The UN is to be the institutional recipient of this petition, but it is to everyone, everywhere who believes in human rights and democratic principles. Its purpose is to highlight that to change a culture, you have to change how it educates its children. Social and environmental injustices are highlighting the need for cultural change.

The UN Sustainability Development Goal 4: Quality Education as written is seen as counterproductive. It reinforces the view that education is about preparing people for jobs. We need for it to project a vision of how education based on human rights and democratic principles is our route to a just society. Education, as we know it, subjects young people to authoritarian rule in a competitive environment for twelve of the most formative years of their lives. We need the UN to be clear that this is not the way to cultivate a society where people feel respected and where street protests are unnecessary.

We are therefore requesting that the UN:

1. rewrites its sustainability Goal 4 on Quality Education to promote education based on human rights and democratic principles, and

2. actively builds awareness of how respecting the rights of students is fundamental to creating a just society where everyone has a strong sense of belonging, where everyone feels safe, and where the common good prevails over self-interest.

We are appealing to everyone:

1. to sign this petition
2. to seize this moment of the pandemic and social unrest to overcome learned helplessness and injustices. It is a rare moment that we must not squander. Make your voice heard; make your vote count, and convey to all that this must be the moment when enough, finally becomes enough, and
3. to Google “self-directed learning” to see how people are creating educational environments built on respect and equality.

To become part of the movement for change contact:

• International:  The Quest for a Just Society
• United States: Just Ask Us Movement