(2007). Jewish Religious Education as Peace Education: From Crisis to Opportunity. British Journal of Religious Education, v29 n1 p63-76 Jan. Samuel Huntington is famous for having used the phrase "clash of civilizations." Many other observers of the geopolitical scene have suggested that the reality is more like a clash "within civilizations," and that the response to this should lie in discovering the resources within each cultural tradition that could inform a more peaceful outlook. For some time, within the Middle East, questions have been raised as to whether the great religious traditions of the region are only a factor promoting extremism and violence or could also be 'tools for peace'. This article looks at Jewish religious education as a test case, considering what resources are available in classical Jewish sources for a more open, peaceful perspective. The question is raised as to why there seem to be relatively few religious Jews in the "Peace Camp" in Israel, but what steps could be taken, at least from an educational point of view, to change that situation. Part of the solution… [Direct]
(2013). Digital Alchemy: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Investigation of Digital Storytelling for Peace and Justice. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Maryland, College Park. This study explores the experiences of undergraduate students enrolled in an education I-Series (University of Maryland undergraduate courses designed to inspire innovation, imagination, and intellect) course, Good Stories: Teaching Stories for Peace and Justice. In this course students are asked to produce digital stories that project themes of peace and justice. The locus of this study focuses on the essential question: In what ways do participants "world" their experiences producing digital stories for peace and justice? The methodology of hermeneutic phenomenology is employed in order to elucidate interpretive understandings about digital storytelling for peace and justice in the experiences of nine undergraduates over the course of one semester. The metaphor of alchemy is used since the practice of alchemy entailed amalgamating base metals in the hopes of transmuting them into gold. Jung (1968) likens this process to our experience of becoming individuated, whole, and… [Direct]
(2016). Philosophical Education toward Democratization and Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria. International Education Studies, v9 n9 p87-98. This paper examines Nigeria's democratization dilemmas and the imperatives of an educational framework against the backdrop of the Boko Haram insurgency. It identifies and connects the pattern, character and dynamics of the existing educational system. It also discusses the system's failure in calling for a new approach to overcome the prevailing dearth of civic order and the increasing spread of dissent groups. This new method is about acculturating Nigerian youth into a more civic culture, a Nigeria where citizens can live side by side with each other in peace." While examining both theoretical and practical characteristics of this new educational agenda, the paper especially examines the link between philosophical education and the development of a civic culture, trusting that such a connection suggests an approach to education that may assist future policy makers, educators, and teachers. Specific theoretical analysis of pedagogical and philosophical education contained here… [PDF]
(2020). Language Policy and Transitional Justice: Rights and Reconciliation. Language Policy, v19 n4 p485-503 Nov. Transitional justice (TJ) scenarios are where a society is moving from war to peace or from authoritarianism to democracy. A key goal of TJ is to balance atoning for past abuses of human rights with creating the conditions for social and political stability in the future, and this requires avoiding forms of "victor's justice" whereby one system of oppression is simply replaced with another. TJ questions, then, are not merely about justice, but about justice and prudence: not merely whom to punish and by what authority, but to what ends (Arthur in Hum Rights Q 31:321-367, 2009). These ends, according to de Greiff (Nomos 51:31-77, 2012), are reconciliation and democratization, achieved primarily via the recognition of wrongdoings and victims, and the rebuilding of civic trust. It is questionable, therefore, whether the emphasis on legality and punishment should be the primary mechanism of TJ or, as Roht-Arriaza (in: Roht-Arriaza, Mariezcurrena (eds) Transitional justice in… [Direct]
(2018). A Theological Analysis of Confessional-Centric Curriculum of Christian Religious Education: Towards an Inclusive Religious Pluralistic Centered Curriculum for Nigeria Colleges of Education. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Duquesne University. Desire to live in peace and unity despite the multi ethnic and multi religious composition of Nigeria, remain ideals that are constant in the nation's Constitution. However, accruable benefits of a culturally and religiously pluralistic society have continued to elude Nigeria due to incessant religious violence arising from the mutual suspicion of Christians and Muslims in the country. Nevertheless, the nation's National Policy on Education proposes the education sector as one of the platforms to inculcate a sense of unity and religious tolerance in the country. The policy considers the nation's learning centers and religious courses offered in such institutions as media to attain the goals of peaceful co-existence and unity of all citizens. Unfortunately, this goal has remained unrealized. It is from this background that this dissertation conducts a theological analysis of the curriculum of Christian Religious Studies operative in Nigeria Colleges of Education and finds it defective… [Direct]
