EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

Excerpts from the Manual for the Peaceable School, submitted to CPNN by John Zant

This programme, The Peaceable School, was designed in 1999 for use in Dutch primary schools to improve the social and emotional climate in school and classroom, by teaching pupils and teachers how to resolve conflicts constructively and by promoting pupil participation and community- building. The Peaceable School is widely spread in The Netherlands: by 2007, approximately 300 primary schools have implemented the programme (a yearly increase of approximately 50 schools). . .

The Peaceable School has become a programme that strives to make school and class into a democratic community in which everyone feels responsible and involved, with the resolution of conflicts as its starting point. This programme teaches pupils, teachers and parents skills for resolving conflicts, other than by (physical or verbal) violence.

The programme includes a series of lessons for all age groups (including activities for children in Pre-school), intensive training for teachers, classroom observation and coaching and workshops for parents (see section 4). Besides training in conflict-resolution skills, all those involved learn to live with each other in a positive way by setting high standards of behaviour towards each other.

Increasing the responsibility of the pupils for their class and the school is key to this: the school as a community. Pupils learn to be responsible for the resolution of problems in the class and at school. Peer mediation is the most obvious result.

In this programme, peer mediation does not stand alone, but is part of an extensive curriculum. Through the weekly lessons, the pupils gradually work towards a climate in which the resolution of conflicts, other than by violence, becomes normal. Only when all the pupils know what mediation is and have practised it, does the school train a number of them specially as mediators.

Research results of surveys of similar programmes in the U.S. are encouraging. Evaluation research shows a significant reduction of incidents, suspensions, insults, punishments, etc. in all the schools that have implemented conflict resolution and peer mediation (Metis Associates, Inc., The Resolving conflict creatively programme: 1988-1989. Summary of significant findings. New York, 1990). Nearly all the schools report improvement in the general school climate. A large survey of 15 schools in New York, in which 5000 7 to 11-year-old pupils were followed, shows a significant decline in aggressive behaviour and a significant rise in achievement in reading and arithmetic by pupils who had followed more than 25 lessons from the curriculum (Aber J.L., Brown J., and C.C. Henrich, Teaching Conflict Resolution: an effective school-based approach to violence prevention. The National Center for Children in Poverty. New York, 1999).

After two years, nearly all the schools working with The Peaceable School in The Netherlands report a considerable change in the culture. Simple measurements (with thermometers, check-lists, observation) show progress in the actual and sensed feeling of security in almost all the schools.

What is the relation between peace and education?

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

A blog by Montserrat Ponsa (translated by CPNN)

On Friday 19 February 2016, I was honored to attend one of those unforgettable events that make history. At 10.30 h in the morning, the Rector of the UAM [Universidad Autónoma de Madrid] José María Sanz Martínez and the President of Fundación Cultura de Paz Federico Mayor Zaragoza signed an agreement to establish the Joint Institute for Human Rights, Democracy, Culture of Peace and Nonviolence between the UAM and the Culture of Peace Foundation. It will be known as DemosPaz.

video of inauguration

The audience was impressive as it was attended by the deans and professors of different faculties, Social Council, friends and colleagues from the world of human rights and peace.

At the podium in addition to the Rector and Federico Mayor were the Dean of the Faculty of Law Yolanda Valdeolivas, the Dean of the Faculty of Science José María Carrascosa, and the dean of Philosophy and Lettersw, José María Cascón.

Their speeches touched us by their emotion. It was not a mere formal act. It was a unanimous decision involving all members of the Rectorate, the Governing Council and the Social Council.

The function of the University, said Yolanda Valdeolivas, is the promotion of knowledge and life styles to be sustainable. Hence the need to work with society, given that peace is more than the absence of war. It is a question of values and attitudes gained through dialogue. Both the UAM and the Culture of Peace Foundation share the rigorous methodology that has always been promoted by Federico Mayor Zaragoza. This agreement with the UAM will enable us to enlarge this and to share it with others.

The Dean of Philosophy Jose Maria Cascón said all the faculties of the university wish to be involved. This brings to an end the neoliberalism and ultra liberalism from the days of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, a capitalism that is difficult to reconcile with peace. He criticized the discussions taking place these days in Brussels among those who run the world, calling it shameful. They continue to blame the poor. Our enthusiasm, coincides with the basic principle of this new Institute, to combat the neo-liberal ideology. Hence, the Joint Institute for Human Rights, Democracy, Culture of Peace and Nonviolence, and the ambition and enthusiasm of our Rector, our Deans, and Federico Mayor Zaragoza.

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(click here for the Spanish version)

What is the relation between peace and education?

