Manping by Patrick E. Obando Polio

Publication volume number Registration No: 00017 ISSN 1599-4880

Content SHINING BLUE PEARL OF CENTRAL ASIA

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Samarkand located at the crossroad of the Silk Road boasts its beautiful blue domes implying Uzbekistan’s glorious civilization.

SPECIAL COLUMN

WHAT A DISH, CHINA’S SPICE OF LIFE

HIGHER EDUCATION, THE RIGHT VECTOR FOR BROADER CHANGE

We can encounter red colour which represents luck in China not only in everyday life but also in different types of Chinese dishes.

FOCUS: EXPLORING COLOURFUL ASIA

KOREA’S TRADITIONAL COLOURS AND THEIR PRESENCE IN DAILY LIFE

HOLI – INDIAN FESTIVAL OF COLOURS AND JOY

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BEST PRACTICES WARS PAST USED TO PROMOTE PEACE EDUCATION

pg.4 Cover: Shining Blue Pearl of Central Asia: Samarkand

Publication volume number Registration No: 00017 ISSN 1599-4880

SangSaeng is published three times a year by the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) under the auspices of UNESCO. 120, Saemal-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 152-050 Tel: (+82-2) 774-3956 Fax: (+82-2) 774-3958 E-mail: sangsaeng@unescoapceiu.org Web: www.unescoapceiu.org/sangsaeng Publisher: Utak Chung Editor-in-Chief: Kwanghyun Kim Editor: Sunmi Ji Copy Editor: Yoav Cerralbo Designed by: Seoul Selection Printed by: Pyung Hwa Dang

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SangSaeng, a Korean word with Chinese roots, is composed of two characters: Sang, meaning “mutual” (each other) and Saeng, meaning “life.” Put together, they mean “living together,” “helping each other,” which is our vision for the Asia-Pacific region. SangSaeng aims to be a forum for constructive discussion of issues, methods and experiences in the area of Education for International Understanding. SangSaeng also seeks to promote Global Citizenship Education, which is one of the three priorities of Global Education First Initiative launched by the United Nations in 2012. Signed articles express the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of APCEIU. ISSN 1599-4880 Registration No: 00017

LETTER THE MOSAIC OF UNDERSTANDING

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“Mutual understanding is similar to a mosaic art piece consisting of many separate pieces” said the author of Australian best practice.

COMIC RELIEF AB HARA’S DREAM

SPECIAL REPORT

TOWARDS GLOBAL CAPACITIES EDUCATION

A MUST-BE PROGRAMME FOR EDUCATORS

PEACE IN MY MEMORY BATTLING DYSLEXIA THROUGH IMAGES AND INSPIRATION

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UNDERSTANDING THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION THAILAND’S ROCK ART OPENS GATES OF HISTORY

APCEIU IN ACTION INTERVIEW

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MAKING THE RIGHT TO A PROPER EDUCATION UNIVERSAL

UNESCO’s Global Monitoring Report Team addresses the challenges of not leaving a child behind through action.

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FOCUS: EXPLORING COLOURFUL ASIA

Shining Blue Pearl of Central Asia Samarkand Nozim Khabibullaev Director, State Museum of the History of Temurids, Uzbekistan dilkur_1980@mail.ru

“If you challenge our power,

look at our buildings,” is the sentence

inscribed above the entry of Amir Temur’s Ak-Saray Palace in Shakhrisyabz. Amir Temur was a ruler of a great empire that covered West, South and Central Asia, and founded the Temurid dynasty in Mawarannakhr (Transoxania), which is the ancient name used for the part of Central Asia corresponding approximately with modernday Uzbekistan.

