By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
President John Dramani Mahama has stressed on the importance of education in times of crisis emphasizing the need to ensure that education does not become transactional but transformative.
Speaking during the opening of the education as Justice session at the Doha Forum 2025 in Dubai on Sunday, December 7, 2025, President Mahama stated that the world must begin to Integrate education into humanitarian response plans ensuring the safety of schools and the learning environment.
“Education must be transformational not transactional, this is the Justice we owe our children”, he noted.
He added that as the world keeps changing fast so should our thinking about education evolve just as rapidly.
According to him, education must prepare young people to adapt to climate shocks, navigate digital disruptions, participate in democracy and governance, contribute to peaceful societies, and compete in a global economy that is increasingly driven by technology and innovation.
President Mahama also highlighted that education must be equitable, not exclusive and forward-looking, not outdated.
“Justice is not only delivered in the courtrooms, Justice lives in the classrooms. It is found in the moment a child learns to read, in the moment a young woman discovers her talent for science, in the moment a displaced child finds beauty and hope in a school, in the moment a teacher inspires courage in a new generation”, President Mahama noted.
The President further added that, “in order to create a more peaceful, equitable, and resilient world, education must be our most significant investment and our boldest commitment”.
He recounted the saying that, “knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested” calling on all to cultivate the seeds of justice through education, especially in times of crisis, so that the harvest may be peace, prosperity, and a shared humanity.
President Mahama is in Doha for the Doha Forum, an annual global event that brings together world leaders, policymakers, experts, and influencers to discuss pressing international challenges. This year’s forum, themed “*Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress*”, focuses on addressing issues like peace and security, economic resilience, technological transformation, and sustainable development.
