“Preventing conflicts is the work of politics: establishing peace is the work of education.”
Our World, Our Legacy:
Cultivating a Culture of Peace
Mary Caroline Parker & Victoria Barrès
27th International Montessori Congress, Portland
Welcome to this break-out session on “Our World, Our Legacy: Cultivating cultures of
peace.” My name is Victoria Barrès and my colleague is Mary Caroline Parker.
First of all, we would like to thank the Montessori Congress organizers and Association
Montessori Internationale (AMI) for allowing us to organize this session on “Our World, Our
Legacy: Cultivating a Culture of Peace”. Before sharing some thoughts and examples about
Montessori’s discoveries, experiences and their links to a culture of peace, we’d like for
everyone to know one another a little better. So we have a few questions for you… Thank you.
Your show of hands is an indication of our own cultural diversity within the international
Montessori movement. An important part of ‘cultivating cultures of peace’ involves ‘learning
to live together’ - and that means actually taking time to get to know one another and
appreciate different cultures, languages, traditions and ways of living, obviously more than
we’ve done just now. There’s a lot of talk these days about ‘saving the environment’ and
‘sustainable development’, which forms an integral part of a ‘culture of peace’ as we will learn
later. What is also needed is to galvanize more people to nurture the ‘human environment’
more effectively everywhere, besides the natural environment.
Today in the first part of our session, we’ll present some founding Montessori principles
about child development, education and peace, and their links to the global movement
promoting the transition from ‘a culture of war’ towards ‘a culture of peace” and ultimately a
more harmonious world. Mary Caroline Parker will begin with Montessori’s ideas applied at
the ‘microcosm’, starting with the young child in the family at home and school and then
continuing through the other planes of child development through adolescence.
Montessori was both part of her time and ahead of her times as a medical doctor,
concerned with the social, cultural, political, philosophical, and spiritual development of
mankind. Her approach to caring for, educating, and healing children drew upon her interests
and experiences, including her commitment as a doctor and educator and also to the
promotion of women. One of Montessori’s profound discoveries is that ‘peace begins’ first by a
deeper understanding of adults towards children - all children - and then their use of
appropriate ways to provide just enough help - but not too much - and just the right kind of
help - so that children can cultivate solid roots for their own human development in a
peaceful way.
In the second part of our presentation, I will share how Montessori’s principles are
connected to the “macrocosm”, i.e., to the global movement advancing towards a Culture of
Peace and also some advances by international institutions and governments, in partnerships
that involve governments, non-government organizations (NGOs at international, national
and local levels) and many actors of what is sometimes called ‘civil society’ that includes
mayors, parliamentarians, foundations, universities, and other groups.
Finally, we’ll brainstorm together and encourage you to suggest ways we can collaborate
to create and expand links: information sharing, exploration, partnerships and strategies to
encourage others to join this global movement for a ‘culture of peace’. Within the Montessori
movement, our roles as facilitators of a global culture of peace have advanced locally in many
unique ways. Montessori teachers, parents and children already live and experience the beauty
and joy of living together with people from other cultures and societies - without fear - and
with the joy of discovering varied foods, customs, music, art, stories, and also senses of humor.
We’re particularly interested in suggestions that enable ‘multiplier effects’ in inexpensive,
time-effective ways, in partnership with other individuals and organizations who are also
committed to expanding a ‘culture of peace‘ worldwide.
Part I: Montessori principles of child development, education and peace, and their
links to global efforts to promote a culture of peace
Now let’s listen to Mary Caroline Parker, Director, Barbara Gordon Montessori School,
Houston and AMI Board Member responsible for outreach. She also sits on other boards,
including the Montessori Institute of Northern Texas (MINT). Previously she was director of
East Dallas Community School (EDCS), where she created a reading game about ‘Peace
Education and the UN’ for 6-9 year old children. The children’s artwork, “What Peace Means
to Me” was exhibited at the AMI booth at the 2008 International Peace Salon at the Museum
of Science and Industry in Paris.
(See Mary Caroline Parker, “Montessori and Peace: The New Man for the New World”,
Powerpoint Presentation and text in 2013 International Montessori Congress proceedings.)