Photograph by 1 Ben Smethers 2 Ben Smethers 3 Oliver Varney 4 Ben Smethers

The magnificent medieval monuments of Samarkand are a testament to the architectural development that was predominant during the rule of the Temurids (1370–1507).Many travellers who visited Samarkand during the medieval period described it as the most beautiful city in the world because of its many palaces and spectacular buildings and gardens. During his journey to Samarkand in 1403, Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, ambassador from the

court of Henry III of Castile, noted that the city has many palaces surrounded by orchards and vineyards, and between these orchards passed streets with open squares. Samarkand, situated at the crossroad of the Great Silk Road in Central Asia, was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 under the name “Samarkand—Crossroad of Cultures.” In 2007, the ancient melting pot of the world’s cultures celebrated its 2750th anniversary. Still to this date, the city has preserved its culture, art and unique architecture. Like in the past, the historical monuments of Samarkand still impress visitors with their beauty and grandness.

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Classic Blue Domes Crown Buildings One of the great examples of Central Asian architecture is Registan Square (15th-17th centuries), which stands at the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand. Registan (“sandy place” in Persian) is a square surrounded by three madrasahs: Ulugh Beg (1417–1420), Sher-Dor (1619–1636) and Tilya-Kori (1646–1660). Put into a unified context, these buildings complement each other even though they were built during different periods in history. The blue domes decorating these architectural marvels easily inspire many visitors. One who sees the various blue colours accentuating these buildings could come to the conclusion that “Samarkand is the blue city.”Architectural monuments built during the Temurid period were decorated with ceramics and gold carvings. On sight, there are no words to describe the magical feeling one has when they see the bluish-goldlights emanating into the skof Samarkand. It is the classical example of a spiritual educational institution of Central Asia. On the opposite side of Ulugh Beg stands Sher-Dor Madrasah. Meaning “having tiger,” Sher-Dor is decorated using natural colours and bright ornaments graced with madder plants such as mulberries, grapes and lemons.Tilya-Kori Madrasah (“gilded”), located at the far end of the square’s entrance, was not only a residential college for students, but also a grand mosque (masjid). Another blue-domed architecture decorating the city is the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. The monument is situated between Registan Square and the ancient site of Afrosiyob which has today become a hilly grass mount. It is also a popular mosque for Friday prayer. According to the manuscripts, the mosque was erected by the or-

der of Temur in 1399-1404. The entrance that leads to a wide yard is decorated with round minarets. There are two cupola constructions with ayvans on the crossing axis. On the longitudinal axis, just opposite the portal, is the main mosque building with its own entrance and octagon minarets. The building’s huge hall is covered with a double dome. The decorations are very different and rich from other sites in the city. There are a lot of carved marble tiles and panels, glazed and unglazed tiles, majolica and mosaics. According to Gonzalez, 90 elephants were employed to carry precious stones from India to decorate the mosque. During the reign of Temur’s grandson in the first half of the 14th century, Ulugh Beg artisans built a big stand intended to hold the Koran and decorated it with magnificent carvings. Nowadays, it is located in the mosque’s yard. Bibi-Khanym mosque is a masterpiece of medieval architecture. It affected the architecture of all Central Asia as well as of Iran and Afghanistan. The Amir Temur Mausoleum (Gur-e Amir) is another strikingly decorated monument that employs the colour blue. The monument is covered with vegetative and geometric mosaics and epigraphic ornaments. The octagon shaped mausoleum is covered with a cylindrical drum and is famous for its simplicity and for its solemn appearance. The construction of the mausoleum itself began in 1403 after the sudden death of

Muhammad Sultan, Temur’s heir apparent and his beloved grandson, for whom it was intended. However, when Temur died in 1405 during his military campaign to China, it was decided to bury his body in the mausoleum. Later, the building also became the final resting place for his sons Shahrukh and Miranshah and grandsons Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan as well as Temur’s spiritual mentor Sayyid Baraka. Under Temur’s reign, Samarkand became the capital of his empire and was filled with beautiful and unique architectural monuments. Temur made great contributions to the cultural development of the city’s infrastructure. He ordered that stones and bricks be used to line the surface of the broad streets he wanted his city to have. To this day, the preparation of the colours used to decorate Samarkand’s architectural wonders remains a mystery. Certainly, using natural colours on Temurids’ Renaissance works probably helped to preserve the integrity of these architectural monuments.

