Non-state actors’ roles in promoting social cohesion through education: The Case of HundrED

• In Event: Education and security: Global learning for sustainable development

Proposal

The presence of non-state actors in the provision of education in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) has aimed at promoting equity by reaching marginalized students who lack access to state-provided education. This chapter examines how non-state actors in education contribute to education development and explores some of the tensions that arise in this process. Specifically, it analyzes the work of HundrED, a Finland-based social enterprise that curates and disseminates educational innovations through collaborations with state and non-state actors.

A key focus of HundrED’s work is promoting students’ global competencies through its Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Wellbeing initiatives. HundrED’s curated collections emphasized SEL’s role in resilience training and gender-responsive education, particularly in crisis settings. Programs in Venezuela integrated SEL with peace education to help students navigate social unrest, while initiatives in Nigeria and South Africa linked SEL to workforce readiness amid economic transitions. In Bangladesh and India, SEL was embedded in trauma-informed education for refugee and marginalized children.

Differences in content and common themes across initiatives are analysed, notably as pertains to teacher training, school-wide SEL integration, and experiential learning which have remained central to effective implementation across contexts. The variety of approaches highlights the adaptability of SEL interventions but also underscores the challenges of ensuring their long-term sustainability and systemic impact.To contextualize HundrED’s activities within the global education landscape, this paper draws from theories in educational sociology, critical pedagogy, and the political economy of education. These perspectives illuminate how non-state actors both complement and challenge state-led education efforts, particularly in the growing intersection of public-private partnerships in education governance. The paper highlights the need for a more critical engagement with the assumptions underlying these efforts. Key concerns include the marketization of educational innovation, the sustainability of SEL interventions, and the role of the state in ensuring equitable access to education. As non-state actors continue to expand their influence, our findings illustrate why further exploration of long-term implications of these initiatives are needed; namely, for supporting social cohesion, particularly in contexts where education systems remain deeply unequal.

Authors

• Crystal Green, University of Helsinki

• Lasse Leponiemi