In the first part, Mary Caroline Parker laid a solid foundation about how Montessori
principles in the home and in school are adapted to children’s needs throughout the three
planes of development (0-6; 6-12; 12-18 years). A Culture of Peace is promoted within a nonviolent education, one that allows children choice (activity, choice to work alone or with
others, the time they can spend, freedom of movement). All activities are set within a 2/12- 3
hour work period and have clearly defined rules and reasonable limits. When children live
and experience this way of life from early childhood on, they learn responsible behavior by
combining thought and action. They are ‘joyful’ because they have more control over their
lives. Their ‘inner growth’ is not hampered by ‘unnecessary obstacles’. Maria Montessori
states:
“Discovery concerns something which, though already in existence, for one reason or another
has remained hidden from human consciousness. In this case it was the discovery of the deeper
nature of the child, for when the right conditions were established, the result was the
spontaneous appearance of characteristics which revealed not a portion of but a whole
personality. “...Other phenomena are respect for the belongings of others and a love and an
interest in external objects, so intense that we have called it ‘love of the environment’. It is a love
inspired by knowledge, however, and not by desire of possession.”
The wonder of discovery, which begins in childhood, remains largely dormant and
invisible except for those with the capacity to observe closely the unfolding of life. Great
thinkers and artists never lose this ‘sense of wonder’ acquired in childhood. They grow up and
devote their lives to a core focus, and many are concerned to help humanity. This ‘sense of
wonder’ nourishes their curiosity to understand, to save and protect life in its myriad
forms...It doesn’t promote ‘reductionist’ solutions in black and white, either/or kinds of
solutions. Rather, it promotes a culture of peace by nurturing the nuances of life, from its
tiniest shapes and forms to the cosmos.
In her last book, The Sense of Wonder, Rachel Carson shares her love of nature with her
four year-old nephew, who surprised her by ‘absorbing’ the names of plants and the joy of
discovering them on their walks together in the woods of Maine. A more recent example is Dr.
Eric Chivian who co-founded International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War in
1980 (IPPNW) (Nobel Prize 1985) (200,000 members, 60 countries, 62 national medical
organizations). He is also the founder of the Harvard Center of Health and the Global
Environment.
Slide : Discovering Myself and the World. It Begins Early and Lasts a Lifetime. (Photos: infant
from Torres Straits and Dr. Eric Chivian).
For those of you who might not know about Montessori’s early years as a young doctor
who was already concerned about social issues, here are a few brief points. From the outset of
her professional career, Maria Montessori advocated strongly on social reform issues for
women and children, both in her hospital work, and in speeches throughout Italy and Europe
at feminist events where she was widely acclaimed. In 1900 she gave a speech against child
labor in London (children in mining), and advocated together with Queen Victoria.
In 1908, one year after her discoveries with the children of San Lorenzo, Montessori
observed the young traumatized child’s capacity for self-healing when placed in certain
environments. About 60 very young children, victims of the earthquake in Messina, Sicily had
been brought to a Franciscan convent in Rome. They were welcomed into a carefully prepared
environment with a lovely inner courtyard filled with flowers and birds. There the children
were allowed free choice of proposed activities and time to ‘be’. These little ones were the only
survivors, simply because they had been playing in the streets. At first, the nights especially
were filled with screams and nightmares. Nobody knew the children’s names. Even Montessori
thought they might not survive the trauma, despite everyone’s efforts to be calm and loving.
Montessori observed that the children were not comforted by usual healing practices, but
rather that each one’s interest to ‘live’ was sparked by his or her own specific ‘center of
interest’, including the simple beauty of nature.
Montessori realized that in this ‘prepared environment’, these very young children were
gradually ‘healing themselves’ by choosing to live and become actively involved in practical
life and other activities. With her medical background, and specialization in psychiatry,
Montessori understood profoundly that a traumatized person, even a very young child, must
first choose to live and connect with the world. After this first ‘step’ to choose ‘life’, each
person has to choose to where to concentrate his energies. This concentration helps each one
find an inner peace and overcome their trauma through the process of personal creative
expressions.
