Posted on: Sept. 19, 2025 | Updated on: September 21, 2025

The outcome of the Compulsory Peace & ICT Education Campaign in Support of the International Day of Democracy.
Organized and presented virtually by Light Millennium Global along with the Coalition on September 13, 2025. #CompulsoryPeaceICTEducation | #DemocracyDay

Purpose: Advance a five‑year campaign to make Peace, ICT, and AI Education Compulsory from K‑12 and Beyond. #CompulsoryPeaceICTEducation

The Outcome of the Compulsory Peace & ICT Education &
Democracy Day towards Human-Centered Democracy

Compiled by Salih MANSUR, Volunteer, LMGlobal.Org & Independent Researcher

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

[LMGlobal.Org] The virtual session on “Compulsory Peace & ICT Education” presented a compelling mosaic of perspectives, all championing a foundational curriculum for global peace and digital literacy. This multi-year campaign is designed to build consensus among UN Member States and secure their support, engagement, and commitments. The ultimate goal is to bring this vision to the UN General Assembly for universal adoption, paving the way for a global compulsory education and ICT structure by 2050. The framework is directly aligned with the Pact for the Future, and it seeks to be incorporated into the next phase of the UN Millennium Declaration. The session highlighted that this initiative is essential for empowering future generations to navigate complex global challenges.
Speakers like Ambassador Stan Oduma Smith and Ambassador Rodrigo A. Carazo emphasized that peace and digital education are not optional, but rather compulsory components for a sustainable, human-centered democracy. Peace was framed as a pragmatic state of nonviolence, while digital literacy was presented as the new prerequisite for informed civic participation in the 21st century. The discussions also addressed significant challenges, including the need for institutional checks on violence and the critical role of education in combating threats like disinformation, inequality, and imperialism. The youth speakers added a hopeful, tech-savvy perspective, advocating for public participation in AI governance and the ethical use of technology to foster empathy and bridge divides.

The campaign’s vision is a multi-year/5 years initiative and the ultimate aim is to bring this vision to the UN General Assembly for universal adoption. Ultimately, the session’s overall framework converges on the idea that democracy is not a given; it is built and rebuilt daily through conscious effort and education. The campaign aims to transform education from a national concern into a global imperative, ensuring that the next generation is equipped with the skills and values needed to create a more just and peaceful world by the UN’s 100th anniversary in 2045.

Brief summaries of the delivered remarks, keynote addresses, and speeches of the session follow.

Leading Organization: The Light Millennium Global (LMGlobal.Org)

Program Order: per official invitation.


Welcoming & Background: Bircan Ünver, M.A., Founder‑President of the LMGlobal.Org & Head NGO Representative to the United Nations Department of Global Communications
Bircan Ünver opened with a clear call. Put people, dignity, and learning first. Tie democracy to daily practice. Treat peace education and digital literacy as basic civic infrastructure. The goals were concrete. Champion rights through education. Close the digital divide with practical ICT and AI skills. Build a culture of peace with critical thinking, empathy, and responsibility. She invited governments, schools, civil society, and the private sector to act together. She noted that session outputs will be public and edited for #LightMillenniumTV. She flagged next dates to keep momentum.
Highlighted: “Publish and share the outputs so the public can learn with us.”

Chair of the Session: H.E. Rodrigo A. Carazo
Member, UN Human Rights Committee; Former Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the UN
Ambassador Carazo chaired the flow and set a grounded tone. He called the gathering a “classroom for peace.” He highlighted the youth as the heart of the program. His message was practical. If we want lasting peace, we must teach it. Teach it early. Teach it to everyone. He guided transitions and reinforced the human‑centered democracy theme.
Highlighted: “This is a classroom for peace.”

Opening Remarks: Ambassador Ramu Damodaran
First Chief, UN Academic Impact; Permanent Observer for the University for Peace to the UN
Ambassador Damodaran offered a human lens. He spoke of accessing other people’s knowledge as a democratic act. He bridged classical learning and today’s connected world. Used wisely, technology widens participation, dignity, and opportunity. His invitation was simple. Use education to widen access. Use ICT to lift voices. Use AI to support people, not replace them. The result is a more inclusive and resilient democracy.
Highlighted: “Are we not taking advantage of democracy to bring into our lives the learning of other generations?”

