PEACE

EDUCATION

A transformative Response
to Major Societal Challenges

Peace does not

have a universal
and consensus
definition.

Peace Education
- is the process of acquiring the
values, the knowledge and developing
the attitudes, skills, and behaviors to
live in harmony with oneself, with
others, and with the natural
environment.

PEACE EDUCATION AROUND THE WORLD

Within the wide range of different

peace education programs, a common
general objective can be found. They
all aim to foster changes that will
make the world a better, more
humane place.
Different educational systems in
various states around the world have
provided peace education throughout
the twentieth century up until today.

PEACE EDUCATION AROUND THE WORLD

A review of the programs of education for

peace in different states indicates that they
differ considerably in terms of ideology,
objectives, emphasis, curricula, contents,
and practices.
Peace education is often a mirror of the
political, societal, and economic agenda for
a given society, because peace objectives
often contain a direct challenge to the
present state of a society within the
suggestions for change.

AUSTRALIA AND PEACE

EDUCATION
In Australia peace education focuses on
challenging ethnocentrism, cultural
chauvinism, and violence, on the one hand,
and promoting cultural diversity, nuclear
disarmament, and conflict resolution on the
other.

JAPAN AND PEACE EDUCATION

In Japan peace education mostly
targets issues of nuclear
disarmament, militarism, and the
nature of responsibility for acts of
violence performed in the past.

SOUTH AMERICA AND PEACE

EDUCATION
In South America, peace education is
preoccupied with structural violence,
human rights, and economic
inequality.

UNITED STATES AND PEACE

EDUCATION

In the United States, peace education

programs often concern prejudice,
violence, and environmental issues.

Introduction:
The greatest resource for building a culture
of peace are the people themselves, for it is
through them that peaceful relationships are
created.

Educating people toward becoming peace

agents is central to the task of peace building.

Peace building refers generally to the

long-term period of building peaceful
communities, a desirable goal.

HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF
PEACE
A new way of thinking about peace is important

today.

Our ideas shape our feelings and our actions, as well

as how we live, and how we relate to each other
confidential to me.
The simplest and most widespread understanding of
peace was that absence of death and destruction as a
result of war and physical/direct violence.
It was realized that it was not only war and direct violence
that caused death and disfigurement. Structural violence
also led to death and suffering because of the conditions that
resulted from it: extreme poverty, starvation, avoidable
diseases, discrimination against minority groups and denial
of human rights.

HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF
Peace is both the absence PEACE
of personal/direct violence, and the
presence of social justice.
The meaning of peace can be captured by the idea of a negative
peace and the idea of a positive peace.
Negative peace refers to the absence of war or physical/direct
violence, while positive peace refers to the presence of just and
non-exploitative relationships, as well as human ecological
well-being, such that the root causes of conflict are diminished.
Peace with nature is considered the foundation of positive
peace because the earth is ultimately the source of our survival,
physical sustenance, health and wealth; it is not possible to provide
for human survival if natures capacity to renew itself is seriously
impaired. It must also be remembered that human behavior is
intimately related to the availability of basic resources.

Defining Peace
Peace
Positive Peace

Negative Peace

Presence of conditions of
well-being and just
relationships: social,
economic, political,
ecological

Absence of direct/physical
Violence (both macro and micro)

Structural Violence

Direct Violence
e.g., war, torture, child and woman
abuse

e.g., poverty, hunger

Socio-cultural Violence
e.g., racism, sexism
religious intolerance

Violence

Ecological Violence
e.g., pollution,
overconsumption

Levels of Peace

Types of Violence
Betty Reardon, a peace educator who has made significant
contributions to the field, defines violence as humanly inflicted
harm.

level
Form
of violence

Personal

Interperso
nal/Comm
unity

National

Global

Direct/
physical

Domestic
Suicide
Drug abuse violence

Civil War
Violent
Crimes
Human
rights
abuses

Conventional
war
Nuclear war
Human rights
abuses

Structural/
economic,
political
Socio-cultural/
psychological

Powerlessne
ss

Local inequalities
Poverty, hunger
Prejudice/enemy
images
Cultural
domination
Racism
Sexism
Religious
intolerance

National
inequalities
Poverty, hunger
Prejudice/enemy
images
Cultural
domination
Racism
Sexism
Religious
intolerance

Global
inequalities
Poverty, hunger
Prejudice/enemy
images
Cultural
domination
Racism
Sexism
Religious
intolerance

Overconsumption
Pollution

Overconsumption
Pollution
Chemical and

Overconsumption
Pollution
Chemical and

Violent
crimes

Alienation
Low selfesteem

anxiety

Ecological

Overconsumption

PEACE EDUCATION AS
TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION
Peace education or an education that promotes a culture
of peace, is essentially transformative. It cultivates the
knowledge behaviors that, in the first place, have either
created or exacerbated violent conflicts.
It seeks this transformative by building awareness and
Understanding, developing concern, and finally, challenging
personal and social that will enable people to create
conditions and systems that actualize nonviolence, justice,
environmental care and other peace values.

