The Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations has called on UN-member states to make honest assessments of the effects of digital technology on education, dialogue and the broader pursuit of peace. Source: Vatican News.
Addressing the UN High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace last week, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia commented on the event’s central theme, “Promoting a Culture of Peace in the Digital Era.”
Archbishop Caccia emphasised the pivotal role of digital technologies in education. While recognising their potential to foster peace-oriented values, he warned against excessive reliance on technology, which might reduce education to a mere tool for transmitting technical knowledge.
Quoting from the Declaration on a Culture of Peace, he highlighted the shared responsibility of various stakeholders, including parents, teachers, politicians, journalists, religious bodies, and other groups in shaping a culture of peace.
Archbishop Caccia said “digital technologies play a crucial role in spreading ‘a culture of encounter, a culture of dialogue, a culture of listening to the other and his or her reasons’.”
Acknowledging the power of these innovations to facilitate freedom of expression, he underscored the need for responsible use, and urged society to prevent the digital age from becoming an era of disinformation.
“The promotion of a culture of peace and a better world is possible thanks to technological progress if this is accompanied by an ethic inspired by a vision of the common good, an ethic of freedom, responsibility, and fraternity,” Archbishop Caccia said.
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Holy See at UN: Promoting a culture of peace in digital era (By Francesca Merlo, Vatican News)