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The Dean of Science José María Carrascosa, said it was an honor to participate in this event, and to share the energy of Dr. Federico Mayor Zaragoza, with whom I had the pleasure of working at the Center for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa. He was pleased that the UAM is supporting this new field of multidisciplinary research. Science has contributed much to life, but the lack of control of some advances has enabled death and atomic destruction, hence the need to achieve our goal which is peace.

Federico Mayor Zaragoza spoke emotionally, saying he was happy and grateful to the UAM, one of the most important centers of the world, for its clear mission: to change from the culture of force and imposition, teaching how to think, to create a philosophy of life, to be free and educated. They undertake intergenerational responsibility on a daily basis with the clear premise that all human lives are equal. He emphasized that we must all share and change from confrontation to discussion. Economics must be subordinated to social justice to ensure a decent life for everyone, a life free from fear. He welcomed the opportunity to work together for the triumph of human rights, especially for those who have not yet known these rights.

Closing the ceremony the Rector José Maria Sanz, thanked Mr Mayor for the confidence he has shown in the UAM: offering us the opportunity for innovation so that, in this 21st Century, research can generates knowledge that transfer to society values that are different from those of the past. His proposal gives us the opportunity to enter this frontier of knowledge, training, and debate. It will allow us to incorporate new areas into UAM, as well as in the society in general. We must focus on interdisciplinary culture in all areas of knowledge, to end inequality, poverty and violence. The UAM will be the engine to offer and go for the opposition values, that build the society of well-being for all without discrimination. The DemosPaz Institute should not only be for UAM but national and international in scope.

The audience was moved by the words we heard. No doubt there will be a beaufiful future for this initiative. No doubt it will achieve great things!

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Famagusta Gazette

The need to have an educational system which promotes peace and reconciliation rather than perpertuating violence ans war is the focus of a programme entitled “Education for a Culture of Peace”.

In a joint interview with the CNA, Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot participants to the programme Loizos Loukaides and Süleyman Gelener point out that, at a time when efforts to reach a solution of the Cyprus problem are intensified, the need for change in the educational system in order to cultivate a culture of peace and anti-racism is imperative.

Loukaides works as assistant in the programme, is a teacher and a consultant on peace education matters. Gelener is also an elementary school teacher and member of the board of the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR).

A total of 180 teachers have been trained from both communities as part of the programme and a number of workshops on education for peace and democratic structured dialogue have also taken place.

In the first semester of 2016 joint activities for 160 students from both communities are planned to take place.

The two educators express their conviction that the programme can be described as a success.

Loukaides said that the programme is funded by the EU and was created by a group of people who either take part in AHDR or at the Research Institute POST, either in their personal capacity as scientists, researchers or active citizens.

“The programme was created because of the need to have an educational system which will not perpetuate violence and war but instead it will promote peace and reconciliation, not only as regards relations between the two communities but on a more comprehensive framework which includes other themes of what we call `Peace Culture`”, he says.

The idea for such a programme is not something new, Gelener says on his part. In previous years, he adds, “we had to face some problems as regards its implementation and to the way teachers would come in contact with the programme.”

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Can Cyprus be reunited in peace?

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“Later on, when EU grants for Turkish Cypriots were announced we thought this programme could fall within their remit and after jointly applying for the grant, we got it,” he adds.

According to Loukaides a library has been created at the premises of the Research Institute POST which includes approximately 600 books related to education for peace. It ranges from children`s literature to research books and text books with exercises for education and peace.

With the help of the Ministry of Education and Culture and Turkish Cypriot teachers` trade unions the programme has had access to teachers and has organised workshops across the divide in the capital Nicosia, as well as in Paphos and Larnaca, he points out.

The next workshops took shape out of the views expressed in the first series of workshops, he explains. An introductory workshop took place before the summer and this year, two weeks ago, all teachers from both communities of Cyprus came together in a bicommunal workshop.

For the time being seminars with teachers will continue. Another two meetings will take place with teachers from both communities while during the first six months of the year activities with 160 students from across the island will start.

A theatre summer camp under the title “Crossroads” will also take place in cooperation with the theatrical organisation TheatrEtc experienced in hosting such camps for teenagers.

Next year an international conference on education for a culture of peace is planned, in which teachers and experts from abroad will take part.

The programme will conclude with a topic on the work achieved during its three years of operation which will also include ideas for new actions for both Cyprus and abroad, because, as Loukaides says, “we believe our work is innovative not only for Cyprus but also for other countries which suffer from conflict.”

Referring to the programme`s goals Süleyman Gelener highlights the fact that it does not just focus on Cyprus or on the process between the two communities but also on a wide variety of issues such as human rights, animal rights, environmental protection, organic nutrition and generally issues that matter.

“I feel that if we manage to create a society which is aware on these issues and grows up in such a culture, then the Cyprus problem will be resolved more easily,” he says.