Education as a Force for Peace: Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi Invited to Global Round Table at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University

Date: December 2025
By PVCHR International Desk

At a time when extremism, polarization, and identity-based conflicts continue to destabilize societies across continents, the need to reimagine education as an engine of peace and tolerance has never been more urgent. Against this backdrop, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU), Saudi Arabia, extended a formal and distinguished invitation to Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi, Executive Director of the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), to participate as a guest speaker in its international Round Table titled:

“The Role of Education in Promoting Tolerance and Peace.”

The conference, held in Al-Khobar, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, on November 5–6, 2016, brought together scholars, policymakers, civil society leaders, activists, and media professionals from around the world. The aim was to examine strategies and integrated solutions needed to counter rising intolerance and cultural fragmentation.

A Global Academic Recognition of PVCHR’s Work

The invitation—issued by Dr. Issa H. Al-Ansari, University Rector of PMU—is a profound acknowledgement of PVCHR’s long-standing efforts in:

• Combating caste discrimination

• Promoting pluralism in deeply divided communities

• Advocating for democratic education rooted in dignity

• Challenging extremism and hate-based ideologies

• Building models of "peace education through community empowerment"

At a time when global institutions are seeking effective frameworks to bridge fractured societies, Dr. Raghuvanshi’s work in India’s highly stratified social landscape stands as an internationally relevant model.

Education as the Antidote to Violence and Division

The invitation letter highlights a central global concern:
education systems are failing to equip societies with tools to resist intolerance, prejudice, and cultural violence.

PMU’s Round Table sought insights that transcend national boundaries—insights that speak to the universal crisis of identity-based division. For more than two decades, PVCHR has demonstrated how:

• Community-based education

• Testimonial therapy

• Child-centered peace building

• Democratic literacy

• And the dismantling of social hierarchies

can transform lives and weaken structures of violence.

Dr. Raghuvanshi’s contribution was expected to bring the perspective of India’s historically oppressed communities, echoing how peace is not decreed by institutions—it is produced through everyday struggles for dignity and recognition.

Bridging Divides Through Knowledge Exchange

The Round Table was designed as an interactive global dialogue, encouraging participants to exchange ideas grounded in lived realities. The themes addressed included:

• Reimagining education as a transformative social force

• Crafting curricula that reduce interfaith and intercultural hostility

• Developing community-led peace initiatives

• Countering radicalization among youth

• Enhancing the role of civil society in peace education

Universities have a decisive role in these efforts, but their work is only impactful when integrated with community intelligence—something PVCHR has institutionalized through Jan Mitra Nyas and its rights-based educational models.

A Moment of Global Responsibility

The invitation from PMU signifies more than a speaking opportunity.
It reflects a growing global awareness that:

Peace is not possible without justice, and justice is not sustainable without education.

With rising hate crimes, polarization, caste- and race-based exclusion, cultural mistrust, and global migration challenges, education must evolve from mere instruction to ethical formation—teaching societies how to coexist.

Dr. Raghuvanshi’s participation aligns with his long-standing message:
“Democracy without social justice becomes a hollow promise.”

An Honor and an Obligation

PVCHR expresses gratitude to Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University for recognizing the importance of grassroots human-rights work within global academic discourse.

This invitation not only honors Dr. Raghuvanshi but also strengthens PVCHR’s commitment to expanding its work on:

• Peace education

• Anti-caste pedagogy

• Pluralism & intercultural understanding

• Youth engagement

• Trauma-informed community healing

The path to peace begins with listening—and PVCHR is proud to bring the voices of India’s marginalized communities to global platforms where solutions are shaped.

A Call to the Global Community

As deeply divided societies search for remedies, the world must reaffirm one fundamental truth:

Education is not just a social service. It is a peace-building act.

A democratic necessity.
A moral responsibility.

PVCHR remains committed to contributing to global efforts that place dignity, justice, and human rights at the center of education systems.