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Meaning Behind Blue Indeed, the distinct characters that are related to the rainbow colours are connected to the different emotions we all have. Different colours were purposely selected to be used for highlighting and decorating architectural monuments, handicrafts or traditional clothes.Scholars, poets, painters, engravers and calligraphers could differentiate between more than 200 colours, knew the names of each colour and their symbolic meaning. Since the colour blue symbolizes life, there is no doubt in my mind that this representation of our existence embodies the spiritual heritage of our ancestors. In other words, their wisdom, which is passed down from generation to generation, remains alive forever. The shining blue domes in Samarkand are a reflection into the human soul they are a treasure trove of colours that portrays one’s feelings and delves into the universal and moral aesthetic delights life offers. If the colour blue is described as the representation of the human soul, then we can denote that Samarkand is a blue, young, virtuous city located in the heart of Central Asia. Blue is the symbol of devotion, sincerity, victory and glory. It is the symbol of luck and the sky. In ancient history, the colour blue represented water. Therefore, architectural masters in Central Asian ceramic design mostly used the colour blue because it is a symbol of the light-blue skies above us. That is one of the reasons why the blue domes of Samarkand are compared to the skies they continuously point to.

as a way of giving physical expression to mystical thought.The architectural tiles of the medieval madrasahs in Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Shakhrisyabz are examples of stylized geometric shapes such as a decagon, a pentagon, a hexagon, a rhombus and a bowtie.The patterns use grid systems and colour-coding to highlight symmetries and distinguish three-dimensional projections. Geometric patterns in Islamic architecture and ornamentation were used as much for spiritual as for artistic reasons. The Temurids architecture and design developed into a distinct style, which is particularly noted for its emphasis on geometry and symmetry. The design of tiles represents models of possible construction of perfect quasi-crystals in modern applied physics.

The Shining Blue Domes in Samarkand are a reflection into the human soul.

Since the 11th century, Sufism, the mystical form of the Islamic faith, spread throughout Central Asia. It bears mentioning that Sufism is closely linked to the practice of geometry, above all, in the form of symmetries

Many mystical schools established in Transoxania and Khorasan (Yassavia, Kubrovia, Kodiria, Naqshbandia) used the colours representing blue, yellow, red, black, green, white and colourlessness to describe the human soul. In some places, the colour blue used in homes was a sign of protection from the evil eye. With this purpose, patterned ceramic dishes or its two broken parts were placed on two sides of a fence surrounding a house. The common denominator connecting the shades described as sky blue, light blue and dark blue is the colour blue.Etymologically speaking, blue literally means water in Arabic. The colour blue is the symbol of mutual understanding, devotion and loyalty. It is the colour that brings certain calmness to the heart, fends off troubles, and delights everybody.

Even today, the national flag of Uzbekistan uses colours that represent a deep meaning based on heritage and a historical context that dates back to the times of Temur. To further these metaphors, the colour blue in the Uzbek flag symbolizes and conjures images of clear skies and pure water.

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Mosaics of Past Glory Article by Asia and Away In the legendary central Asian cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, Henri Fruchet finds a triumph of Islamic architecture the late afternoon sun shimmers off the blue mosaic facades and filters through the seemingly endless tile trellises of the legendary city of Samarkand, legacy of the last of the great Central Asian conquerors, Tamerlane. Known in times past as the Jewel of Islam, Samarkand has for over 2,000 years opened its arms to weary Silk Road travelers and caravans; and was forcibly opened by the likes of Alexander the Great and the Soviet Army. None, however, had an impact as deep and powerful on the city as Tamerlane and his descendants in the 14th to 16th centuries. It is the spell of their monuments – considered among the finest ever built in the Islamic world, and arguably in the history of architecture – that to this day draws travelers to this lush green desert oasis in Uzbekistan. In his 40 years of nearly constant military campaigning, Tamerlane created an empire that stretched from Moscow to Syria to Delhi to the north-western borders of Ming-dynasty China. From these

