Imagining the world to come – a UNESCO online Forum
Article published on 19-06-2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has, in a matter of months, transformed the daily lives of billions around the world. Aside from causing the tragic deaths of hundreds of thousands so far, it has confined more than half the planet to their homes. Almost 1.5 billion students were affected by school closures.
To help fight the pandemic, UNESCO quickly took action to promote international scientific cooperation and support the sharing of research. It is working with partners to ensure that all students can continue their education, that professional journalism, reliable information, tolerance and respect for human rights triumph over rumours, falsehoods and hatred, and that cultural life can continue online despite the confinement.
Out of crises and disasters can often come great societal change. UNESCO itself was built, along with the entire United Nations system, on the bloody ruins of World War II, to promote international dialogue and peace, and to prevent the world from once again heading down the road of tyranny. Today, in the face of what some are calling the gravest global crisis since that terrible conflict more than seven decades ago, UNESCO will lead the world in reflecting on what the future should look like. Through a series of online discussions and interviews, held with its media partners across the globe, the initiative will encourage frank and honest debates on what the future should look like.
