(1987). The War Play Dilemma: Balancing Needs and Values in the Early Childhood Classroom. Based on survey data and written for educators and parents, this book examines the role of war play in early childhood education settings, its potential negative effects, and what educators might do to limit these effects. This examination is offered from both a developmental and a sociopolitical view. Four approaches to solving potential problems resulting from war play are discussed: banning war play; taking a laissez-faire approach; allowing war play with defined limits; and facilitating war play. The book discusses differences between parents' and teachers' approaches to war play and offers guidelines and strategies for approaching war play in the classroom. Among these include supporting those children not interested in war play and using the issues that arise out of children's war play as subjects for classroom discussion. The document includes four appendices which present a sample of the questionnaires and responses used to develop the book, samples of curriculum webs which…
(2025). 'See Us': An Urgent Call to Collaborate with Colleagues in Crisis Environments around the World. Teaching in Higher Education, v30 n2 p544-554. This essay is written as an urgent call for collaboration. It is a provocation for academics in non-crisis environments to proactively reach out to our academic colleagues in Ukraine and other severely disrupted crisis environments around the world to work together to create and extend knowledge and understanding about interpersonal and organizational phenomena during extreme circumstances. We — those of us who are higher education practitioners living within non-crisis environments — have colleagues around the world who are navigating through fractured and uncertain contexts. They are calling out to be seen, to be heard, to be engaged and partnered with in generative and holistic ways. In this essay, we begin a conversation about potential topics for collaborative exploration in our learning and teaching spaces with the hope that they will inspire action and connection between academics living within relative peace and privilege and those living within severe disruption and crisis…. [Direct]
(1986). International Consultation on Peace Education and Research in Higher Education. Higher Education in Europe, v11 n2 p64-68. A January 1986 UNESCO international conference on the role of higher education in promoting international understanding, cooperation, peace, and respect for human rights focused on the nuclear threat and conventional warfare, the role of international governmental and nongovernmental organizations, research and education for peace, and interdisciplinarity and the diffusion of knowledge. (MSE)…
(2011). Educations in Ethnic Violence: Identity, Educational Bubbles, and Resource Mobilization. Cambridge University Press In "Educations in Ethnic Violence", Matthew Lange explores the effects education has on ethnic violence. Lange contradicts the widely-held belief that education promotes peace and tolerance. Rather, Lange finds that education commonly contributes to aggression, especially in environments with ethnic divisions, limited resources, and ineffective political institutions. He describes four ways in which organized learning spurs ethnic conflicts. Socialization in school shapes students' identities and the norms governing intercommunal relations. Education can also increase students' frustration and aggression when their expectations are not met. Sometimes, the competitive atmosphere gives students an incentive to participate in violence. Finally, education provides students with superior abilities to mobilize violent ethnic movements. Lange employs a cross-national statistical analysis with case studies of Sri Lanka, Cyprus, the Palestinian territories, India, sub-Saharan… [Direct]
(2024). Fostering Compassion and Empathy: The Role of Humane Education in Early Childhood. Childhood Education, v100 n6 p12-17. Bringing peace to the world is a profound aspiration, and it can be achieved by instilling the values of empathy, compassion, and respect in young children through humane education. Humane education sows the seeds of hope for a future that can heal our planet and usher in positive societal change. Humane education fosters empathy and ethical thinking in young children, equipping them with the emotional intelligence and moral foundation needed to make compassionate choices and positively impact their communities. Humane education not only fosters a sense of responsibility and stewardship for the planet but also encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are essential for resolving conflicts without resorting to violence. By equipping young minds with knowledge and values that prioritize compassion, we are shaping a more compassionate and just society where differences are understood and respected and conflicts are resolved through dialogue and understanding. The hope… [Direct]
