The Outcome: COMPULSORY PEACE EDUCATION THROUGH ICTs Intl. Panel Successfully Contributed to the #EducationDay. #UNESCO | #AIAndEducation

Summary of the session by: Mimoza IRTEM, Youth Rep. of the LMGlobal.Org to the United Nations Department of Global Communications

BACKGROUND & PURPOSE

[LMGlobal.Org]  On January 25, 2025, The Light Millennium Global, in collaboration with an international coalition with 18 members for #CompulsoryPeaceICTEducation, which has set out as the main purpose to support the UNGA 79th Sessions of the General Assembly’s Summit of the Future, and its outcome on #OurCommonFuture, #PactForTheFuture & #DeclarationOnFutureGenerations, hosted a virtual panel to celebrate the International Day of Education (January 24). The event, titled “Compulsory Peace Education Through Information Communication Technologies (ICTs),” aligned with UNESCO’s theme “AI and Education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation.” The panel brought together experts and youth speakers from around the world to discuss the integration of peace education and ICTs into global education systems.

Bircan Ünver, founder and president of The Light Millennium Global, author of the concept #CompulsoryPeaceEducationICTs, moderated the session. She introduced the event as part of an ongoing initiative advocating for the integration of peace education and ICTs into compulsory education systems globally, from kindergarten through K-12 and beyond. The panel was a continuation of efforts that began in September 2024 in support of the UNGA79 Summit of the Future.
Welcoming/Opening Remarks

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” – C.S. Lewis

The keynote speaker, Adam Bricker, the chairman of Bons-AI.Org, delivered an address titled “Peace & ICT: Taught or Caught? Caudle or challenge?” Mr. Bricker, with a background in aerospace engineering and extensive experience in IT and cybersecurity, brought a unique perspective to the discussion. His speech likely set the groundwork for understanding the ICT perspective of peace education, drawing from his vast experience working in over 70 countries and his current role leading IT and AI professionals supporting international missions. During his presentation, he mentioned that modern artificial intelligence technologies are beginning to reach a level of sophistication with serious potential implications for global peace and security. As the chairman of Bons-AI, he emphasized the organization’s mission to support global initiatives to mitigate the worst risks associated with AI technologies by educating and influencing decision-makers and amplifying the voice of researchers and practitioners working on the most promising solutions. In his presentation, Mr. Bricker set out the following agenda and explained each of its items as follows:
Agenda for Peace Education & ICT 1. Goal 2. Problem 3. Need 4. Solution 
In one of the Mr. Bricker’s slides states the following:
“Modern Artificial intelligence technologies are beginning to reach a level of sophistication with serious potential implications for global peace and security.
Bonsai’s goal is to support global initiatives to mitigate the worst risks associated with AI technologies by educating and influencing decision-makers and amplifying the voices of researchers and practitioners on the most promising solutions.”
Mr. Bricker concluded his keynote address with a quote from C.S. Lewis: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”
Full presentation

Dr. S.L. Gandhi, former International President of the Anuvrat (Anuvibha) Global Organization and 11th Intl. Coordinator of the International Conference on Peace and Non-Violence Action (ICPNA), presented on the topic, “In view of the ever-growing inclination of youths and children towards violence in recent years, can peace education wean them off this cult of hatred?” Dr. Gandhi’s speech focused on the need for compulsory peace education to eliminate the escalating “culture of violence,” drawing from his lifelong dedication to promoting nonviolence, peace, and ethical living as he sum it up in his conclusion section as:  “In light of the growing inclination of youths and children toward violence in recent years, peace education has the potential to serve as a critical tool in weaning them off the “cult of hatred.” By promoting non-violence, empathy, critical thinking, and conflict resolution, peace education can equip young individuals with the skills and values needed to navigate challenges without resorting to aggression. While it may not be a panacea for all the complex factors contributing to youth violence, it provides a pathway for building a more peaceful, just, and inclusive future. As the global community continues to grapple with the scourge of violence, peace education offers hope—a hope that future generations can choose peace over hatred, understanding over division, and cooperation over conflict. “For everything in the world, for material things, for spiritual things, for success, the most real guide is science and knowledge. To seek a guide other than science and knowledge is negligence, ignorance, and misguidance.”
Full Speech