The 1913 Course Lectures, a course on ‘Nature’ published in the AMI Journal 2013 again
demonstrates Montessori’s early concern to create appropriate environments that call the
child to the natural world and to life.
In 1915, Gandhi read Montessori’s book, Scientific Pedagogy. Afterwards he visited a
school in Amreli where he found some ‘tinsel’, practices didn’t really correspond with
Montessori’s ideas. Gandhi understood Montessori’s insistence on the importance of healthy
early childhood development. He encouraged the creation of early childhood centers in
villages, despite the limited means available. It was only in 1931 that Montessori and Gandhi
had the opportunity to meet twice in London, once at the London training center where he
gave a talk. Addressing Montessori, Gandhi expressed his hope that the poor children of India
could also benefit from Montessori’s ideas and explicitly acknowledged to her,
“ You have very truly remarked that if we are to reach real peace in this world and if we are to
carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with children and if they will grow up in
their natural innocence, we won't have the struggle, we won't have to pass fruitless idle
resolutions, but we shall go from love to love and peace to peace, until at last all the corners of
the world are covered with that peace and love for which, consciously or unconsciously, the
whole world is hungering.”
This quote continues to circulate widely today, most often in a truncated form without the
introductory context where Gandhi recognizes Montessori’s contribution towards a ‘culture of
peace’. During that encounter, Gandhi asked Montessori to come to India to teach a course for
the poorest, marginalized populations, which she agreed immediately to do. In 1939, invited
by the Arundales, she went to Madras, now Chennai, with Mario Montessori and taught a
course at Adyar, where the Theosophical Society was located.
In the 1930s several of Montessori’s speeches on peace and education (1932 – 1937) were
gathered together and published in a book entitled Education and Peace. (1932, Geneva,
“Peace”, International Bureau of Education; 1936 Brussels, European Peace Conference; 1937,
“Educate for Peace” Conference, Danish Parliament). In her speech at the International Bureau
of Education, Montessori insisted that
"The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has
discovered joy and enthusiasm in work gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a
new direction”.
All Montessori’s speeches stress the importance of the adults’ need to understand healthy
early child development in order to remove the obstacles that prevent children from
developing peacefully.
“ A world disappointed with itself and filled with disquieting fears of the future must look for
sound rebuilding not to the regulated machine or the unchained worker or the liberated
woman but to the emancipated child... “We cannot know the consequences of suppressing a
child's spontaneity when he is just beginning to be active. We may even suffocate life itself.
That humanity which is revealed in all its intellectual splendor during the sweet and tender age
of childhood should be respected with a kind of religious veneration. It is like the sun which
appears at dawn or a flower just beginning to bloom. Education cannot be effective unless it
helps a child to open up himself to life.”
"The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has
discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a
new direction.
At the 1937 “Educate for Peace Conference” at the Danish Parliament, Montessori
focused specifically on human energy, the least understood of energies, stating,
“Today these energies are scattered or rather repressed and led astray because of errors made by
the kind of education which still holds the world under its flat ruler. ...The lack of adult
understanding towards children carries within it the tragedy of the human heart, which later
shows itself by lack of sensitivity, laziness, even criminality. Those who have been humiliated
are ashamed of themselves; the timid ones retire into their shells; the fearful ones seek out their
personal comfort. All the potential wealth of the human personality is reduced to nothing...We
need to understand [that] the fire of genius, the perspicacity of intelligence, the light of
conscience are all energies needing to be organized, regulated, valorized and used for the
progress of social life.
Part II: Recent Progress within international institutions and governments to promote
a ‘culture of peace’
The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have made great strides in promoting a culture
of peace, despite many obstacles and failures that reveal to us the hard work that still lies
ahead. Even before the end of World War II, certain individuals and countries contemplated
ways to promote peace by creating international institutions where countries could discuss
their problems and negotiate non-violent solutions more effectively than former institutions
like the League of Nations. Out of those efforts, the United Nations was created, with several
agencies and structures, ranging from the General Assembly, the Security Council, to the
Economic and Social Committee and also the United Nations Education, Science and Culture
Organization (UNESCO). As defined by its Constitution, UNESCO’s purpose is:
"to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among nations through
education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law
and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the
world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United
Nations".