conquered lands he brought back the finest artisans, architects and builders to create a city fit for the ruler of the world. Today, monumental architectural works such as his tomb, the Gul Emir; the Bibi Khannum Mosque; the Shah-iZindah; and, above all, the Registan stand as a glorious and lasting testament to his power and ambition. Lying at the heart of Samarkand is the Registan ensemble, a complex of three magnificently-decorated madrassah (Islamic colleges) located around a central square. Each resplendent in its own right, together the ensemble displays an interplay of harmony, symmetry and elegance that few places in the world can equal. Oldest of the three is that of Ulug Beg, the astronomer-philosopher-king grandson of Tamerlane, with its star-encrusted mosaic portal, ornate arches and vaulted ceilings. Built in the early 15th century, it is the model from which the other two, the 17th-century Shir Dor and Tillya Kari, take their inspiration. It is worth taking hours to view it all at leisure, ideally at different times of the day so as to appreciate the effect of

the sunshine on the intricate mosaics. Visitors may also get offered a chance to climb to the top of one of the minarets by a resident police guard. For a small negotiable fee and a leg workout that may be regretted the following day, the reward comes in the form of spectacular views of the complex, the monuments surrounding it, the Pamir Alai mountains in the distance, and if you time your climb well, a sublime sunset. The Bibi Khanum mosque (according to legend, built on the command of Tamerlane’s Chinese princess bride) and the Gur-Emir were famous throughout the ancient world for their onion-shaped domes topped by azure-blue mosaic tiles. While the ruins and faded interiors of the Bibi Khanum mosque have visitors envisioning past splendour, the Gur Emir, with its golden inlaid tilework of singular beauty, leaves little need for imagination, especially when the guides sing traditional central Asian prayers and hymns which echo off the walls and cupola. The tombs of Tamerlane and Ulug Beg give a sense of the luxury in which they lived. Samarkand is more than just a museum of monuments though, it is an evolving city in a young republic where one can see the roots of religious revival after years of Soviet repression. Experience the seldom visited but incredibly charming Khodja Abdi Darun Madrassah, with its central reflecting pool and thousandyear-old chinor trees; shop for some of the finest carpets and ceramics in the world; or relax at a chaikhana (tea house) and enjoy some legendary Uzbek hospitality while observing the quiet rhythms of life unfold in the bazaar and the streets surrounding it.

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A four-hour drive west of Samarkand, Bukhara also boasts an incredible wealth of architectural monuments. But unlike its more famous neighbor, these are almost all to be found within an intact, living old town – the shakhristan – and therefore many travelers find the city more charming and rewarding. As with many places Genghis Khan dropped in on during his 13th-century romp around the world, very little in Bukhara remained intact after his visit. One of the buildings that he did leave standing, the 850-year-old Kalon minaret, makes a great place to begin. With it, the attached Kalon mosque and the neighboring Mir-i-Arab madrassah embody the distinct beauty and understated elegance of Islamic architecture. It’s easy to spend a few hours alone and almost undisturbed in the central courtyard watching the shadows dance under the portals and arches as the sun crosses the crystal blue sky and imagine the city as it must have been 150 years ago when the Muezzin’s chant from the top of the minaret would empty the bazaars and fill the square for daily prayers.

there is a timelessness about Bukhara that is best discovered by cutting into the warren of small lanes leading off from the Lyab-i-Hauz and spending a couple of hours exploring its oddities. Whether it is a group of cats playing in the ruins of an old home, a faded mosaic in a rundown and abandoned caravanserai or an aged coppersmith toiling away in a small roadside workshop, the shakhristan oozes old world charm. At the end of a long day of walking, visitors can join the locals for a deep soak and a massage at one of the public hamman bathhouses, or settle for a candlelit dinner under the stars at one of the myriad of small B&Bs that have popped up in the courtyard houses of the old city. It’s a beautiful way to end a day in this most beautiful of places.

