in the Special Education field, especially with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other severe disabilities, her professional interests are linked with topics like full inclusive and equitable education, applied to all levels of learning from preschool education to higher education. Also, she published several articles on topics related to Assistive Technology, Inclusive Education, Alternative and Augmentative Communication in the context of Universal Design for Learning, a new Educational Model and Innovation in pedagogy. E-mail: [email protected]

Lucía Morales

Dr. Lucía Morales is an academic innovator and active researcher in the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) in Ireland. Before her academic career, Lucía worked in the private sector, holding different roles: Financial Manager, Assistant Financial Manager, and Foreign Department Risk Analyst (Bank). Lucía has worked at various Higher Education Institutions in Ireland, Spain, the UK, and Switzerland, among others gaining an in-depth understanding of the main challenges faced by Third Level Institutions in the fields of Economics, Finance, Data Analytics, and Education at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Lucía is passionate about education, its importance for economic development, and the significance of quality research to drive change and impact as she has published extensively in the fields of Economics, Finance and Education. E-mail: [email protected]