İlknur Boray, First Vice President of The Ataturk World Platform and the Ataturk Society of America, spoke on “Teaching Peace Through Global Learning with ICTs.” Ms. Boray’s talk was concentrated on the educational reforms started and initiated by the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938). Ataturk was a firm believer in the power of science and reasoning. He also established friendship with all neighbors of the Republic, by forming the seeds of peace in that part of the world and beyond. From reading to geography, he was involved in every detail of making subjects more clear and accessible to students and to the public in general. The literacy rate was only around 10% in the country, in 1923, when the republic was established formally. Ataturk’s reforms on education had a great impact on modernizing the country. His forward thinking, and reforms in many fields; education being an important one, continue to be a shining light leading the way to a modern, science-based education system, that promotes peace; despite attempts and the oppressive approach of the current regime in today’s Turkiye. 
Ms. Boray underlined Ataturk’s vision on the importance of the education system and curriculum being scientific and followed this issue with great importance with a quote by Atatürk:  “For everything in the world, for material things, for spiritual things, for success, the most real guide is science and knowledge. To seek a guide other than science and knowledge is negligence, ignorance, and misguidance.”
Full Speech | Presentation

Professor Alp Yücel Kaya presented on behalf of Cengiz Öksüz, President of the Istanbul Branch of the New Generation Village Institutes Association. The presentation, titled “Educational Approach in the Village Institutes,” focused on the Turkish Village Institutions as a historical example of Ataturk’s national development agenda for equal education and human advancement. For instance, during the presentation, he mentioned that “the village institute graduates were pure patriots, devoted to Atatürk’s Revolutions, at peace with the society and nature they lived in, productive, humane, and peaceful people.” This presentation explored how this model could be adapted and reactivated using modern ICT capabilities.
Full Speech

Dr. Akila Muthuramalingam, CEO of Metasage Alliance and Eyemeetslens Creative Media House, was not able to attend the panel due to an emergency. Bircan Unver presented on behalf of Dr. Akila for the presentation titled “Peace Education Through ICT From Kindergarten to K-12.” As a specialist in harnessing creative and technological solutions for social impact, Dr. Muthuramalingam’s presentation focused on practical applications of ICT in peace education across different educational levels. The presentation concluded with two goals “encouraging governments to mandate peace education via ICT” and “incentivizing tech companies to create safe online environments.”
Full Speech

Dr. M. Ganesan, Professor and Joint Registrar at Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, spoke on “Implementation of Peace Education in Academic Institutions.” Drawing from his academic experience, he discussed integrating peace education and technological advancements in higher education. In his intro, Dr. Ganesan focused given “the importance of ‘peace’ has to be inculcated to all from childhood”, and supported it in the following lines:
“The Primary responsibility lies with the parents and teachers. The students may have conflicts with others based on gender, race, economic status, etc, and may be involved in violent acts and bullying. This will affect the emotional status of the affected kid and impair the learning Process. It is the utmost priority of a school teacher to teach the importance of peace beyond all barriers. Hence I recommend peace Education should be a part of the curriculum and various pedagogies can be used to teach peace Education in schools and Higher Education Institutions. Also, students should be groomed with Honesty, righteousness, self-respect, Respect for elders, Critical thinking and analytical skills, human values, etc.” Dr. Ganesan also emphasized that peace studies equip students with the knowledge to understand the causes of violent conflict, develop nonviolent solutions, and contribute to building peaceful, just societies.
Full Presentation

The panel also featured youth speakers, including Sinemis Kobaner, a high school student who presented on “Cyber Civility: Respectful Online Dialogue.” Her presentation advocated for responsible and respectful behavior in online spaces, offering a youth perspective on digital citizenship.
Full Presentation

Peter R. Rogina, Founder of Project Peace Lights, presented on “Peace Education and the Education Capacity Gap Crisis in the African Union.” He pointed out the organization’s mission, which is “to accelerate the timeline for the definition, curriculum development, and rollout of peace education globally, initially in the African Union.” His speech highlighted grassroots initiatives for promoting peace and unity, with a specific focus on educational challenges and opportunities in Africa.
Full Presentation

