PEACE EDUCATION
1. Holistic Concept of Peace
Personal or Inner Peace: Achieving mental, emotional, and psychological tranquility. This
includes mindfulness, self-awareness, and emotional regulation as foundational elements.
Interpersonal Peace: Promoting respect, understanding, and nonviolent communication
in relationships. It involves conflict resolution skills, empathy, and cooperative problemsolving.
Social Peace: A just and inclusive society where institutions promote equal opportunities
and human rights. Social peace emphasizes the dismantling of structural inequalities that
perpetuate violence and social unrest.
Global Peace: International harmony, where countries collaborate to address global
challenges such as poverty, climate change, and conflict resolution. This dimension
highlights the interconnectedness of humanity and the necessity of diplomacy, human
rights, and international cooperation.
2. Peace Education’s Goals and Schema of Objectives
Preventing Violence: Encouraging a mindset and behaviors that reject
violence in all forms, whether physical, emotional, or structural.
Promoting Nonviolent Communication: Developing an understanding of
how language and communication practices can contribute to either
conflict or peace.
Empowering Critical Consciousness: Fostering a critical approach to
understanding social and political structures, enabling students to
challenge systems of oppression and inequality.
Fostering Global Citizenship: Encouraging students to think globally and
act locally in promoting peace, with an emphasis on sustainable
development, global justice, and human rights.
Schema of Objectives:
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Cognitive Objectives: Students will gain knowledge about the various
theories of peace, conflict, and justice. They will be able to critically
evaluate societal structures that affect peace and conflict.
Affective Objectives: Students will develop an attitude of empathy,
respect, and social responsibility. They will cultivate an appreciation for
cultural diversity and social justice.
Behavioral Objectives: Students will demonstrate peace-building
behaviors, including conflict resolution, collaborative problem-solving,
and active engagement in promoting a peaceful society.
3. Major Themes in Peace Education
Conflict Transformation: Beyond merely resolving conflicts, this theme
focuses on changing the underlying dynamics of conflicts to prevent their
recurrence. It involves understanding the root causes of conflict, such as
poverty, inequality, and discrimination.
Human Rights and Social Justice: This theme examines the principles of
equality, fairness, and dignity. It encourages students to critically assess
human rights frameworks and address global and local injustices.
Intercultural Understanding: Peace education emphasizes the importance
of appreciating and respecting cultural diversity. By promoting
intercultural dialogue, students learn to build cross-cultural empathy and
understanding.
Environmental Peace: Acknowledging the role of environmental
degradation in fostering conflict, this theme advocates for sustainable
development practices as integral to achieving peace.
Democratic Participation and Citizenship: This theme encourages the
active participation of students in democratic processes, cultivating
informed and responsible citizenship. It emphasizes the values of
democracy, collective decision-making, and nonviolent political
engagement..
4. General Teaching-Learning Process and Teaching
Approaches
Critical Pedagogy: Inspired by Paulo Freire, this approach challenges
students to question and critically engage with social, political, and
economic systems. It encourages students to understand their role in
creating change through dialogue and action.
Transformative Learning: Peace education seeks to foster transformative
learning experiences, where students challenge their assumptions, beliefs,
and perspectives. This process involves self-reflection and an openness to
change.
Problem-Based Learning (PBL): In PBL, students actively investigate realworld problems related to peace and conflict. This approach encourages
collaborative learning and enhances students' ability to apply theoretical
knowledge to practical situations.
Restorative Justice Approaches: Incorporating restorative justice principles
into peace education helps students understand conflict from a relational
perspective. This approach emphasizes repairing harm, understanding the
impact of actions, and restoring relationships.
Global Learning and Service-Learning: These approaches connect students
to global peace initiatives and involve them in community-based projects
aimed at fostering peace.
5. Attributes of a Teacher of Peace
Curriculum Integration: Peace education should be embedded across all disciplines, with
clear links to subjects such as history, literature, geography, and civics.
School Climate: The school environment should reflect peaceful values, with an emphasis
on respect, inclusion, and fairness in all interactions among students, staff, and the wider
community.
Restorative Practices: Implementing restorative practices within the school system to
address conflicts and promote healing, rather than punitive measures. This includes peer
mediation and dialogue circles.
Leadership and Governance: School leaders should model peace-building behaviors and
foster democratic decision-making within the school.
Community Engagement: Peace education should extend beyond the school, with
engagement in local and global peace initiatives, allowing students to contribute
meaningfully to peace efforts in the community.
Peace education at the collegiate level
encourages a deeper understanding of the
complexities of peace, conflict, and justice. By focusing
on critical analysis, reflective practice, and integrative
learning, students are prepared to not only understand
peace theoretically but also engage in active peacebuilding efforts across various contexts. Peace
education is integral to developing global citizens
capable of addressing contemporary global challenges
through collaborative and peaceful means.