WISE Organises a Global Dialogue on Education, Peace and Development in Tunis

          - Laureates of the WISE Prize for Education and the Nobel Peace Prize meet for the first time

          The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), the leading global initiative driving innovation and collaboration in education, today opens  the Tunis Forum  at the IHEC Carthage in Tunis, Tunisia, with the aim of exploring how education fosters peace and development in communities and nations. This high-level engagement brings together for the first time one of the recipients of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, Ms Ouided Bouchamaoui, and the WISE Prize for Education Laureate, Dr Sakena Yacoobi, to demonstrate the major role of education in strengthening peace and national reconstruction.

         

          Dr Yacoobi affirmed her belief in the transformative power of education, stating, "To unlock the human potential, education is the key. It is such a powerful tool to overcome poverty and rebuild. If we are to overcome terrorism and violence, we need education. That is the only way we can win."

          Ms Bouchamaoui, President of UTICA (the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts) and a representative of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, stated "The stability of a country's economy relies on three main pillars, namely, the strength of its civil society, education, and women's empowerment."

          Mr Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO, WISE, one of the speakers in the plenary session, noted: "WISE recognizes the potential of education as a driver of peace and growth. Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to the Tunisian Quartet signifies that Tunisia has been recognized as a model for national dialogue and peaceful transition. WISE is honoured to host for the first time in this country, so full of potential, a gathering which puts the transformative power of education at the very center of the discussions."

          Other high-level speakers will include Ms Lila Pieters, UNICEF Representative in Tunisia and Mr Chiheb Bouden, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Tunisia.

          The WISE Tunis Forum is intended to make a valuable, timely contribution to global dialogue on the importance of education for development and peace. It also seeks to address issues of importance to Tunisian society, bringing tangible solutions and best practices that can strengthen growth through innovative and market-relevant approaches to education.

          For further information about the Tunis Forum, visit http://www.wise-qatar.org/wise-tunis-dialogue-peace-education-reconstruction-and-development