This means that the learning

process utilized in peace education
is holistic and it tries to address the
cognitive, effective and active
dimensions of the learner.

The Peaceable Teaching-Learning Process

Cognitive Phase
(being aware, Understanding)

Active Phase

Affective Phase

(taking practical action)

(being concerned, Responding,

Valuing)

Why Educate for peace?

Betty Reardon reminds that peace education has an important social
purpose: it seeks to transform the present human condition by changing
social structures and patterns of thought that have created it.
Learning to Abolish War; Teaching toward a culture of Peace the main
purpose of peace education are the elimination of social injustice, the
rejection of violence and the abolition of war.

Peace education is a Practical imperative

Educating for peace will give us the long run the practical benefits
that we seek. As stated earlier it is expected to build a critical mass
of people who will demand for and address the needed personal and
structural changes that will transform the many problems that relate
to peace into nonviolent, humane and ecological alternatives and
solutions

Schema of knowledge, skills and attitudes/values for peace education

Attitudes/Values
1.
2.
3.
4.

Self-respect
Respect for others
Gender equality
Respect for life/
nonviolence
5.
Compassion
6.
Global concern
7.
Ecological concern
8.
Cooperation
9.
Openness & tolerance
10. Justice
11. Social responsibility
12. Positive vision

Skills
Knowledge
1. Holistic concept o peace
2. Conflict & Violence causes
3. Some peaceful alternatives
Disarmament
Nonviolence-Philos.& practice
Conflict resolution, Transformation, prevention
Human rights
Human solidarity
Democratization
Development Based on justice
Sustainable Development

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Reflection
Critical thinking &
analysis
Decision making
Imagination
Conflict resolution
Empathy
Group building

Attitudes/Values
It is suggested that the following attitudes and values be
cultivated:
Self-respect
Respect for others

Respect for life/nonviolence

Gender Equality
Compassion
Attitudes/Values
Global Concern
Ecological Concern
Cooperation
Openness/Tolerance
Justice
Social Responsibility
Positive Vision
Skills

Some of the skills that need to be

developed are:
Reflection

Critical Thinking and Analysis

Decision-making
Imagination
Communication
Conflict Resolution
Empathy
Group Building

or
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on hts
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t
a
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ig
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n
a
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Environmental
Peace

6
Peta
ls of
Peac
e

Intercultural
Solidarity

Dis
the man
Wa Cul tling
tur
r
eo
f

g
n
si e
s
e ac
n
r Pe
a
H er
Inn

Educ
ation
f or
Justic
Com e and
pass
ion

DISMANTLING THE CULTURE

OF
WAR all support for
- concerned with
mitigating
the war system, including competitive
games, gender oppression, defense
spending, oppressive security systems and
the sale of toys that mimic violence and
teach children destructive behaviors( i,e.
toy guns and knives, violent video games,
excessive violence in film). It includes
dissolving weapons access as well as
disarming the mind from hate.

ENVIRONMENTAL PEACE
- includes fostering global
stewardship, simple living,
and combating the
environmental degradation
that accompanies
unsustainable development
and war.

ucation for Justice and Compassi

- deconstructs globalization
processes, neoliberalism, and
the notion of a commons.

EDUCATION FOR HUMAN

RIGHTS
- introduces students to their
civil, economic, political,
cultural and religious rights,
among others, and assesses the
nature of violations of these
rights.

INTERCULTURAL SOLIDARITY
- it is concerned with
interactions between differing
groups and cultural norms, and
national and international
institutions that perpetuate
violence or foster peace.

Harnessing Inner Peace

- allows students to evaluate
their own physical, emotional,
and spiritual states as well as
the interplay between micro and
macro conflicts.

Spiritual
and Faith
Traditions As
Resources For

The worlds major spiritual and faith traditions

inspire and motivate people to embrace peace as
a mission.
Although religious believers have gone to war
and committed acts of violence in the name of
their faith, the conflicts were actually rooted
not in matters of faith, or even of
religion, but in conflicting claims
to social and political
(and economic) goals
(Machado, 1993).

A close look to the original

teachings of spiritual faith traditions
indicates that they are essentially
wellsprings and resources for peace.
We need to rediscover the
principles and values that they
uphold, to remind us of the essential
mission of each faith tradition to
seek peace.