The spectacular Mir-i-Arab madrassah, one of only two allowed to remain open during Soviet times, has been a centre of Islamic learning for hundreds of years. Although it is not open to the public today, visitors can gaze at its marvelous pishtak portal and into the interior courtyard where earnest young students train to become teachers in the mosques that are slowly re-opening across Uzbekistan after years of repression. While the main sites of the city have been largely taken over for commercial purposes,

INTERVIEW

Making the Right to a Proper Education Universal An Interview with the EFA Global Monitoring Report Team Catherine Jere Report Team UNESCO headquarters cm.jere@unesco.org

Could you tell us about the main message the report aims to deliver? Analysis for the 2013/4 Global Monitoring Report (GMR) reveals a global learning crisis that is hitting the most disadvantaged the hardest. The Report shows that 250 million children are not learning the basics â&#x20AC;&#x201C; how to read and write and do basic arithmetic. All the more worrying is that over half of these children are unable to read or write despite having spent at least four years in school. This has a huge impact on the young people in many countries as they enter the marketplace. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, 40 per cent of 15-24 year olds cannot read a single sentence. In South and West Asia, one-third of young women cannot read all or part of a sentence. In terms of cost, this learning crisis results in $129 million spent annually toward a false economy that has failed to ensure that all children have learnt the basics. Central to this crisis is the huge lack of qualified teachers. In a third of countries analysed by the Report, less than three-quarters of primary teachers are trained. Children living in poor or remote areas are much less likely to be taught by qualified teachers. Looking across the EFA goals, the Report also shows that, despite progress, many countries are not on track to achieve these goals by 2015. Universal Primary Education, for example, is likely to be missed by a wide margin. Globally, 57 million children are still out of school, the majority of whom are girls. By 2015, less than a third of countries will have adults all literate.

Could you elaborate on the characteristics that the Asia-Pacific region shows in terms of achieving EFA goals?

Overall, the East Asia-Pacific region has made substantial progress towards EFA goals, with almost universal enrolment in primary education and youth literacy, for example.However, pockets of disadvantage and marginalization remain in some countries across the region.In terms of specific targets, enrolment in pre-primary education across the region has doubled from 39 to 62 per cent between 1999 and 2011, still short of the key benchmark of 80 per cent enrolment (Goal 1).

For Goal 2, Universal Primary Education, gross enrolment rates have risen from 95 to 97 per cent. However, the retention rate of the last grade of primary education has shown less progress (from 84 to 89 per cent between 1999 and 2011), indicating that a significant minority of children still fail to complete their primary education. Gross secondary enrolment has risen from 62 per cent in 1999 to 80 per cent in 2011, and whilst 8.9 million adolescents of lower secondary school age were out of school in 2011, this does represent a 64 per cent decrease compared with 1999 rates (goal 3). Adult literacy has also improved, from 82 to 95 per cent in 2011 (goal 4). Gender parity has been achieved at the secondary level – a GPI of 102 – and primary level enrolments are slightly in favour of girls: a GPI of 103. Some countries still have significant progress to make if EFA goals are to be achieved. Progress towards universal primary education has stagnated in the Philippines with almost a third of primary school age children not in school, 1.46 million children out of a total population of 5.1 million. In terms of the quality of education, several countries in the region score very highly in international benchmarks for learning. They include Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore. In East Asia and the Pacific as a whole, around 15 per cent of children leave school having failed to read and write. In Malaysia, enrolment in secondary education has increased, but learning outcomes have worsened, widening the inequality amongst students. As one of the priorities of the Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) launched by the UN Secretary General, global citizenship education (GCE) toward the post-2015 agenda has been gaining