(2021). Pedagogies for Peacebuilding in Higher Education: How and Why Should Higher Education Institutions Get Involved in Teaching for Peace?. International Review of Education, v67 n5 p569-590 Oct. This article makes the case for why higher education institutions should take the teaching of peacebuilding seriously. It is co-authored by a team from four countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda, Colombia and the United Kingdom) who were involved in a small international research project looking at "Pedagogies for Peacebuilding". Together they are trying to answer questions about the legitimacy of bringing these discussions into higher education and lecturer/student relationships. The authors discuss the spaces in which peacebuilding can be usefully considered within higher education curricula; the significance of higher education in helping young people develop habits of peace; and how the citizens and leaders of the future might be helped to understand the meaning and importance of peacebuilding. In the course of their argument, the authors consider the intention and impact of different pedagogical approaches…. [Direct]
(1994). 1994–International Year of the Family. The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 1994 as International Year of the Family with the theme, "Family: Resources and Responsibilities in a Changing World." Objectives for the year include increasing awareness of family issues among governments and the private sector, highlighting the importance of families, increasing understanding of their problems, promoting knowledge of the economic and social processes affecting families, and focusing attention upon the rights and responsibilities of all family members. This document presents the following materials for schools to celebrate the year of the family: (1) suggestions for how schools can plan to be involved in The Year of the Family; (2) Year of the Family logos; (3) a proclamation form from the state superintendent; (4) a quiz to test the knowledge about issues facing the American family; (5) ideas for teaching children about different cultures; (6) a worksheet on family issues and concerns; (7) suggestions… [PDF]
(2014). Conflict, Reconciliation and Peace Education: Moving Burundi toward a Sustainable Future. Routledge Research in International and Comparative Education. Routledge Research in International and Comparative Education When the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States occurred–causing that nation to wage wars of revenge in Afghanistan and Iraq–the people of Burundi were recovering from nearly forty years of violence, genocide and civil wars that had killed nearly one million and produced another million refugees. Here in this small East African nation, one of the four poorest nations on earth, however, was a desire for reconciliation–not revenge–and it still runs deep today. The University of Ngozi in northern Burundi was created in 1999 and is now dedicated to peace, reconciliation and sustainable development. People in this region tell remarkable stories of tragedy and recovery amid these horrors. Their stories can inspire others to preserve their humanity and resist the urge to continue the violence, focusing instead on forgiveness, reconciliation and a better way forward. This volume presents case study analysis while pointing to the promise of a new kind of education that is… [Direct]
(1984). Perspectives at Work: Fourteen Activities for Building Peacemaking Skills. Grades One to Six. Designed for teachers of students in grades 1-6, this representative sample of artwork and creative writing illustrates activities for teaching peace education. Based on a curriculum created by the Greater Boston Chapter of Educators for Social Responsibility ("Perspectives"), the booklet presents student art and writing samples illustrating student ideas about peace, cooperation, and conflict resolution. Students study local community builders, famous peacemakers, and people who are different from themselves, and examine change, decision making strategies, and the future. Suggested activities for students in grades 1-3 include making peace flowers as a cooperative effort, interviewing community builders, studying the life of famous peacemakers, and examining conflicts. Activities for students in grades 3-5 include defining peace, dramatizing the decisions of famous peacemakers, studying changes, exploring a non-violent future world, imagining oneself in the future, and…
(1999). Woodrow Wilson: Prophet of Peace. Teaching with Historic Places. This lesson describes President Woodrow Wilson's struggle with and his ultimate failure at achieving lasting world peace through the League of Nations. The lesson focuses on November 23, 1923, the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Armistice that concluded World War I, when a frail and ill Wilson was ready to deliver a commemorative address by radio from the library of his brick home on S Street in Washington, DC. The lesson could be used in teaching units on foreign policy, peace education, presidential history, or the history of World War I. The lesson objectives are to: articulate the ideals of world peace and world order that Wilson espoused; describe the conflict between Wilson's ideals and the Senate's policy of isolationism; and explain why the ideals of a visionary like Wilson are significant in forming the policies of the government. The lesson is divided into the following teaching activities sections: Setting the Stage: Historical Context; Locating the Site: Maps… [PDF]