Cooperation and understanding among

various spiritual and faith traditions have now
become imperative.
We now seek the common ground of shared
values among the diverse faiths to show that
despite the diversity, we are one humanity, with
the same fundamental aspirations for mutual
respect and acceptance, and for living together
in peace.

Some of the common peace

teachings that the various
spiritual traditions subscribe to
are:
1. The rejection of violence.
2. Love and compassion for other
humans.
3. Love and compassion for other
creatures and life forms in nature.
4. Respect human dignity.
5. Justice for fairness.

The Golden Rule, Do to others what

you would want them do unto you, is a
maxim that is found in all the major world
spiritual traditions Christianity, Islam,
Buddhism, Hinduism and the Indigenous
tradition.

Peace Theme #1:

Upholding Human Dignity is

at the center of the values
system the we associate with
social peace.
Human Dignity - is defined as the
fundamental innate worth of a human
being, a principle that is now
universally accepted but has not taken
root in the action practices of many
governments, communities and other
non-state actors.

Upholding human dignity

The principle of human dignity is enshrined in
the teaching of major faiths.
For instance, in Christianity, this would be rooted
in the belief that God created human beings in
His image.
It is likewise a commandment of Jesus that we
love our neighbor, even ones enemies.

Upholding human dignity

In Islam, it is believed that all human beings have

the right to life at conception, and after birth, a
right to full opportunities to lead a rewarding and
satisfying life (Mohmood-Abedin, in Mische and
Merkloing (eds.), 2001).

Upholding human dignity

Education that seeks to uphold human dignity is

often referred to as human rights education, which
is within the umbrella we call peace education.
In peace education, one of the central concerns is
the promotion of human dignity and well-being
because of the conviction that this is the
foundation for peace.

Upholding human dignity

Betty Reardon aptly noted that the

achievement of positive conditions of
human rights provide the foundation of a
nonviolent social order and greatly reduce
the causes of armed conflict and war
(Reardon, 1995).

Peace Theme #2:

CHALLENGING
PREJUDICE AND
BUILDING TOLERANCE

Gordon Allport (1958) asserts that humans have a

propensity toward prejudice.
This propensity lies in their normal tendency to form
generalizations and categories whose content represents
an oversimplification of their world of experience.

Prejudice is the negative or attitude towards a person or

a group even if it lacks basis.
Stereotype refers to the negative opinion about a person
or group based on incomplete knowledge.
Discrimination refers to negative
actions toward members of a
specific social group that may be
manifested in avoidance, aversion
or even violence.(Franzoi, 1986)

Types of Prejudice:

Racism the belief that ones own cultural or racial heritage is innately
superior to that of others, hence, the lack of respect or appreciation for
those who belong to a different race

Sexism - a system of attitudes, actions and structures that subordinates

others on the basis of their sex where the usual victims are women.

Heterosexism - negative attitudes towards lesbians and gay men

Classism distancing from and perceiving the poor as the other

Linguicism negative attitudes which members of dominant language

groups hold against non-dominant language groups.
Ageism negative attitudes held against the young or the elderly

Looksism prejudice against those who do not measure up to set

standards of beauty. The usual victims are the over-weight, the undersized
and the dark-skinned

Religious intolerance - prejudice against those who are followers of

religious other than ones own.

Thus, stereotypes, being negative beliefs about

group, can form the basis for prejudicial
feelings, which, in turn, may lead to negative
action or to discrimination.

People have become increasingly unkind toward

those who differ from them in terms of skin color
and other physical attributes, ethnicity, religion, sex,
gender or socio-economic class.
We have made differences an excuse for prejudice
and exclusion.
Hence, building tolerance and respect for diversity
becomes an imperative in a world where intolerance
for differences has become a justification for
violence.

A lack of respect for

differences, among other
factors, has given rise to
conflicts between and among
groups. Teaching for tolerance
will aid in protecting human
rights and in saving lives

Peace Theme 3: Promoting Nonviolence

Nonviolence is the refusal to do harm to other humans life is
sacred and is an absolute value. It is anchored on the belief that
humans have the potential to change.
Why nonviolence?
It is both an ethical and moral choice.
Destruction is not the law of human
nonviolence is a practical choice. Tools and effects of
violence are costly.
nonviolence works

Peace Theme 4: Challenging the War System

War is classical or international if it is between states, or
civil or internal, if it occurs between rival groups or
communities within a state.
Possible causes of war:
Territorial disputes
Lack of differences
Ideological or power struggles
A history of colonialism and the
process of decolonization
Competition of resources

Effects of war
Most horrible effect of war is Massive Death
Cause people to flee their homes
Weapons to proliferate
Lose their livelihoods and their access to food
supply
Loss of investments
Destroy property and the environment
Raze opportunity for tourism
Wars disrupt childrens education
Great fear and trauma among the population.

