Global Declaration of Soul Education

A foundation for a new educational era.

We, the representatives of Soul-inspired educational initiatives and networks of holistic education from around the world, gathered for the Soul in Education international conference, institutionally endorsed by UNESCO in line with the ideals of its International Year for the Culture of Peace

  1. are convinced that at the dawn of the new millennium we stand in a unique moment of opportunity for the inauguration of an education which takes the ennobling of the consciousness of the inner self as the vital foundation for enlightened human living;

  2. recognise that the existence of the Soul as an enduring and universal constituent of human spiritual and psychological experience has permanent significance for the ability of education to empower the balanced integration of humanity into the great web of creation;
  3. affirm that educational attention to the Soul of individuals, communities, nations and of humanity as whole is a central means of facilitating the establishment of peace and right human relationships and for the releasing of the limitless potential for creative goodness which is the birthright of humanity;
  4. recognise that the elaboration of programmes for Soul-nourishing education in each country needs to be integrated into the local cultural reality and given support in educational development policies;
  5. emphasise our support for the high ideals of the cultures of all peoples, and in particular for those expressed in documents such as the Constitution of Unesco, Agenda 21, and the UNESCO document Learning: the Treasure Within.

    We therefore

  6. celebrate and acknowledge the outstanding educational achievements of the twentieth century;

  7. commit ourselves to the conscious use of Soul energy to enhance the educational and societal development of all human beings, and to bring about the emergence of a civilisation which lives in harmony with the Earth and with responsible citizenship in the solar system;
  8. commit ourselves to work towards the development of effective mechanisms that will facilitate from earliest childhood the expression by young people of inherent Soul qualities such as love, creativity, tolerance, joy, goodwill, beauty and wisdom;
  9. commit ourselves to the deepening of our understanding of the spiritual purpose of human existence and to active expression of the fruits of our research in practical educational activity.

    In pursuit of these objectives we

  10. declare the right to Soul-nourishing education as a fundamental human right which it is the responsibility of each individual, community and nation to freely undertake;

  11. initiate a global programme for Soul-based education to be developed and implemented by educators in every country, and to be known as the World Programme for Soul Education;
  12. invite policy makers and leaders of the world's educational organisations, including UNESCO and national governments as well as teacher education institutions, academic and research centres, educational networks, the private sector, and all peoples to join in the promulgation of this Declaration and to work assiduously towards the implementation of the World Programme for Soul Education as a personal and collective responsibility of humanity in the new millennium.

Findhorn, 27 October 2000
Triangles in Education

The above Declaration was issued by Triangles in Education at the Soul in Education conference in October 2000, with the endorsement of a number of individuals and groups (see below) represented at that conference. Please help in the spreading of the awareness of this Declaration and add your support for the spirit of the Declaration by sending an email message to Triangles in Education. This Declaration was issued on the dynamic energy of the collective spiritual will of the New Group of Soul Educators, working under the guidance of the Will to Good and the Teaching Rod of the Bodhisattva.

Amongst the first groups to affirm their energetic support for the spirit of the Declaration were:

Artists For Peace (USA)

Brahama Kumaris World Spiritual University

Cheiron Project (England)

Circles For Peace (USA)

Gardeners For Peace (USA)

Holma College of Holistic Studies and the University for Global Well Being project (Sweden)

Shapers of Education International Foundation (Netherlands)

Theosophical Order of Service (USA)

UK Soul Education Focalising Group (England)

NOTE:

With the close of the vortex period of the Global Conference of Soul Education (1998-2002) the focus of attention began to shift more fully toward the work of energising the development and externalisation of the World Programme for Soul Education, referred to in the above Declaration. The emergence of this programme into effectiveness in world consciousness is being energised by Triangles in Education. A key mechanism for strengthening the work of the new group of educators by bringing such educators together in periodic gatherings is the Soul in Education conference series which has been successfully running since 2000.

Updated February 2005