Introduction

Education for Peace supports this building of cultures of peace through a comprehensive approach that recognizes the connections between inner, interpersonal, intergroup, and global peace.  We work in all contexts and environments to diagnose the dynamics of conflict that are present and how to transform them into dynamics of peace.

Framework

Peace and education are inseparable aspects of our well-being as individuals and communities. However, too often we educate in ways that promote conflict and violence rather than peace.  We teach and preach ideas and ideologies that promote exclusion or hate.  We create environments that are unsafe and unwelcome for some. We promote the superiority of certain peoples over others.  We instill in our children a belief that conflict and violence are normal and acceptable.

Education for Peace  transforms how we learn, what we learn, and the environments we create.  

We create a culture of peace by helping individuals and groups to examine how their worldviews and patterns of thought can promote peace or conflict, and how to harness the peace-oriented force of those worldviews.  

By transforming our understanding of our worldviews, we transform our capacity to act in new ways. We are empowered to build environments in our families, schools, organizations, and communities that are inclusive and safe, reinforce cooperation and cohesion, and make the perpetuation of conflict and violence difficult choices to make.

How can you help?

We each have a role to play in creating cultures of peace.. Where you fit in depends on your interests, skills, and unique sphere of influence.

Teachers

Teach your students to be peace-builders by using Education for Peace curricula.

Additional Resources:
Curriculum and Training

Students

Be leaders in peace-building in your schools and communities by creating Youth Peace-Builder groups.

Additional Resources:
Peace-building for Children and Youth

Researchers

Use and build upon cutting-edge research on creating a culture of peace.

Additional Resources:
Research

Through designing and implementing peace-building programs Education for Peace has worked directly  with governments, education systems, and schools to effect far-reaching and transformative change.

  • In Bosnia and Herzegovina Education for Peace worked throughout the entire school system to implement a “whole of school” approach that addressed everything from curricula design to teacher training to student support. This includes:
    • Creating mechanisms for teachers, students, administrators, surrounding community, support staff and parents to actively participate in the building of inter-ethnic harmony, democracy and a culture of peace in the school community and wider society;
    • Assisting traumatized children and adults in the process of psychological recovery by creating a culture of healing in the participating communities;
    • Designing and implementing comprehensive evaluation methodologies to track progress in creating a culture of peace.

Explore the training programs that Eduation for Peace has developed to  have helped individuals and groups become agents for peace-building in their environments. Examples from Education for Peace include:

  • Training leaders within governments, organizations and communities to have a peace-oriented approach to leadership that cultivates the creation of unity and cohesion, and reduces conflict.  For example,
    • Education for Peace designed the Malawi Leadership Development Program for the United Nations Development Program and the Government of Malawi to help support peace-oriented leadership and decision-making. 
    • Training youth to be leaders who help galvanize their peers and communities to reduce conflict and build peace. Through the Youth Peace Network, which has been implemented in Canada and the United States,  youth can be mobilized as positive examples for their peers with the goal of creating violence-free, peaceful schools, neighbourhoods, and communities. Trained in cutting-edge concepts of peacemaking, conflict transformation, and violence prevention, Youth can lead their peers in exploring the fundamental ideas, worldviews, and actions that characterize a culture of peace.

Consider using, as well as adapting the Education for Peace resources that support the building of peace, and are free and accessible to anyone and everyone.  Examples include:

  • The Education for Peace curriculum that is used for peace education in schools around the globe. 
  • The of training modules to help youth to be peace-builders, including in their digital environments.
  • The advancement of research that analyzes the dynamics of building a culture of peace, and evaluates what works in practice.

In undertaking these activities Education for Peace has worked with partners from around the globe including:

  • Governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Norway, and United Kingdom
  • Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
  • United Nations Development Program
  • United States Institute for Peace
  • Canadian International Development Agency
  • Japan International Cooperation Agency
  • Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
  • Rotary World Peace Scholarship Program
  • Columbia University Teacher’s College Research Group