(1990). Evaluation of a Peace Education Program: Results, Problems, and Needs. One approach of the peace movement has been the development of peace education course in schools and universities. This paper is an evaluation of the effects of one such course on the beliefs and attitudes of students. Two evaluations were done, one in the spring of 1988 and one in the winter of 1990. University students enrolled in a course titled, "National Security: Its Science and Technology," were assessed before and after the term and compared to a control group of students. Differences were found between the 1988 and 1990 groups of students, possibly due to the shift in world power positions. The primary effect of the course was to increase students' cognitive differentiation among related issues such as nuclear weapons, nuclear power, war, and SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative). Significant patterns of differences also were found between male and female students. A 7-item list of references is included. (Author/DB)…
(2008). Literacy Teaching Method and Peace Building in Multi-Ethnic Communities of Nigeria. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, v48 n1 p162-187. The challenge of peace building in Nigeria is increasing as communities continue to show adversary tendencies. This is happening even after many third party conflict transformation efforts have been expended to resolve and set a conducive climate for stakeholders to sustain peace. Some peace building assessment projects have indicated that the peace building process is not fully realised, which justifies exploring the place of literacy education in peace building. Since illiteracy has been identified as one major factor which promotes conflict and violence in Nigeria's multiethnic communities, the importance of functional literacy is further stressed. In this paper, a review of some adult education teaching theories is undertaken, and a model for literacy functionality–a transformative teaching paradigm for peace building called "cemento-conscio education"–is developed. (Contains 1 figure.)… [PDF]
(1990). Education for Peace and Mutual Understanding: A Perspective from the Soviet Union: Valentina Mitina and the Project "Preparedness for Peace." Reprints and Miniprints, No. 689. As part of an effort by the project group "Preparedness for Peace", this publication presents a conversation with Dr. Valentina Mitina of the Research Institute of General Pedagogy, USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. Dr. Mitina, a senior researcher specializing in comparative education, is also an activist in nongovernmental organizations. Mitina offers her definition and views of peace education and explains what role the Soviet Union can play in the field. She explores the terms "disarmament education" and "education for international understanding" and the difficulties of introducing peace studies into a curriculum. The document includes notes about Mitina and presents an appendix that describes the Soviet committee of the movement "Educators for Peace and Mutual Understanding." (SG)… [PDF]
(2006). Teaching Peace: A Dialogue on the Montessori Method. Journal of Peace Education, v3 n1 p39-53 Mar. Most educators are familiar with the principles of one of the founding mothers of peace education, Maria Montessori. Bringing an utterly fresh vision to notions of childhood and education, she re-imagined the classroom as one in which children would explore and discover their own interests and passions. With regard to conflict resolution, she specifically stated that such an education made the continuation of man's seemingly endless cycle of war and poverty more likely to continue: further, she argued that if education truly could develop ethically and socially conscious men and women, whose moral sense had been developed as fully as their ability to read and write, mankind could begin hoping for a more peaceful world. The following profiles of international Montessori schools should help clarify the processes an educational philosophy goes through when it is adopted by another culture–essential knowledge as education becomes increasingly global–as well as the contributions of… [Direct]
(1988). New Developments in the Field of Peace Education. The subject of peace education has shifted in the direction of global education and away from the traditional goal of building peace to include concerns for developing nations. Opportunities for political and social studies at school have widened in the past 20 years and Dutch society has shown increased interest in world politics. Measures taken have been to produce teaching materials to reflect this, and curriculum development has gone forward but it lacks a basic program in the existing curriculum. There is an absence of in-service training and international studies is not part of the curricula of the social sciences. Among new trends is action basic education for 4-15 year olds to develop students capable of coping critically and creatively with social and political problems. In 1994 a new basic education law for 12-15 year olds takes effect with compulsory foreign language, geography, and history in the curriculum and all pupils will reach same minimal knowledge and skills…
(1985). An Emerging Institution: The University for Peace in Costa Rica. Discussion Paper Series, No. 73. A new United Nations college, the University for Peace in Costa Rica, is discussed. After providing a brief historical sketch on peace efforts since the Ancient Greeks, the objectives of the United Nations University are identified. The University for Peace is a new international university that is part of the United Nations University network, a decentralized system of affiliated institutions. Costa Rican President Rodrigo Carazo proposed the establishment of the university to the United Nations, which took into consideration the recommendations of United Nations-affiliated bodies, as well as the comments of 10 nations. The following long-range goals for the university were suggested by the United Nations presidential commission: to seek solutions to psychosocial and natural problems that provoke tension, violence, and war in the world; and to contribute content and forms that may be useful in achieving world peace through education, knowledge, and research. Seven topics for…
(1987). Seminario Regional para el Desarrollo de Materiales Educativos para la Paz (San Jose, Costa Rica, 27-31 de octubre de 1986). Informe Final (Regional Seminar for the Development of Educational Materials on the Theme of Peace–San Jose, Costa Rica, October 27-31, 1986. Final Report). In conjunction with United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's 40th anniversary, 1986 was named the International Year of Peace. During 1986, UNESCO selected the theme "peace" as an education project to be undertaken in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Venezuela. The development of educational materials that would seek to emphasize new methods of teaching about peace, while emphasizing each country's economic, social, political, and cultural uniqueness, was stressed. Materials were produced by each country and a conference was convened to: (1) investigate, develop, apply, and evaluate the suggested materials and teaching methods; (2) improve teachers' knowledge and skills in relation to peace activities; and (3) stimulate peace awareness through specific daily activities. Results of the peace projects indicate an increased awareness of and interest in peace education and a desire to…
