Peace Education

Mr. Christopher Gardner

OUTLINE OF TODAY’S LESSON• (1) Introduction to Peace Education

• What is it?• How has it evolved?• Fundamental questions.

• (2) Sample Lesson Using Approach Outlined In Chapter 20 Of Text.

• Initial facts coupled with 2 video clips• Perspective learning activity & discussion• Take a stand learning activity

• (3) Discussion Of My Approach• (4) Interdisciplinary Suggestions• (5) Conclusion

WHAT IS PEACE EDUCATION?• Today it aims at creating

a global culture of peace.

• Central to the process is the understanding and transformation of violence.

• Promotes cooperation globally and in the classroom.

• Students are empowered to take responsibility through participatory learning methods in an environment of tolerance, care, and respect.

It consists of people “consciously striving

to educate their successors not for

the existing state of affairs but so as to

make possible a future better

humanity” (John Dewey, Democracy

and Education).

GOALS OF PEACE EDUCATION HAVE EVOLVED

UNESCO (1945)

Nuclear Fear (1980s)

Hague Appeal For Peace (2000)http://cominganarchy.com/2009/06/17/early-1980s-nuclear-armageddon-films/

2. How do we approach questions of violence and non-violence in the classroom without furthering the belief that war is inevitable or that we are powerless to bring about peace?

1. How do we begin to teach without first confronting the heavy emotional cloud that often produces psychological numbness and closed-mindedness? And should we?

FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS

EGYPTIAN PROTESTS 2011• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtLJpzUp2

Z8 (Interview @ Tahrir Square With Pro-Democracy Activist)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WWU2xdmN6k (Emotional Message From Protestor in London)

FRAME OF REFERENCE ACTIVITY

Core issue, approach or

concept.

Main details.

Underlying beliefs, assumptions and principles (why?)

FRAME OF REFERENCE ACTIVITY

Canadian Government’s Perspective on Egyptian crisis.

Stephen Harper has remained quiet on the issue of whether or not President Mubarak should step down immediately.

Liberal Bob Rae says that Mubarak’s promise to step down in September falls short of being acceptable action.

NDP’s Paul Dewar echoed Rae’s suggestions.

The Conservative government’s stance so far is that they want to see a peaceful transition toward the “basic values of freedom, democracy, human rights and justice.

Democracy is good and will lead to stability.

The Liberal and NDP foreign affairs critics believe instability and protest in Egypt can be directly linked to a single person, Hosni Mubarak.

The Liberal and NDP critics do not believe a transition period is needed to transfer power and institute reform.

Stability will occur when the individual responsible for the cause of the uprising leaves.

DIFFERING APPROACHES TO THE EGYPTIAN CRISIS• Canadian opposition parties want to see President Mubarak

immediately step down.

• Iran’s leaders pledge “spiritual” support to the protestors in Egypt and encourage the pro-democracy revolt.– They want to see religious democracy instituted, and an Iranian

style Islamist government rather than US-style liberal democracy.

• US Democrats want to see President Mubarak step aside, and an interim government before a planned September vote.

DIFFERING APPROACHES TO THE EGYPTIAN CRISIS• Some Egyptians still see Mubarak as a great leader despite a few

criticisms and want him to seek another term.

• Israel fears the absence of Mubarak as a leader in the Middle East will lead to regional instability and wants to support him in any way they can and strengthen his regime.

• The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood wants Mubarak to step down immediately or they would halt any negotiations.– Their goal is to create an Islamic state in Egypt, that would not

force women to cover up in public and respect Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel. They also call for a democratic and civic state.

KEY THEORETICAL DILEMMAS

– WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY VS. RELIGIOUS ISLAMIC DEMOCRACY

– IMMEDIATE CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP VS. TRANSITION PERIOD– DEMOCRACY VS. STABILITY– IS DEMOCRACY A PACIFIER?

DEMOCRACY VS. REGIONAL STABILITY

HTTP://WWW.WASHINGTONPOST.COM/WP-DYN/CONTENT/VIDEO/2011/02/04/VI2011020401102.HTML

TAKE A STAND

READING ACTIVITY (KWL CHART)

What Facts I Know That Support My

Stance

What I Want To Know About My

Opposition

What I Have Learned From The Reading

UNDERTAKE ACTION• HOW TO GET INVOLVED:– Demonstrators across Canada have organized rallies

in support of Egyptian protesters.–Online activism via

petitions & Facebookcreating awareness

• Office of the Prime Minister80 Wellington StreetOttawa, ON K1A 0A2Fax: 613-941-6900E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca

An Engaging Approach To Teaching Peace

• (1) Choose A Compelling Narrative• (2) Setup A Dilemma• (3) Explore The Issues• (4) Present Alternative Solutions• (5) Take A Stand• (6) Undertake Action

An Engaging Approach To Teaching Peace• (1) Choose A Compelling Narrative

• News Stories, Literary Selections, Films• Engage Emotions• Address Big Questions In The Human Drama

– EXAMPLES: -What is worth risking your life for? -What constitutes freedom? -Is violence ever justified?

• (2) Explore The Issues• (3) Present Alternative Solutions

• Perspective taking activities• Suspend judgement until all the facts are in• Understand there is more than one right answer• Role play, debate from a given perspective

An Engaging Approach To Teaching Peace• (4) Setup A Dilemma

• Once heartfelt connections to a topic are made among students draw out a larger dilemma. (e.g. Is the long-term goal of democracy more important than short-term goals of stability?)

• (5) Take A Stand• Once a variety of mediums and perspectives are considered, informed discussion

and reflection takes place students will need to take a stand.• Human graphs, interaction with like-minded peers and brainstorming reasons for

their position is necessary practice before encouraging a public stance.

• (6) Undertake Action• If civic engagement and action is not encouraged, the

hidden curriculum being taught is that knowing isis enough, and it is not necessary to do anything.

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Peace Education• World Issues

• Peace education is relevant to the curriculum, which directs teachers to touch on topics like world conflict and democracy.

• Modern History• Thematic units of Modern History 110 are

inviting for peace educators as they explore the causes and conditions of revolution and the World Wars.

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Peace Education

• Math• Conflict often occur over distribution of wealth and

resources. Math allows opportunity for thematic and perhaps more engaging word problems conducive to peace education and conflict resolution. It can be a tool for analyzing topics of equity, distributing of wealth, economic development, military expenditure, etc.

• English• Thematic units in English allow the opportunity to

cover all literacy and curricular goals why engaging students by providing a forum to interpret and discuss real world problems.

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Peace Education• Science

• Allows the opportunity to explore global issues that require transnational cooperation, strengthening peace. These can include such things as environmental issues and promotion of ecological thinking and respect for life. Science also allows us to place our species under a microscope and tackle certain ideas such as the notion that humans may be inherently violent through another lens.

ONLINE RESOURCES• http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/peace/frame.

htm• http://www.global-ed.org/e4p/• http://www.classroomconnections.ca/• http://www.cultivatingpeace.ca/• http://www.salsa.net/peace/teach/teachers.html• http://youthpeaceinitiative.org.au/peace-games-p

eace-resources/learning-resources/

Think Globally, Act Locally