The Constitution exists in UNESCO's six official languages. The opening lines of the
UNESCO Preamble are engraved in ten languages on the Tolerance Square Wall, UNESCO
Paris.(Photo). The Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO declares that "since wars begin in
the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed".
In order that a unanimous, lasting and genuine peace may be secured, the Preamble declares
that the States Party to the Constitution believed "in full and equal opportunities for
education for all, in the unrestricted pursuit of objective truth and in the free exchange of
ideas and knowledge".
After adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, the UN
General Assembly called upon all Member States to publicize the text of the Declaration and
"to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and
other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or
territories." In 1950, on the second anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, students at the UN International Nursery School in New York viewed a poster
of the historic document. (UN Photo) For over five decades, however, this recommendation
was not widely followed. Even though many people today still ignore this significant
document, major strides have been made in Human Rights Education at UNESCO and
elsewhere to integrate it into school systems and beyond so that children today will grow up
with this knowledge and commit themselves to promoting human rights for all people.
Not surprisingly, given the pervasiveness of the ‘culture of war’ mentality, fifty
additional years of significant advocacy work and collaboration among NGOs, UN agencies
and governments were needed to arrive at a more comprehensive concept of a ‘culture of
peace’ - in 1998. As defined by the UN:
"The culture of peace is based on the principles established in the Charter of the United Nations
and on respect for human rights, democracy and tolerance, the promotion of development,
education for peace, the free flow of information and the wider participation of women as an
integral approach to preventing violence and conflicts, and efforts aimed at the creation of
conditions for peace and its consolidation."
(A/Res/52/13, 15 January 1998, para. 2).
Through its Resolution 52/13 of 1998, the UN General Assembly considers that the
culture of peace consists
«of values, attitudes and behaviours that reflect and inspire social interaction and sharing
based on the principles of freedom, justice and democracy, all human rights, tolerance and
solidarity, that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes
to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation and that guarantee the full exercise of all
rights and the means to participate fully in the development process of their society».
An International Decade for a Culture of Non-Violence and Peace for the Children of the
World was established (2001 – 2010), with David Adams, Professor Emeritus of Wesleyan
University, as its head. This decade has helped to encourage institutions and universities to
integrate peace and non-violence studies within their educational programs and to create new
inter-disciplinary studies. Many other initiatives were organized at local, regional, national
and international levels.
Eight areas in the UN Culture of Peace Plan of Action:
1) Education and Peace: over 1,000 initiatives. Institutionalizing an Academic Path for Future
Peacebuilders
2) Sustainable development. Since Rio Conference in 1992
3) Equality between women and men
4) and 5) Human Rights, Tolerance and Solidarity
6) Democratic participation
7) Free circulation of information
8) Disarmament
In his July 2013 blog, David Adams stated
“The last time there was a global economic crash in 1929, it was followed by the political “solution”
of fascism. In fact, fascism is simply the extreme manifestation of the culture of war in all its
aspects. Herein lies the greatest challenge to the Global Movement for a Culture of Peace. If its
principles are sufficiently established in the consciousness of people and in institutional
frameworks, it can provide a convincing alternative to fascism in the face of the crises...More and
more there is a global realization that there are no military solutions to the economic and
political crises. But can this negative anti-war sentiment be matured into a positive culture of
peace consciousness that consists of positive actions as well as ideas?””
Dr. Elise Boulding, a renowned sociologist, and leader in promoting a culture of peace
over many decades, including women’s key role in peace-making and peace-building, stressed
that peace is a daily and dynamic activity rather than a dull, static state. "Pacifism, which
literally refers to the making of peace," she wrote, "is often mistakenly understood as
passivism."
Decades earlier, Montessori had also mentioned the importance of the home in
education as an aid to life for the child and the links to peace,
“The home environment has to cater for the needs of all household members. While the child
should not become the `ruler of the house', small changes can be made to accommodate and help
him become increasingly independent. We need to support the child and prepare him for life. The
ultimate gift to the child is the knowledge and ability to live as a contributing member of the
community.