(2019). Places for Silence and Stillness in Schools of Today: A Matter for Educational Policy. Policy Futures in Education, v17 n4 p530-540 May. In this paper, it is my intention to not only explore the notions and significance of places for silence in education today, but also to develop insights into diverse understandings of silence — such as aspects of power in silence and issues of silent students — to inform school practices and educational policy. The discussion will be illustrated by some students' experiences of a place in the school's playground — the silent place known as the Peace Area. The students at this playground emphasised the significance of a silent place, a place of stillness, to visit during one's time at school. A place for relaxing together with friends, but also a place to be alone with one's thoughts. The students clearly expressed their desire to withdraw to a silent and peaceful place during the school day. But, how many places of silence and stillness are there in the schools of today? As humans, we are, in our daily life, more or less surrounded by different forms of sounds and noise, but also… [Direct]
(2016). Exploring the Usage and Benefits of the State of Texas Peace Officer Tuition Exemption Program. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Northcentral University. This study was conducted to explore if the Texas peace officer tuition exemption program is being used to the extent and for the purposes outlined with regard to the state law. A qualitative case study method was implemented and conducted to find determine if Texas peace officers are using the program, to what extent the program being used, the purposes officers are using the program for, and is the program actually promoting the police profession in Texas. The study was significant in determining what the perceptions of police officers were with regard to higher education, police professionalism, professionalization of police, and the police profession in Texas. The study used active Texas police officers as the population, sampling from 22 police officer participants from the 6 largest police agencies in the Northeast Texas area of the state, this involved 12 participants who have used the state program and 12 that have not used the program. A qualitative case study design using… [Direct]
(2016). Woodland in Practical Skills Therapeutic Education. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, v16 suppl 1 p1108-1112 Aug. Modern urban life provides less opportunities to contact with nature, which is a potential cause of developmental deviances in children. We investigated the potential therapeutic effect of woodlands, within the context of Practical Skills Therapeutic Education at the Ruskin Mill College, UK. Data on physical and emotional perceptions were collected through a questionnaire: sight was the physical sense with higher impact (P < 0.05); contemplation, away from pressure, relaxation, peace, quietness and freedom rated higher in emotional senses (P < 0.05). The place conveying the highest sense of comfort was the woodlands (P < 0.05). The Biophilia Theory, and the Attention Restorative Theory, that explain the recovery from Directed Attention Fatigue through exposure to natural environments, frame these results. A considerable amount of students attending the College is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder being argued that the woodlands are a potential… [Direct]
(2010). Mainstreaming Peace and Conflict Studies: Designing Introductory Courses to Fit Liberal Arts Education Requirements. Journal of Peace Education, v7 n2 p205-219 Sep. Peace and conflict studies courses are seldom seen by faculty curriculum committees and university administrators as deserving to be part of their institution's liberal arts education requirements. We show that this unfortunate tendency is rooted in a lack of understanding of not only the compatibility between the two but of their quite complementary connections. These connections include the liberal arts' emphases on the following: producing liberated citizens; respecting diversity; thoughtfully considering different points of view; highlighting not just the rights of the individual but the responsibilities that accompany those rights. Using the experience of Kent State University's Center for Applied Conflict Management as a case study, we show that by bridging the perceived gap between the traditional liberal arts core and peace and conflict studies it is indeed possible to have an introductory course in peace and conflict studies accepted as an option for fulfilling an… [Direct]
(2009). The Role of Education in Peace-Building in the African Great Lakes Region: Educators' Perspectives. Journal of Peace Education, v6 n1 p37-49 Mar. This article discusses the findings from a qualitative study which examined educators' perceptions of their contributions to the quest for sustainable peace in Burundi and the African Great Lakes region. The study looked at how educators representing different ethnic backgrounds, academic preparation, and currently employed at different levels within the Burundi educational system characterize their experiences with ethnic conflicts and violence, the role that education must play in the peace-building and societal reconstruction processes, and their roles in the quest for sustainable peaceful interethnic coexistence. The findings from semi-structured interviews and researchers' field notes showed that most participants were deeply marked by their experiences with ethnic conflicts, and that they recognized the critical roles that they and the educational system must play to achieve lasting peace. The participants stressed that numerous logistical and economic challenges hinder their… [Direct]