(2025). 'It Is More than Just Education. It's Also a Peace Policy': (Re)Imagining the Mission of the European Higher Education Area in the Context of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. European Educational Research Journal, v24 n1 p111-126. Following the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, scholarship has not yet addressed the role of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) in this context. This paper asks: What is the political role of the EHEA as an institution and the instrumentalisation of its higher education (HE) cooperation initiatives in the context of the invasion? To investigate this, the paper thematically analyses interviews with representatives from key HE stakeholders in three EHEA members — Germany, France and Italy, as well as key recent international communications related to the EHEA's response to the war. The thematic analysis revealed two overarching themes leading us to consider that: (1) the EHEA has been regaining its lost significance through shaping and disseminating its response as an institution to the invasion of Ukraine; and (2) HE cooperation in the EHEA in the context of this war has been acquiring a new meaning. These themes lead us to conclude that the… [Direct]
(2017). Creating Capacities for Peacebuilding Citizenship: History and Social Studies Curricula in Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, and M√©xico. Journal of Peace Education, v14 n3 p282-309. Public education is one influence on how young people learn to navigate social conflicts and to contribute to building democratic peace, including their sense of hope or powerlessness. Social studies curricula, in particular, introduce core concerns, geographies, governance and civil society, and participation skills and norms. History education narratives frame identity, (dis)trust or peaceful coexistence, and provide exemplars of how social conflicts and injustice have been handled in the past. To shed light on these peacebuilding and peace-blocking choices, this paper examines government-sanctioned social studies and history curricula in contrasting contexts of violent conflict and peace: Bangladesh, Colombia, M√©xico, and (Ontario) Canada. Our comparative analysis shows how these official curricula (de)normalize violence and militarism, present national identities as hegemonic/exclusive or plural/inclusive, and create opportunities for teaching/learning peacebuilding citizenship… [Direct]
(2023). Improving Access and Equity in East African Higher Education through Internationalization. FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education, v8 n1 p22-39. The 1998 UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education in Paris recommended that global higher education institutions should internationalize and reduce inequalities between developed and emerging countries. Since then, universities strive to incorporate an international dimension in their service. The aim was initially guided by the 20th century understanding of internationalization being just, fair, and an equitable process that promotes peace and mutual understanding. However, under the influence of the General Agreement on Trade in Services and competition, internationalization changed focus and became less inclusive. This paper explores inclusive international education in East Africa using narrative review methodology. Findings suggest that rather than promoting access and equity in higher education, internationalization, for example, excludes economically disadvantaged, disabled, and adult learners. Thus, in addition to internationalization at home, inclusive… [PDF]
(2017). Support for Palestinians among Jewish Americans: The Importance of Education and Contact. Journal of Peace Education, v14 n3 p347-369. The violent and protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues, and Jewish Americans play a significant role in influencing related US foreign policy as well as in promoting positive interactions with Palestinians globally. Diaspora populations have played an important role in international peace processes and American Jews are actively involved in peace efforts for Palestinian human rights. Previous research indicates a relationship between views about Israel, knowing Palestinian narratives, and promoting peace processes. Thus, the attitudes and experiences that Jewish Americans have are important to understand and predicting their support for Palestinians. An online internet survey distributed to Jewish listservs (n = 173) measured variables of gender, age, political views, Jewish socialization, family and own attitudes about Israel, courses on the conflict, and having been to the West Bank. Results indicated younger, more liberal Jewish Americans who had taken courses and been… [Direct]
(1989). Educating Women for Peace: The United States Section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and Political Organization during the 1930s. The focus of this paper is the U.S. section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (US WILPF) and its efforts to mobilize an activist and durable women's peace reform organization in the 1930s. Members wished US WILPF to serve as an avenue for expanding women's political power and for reaching the goals of nonviolent change and economic and social justice at all levels of national and international life. It was the first modern women's peace organization to emerge after World War I. With its national headquarters in Washington, D.C., it functioned as a public interest group with Dorothy Detzer as chief lobbyist, while local branch members applied pressure on legislators and officials and attempted to educate communities on peace issues. Mildred Scott Olmstead, the national organization secretary, worked to expand and strengthen the group at the grassroots level in order to increase US WILPF's political clout. This two-pronged approach to peace education–lobbying… [PDF]