international attention. Please share your thoughts on the ongoing discourse on the post-2015 agendas and GCE, as well. Education in a globalised world is increasingly putting emphasis on the importance of values, attitudes and communication skills as a crucial complement to the traditional emphasis on knowledge and skills. Whilst the exact definition of GCE is itself contested, there is growing consensus on the need for non-cognitive aspects of competencies – such as empathy, openness and aptitudes to interact with those from different backgrounds – to be included in the post-2015 agenda. In addition to quality, the relevance of education to understanding social, political, cultural and global issues will be an important yardstick for education post-2015. This includes a role for education in supporting peace, human rights, equity, diversity and sustainable development GCE is action-orientated and ultimately transformative. As such, global citizenship education should give the learner the opportunity and the competencies to link their own lived experiences to global issues, and should acknowledge that learners themselves can make a powerful contribution to change. In most countries, the formal education system is likely to be the main mode of delivery for GCE, but there is a growing understanding that this might have to be complemented by non-formal approaches, including ICT modes, to target populations currently outside the formal system and to promote life-long learning. One key issue post-2015 will be governments’ ability to measure GCE competencies, if they are to be adequately monitored and achievements recognized. In the time up to post-2015 education agenda, UNESCO is working with the Learning Metrics Task Force to define what is required to support young people to become global citizens, both in terms of learning outcomes and broad competencies.

INTERVIEW : MAKING THE RIGHT TO PROPER EDUCATION UNIVERSAL | 12

As one of the priorities of the Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) launched by the UN Secretary General, global citizenship education (GCE) toward the post2015 agenda has been gaining international attention. Please share your thoughts on the ongoing discourse on the post-2015 agendas and GCE, as well.

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Education in a globalised world is increasingly putting emphasis on the importance of values, attitudes and communication skills as a crucial complement to the traditional emphasis on knowledge and skills.

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Whilst the exact definition of GCE is itself contested, there is growing consensus on the need for non-cognitive aspects of competencies – such as empathy, openness and aptitudes to interact with those from different backgrounds – to be included in the post-2015 agenda. In addition to quality, the relevance of education to understanding social, political, cultural and global issues will be an important yardstick for education post-2015. This includes a role for education in supporting peace, human rights, equity, diversity and sustainable development. GCE is action-orientated and ultimately transformative. As such, global citizenship education should give the learner the opportunity and the competencies to link their own lived experiences to global issues, and should acknowledge that learners themselves can make a powerful contribution to change. In most countries, the formal education system is likely to be the main mode of delivery for GCE, but there is a growing understanding that this might have to be complemented by non-formal approaches, including ICT modes, to target populations currently outside the formal system and to promote life-long learning. One key issue post-2015 will be governments’ ability to measure GCE competencies, if they are to be adequately monitored and achievements recognized. In the time up to post-2015 education agenda, UNESCO is working with the Learning Metrics Task Force to define what is required to support young people to become global citizens, both in terms of learning outcomes and broad competencies.

INTERVIEW : MAKING THE RIGHT TO PROPER EDUCATION UNIVERSAL | 13

Could you give us a brief introduction about the next report entitled “Have we made it?”? The 2015 EFA GMR will review how much the EFA movement has contributed to ensuring that all children, young people and adults enjoy their right to an education that meets their basic learning needs. The Report will provide a definitive global assessment of overall progress toward the six EFA goals that were established in Dakar, Senegal in 2000, paying particular attention to gaps between those who benefited and those who did not. This assessment will provide lessons for the framing of post-2015 education goals and strategies.

EFA GLOBAL Monitoring Report Lastly, do you have any message for the global readers of SangSaeng? Despite substantial progress towards EFA goals, particularly in East Asia and the Pacific, global inequalities remain stark. As attention turns toward the World Education Forum in the Republic of Korea next year, we urge readers of SangSaeng to make their voices heard in ensuring that equity and cooperation are at the heart of any post2015 global education agenda.

EFAreport@unesco.org Developed by an independent team and published by UNESCO, the EFA Global Monitoring Report is the prime instrument to assess global progress towards achieving the six ‘Dakar’ EFA goals. The team puts together an annual publication that tracks progress, identifies effective policy reforms and best practice in all areas relating to EFA, draws attention to emerging challenges and seeks to promote international cooperation in favour of education. The Report is targeted at decision-makers at the national and international level, and more broadly, at all those engaged in promoting the right to quality education – teachers, civil society groups, NGOs, researchers and the international community.