The Relevance of a Humanistic Education to Intercultural Dialogue

The paper focuses on the importance of education in promoting peace and dialogue. It takes into account some Buddhist principles relevant to such education, as explained by President Daisaku Ikeda in his 2013 Peace proposals and in some essays on Soka education. The paper examines the need to recognize the relations that link each one of us to the others, and the importance of respecting human dignity. To illustrate the relevance of these principles, it offers some considerations on the events that occurred in Egypt after the failure of the peaceful revolution of January 25th 2011. The paper explores the elements that facilitated the spread of Nonviolence in non-democratic countries and the failure of the movement in the post revolutionary phase, and in particular, the reasons that led to the failure of any attempt to establish dialogue between the political party that won the election and the Tahrir square protest movement. Furthermore, evidence will be presented showing that these difficulties are not due to Islamic culture but to internal and external pressures and a more general absence of an education inspiring sense of responsibility and respect for life. The opinions of important Arab intellectuals will be quoted to exemplify their understanding of the concept of mutual interdependence and the need for dialogue to build a more human society. The present Middle Eastern crisis inspires us with the need to spread awareness of the deep interrelations that link human beings and establish an education that promotes a better knowledge of other cultures and respect for every individual’s dignity.