Idea
Learning to Live Together as Key to Our Future
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
by Darla Deardoff
When we look to the futures of education, one key question that must be addressed is this: What does it mean to live together? This question has been at the heart of much of UNESCO’s work over the recent decades1, particularly in exploring what it means to have peace begin in the minds of all of us. This question becomes even more crucial to answer given the divides and inequities that were exacerbated by the pandemic. It becomes more important than ever to learn to live together and respect differences found in our multicultural societies today. Yet, what does this really mean as we imagine the futures of education, particularly in translating theory into practice? To date, it has been natural for educators to focus on knowledge, learning, teaching, activities and experiences for individual learners. Within the current literature on intercultural and global competence2, definitions focus on knowledge, skills, and attitudes of individuals. Likewise, global citizenship education often explores very similar knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Increasingly, there is research about social-emotional learning, emotional intelligence, and discussion around empathy. What seems to be missing in all of this, is perhaps how we view others and how we view ourselves in relation to others and to the planet, as we delve more deeply into what it means to live together3.
What if we viewed others through the lens of neighbour, both our local and global neighbours? This could shift our way of thinking about global citizenship, making it more real in our everyday living. Being good neighbors to each other means to care for one another and the earth, to respond to each other through kindness, to understand that we are all in this together, that what we do impacts each other and to thrive, we need our neighbours to thrive and we need the planet to thrive. Being good neighbours may even mean implementing a pedagogy of love4 in education, as suggested by Souza and Muniandy in a UNESCO publication entitled “The Heart of Education: Learning to Live Together” (2014), in which love, justice and compassion are argued to be the building blocks for learning to live together.
To further explore this question of utilizing a neighbour lens in education, we can draw from the humanistic value of ubuntu, originating in Southern Africa, which sees humanity as bound together. Desmond Tutu explains this term in the following way:
“Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality –ubuntu - you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.”
Similar concepts exist, such as kizuna (Japanese), siratulrahim (Malay), alli kawsay, nandereko and buen vivir (Andean). These concepts go a step further to a deeper identity of an interconnected human being living within community, thus resulting in a paradigm shift from “me” to “we,” a shift that was emphasized during the pandemic. It becomes imperative that we move beyond an “us” versus “them” mindset to seeing the common humanity of all. How can future education efforts reframe education as a “we” approach that emphasizes community – or even as Martin Luther King Jr, said “the beloved community?” Mungi Ngomane (2020) writes about living everyday ubuntu in community by implementing several actions: seeing ourselves in others; choosing to see the wider perspective; putting ourselves in the shoes of others; believing in the good of everyone; embracing our diversity; seeking out ways to connect; remembering the power of forgiveness; and acknowledging reality. What would a future curriculum look like that incorporates these types of actions? And how might the world be different if each of us lived out these actions every day? Perhaps we would then make progress in learning how to live together.
Learning to live together means that a priority is given to the key intercultural competencies that must be taught, integrated, and nurtured in ways that are not currently happening. Intercultural competencies have been defined broadly as effective and appropriate communication and behaviour across difference, involving such key aspects as listening for understanding, respect, empathy, curiosity, openness, and adaptability, which are crucial for developing both greater awareness as well as deeper relationships (Deardorff, 2020). UNESCO (2013) defines intercultural competences as “abilities to adeptly navigate complex environments marked by a growing diversity of peoples, cultures, and lifestyles” (p. 5) and has asserted that “UNESCO remains more than ever committed to raise awareness on intercultural competences, ensuring that they are studied, taught, and promoted…” (p. 6). Such an intercultural focus in education becomes even more imperative with the increasing divides faced within and between societies and as technologies give rise to deeper questions such as what it means to even be human. Returning to such basic skills as listening can be a crucial starting point – what does it mean to truly listen for understanding? This deeper listening for understanding is not done nearly enough in current society where we as humans too naturally and eagerly listen for response or judgment, focusing more on ourselves than on seeking true understanding. What changes could occur in the world if more of us focused on this deeper listening for understanding[5]? How could such a basic yet crucial skill be integrated throughout lifelong education?
There are many other opportunities and possibilities within formal, non-formal and informal education to intentionally address and integrate these crucial intercultural competencies that are needed in learning to live together. As we seek to transform education, let’s embrace this opportunity to rethink and reimagine what it means to truly care for each other and this planet we share, through building deeper relationships as local and global neighbours and through living in authentic community as we re-commit to learning to live together peacefully with all.
The ideas expressed here are those of the authors; they are not necessarily the official position of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization.
Dr. Darla K. Deardorff is Executive Director of the Association of International Education Administrators, a leadership organization. She is chairholder of the UNESCO Chair of Intercultural Competence at Stellenbosch University and a research fellow at Duke University, as well as founding president of the World Council on Intercultural and Global Competence. She has authored a dozen books and 60+ articles on topics related to international education, intercultural competence and global leadership. She can be reached through LinkedIn.
References
Deardorff, D. K. (2006). Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10(3), 241–266.
Deardorff, D. K. (2017). Cross‐cultural competence. The International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication, 1–6.
Deardorff, D. K. (2020). Manual for developing intercultural competencies: Story circles. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
OECD. (2020). PISA 2018 results: Are students ready to thrive in an interconnected world? Volume VI. Paris: OECD.
Ngomane, M. (2020). Everyday ubuntu. London: Penguin.
Reimers, F. M. (2017). Empowering students to improve the world in sixty lessons. North Charleston: CreateSpace
Souza, P. D., & Muniandy, B. (2014). The heart of education is the education of the heart. In The heart of education: learning to live together; selected papers presented at the 16th UNESCO-APEID International Conference. Paris: UNESCO
UNESCO. (2013) Intercultural competences. Paris: UNESCO
UNESCO. (2014). The heart of education: learning to live together; selected papers presented at the 16th UNESCO-APEID International Conference. Paris: UNESCO
Notes
[1] See UNESCO, 2013, 2014.
[2] Deardorff, 2006, 2017; Reimers, 2017; OECD, 2020
[3] Recognizing that UNESCO’s exploration of “learning to live together” is quite complex encompassing “…many issues at the individual, institutional, national and international levels, such as learning to live with oneself, with others and with nature; value education; education for international understanding; education for global citizenship; intercultural education; inclusive education; peace education; education for social cohesion; conflict prevention and resolution; post-disaster education; education for youth empowerment and so on” (UNESCO, 2014).
[4] Pedagogy of love is defined by Souza and Muniandy (2014) as “as the art and science of percolating love into every aspect of teaching and learning such that the learner’s world is transformed into a place where respect for one and all and their ways of life, becomes the core of social living”
[5] See the work UNESCO has been doing on an intercultural methodology called Story Circles which focuses on listening for understanding as a key intercultural competence, available through an open access manual in 5 languages (insert link), Manual on Developing Intercultural Competencies: Story Circles. UNESCO has also integrated Story Circles into its Global Citizenship Development work (insert link to the UNESCO guide on Taking It Local) Understanding GCED in Asia-Pacific Pacific: a how-to guide for ‘Taking It Local’ - UNESCO Digital Library