Opening Remarks: Bruce Fein, Esq., Attorney at Law; Expert on the U.S. Constitution; Author
Note: Delivered later in the live session; listed here in program order.
Bruce Fein, Esq. said durable peace needs institutions. Sentiments are not enough. He pointed to constitutional checks and balances. In the U.S., the power to declare war belongs to the legislature. That check must be real. Education for peace should teach how democratic structures restrain violence. When citizens understand the design of liberty, they can defend it.
Highlighted: “Marches and eloquent speeches do not end wars. Checks on power do.”

Keynote: H.E. Amb. Stan Oduma Smith, Ambassador
Permanent Representative of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the UN
Ambassador Smith made two bold points. Democracy must be human‑centered or it fails. Peace and digital education are obligations, not electives. He linked the campaign to the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact. He called for universal connectivity, teacher training, AI literacy, and counter‑disinformation skills. He urged countries to codify and fund compulsory Peace, ICT, and AI education. The goal is intergenerational care. A democracy worthy of the future.
Highlighted: “Democracy is not guaranteed. It is built and rebuilt every day.”
Highlighted: “If it is not human‑centered, it is not democracy at all.”

Keynote: H.E. Rodrigo A. Carazo, Member, UN Human Rights Committee; Former Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the UN
Ambassador Carazo flipped a familiar maxim. Do not prepare for war to keep peace. Prepare for peace. He drew from Costa Rica’s experience. Educate empathy, cooperation, and respect for diversity. Start in kindergarten. Practice daily. Make it everybody’s job. Education is the most reliable peace policy we have.
Highlighted: “If you want peace, prepare for peace.”

Panelist: Şahane Sultan Bedenlier, M.A., Lecturer, California Polytechnic State University
Şahane Sultan Bedenlier spoke from the Anatolian tradition. She linked imperialism and religious extremism as twin threats. She pressed for free secular, compulsory education grounded in rights. Democracy must be practiced, not proclaimed. She cited Atatürk as a leader that “walked the talk.” Women’s full participation is essential. Institutions matter. Curricula matter. Practice matters.
Highlighted: “Peace is only possible where there is freedom… peace education in an unfree country is an oxymoron.”

Youth Spotlights

Onur Baran: A Student’s Vision for a Connected World
Onur Baran offered a hopeful vision. Technology can connect ideas and people across borders. Connection must lead to solidarity, not noise. He called for compulsory Peace and ICT education. Grow empathy, critical thinking, and ethical tech use. Aim for a fair, informed, and cooperative digital public square.
Highlighted: “Use technology for good to bridge divides, fight misinformation, and build inclusive communities.”

Elanur Özsırkıntı: The Four Pillars of a Digital Democracy
Elanur Özsırkıntı proposed four pillars. Universal digital literacy. Ethical and transparent AI. Inclusive participation. Cross‑cultural empathy. Each pillar is a learnable civic skill. Schools should teach them explicitly so democracy is digital and fair.

Efe Ergişi: A Student’s Plea for Balance
Efe Ergişi asked for balance and care. AI is a tool, not a crutch. He pointed to risks. Bias, attention drain, and unequal access. He urged human guidance at every step. Teach creativity with responsibility. Make Peace and ICT education a shared path.
Highlighted: “AI is a tool, not a crutch.”

Eylül Demiröz — Beyond Borders
Eylül Demiröz focused on digital empathy. Translation tools and platforms can bridge cultures when people are taught to listen well. Pair ICT skills with intercultural understanding and critical thinking. Democracy strengthens when students meet differences with curiosity.
Highlighted: “Build digital empathy so platforms become bridges, not walls.”

INTERACTIVE SESSION

Tausif Masud, student, emphasized that democracy is a living principle nurtured by every individual’s actions, both online and offline. He argued that peace and IT education are not optional but are essential tools for shaping responsible and empowered citizens. He stated that these educational components are necessary to keep democracy alive and thriving.

