Edited by Yu-Nung Tai, photo by Ching-Chung Hung

Peace education is essential to safeguarding the future of the world’s over 2 billion children. The world's largest school, City Montessori School in India has organized the International Conferences of Chief Justices of the World since 2001 to ensure a better world for future generations.

With geopolitical tensions escalating across the planet, the 18th International Conference of Chief Justices of the World will be held by City Montessori School in Lucknow, India on November 8-14, 2017 to inject more energy of peace and justice into the world and find better solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. The theme of the conference is: Uniting the World for Children through Enforceable World Law and Effective Global Governance.

City Montessori School (CMS), which has more than 50,000 students from k-12 level, is the world’s largest school and the first school being awarded the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. Since 2001, it has been organizing the conferences, which have become significant events in the legal profession, with over 1,000 heads of state and government, chief justices, and judges from 125 nations having participated. The heads of state and government have been invited as special guests to address the chief justices and judges at the events. This year’s conference will focus on issues such as creating a culture of unity and peace, establishing the rule of law, safeguarding human rights, improving global governance structure, implementing UN reform, and achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Through these conferences that model after the United Nations conferences, Dr. Jagdish Gandhi, founder-manager of the school, enables the CMS students to get engaged in international affairs and to speak for their future. Over 47,000 children of the school, on behalf of over 2 billion children of the world, have appealed to all members of the world judiciary to exert their positive influences to ensure a safe ecology and a safe future for children, protect children’s rights, and create a world of love, unity, goodwill, peace, and prosperity for all.

Deeply concerned about children’s welfare, Dr. Gandhi is worried about a possible war breakout: "There is an urgent need to safeguard the future of the world’s over 2 billion children and generations yet-to-be-born, whose future has become progressively more insecure and unprotected during the past seven decades since the bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki and the recent spread of international terrorism, global warming, environmental degradation, manufacturing and stockpiling of deadliest weapons of mass destruction, fear of a Third World War and nuclear holocaust."

In addition to attending meetings, participants are invited to Agra to see the Red Fort, a historical fort in the city of Agra and the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty till 1638, the world’s seventh wonder Taj Mahal, and other monuments of historical importance. Attendees are also invited to join the World Unity March with the teachers and students of CMS. During the conference, significant declarations will also be introduced, which encourage the attendees to enhance global citizens’ wellbeing, such as the Declaration for the Movement of An Era of Conscience, the Declaration of World Citizens, and the Declaration of Taxpayer’s Human Rights. The conference that will gather influential judicial leaders across the earth is expected to bring more positive changes to the legal landscapes worldwide.

P. 1 International Conference of Chief Justices of the World is a significant event in the legal profession.

P. 2 Since 2001, over 1,000 heads of state and government, chief justices, and judges from 125 nations have participated in the conference.

P. 3 Attendees join the World Unity March with the teachers and students of CMS.