In 2000, a major milestone occurred in the efforts to expand the culture of peace
worldwide, when the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 calling for broad
participation of women in peace-building, post-conflict reconstruction.
AMI participated at UNESCO during the Decade for a Culture of Peace and NonViolence for the Children of the World. Its 2001 Congress, ‘Education as an Aid to Life” held at
UNESCO headquarters was a flagship Decade event. In 2007 AMI joined the International
Network for a Culture of Non-violence and Peace, which grew out of the French umbrella
NGO established for the Decade, with over 80 member organizations. The International
Network decided to focus on an important goal to raise the visibility of key specific rights for
all children. It drafted a “Proposal for an International Declaration on Children’s Right to
Violence-free Education and to Peace and Non-violence Education”. This text was given to 192
Ministers of Education via the permanent delegations of the Member States represented at
UNESCO and at the International Conference on Education, “Inclusive Education: the Way of
the Future” attended by the Ministers of Education, Geneva (2008). This proposal explicitly
introduces two significant points that are implied, but not explicitly stated, in the current
international instruments pertaining to the rights of the child: 1) Children’s right to violencefree education; 2) Children’s right to peace and non-violence education. The full text is
available in several languages: French, English, Spanish. See the campaign video on youtube
on the www.nvpnetwork.net in ‘activities’ menu.
Recent changes in education laws in two European countries are heartening signs that
will hopefully encourage other countries to follow suit rapidly over the coming years. This
summer, on June 25, 2013, after many years of advocacy in France by the French Coordination
on Education about Non-Violence and Peace and its member organizations, a new Education
law was introduced. As of September 2013, all teachers, all student teachers and all personnel
in educational institutions are required to receive training in conflict resolution and
prevention. Spain had already changed its laws several years ago. A children’s version of this
proposal is available as a ‘reading game’ for 6-9 year olds. Currently it exists in eight
languages: English, Chinese, Danish, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Vietnamese. Versions
are in preparation for Arabic, Japanese, and Swahili. Anyone interested in translating this text
into other languages can contact us at address below.
Members of the International Coalition
December 2010
National Coalitions:
Austria : Österreichisches Netzwerk für
Frieden und Gewaltfreiheit
Benin : Coordination béninoise pour la
Décennie
Canada : Coordination canadienne pour la
Décennie – observer
Congo Brazzaville : Plate-forme congolaise
pour la Décennie
Democratic Republic of Congo :Coordination
congolaise pour la Décennie
France : Coordination française pour la
Décennie
Germany : Kooperation für den Frieden observer
Guinea : Coordination guinéenne pour la
Décennie – observer
Italy : Comitato italiano per il Decennio
Mali : Coordination malienne pour la
Décennie – observer
Morocco : Coordination marocaine pour la
Décennie internationale
Netherlands : Platform voor een Cultuur van
Vrede en Geweldloosheid
Niger : Coordination nigérienne pour la
Décennie
Senegal : Coordination sénégalaise pour la
Décennie – observer
Togo : Coordination togolaise pour la
Décennie
International organisations:
Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
Caritas Internationalis
Church and Peace
Everest Range network– observer
Franciscans International
Friends World Committee for Consultation –
Quakers
Gandhi International – observer
Initiatives of Change International
International Federation of Action by
Chistians for the Abolition of Torture
(FIACAT)
International Fellowship of Reconciliation
(IFOR)
International Network Youth and NonViolence – observer
Pax Christi International
Pax Romana / ICMICA
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace –
observer
Réseau Foi, Culture et Education – Central
Africa
Servicio Paz y Justicia en América Latina
(SERPAJ- AL) – observer
SIGNIS - World Catholic Association for
Communication
Women’s International League for Peace and
Freedom (WILPF)
World Council of Churches (WCC) – observer
Proposal
for an International Declaration
on children’s right
to violence-free education
and to peace and non-violence
education
Original: French
International Coalition for the Decade
for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence
for the Children of the World (2001-2010)
148, rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis – F-75010 Paris
Tel.: + 33 (0)1 40 36 06 60
Fax: + 33 (0)1 40 36 06 80
E-mail: secretariat@nvpdecade.org
Website: http://www.nvpdecade.org
!
