The UNESCO Connection

"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men
that the defenses of peace must be constructed."

(From UNESCO's Constitution)

A close relationship exists between the vision and mission of the Learning Development Institute (LDI) and the aims and objectives for which the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established. More particularly, we judge learning to be a crucial dimension of human behavior in the context of the concerns that led to the creation of UNESCO. We also believe that feelings of solidarity among human beings and the peoples of the world, as well as the will to understand and collaborate across boundaries, are essential for the development of true learning communities that thrive on the creative potential inherent in diversity.

An especially close affinity exists with UNESCO's Learning Without Frontiers (LWF) program. The work undertaken by UNESCO's LWF team and its partners since January 1996 has been a major inspiration for the idea to create LDI as a means to consolidate and expand that work. The initiative to develop LDI is being led by Jan Visser, founding director of the Learning Without Frontiers coordination unit in UNESCO. A number of LWF task force members are equally supporting this initiative. Permission has been obtained from UNESCO's Director-General to use the UNESCO logo on the LDI web site.

Users of the LDI web site are encouraged to also check out the Learning Without Frontiers web site. Specific formal relationships with activities carried out in the framework of UNESCO's program will be sought and established where possible and relevant. Such linkages will be announced on a case-by-case basis.