Chigger yellum . No problem. This Amharic idiom offers a window into this special issue, born as it is out of the International Network of Philosophy of Education’s 13th Biennial Conference held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in August 2012. The expression itself gestures to an attitude of calm and generosity that stands in stark contrast to the anxious tensions that often accompany other approaches to difficulties experienced in the western and northern hemispheres. For instance, the hospitality offered by the local community in Addis and experienced by those who attended the conference from overseas echoed, in all its ease, this expression perfectly well. There was no problem that seemed could not be fixed, no difficulty that could not be met with graciousness, making this biennial meeting a wonderful success. However, what was also revealed is that it is more difficult to have an attitude of chigger yellum when it comes to the enormous challenges facing education globally, as the conference papers illustrated all too well. Highlighted were how issues of social justice, equality and peace play into current educational policies, practices and objectives, and the presentations revealed the multifaceted complexity facing the field of education in their philosophical responses to these issues. Although the conference brought into consideration problems which cannot be fixed so easily, the experience of chigger yellum in Addis Ababa acts as a reminder of how common human decency and the desire to ease the burdens of life for others exist alongside and not simply in the shadow of these weighty educational issues.