Dr. Yasemin Karakoç, Assistant Professor of Business Analytics at Roosevelt University, spoke on the “Integration of Digital Literacy for Peace: Including Online Platforms for Dialogue Topics in K1-H12 Curriculums.” Her presentation explored the intersection of data-driven decision-making and peace education, emphasizing the importance of digital literacy in fostering dialogue and understanding. As Dr. Karakoc emphasized during her presentation: “By embedding digital literacy for peace, we help create a more peaceful world—both online and offline.”
Full Presentation

The youth section continued with Ahmet Işık Yazal, a high school student, who shared his insights with the following short essay on “AI and Its Impact on My Life as a Student.“
Umay Yazal from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School offered her perspective with the presentation titled “AI is Everywhere.” These two youth perspectives offered valuable insight into, particularly, how the younger generation perceives and interacts with AI in their educational experiences. Both Mr. and Miss. Yazal, the two high school students, participated in the panel as youth panelists through the Turkish Women’s League of America, which runs the New York Atatürk School.
BRIEF SPEECH OF THE TWO STUDENT SPEAKERS

Ms. B. Renuka Devi, Head of IGEN Talk4SDG at The Institution of Green Engineers and Assistant Professor at Sri Sairam Engineering College, presented on “Empowering Peace Education: Through ICTs.” Her talk examined the role of ICTs in enhancing peace education and fostering dialogue in educational environments. Ms. Renuka Devi listed strategies for maximizing ICTs in peace education, such as effectively training educators, developing engaging digital content, ensuring equitable access to technology, and implementing collaborative projects. 
Full Presentation

Dr. Serpil Tunçer, a board member at the Darüşşafaka Society, discussed “Integrating AIs to Education, or Integrating Ethical Codes to AIs?” Dr. Tunçer’s work on an ecolinguistic introductory book for Turkish students highlighted her commitment to education and environmental awareness.
Full Speech

Ms. Sibel Burcu Cesur, Director of Public Relations at the Turkish-Canadian Society in Vancouver, brought her experience in public relations and diplomacy to the discussion on community empowerment and international collaboration.
Full Presentation

Ms. Vanessa Vaglio, representing the Third World March for Nonviolence and Peace, presented on “The Third World March for Peace and Nonviolence.” Her talk offered insights into ongoing global efforts to promote peace and nonviolent education and linked the initiative’s “BEYOND” component to global implementation. She also mentioned some of the activities Third World March carries out, such as two international virtual symposiums between universities and workshops on the Golden Rule of Nonviolence.
Full Presentation | Video

Mr. Bruce Fein, Esq., Attorney at Law, Expert in the U.S. Constitution & Author, delivered the concluding remarks for the session. Bruce Fein discussed the inherent nature of humanity and the propensity for war. He argued that the celebration of warriors and the glorification of war are deeply ingrained in human culture and that this is a result of the species’ hormonal instincts for power. Bruce emphasized the importance of institutionalizing checks on the authority to initiate war, suggesting that this power should be entrusted to the legislative branch, which has no incentive to go to war. He also highlighted the dangers of unchecked power, citing historical examples of emperors who turned into monsters when given limitless authority. Bruce concluded by encouraging people to think critically about their vulnerabilities and to work towards diminishing the horrors of war through education and understanding.

* * *

The session’s youth panelists were moderated by Mimoza Irtem, who also presented Certificates to the Keynote Speaker, Panelists, and Youth panelists along with to the actively participated Coalition Member Organizations as a part of “Thank You Notes” of the LMGlobal.Org to all involved parties.
The session received 134 registrants from Canada, Bangladesh, Burundi, Congo, Costa Rica, France, Ghana, India, Kiribati, Nigeria, Pakistan, Türkiye, Uganda, and the United States.


The moderator of the session, Bircan Ünver, also thanked all esteemed panelists, youth speakers, and participating organizations for their invaluable content contributions to the session, along with for provided technical support to Mimoza Irtem and Vrushali Gaikward, Board Member, LMGlobal.Org, and to all attendees of the session.
The next event on the #CompulsoryPeaceICTEducation concept was announced in support of the International Day of Democracy for September 13, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. EST.

