Episode #175: International Day of Education

Borderless Voices
Borderless Voices
Episode #175: International Day of Education
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Today, January 24th, is the United Nations’ proclaimed International Day of Education, this year, with the theme AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation. In this new episode of Borderless Voices, we look a little deeper into the experience of access to education of newcomers in Ontario.


Transcript:

Welcome to a brand new episode of the Borderless Voices podcast, presented by the FCJ Refugee Centre.

Hi and welcome to this special edition of the home is here podcast. My name is Stefan, Youth & Access To Education Coordinator at the FCJ Refugee Centre and today, January 24th, is the United Nations’ proclaimed International Day of Education 2025, and we are going to look a little deeper into the newcomer education access experience in the province of Ontario, Canada.

The theme of this year is “AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation,” and as per their official website, the UN encourages “reflections on the power of education to equip individuals and communities to navigate, understand and influence technological advancement. As computer and AI-driven systems become more sophisticated, the boundaries between human intention and machine-driven action often blur, raising critical questions about how to preserve, redefine, and, ideally, elevate human agency in an age of technological acceleration.”

Today’s conversation will touch on the subject matter by describing the inequities of a created global south in a supposed global north country. We are fortunate to work with folks across a broad range of immigration statuses and backgrounds who have had a general shared experience of hurdles at the minimum during their time interacting with the education system. Although adopting the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, Canada hasn’t been consistent in ensuring that the goals and their targets are equitably reached, and that is where we come in as a grassroots community organization focused on equity, access, and bringing voices of the folks we work with to the discussion table through the work we do and by hosting focused events, open conversations and webinars to engage and collect a broader range of responses that we can take to decision makers through our ongoing advocacy.

There has been a severe lack of applying the lens of “progress” across the board, which has inevitably created a class system that functions on an implicit bias of forcing people to prove themselves to an extreme degree just to receive basic common courtesy and human dignity. Whether this be the many newcomers we work with, or Canadian permanent residents and citizens that did not have a favourable start to their educational journeys. We as an organization believe that education is a human right that should be accessible by all, regardless of their social locations, and this is the root that needs to be addressed while we simultaneously work on the overall technological advancements that are ethically sustainable for all.

Bearing this in mind, it is significantly difficult to imagine a space welcoming and able to facilitate the advancement of Artificial Intelligence because access to and competence around technology itself might be limited to start. We have seen the benefits of AI in our work, bridging some barriers such as language, data collection, and outreach formats; but we have also seen the negatives, one of the biggest being the desensitization around humanity. Several key educational institutions have more recently moved to a hybrid format of functioning, be it in the classroom or even with administration and we have observed how this has decreased social skills when it comes down to human-to-human interactions, with things as simple as a school registration. We want to take this opportunity of International Day of Education to send a reminder to folks working in these systems to take a pause of reflection and remind themselves of the humanity they hope to be treated with, and to encourage themselves to offer the same to the folks that interact with the system. We also want to encourage the communities we work with to feel empowered by gaining digital literacy knowledge as they navigate systems in a new country and to be aware of their right to be treated with dignity and respect while they do so.

Further, AI is human directed and the intentionality in designing AI needs to come from a culturally competent and inclusive lens for there to be any form of equity in its functioning; and the power to make these commitments currently lie amidst the decision makers that are pointing us in the trajectory of a more AI involved society. So perhaps, in answering the question of “how to preserve, redefine, and, ideally, elevate human agency in an age of technological acceleration” we re-word the former part of the theme explanation to reflect as follows – the inclusion and invitation of individuals and communities in shaping technological advancements that in-turn equip and influence the norms and understandings in navigating AI development through the power of community driven consultation and education. In short, let community identify where AI would be beneficial, use this feedback in the shaping and application of AI, that has the result of contributing back to community and reaching people that might not have had this access to technology in the beginning.Both the FCJ Refugee Centre and the FCJ Youth Network are engaged in projects concerning the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and will continue to interject the conversation with the newcomer and precarious migrant perspective through the work that we do. We welcome you to be a part of our ongoing advocacy by joining our Youth Network if you are a youth aged 13-30, or by reaching out to collaborate with us if you are an equity focused group that aligns with our mission and vision. And with that we conclude today’s conversation and encourage you to continue the discussion by sharing your thoughts on the subject matter.

Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, and share our social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and you can also find more information in our website www.fcrefugeecenter.org.