Loreta N. CastroCenter for Peace Education

Miriam College

Presentation OutlineI. Why Build Schools of and for Peace?

A. The Situation in our Country and BeyondB. The Call of our Catholic FaithC. “To Reach Peace, Teach Peace”

II. What is Peace? A Culture of Peace?III. Building Schools of and for Peace

through Peace EducationIV. The “Whole School Approach” as a Goal (incl. a Restorative Discipline Policy)

I. Why Build Schools of and for Peace?A. The Situation in our country and

beyond Armed Conflicts• Now mainly between gov’t & non-state armed

actors• Costs of violent conflicts: human. material &

environmental - 250,000 people die each year from armed conflicts (AI) - Philippines facts: Estimate of 190,000 people have died from armed conflicts; 26 people die daily from murder and homicide (PNP);Ranks 10th – in number of gun homicide rates worldwide;In the 2010 Global Peace Index, among the least peaceful countries , rank of 130 out of 149 countries .

Other forms of violence Structural -Globally, 925 million people are hungry (1 of 7

people, FAO, 2010)-Philippines: 32.9% of the population are considered poor (1 of 3)

Socio-cultural-People are killed or hurt because they differ from the rest in terms of ethnicity, religion, sex, ideology, among others.

Ecological -Overconsumption, pollution

B. The Call of our Catholic Faith

(Note: Peace is a value that we share with other Faiths.)

“Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9)

“We are called to be peacemakers. Not by some movement of the moment , but by our Lord Jesus” (US Catholic Bishops’ Pastoral Letter, 1983)

“Seek Peace, Pursue It” (Phil. Catholic Bishops Pastoral Letter, 1990), etc.

C. “To Reach Peace, Teach Peace” (Pope John Paul II, 1979 )

The attainment of peace is the summing-up and crowning of all our aspirations.

Education for peace can benefit from everyday examples : -individuals & families who… by accepting and respecting

each other, gain their own inner peace and radiate it; -the peoples, often poor , who have resisted the deceptive

seductions of rapid progress obtained by violence…

Listen & understand, respect others, gentleness is strength,.

It is the practice of peace that leads to peace.

For discussion in dyads:

What ideas do you associate with “peace”?

II. What is Peace?Not only the absence of war and physical violenceBut also the presence of conditions of well-being

and just relationships among humans and between humans and Mother Earth

Consensus: Absence of violence and the presence of justice

“May kapayapaan kung walang nagugutom at walang naaapi.”

LEVELS OF PEACE Peace between Humans and the Earth and Beyond

Global Peace

Intergroup/Social PeaceInterpersonal Peace

Personal Peace

Self-respectInner resources:

Love, hopeRespect for other personsJustice, tolerance,

cooperationRespect for other groups within country, etc.

Respect for other countries, etc

Respect for the environmentSustainable living, Simple

lifestyles

Harmony with the Sacred Source

Harmony with the self

Harmony with Others

Harmony with Nature

What is a Culture of Peace?Beliefs, values, behaviors, and ways of life that

reflect respect for human dignity, reject violence in all its forms, prevent violent conflicts by tackling their root causes and recognize the importance of cooperation, dialogue and acceptance of diversity. (UNESCO)

-UNESCO Manifesto 2000

III. Building Schools of and for Peace through Peace EducationPeace Education is education that cultivates

awareness, concern and behaviors that lead to peaceful conditions/structures and relationships.

Peace Education is also called transformative education because it seeks changes –

in people’s mindsets, attitudes, values, and behaviors

that, in the first place, have either created or exacerbated violent conflicts.

GOALS:Build Awareness

1. Situations/Forms of violence

2. Roots of conflict and violence

3. Alternatives to violenceBuild concern

1. Empathy and compassion2. Positive vision of the future3. Social responsibility

(Use ideas and lives of peace and justice advocates)Encourage action1. Personal change-own mindset,

attitudes, behavior/lifestyle2. Social action and advocacy

What are the key peace education themes?

1. Oneness of the human family - Expand our social identification from narrow to

global, all humans are “brothers and sisters”

- All have a common home, planet Earth, and a common future

2. Human worth and dignity

-- Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms including gender equality- Fulfillment of basic human needs- Participation in decision-making

3. Nonviolence

- Valuing human life and developing skills of nonviolent conflict resolution

- Using positive techniques of nonviolence

4. Tolerance - Respect for diversity vs. racism, ethnocentrism, sexism,

religious intolerance - Rejection of a sense of superiority and other prejudices

5. Economic Equity/Justice - Support for a moreequitable distribution of wealth and

resources

6. Environmental Care/Sustainable Development- Taking into account the future generations when using the earth’s resources. (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Repair, Refuse)

7. Shared Values of Major World Religions that relate to Peace- Love, compassion, nonviolence, forgiveness-The Golden rule

Buzz session:

Of the mentioned peace education themes, which one would you consider the most needed in our country? Why did you choose that particular theme?

The Peaceable Teaching – Learning Process

Cognitive Phase (Being aware, Understanding)

Active Phase Affective Phase (Taking practical action) (Being concerned, Responding, Valuing)

Peace Education’s “Mantra”TO THE EDUCATOR:Touch the mind.Touch the heart.Encourage the will to action.

TO ALL, incl. the learners:Know peace.Value peace.Act for peace.

Take, for example, the mindset that war cannot be avoided because it is in our human nature or biological make-up to go to war.

This is a myth that needs to be challenged. Otherwise, this belief can be used to justify the use of war as a legitimate means to resolve intergroup disputes/conflicts.

It is scientifically incorrect to say that human genes and instinct make us violent. Humans have the potential to act violently, but whether we do or not is shaped by how we were raised/socialized. Hence, it is a social construct, not a biological one.

(By an International Committee of Scholars, endorsed by UNESCO)

“The increasing destructiveness of war has revealed the cause of abolishing war to be more of a practical necessity than a

utopian idea… The institution of war is a product of human

imagination and the human imagination can replace it.”

-Betty ReardonNO TO WAR!

NO TO WAR!

In the cited example, we:“Know Peace” – when we understand that it is a myth

to say that war is unavoidable; when we understand the costs of war and the alternatives to war such as preventive diplomacy, negotiation, mediation

“Value Peace”- when we respond with concern & feel empathy for the war victims especially women and children who become internal refugees. Remember: ‘In any war there are no victors, only victims’

“Act for Peace”- when we take some action from the personal level & beyond; re-examining our own beliefs and attitudes, being an advocate against war and the tools of violence, e.g. weapons, & against systems & practices that breed war such as discrimination and injustice