Conclusion: The Compulsory Peace Education Through ICTs international panel in support of the #EducationDay successfully delivered its fourth kind on the proposed concept that has already built momentum through the Coalition, which is consisted with 18 international organizations including LMGlobal.Org, towards the set out the vision for the United Nations next-stage Millennium Declaration’s third phase for the 2030-2045 #UN100. This comprehensive panel brought together diverse perspectives from academics, practitioners, and youth, exploring the multifaceted approach needed to integrate peace education and ICTs into global educational systems. The discussions touched on theoretical frameworks, practical applications, historical contexts, and future visions for creating a more peaceful world through education and technology.

The Outcome of the #CompulsoryPeaceICTEducation | #EducationDay International Panel

WELCOMING/OPENING REMARKS & ANNOUNCEMENTS: Ms. BİRCAN ÜNVER, LMGlobal.Org

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Mr. ADAM BRICKER, Chairman, Bons-Ai.Org

PANELISTS (Delivered Speeches & Presentations):

Dr. S.L. GANDHI, Former International President, Anuvrat Global Organization

Ms. ILKNUR BORAY, V.P. The World Ataturk Platform, Türkiye-EU-USA Speech &
Presentation

Prof. ALP YÜCEL KAYA, presented on behalf of CENGIZ ÖKSÜZ, YKKED, Türkiye

Dr. M. GANESAN, Joint Registrar at Dr. M.G.R. University, India

Dr. AKILA MUTHURAMALINGAM, CEO, Metasage Alliance, India

Dr. SERPIL TUNÇER, Board Member, Darussafaka Society, Turkiye

Dr. YASEMIN KARAKOÇ, Assistant Professor of Business Analytics at Roosevelt University, USA

Mr. AHMET ISIK YAZAL & Miss. UMAY YAZAL
– Two student panelists participated via TWLA-NY Ataturk School.

Peter R. ROGINA, Project Peace Lights; USA, Africa

Ms. RENUKA DEVI, Head of IGEN Talk4SDG, India

Ms. SIBEL BURCU CESUR, Turkish-Canadian Society

Miss. SINEMIS KOBANIS, ATAA, Youth Panelist

Ms. VANESSA VAGLIO, The Third World March, Core Member Presentation
& VIDEO

ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED COALITION MEMBERS TO THE #CompulsoryPeaceICTEducation Intl. Panel:

The Leading Organization:
The Light Millennium, Charitable Global Human Advancement Organization (New York, USA)

Actively Contributed Members of the Coalition into #EducationDay Session are:
• Assembly of Turkish American Associations (U.S., Canada & Türkiye)
• Atatürk World Platform (ADDP; Türkiye, U.S., U.K. Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway, and Kosova).
• Anuvrat Global Organization (India)
• Bons-Ai.Org . (U.S)
• Dr. M.G.R. Educational Research Institute (India)
• Işık Binyılı Association (Türkiye)
• Metasage Alliance (India)
• Project Peace Lights (U.S. & Africa)
• TADAAlliance (U.S.)
• The Institution of Green Engineers (India)
• Turkish Women League of America & NY Atatürk School
• Turkish-Canadian Society (Canada)

[Initial] CONCEPT & PURPOSE:

To forge a world of peace, security, equality, and sustainability, a global imperative is the implementation of a compulsory Peace Education curriculum, deeply integrated with Information Communication Technologies (ICT), from Kindergarten to 12th grade, and Beyond. 
By cultivating empathy, critical thinking, and digital literacy, we aim to empower youth as catalysts for change, addressing complex challenges like gender inequality and environmental crises. This foundational approach will eradicate racism, discrimination, and hate while accelerating sustainable development toward a culture of peace and bridging digital divides. Essential to this vision is a lifelong learning commitment, with universal access to continuing education, especially in digital literacy, to equip all citizens for the digital age. Grounded in the UN Charter and aligned with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this initiative aims to leverage the power of ICT, in guidance with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to support the Summit of the Future. 
By investing in Peace and ICT education from Kindergarten to K-12, and beyond, the ultimate goal is to empower current and future generations, including those with disabilities and facing disadvantage, to thrive in a connected and technologically more democratized world. 
This holistic approach accelerates human advancement in both the short and long term.

(Based on the LMGlobal.Org’s Open Proposal to the United Nations 2024 Summit of the Future #SOTF)

©2025, The Light Millennium Global – www.lmglobal.org