(2016). The "Fun with Languages" Project: Making Learning Another Language an Early Priority. Learning Languages, v21 n2 p16-18, 20, 22 Spr-Sum. There is no denying the importance of multilingualism in the 21st century; increased travels, student exchanges, global business, diplomacy, and security are mediated by communication. Education is the key to building a strong multilingual world community that will work for peace and stability. However, it may be often overlooked that a successful educational system is measured in part by the investment that governments place in early education ("Equality and Education" OECD report 2012). The first part of this paper reviews the essential benefits of early foreign language exposure and learning for the development of the whole child. It also looks at the historical changes of Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) in the United States, along with some comparisons to European trends. In the second part, the article describes a FLES initiative at the K-12 level, launched three years ago in partnership with Murray State University in Kentucky that aims to kindle a… [PDF] [Direct]
(2016). Transforming Communities through Sport? Critical Pedagogy and Sport for Development. Sport, Education and Society, v21 n4 p570-587. The value of sport as a vehicle for social development and progressive social change has been much debated, yet what tends to get missed in this debate is the way education may foster, enable or impede the transformative action that underpins the social outcomes to which the "sport for development and peace" (SDP) sector aspires. This article draws on the critical pedagogy of Paulo Freire and his contemporaries to examine the nature of transformative action and how it may be fostered within SDP programs. Insights from critical pedagogy are applied to, and illustrated through, qualitative research undertaken with SDP programs located in Cameroon and Kenya. The findings show the complexities of designing and implementing critical pedagogy in a SDP context and, in particular, the challenges of creating and mobilizing for transformative action. Opportunities and lessons for embedding critical pedagogy within SDP programs are also presented…. [Direct]
(2016). A Shared Vision of Human Excellence: Confucian Spirituality and Arts Education. Pastoral Care in Education, v34 n3 p156-166. Spirituality encourages the individual to make sense of oneself within a wider framework of meaning and see oneself as part of some larger whole. This article discusses Confucian spirituality by focusing on the spiritual ideals of "dao" (Way) and "he" (harmony). It is explained that the Way represents a shared vision of human excellence that is embodied in the guiding discourse inherited from one's cultural predecessors. The Confucian Way covers all the manifestations of Zhou culture, including its knowledge base, values, beliefs and practices that have been passed down through the generations. The Way is achieved through harmony where human beings find inner peace as well as co-exist with one another and their surroundings. Harmony encompasses an appreciation of beauty, joy and ethical values that may be obtained from arts education. The essay further illustrates an application of Confucian spiritual ideals through music education in a school. A Confucian aim of… [Direct]
(2016). Education in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement: Kabuki Theatre Meets "Danse Macabre". Oxford Review of Education, v42 n3 p346-361. The Good Friday Agreement (1998) between the UK and Irish governments, and most of the political parties in Northern Ireland, heralded a significant step forward in securing peace and stability for this troubled region of the British Isles. From the new-found stability, the previous fits and starts of education reform were replaced by a determination for modernisation and innovation, infused with a new energy and momentum. This sense of purpose embraced a complex weave of ideas and ideals; all designed variously to smooth, celebrate and harness community differences for the collective good. Much progress has been made in the intervening years since 1998, particularly in political structures and relationships. However, the euphoria of the new dawn of the Agreement had barely begun to shape the future before entrenched "tribal" tensions reproduced the same political and legislative impasses of former years and visited their all-too-familiar blight on the economic, cultural… [Direct]
(2017). Are the Services Delivered Employable? A Scenario of Technical Education in Rural India. Online Submission, International Journal of Management (IJM) v8 n1 p40-49 Jan-Feb. Purpose: One of the most appalling challenges in India is persistently rising unemployment, explicitly in the rural region. More than 20% of Indian youth between the ages of 15 and 24 years are "seeking or available for work," as per 2011 census data. There will be no peace and prosperity in the country unless jobless people get appropriate channel. In India deficiency of skills is among the main constraints for recruitment of Technical Education. Productivity of Technical Education in not entirely absorbed due to lack of skills required by the employers. Along with the ample arguments, taking place in recent times, regarding reformation in the productivity of Technical Education, this present study syndicates focus on services delivered and its impact on employability skills. The objective of this paper is to find out whether Technical Education institutes in rural part are keen to focus on the employability skills? The paper also focuses on distinguished skills required… [PDF]