Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Of the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions is particularly important in global education and dual language classrooms. The goal seeks to work with educators to increase awareness and reduce the dangers of violence and corruption across the globe.

“The threats of international homicide, violence against children, human trafficking and sexual violence are important to address to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.”

UN text on Goal 16.

Each nation experiences violence in some capacity so it is necessary to include it along with lessons about the different practices and values of the culture. It is important to recognize the people that come from these situations and what it means to be a citizen of the country they are learning about.

Defining Refugee

A refugee is a person fleeing his or her home country due to armed conflict or persecution. Refugees cannot safely return home and are defined and protected by international law. Every minute, more than 20 people are forcibly displaced from their homes due to conflict or persecution.

There are 19.5 million refugees globally. With so many people being refugees, it is essential that teachers include refugees in their curriculum when teaching about other countries.

It is possible that the students learning this information have a personal connection to refugees, whether it is through a friend, family member, or even themselves. Even if they don’t, being informed and cognizant as teachers is key in delivering a holistic education on a potentially sensitive topic for students.

Global citizenship is an awareness of the world as a whole — its values, communities, and identities — and a person’s place within it. For students that don’t know a refugee personally, teachers can use Participate Learning’s global citizenship framework in their classrooms to help their students empathize with refugees and become active, participatory global citizens.

Making a Difference

Here are four ways that you can get involved and start to make a difference for refugees:

• Support refugee students in your classroom, school, or district
• Learn about refugees in your community, state, or region
• Donate money or time to efforts supporting refugees in your community or state
• Visit the websites of Amnesty International, UNHCR, Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to learn more

Download this infographic to teach your students about refugees around the world and Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

For more in-depth resources and lesson plans, register for a free course with our sister company, Participate Inc., or check out our global education resources page.

Originally published: Dec 13, 2017. Last updated: May 30, 2019