LIÊN HIỆP QUỐC
và GIÁO DỤC về
HÒA BÌNH
cho THIẾU NHI
The 2008 Peace Salon, held in Paris at Museum of Science and Industry, had over 15,000
visitors over four days. The Association Montessori Internationale had a stand that displayed
artwork of children from East Dallas Community School on “What Peace Means to Them”.
André Roberfroid, AMI President, participated in a plenary round table, together with
Federico Mayor, former Director General UNESCO, Tian Qiang, UNESCO Assistant Director
Education, and representatives from the European Union. This is an example where AMI
collaborates in partnerships that connect the local to the global, together with other
organizations interested in promoting a ‘culture of peace’. These events provide opportunities
to exchange and learn as well as increase awareness and commitment to participate in this
growing worldwide movement.
Below are a few initiatives at UNESCO where AMI has participated in committees and
events. Several Joint Programmatic Commissions and Working Groups: “Dialogue between
cultures for peace” UNESCO/NGO Joint Programmatic Commission organized two
Symposium on the themes of defining obstacles and prerequisites for dialogue among
religions, cultures, peoples. In November 2009 the NGO/UNESCO Human Rights Commission
organized a 20th anniversary celebration at UNESCO of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child with over 200 children, including a group of Montessori primary and elementary
children. “Early Childhood Care and Education: Seeds of the Future” was another symposium
held on April 23, 2012, organized by the EFA Working Group.
The UNESCO NGO Liaison Committee proposed that it be an International Day during the
Global Week for Education for All. The Montessori “Strait Start” Program in the Torres Strait
Islands was presented by Lynne Lawrence, AMI Executive Director. The strong support of
indigenous parents and community results from their acknowledgment that this program
respects their cultures and their key roles as parents, in their children’s peaceful development.
Other speakers also strongly stressed this
point of respecting local cultures and
Children in a Montessori classroom of the
traditions in order to partner with
‘Corner of Hope’ in the camp for
communities more effectively to educate
displaced people (Nakuru, Kenya) where
their children and cultivate peace.
AMI is responsible for on-site teacher
training and mentoring. The children
prepared a skit on the culture of peace
theme for the 2013 -2014 Peace Event,
“Marionettes get involved for Peace”,
organized by the UNESCO/NGO Working
Group, ‘Culture of Peace’. A large event
with live performers and many children is
planned for September 21, 2014 at
UNESCO headquarters. All the videos are
Culture of Peace Event
For those who wish to get more involved in promoting the ‘culture of peace’ with
Montessorians and others, a few suggestions were mentioned. Improving and maintaining
regular connections with the media about our collective ‘culture of peace’ initiatives is an
important task. Two suggestions encourage people to share initiatives on the websites of AMI,
‘culture of peace’ page and/or the International Network for a Culture of Non-Violence and
Peace’. The use of social media like Facebook and Twitter are other new ways to share
information, particularly with young people. ‘Shared initiatives’ that bridge the local to the
global, together with other partners, increase visibility, synergy and more effective use of
limited financial and human resources.
An important International Peace Event will be held in Sarajevo, June 6 – 9, 2014 to
enlarge partnerships and acknowledge little known people who worked tirelessly for peaceful
solutions to avoid the first world war. This event is currently in the planning stages with many
local and international NGOs, including the International Network for a Culture of NonViolence and Peace member organizations and others such as Mayors for Peace. A Youth
Forum will also take place. All interested can contact me through AMI at
secretariat@montessori-ami.org, vsbarres@aol.com and the International Network for a
Culture of Peace, at www.nvpnetwork.net.
Lifelong Education for All that supports quality education and global citizenship is the
new educational framework at UNESCO. Education begins before birth and continues
throughout everyone’s entire lifetime. We can learn to be at peace with the reality that
although we don’t know everything, we can still learn and find beauty and joy in nature,
family, friendships, working to make the world a better place for today’s and future
generations. Together the adult and the child can help one another advance on their lives’
journey. As Montessori reminds us,
“Whoever touches the life of the child, touches the most sensitive point of a whole which has
roots in the most distant past and climbs toward the infinite future.”