(1990). Towards a Rationale and a Didactics of Peace Education: Progress Notes (1990) on the Project "Preparedness for Peace" in Sweden. Peace Education Miniprints No. 6. The aims and tasks of a set of research and development studies carried out at the Malmo School of Education at Lund University in Sweden, under the umbrella term "Preparedness for peace," are outlined. The general aim of the studies was to increase knowledge of possible ways of helping children and young people at school to deal constructively with questions of war and peace. The work involved a variety of tasks, for example: (1) an inventory and analysis of experiences of peace education in different countries; (2) studies of conceptions (peace, war, enemy images) among children and young people; (3) a collection and analysis of viewpoints on the role of schools in pursuit of "preparedness for peace"; (4) documentation and experiments focusing on practical ways in which schools can organize peace-oriented activities; and (5) publication of brief information pamphlets from the project work that might be used to stimulate discussion and to generate ideas among…
(1982). Schooling, Education and the Future. A series of discussions on the present and possible future of education in Sweden is presented. The major themes covered are: the boredom of school; school and the life-cycle; the problem of examinations; a comparison of schooling and eating; a pupil centered school; experimental schools in Sicily and Oslo; the university; distinctions among the terms "learning,""education," and "schooling"; and peace education. An interview focusing on future consciousness and the school which was conducted for the Preparedness for the Future Project of the Malmo School of Education is also included. (RM)…
(1976). Education for Peace: Reflection and Action. Proceedings of the World Conference of the World Council for Curriculum and Instruction (First, University of Keele, September 1974). This book contains 30 articles from 20 countries dealing with the substantive and methodological aspects of peace education, from early childhood to the university level and out of school. The articles comprise the Proceedings of the First World Conference of the World Council for Curriculum and Instruction held at the University of Keele, Great Britain, in September 1974. Addresses of welcome and greetings are provided in Section one. Section two discusses issues facing mankind such as the population problem, mass poverty, environmental overload, and human rights. The contributions which education can make toward peace and social justice are emphasized. Section three describes ten action projects in Colombia, England, India, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, Norway, and the United States. Section four contains 11 articles on the parameters of education for peace. Discussions of the following are included: the myth of equality of educational opportunity in the United States; the…
(1984). Peace and Security Education in the Federal Republic of Germany. Three Essays. Three essays related to peace and security education in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) are presented. The first essay, "An Example of Controversial Themes in Education: Peace and Security," by Clemens Lessing, uses a 1980 controversial discussion of the Committee of the Cultural Ministry as an example of controversial themes in education. In this discussion, controversy between ministries in various lands in the FRG arose over a proposal that there should be more basic instruction in the schools concerning the duty of the federal government for defense and the necessity of service in the military to assure or defend the peace. One view emphasizes training for decision making and careful weighing of arguments, while another emphasizes the importance of learning controversial views about security and defense politics, encouraging students to draw a unified opinion from controversy. The second essay, "Analysis of Schoolbooks: Peace and Security," by Falk…
(1992). Tragic Pages: How the GDR, FRG and Japan Processed Their War History–Lessons for Education for Peace. Peace Education Miniprints No. 39. This document describes the ways in which Japan and the German nations have taught the history of World War II. According to the document, the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) took a pro-communist and anti-fascist approach to the subject. At the same time, the Western Allies pressured the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to institute a political education system designed to prevent the Germans from starting anew on the track toward fascism. In recent years, the FRG took greater responsibility for the War, and the mass media were instrumental in bringing information to the German public. Japanese teaching about the War downplays the nation's aggression in Asia and the Pacific and emphasizes the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. The document argues that there is a continued need for peace education concerning World War II, but there is also a need to avoid negative politicization of the issue. Eighteen endnotes are included along with 47… [PDF]
(1998). Integration of Peace Education Conflict Resolution with the Arts and Humanities: A New Agenda for a New Century. This paper discusses the integration of peace education into early childhood education through the arts and humanities curricula, considering several pedagogical developments which indicate a more favorable climate for this integration, including: (1) aesthetic literacy programs, including peace museums and the role of children's literature; (2) neuroscience developments such as whole brain learning which recognizes the importance of infant and early childhood development; (3) interdisciplinary experiences within an integrated curriculum framework; (4) social/affective education beginning with early childhood; (5) ecological and social responsibility as an expression of the integration of learning in science and social studies; (6) technological literacy; (7) cultural contexts for learning; and (8) spiritual and philosophical hopes for humanity expressed as goals for the new century. The paper argues that these new insights hold the promise of addressing humanity's most perplexing… [PDF]
(1993). Songs for Peacemakers: Conflict Resolution. Handbook. This teacher's guide was designed as part of a kit that includes a video tape and sound cassette recording, but may be adapted for independent use. The resource is based on the premise that teaching conflict resolution is becoming a necessity in an increasingly violent world, and that using music to teach peace education is successful with young children. This guide presents 12 lesson plans based on 12 original songs. Ideas for interdisciplinary activities, games, role-playing and brainstorming exercises, writing activities, take home assignments, and tips for teachers are included. Reproducible activity masters and song lyric sheets are included. (MM)…
(1989). Peace Communication Research and Scholarship Opportunities in Related Disciplines and Forums. A number of academic and professional organizations offer peace communication scholars opportunities for cross-disciplinary dialogue. These include the: Consortium of Peace Research, Education, and Development (COPRED); Peace Studies Association; International Peace Research Association; Peace Science Society (International); International Studies Association; and International Association of Conflict Management. In addition to academic organizations, specialized conferences which may interest peace communication researchers are regularly listed in the "COPRED Peace Chronicle." A variety of academic journals appear receptive to interdisciplinary peace studies work, including peace communication scholarship. These include: "Peace and Change", a Journal of Peace Research, Norway's"Journal of Peace Research" and "Bulletin of Peace Proposals,""International Journal on World Peace,""International Studies…