Berna Gurdal, representing the Turkish Women’s League of America, expressed strong support for compulsory peace and ICT education as essential for strengthening democracy. She highlighted the importance of placing young people at the center of these efforts, believing that empowering them with digital skills and the values of peace will lead to more resilient democracies in the future.

Peter Rogina, a co-creator of Peace Lights, noted that the African Union’s 50-year plan specifically calls for peace education in its fourth aspiration, “A Peaceful and Secure Africa.” He pointed out that the plan aims to nurture a culture of peace and tolerance in African children and youth, acknowledging the significant challenge of implementing this on a continental scale.

Fadwa Khawaja, from the Jerusalem Center for Women in Palestine, spoke about the critical and challenging nature of peace in her region, particularly given the current political situation and lack of trust. She shared that women in Palestine are eager to build a women-based peace accord and are seeking guidance and experience from women in other countries on how to prepare for and rebuild trust in the peace process.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Each of the esteem speakers of the session briefly delivered their concluding remarks. The speakers presented a multifaceted perspective on the challenges and solutions for achieving peace in the modern world. While Bruce Fein, Esq., argued that traditional peace education is ineffective and called for fundamental institutional reform—specifically shifting the power to declare war from the executive to the legislative branch—the other speakers offered different but complementary viewpoints. Ambassador Stan Oduma Smith emphasized the need for a new approach to peace education through engaging media consumption, citing the pedagogical success of Sesame Street as a model for disseminating principles of peace and social cohesion. Simultaneously, Ambassador Rodrigo A. Carazo underscored the vital role of youth and civic action, sharing a powerful example of how public will and a country’s Supreme Court successfully prevented a peaceful nation from joining a war coalition. He praised the young people present as the key actors in a “classroom for peace,” signaling that the current global situation cannot stand. These varying perspectives—Fein’s call for systemic, institutional checks; Ambassador Smith’s focus on media’s role in shaping minds; and Ambassador Carazo’s belief in the power of youth-led civic action—combine to form a holistic view that lasting peace requires not just a change of heart, but also fundamental changes in governance, media, and citizen engagement. Shahane Sultan Bedenlier‘s brief and appreciative remarks, acknowledging that she learned a lot from all the speakers, served to underscore the value of the dialogue itself, suggesting that the exchange of these diverse ideas is a crucial first step toward fostering global understanding.
Their collective remarks ultimately highlight that no single solution is sufficient, and that a truly peaceful society depends on a blend of constitutional reform, innovative educational methods, and empowered, active citizens.

Through‑Line Across all speakers, three ideas converged.


Make peace education compulsory.

Teach digital and AI literacy as civic skills.

Protect democracy with human‑centered institutions and practice.

Disclosure: The session received 98 registrants in 28 countries.


PARTICIPATED MEMBERS OF THE COALITION
1. TADAlliance.Org
2. The Ataturk World Platform (ADDP)
3. Turkish Women League of America (TWLA) / New York Ataturk School
4. NGOCPSD Business and the United Nations
5. The Light Millennium Television #LightMillenniumTV

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
1. Ms. Sapna Satish Gopalan at the Permanent Mission of the Bahamas to the UN for her support in all relevant communications with Ambassador Smith.
2. UN Department of Global Communications Civil Society Unit for featuring the Program in the Bi-Weekly Announcements #UNDGC_CSU | #CivilSociety_UN
3. Turkish Forum
4. Turkish Women League of America
5. NGO Committee on Business and the United Nations
6. Thank you, John L. German, for your support spreading out the word of this session;
7. Also Thanks to our volunteer Salih Mansur for his provided technical support along with to Ms. Berna Gurdal and Ayça Ergisi.

Full Speeches:

Keynote Address: H.E. Ambassador Stan Oduma Smith

Keynote Address: Ambassador Rodrigo A. Carazo

Opening Remarks:  Ambassaador Ramu Damodara

Panelist: Şahane Sultan Bedenlier

Youth: Onur Baran 

Youth: Elanur Özsırkıntı

Youth:  Efe Ergişi

Youth: Eylül Demiröz