UNESCO and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and
UNESCO’S Regional Office in Dakar have launched “Childhood Cultures”, an
intergenerational African series of children’s books. Through the experiences of the main
characters Bouba and Zaza, the series seeks to develop life and socialization skills outside the
family context among children three to eight. The series is also aimed at older children,
parents, and teachers.
Bouba and Zaza Protect the Planet
Bouba and Zaza Learn to Say No
Bouba and Zaza Say Thank You
Research shows that where books are found in family environments, children stay in school
for three additional years. New emphasis is to produce inexpensive, well-designed books for
young children. Besides French and English, Kiswahili, and Portuguese, other languages are
planned for the future. This inter-generational approach towards reading promotes a ‘shared
culture’ of knowledge and understanding that will hopefully favor new synergies in the future.
These books should also be found in all Montessori classrooms and public libraries so that
children worldwide can discover African children’s lives and experiences. Several cartoon
versions are in preparation. The first one, Bouba and Zaza Protect the Earth is available now
at: youtube.com/watch?v=wE1wBmlict0.
Two new UNESCO institutes have recently been created. The Mahatma Gandhi Institute
of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, a joint initiative by UNESCO and the
Government of India, opened in November 2012. The second one, the International Institute
for Peace, was co-founded by Actor Forest Whitaker and Professor of Cultural Anthropology
Aldo Civico, Rutgers University, new UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors for Peace. We hope
that these two institutes will create opportunities for future AMI collaboration both regionally
and internationally.
Elise Boulding, an American Quaker, and Daisaku Ikeda, a Japanese Buddhist, began
their journeys in peace building from vastly divergent locales and traditions. Their 15 intimate
conversations Into Full Flower: Making Peace Cultures reveal that shared wisdom grows from
an unwavering commitment to a better world. The dynamic qualities of peace cultures they
explore include:
- peace building as a continuum from the family to global institutions;
- women’s contributions at all levels of society;
- education as a holistic, lifelong process;
- celebration of interdependence and a rejection of win-lose mindsets;
- faith in our capacity to build upon existing examples of peace cultures.
Daisaku Ikeda speaks about Americans not comprehending the massive loss of civilian
life in cities like Nagasaki, Hiroshima, and Dresden during World War II until the tragedy of
September 11, 2001. The granite Angel of Nagasaki, originally on the façade of the Urakami
church, was the only remaining vestige after the atomic bomb was dropped on August 9, 1945.
It was given to UNESCO in 1978 by the city of Nagasaki, which founded the association,
“Mayors for Peace”. The sculpture is located on an outside wall in the UNESCO Peace Garden,
a gift of the Japanese government. Ikeda says that it’s important to listen to stories of pain
and trauma caused by decisions to ‘make peace using violent means’, which plant new seeds
for the ‘culture of war’ in the future.
As Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Elise Boulding, Montessori and other peace advocates realized,
and now the United Nations has understood in theory and increasingly in practice, the
promotion of a culture of peace has to be everyone’s task. It can’t be left in the hands of
governments and a few experts. It requires more effective use of our most precious resource,
our human energies, to make the world a better place for all its inhabitants today and
tomorrow. Montessori understood that many more people – including children – need to be
encouraged to contribute actively to this work in their schools and communities, so they will
grow up understanding they are an important part of the shared international effort to create
a culture of peace for all:
“Because men have been able to master cosmic energies crossing through the atmosphere, in the
end they will be able to understand that the fire of genius, the perspicacity of intelligence and
the light of conscience are also energies that need to be organized, regulated, valorized and used
for the progress of social life.
"Times have changed, and science has made great progress, and so has our work; but our
principles have only been confirmed, and along with them our conviction that mankind can
hope for a solution to its problems, among which the most urgent are those of peace and unity,
only by turning its attention and energies to the discovery of the child and to the development
of the great potentialities of the human personality in the course of its formation."
(Foreword,
"The Discovery of the Child", 1948)
Thank you for your patience, interest and hopefully your commitment to collaborate in
your own unique ways to ‘champion the cause of all children’ by promoting the ‘culture of
peace’ for present and future generations.