"At the start of the third millennium, hundreds of millions of children and adolescents still lack the opportunity to begin or complete their education. Poverty, warfare, societal divides, and denied rights are all barriers to education." This is the beginning of a remark by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, on the occasion of the International Day of Education. "The inclusion of the right to education among the fundamental rights of the person in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child," the Head of State continued, "is the starting point around which to build effective educational paths that include access to information and knowledge, respect for freedom of expression and opinion, and the guarantee of academic and scientific freedom. This is an urgent challenge. The international community is committed to attaining excellent, equitable, and inclusive education for everyone by 2030, believing that proper education is a necessary condition for improving people's lives and achieving sustainable growth. The topic of today's International Day of Education, 'Learning for Lasting Peace,' offers the path toward addressing the rising tide of conflict, violence, intolerance, and hate speech that we are witnessing. Education is essential for comprehending the importance of each individual's uniqueness, the richness provided by pluralism, and the inviolability of fundamental liberties. Knowing is the first step toward understanding and communicating. Access to education must be a primary goal of institutions, with a focus on the youngest, who must be given chances for learning and development".
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