Peace Theme 5: Sharing the Earths Resources

The highly uneven distribution of wealth and

resources is situation of violence known as Structural
Violence.
This violence refers to the systems, institutions, and
policies that meet some peoples human needs, rights or
wants at he expense of others.

Hunger and Poverty are symptoms of this violence

Other Causes of Poverty:

War and armed conflicts disrupt the peoples livelihood and
all productive activities.
Political systems created by local political elite that have
combined with profit-motivated economic systems that reduce
opportunities for most people to earn enough to meet their
basic needs.
Inequitable distribution of wealth and resources much of
which has begun in colonial history.
Environment conditions.
Lack of opportunities such as employment.
Lack of education
Corruption
Over consumption
Greed

Peace Theme 6: Resolving and Transforming Conflicts

Conflict is from the Latin word conflictus which

means striking together with force.
Main options in dealing with conflicts:

Avoidance or withdrawal
Aggression
Accommodation
Compromise
Collaboration

What is
Mediation?

-An attempt to bring about a peaceful settlement or compromise

between disputants through the objective intervention of a neutral
party.
Mediator - a person who attempts to make people involved
in a conflict come to an agreement.
Characteristics of a good mediator:
Impartial to establish trust among parties in conflict
They should be nonjudgmental and understanding
Should be flexible and creative
Know how to reframe situations and broaden
perspectives
Good at analysis
Show regard and concern for the parties in conflict
Trustworthy and optimistic
Should anticipate a positive outcome and influence
adversaries with such hope.

The Peaceable classroom:

- Is characterized by affirmation, cooperation,
communication, appreciation for diversity, appropriate
expression of feelings and peaceable conflict resolution.
- A peaceable classroom is one where students feel safe and
secure. It is a place where they grow as persons without threats
of being ridiculed, marginalized or hurt.

Some ways to help create that atmosphere of love and

acceptance in our classroom:

Declare your classroom a zone of peace and establish rules to achieve it.

As the teacher, let this peace begin with you.

Affirm your students
Express feelings appropriately and encourage students to do so.
Encourage respect for and acceptance of differences.
Employ more cooperative than competitive activities.
Teach students how to resolve conflicts peacefully and constructively.
Practice students skills of communication.

Teaching-Learning Approaches and Strategies in Peace Education

Discussion
Pair Share
Visualization/Imagination Exercise
Perspective-taking
Role-playing
Simulation Games
Problem-solving
Considering positions/Issue poll
Encouraging actions
Reading or writing a quotation
Web-charting
Use of film and Photographs
Telling Stories, including Personal Stories
Song/poem Analysis
Sentence Completion
Journal Writing/Individual Reflection
Go-Round
Teachable Moments
Interviews/Research
Expert Resources
Reciprocal Teaching
Twinning Projects
Dialogues

 Exposure Trips

Use globes and maps

Brainstorming
Reading quotations
Use of charts and graphs
Case Studies
Collage-making
Show and Tell

Attributes of a Peace Educator

The teacher of peace is a responsible global citizen, an intentional
agent of a culture of peace, a person of vision, capable of hope and the
imaging of positive change.
S/he is motivated by service and is actively involved in the
community.
S/he is both a transmitter and transformer of cultures.
S/he is a seeker of mutually enhancing relationships that nurture
peace and a sense of community.
S/he is gender sensitive and alert to any possibility of gender bias in
self or students.
A teacher of peace is constructively critical.
A teacher of peace intentionally develops the capacity to care by
knowing the learners in their charge as individuals.
S/he is an inquirer.
S/he has the skills of reflective learning through which s/he applies
what is learned from teaching to deepen his/her own understanding of
the students and the learning processes.
A teacher of peace has the skills of communication and conflict
resolution.
S/he practices cooperative learning by encouraging cooperative
learning tasks and discouraging negative competition or in-group outgroup behavior among students.
A teacher of peace inspires understanding of alternative possibilities
for the future and for a culture of peace.

Towards a Whole School Approach

In a whole school approach, we try to engage all learning

areas, all the members of the school community (students
faculty, staff) and the wider community.
The approach also includes other aspects of school life such as
teaching practices and methods, student activities, administrative
policies, school structures and relationships, as well as social
action for and with larger community.
A whole school approach is important because the consistent
peace messages and values found in the various aspects of the
school and community will facilitate and reinforce the intended
learnings.